Scrutiny of the vehicle design by Tesla has resurfaced following the initiation of a months-long investigation by Bloomberg, revealing at least 15 fatalities in accidents where occupants or rescuers could not get Tesla doors open following an impact. Most of the accidents came after the crash, and the fire would envelop the victims below the smoke and flames.
Although this is a very low number in terms of fatalities due to traffic, safety experts indicate that similarities in these cases suggest a systemic design risk, rather than individual incidents.
A Trend Crops Up
To overcome personal stories, Bloomberg examined crash databases, police and fire department records, court documents, and recordings of emergency calls. The review found 12 fatal incidents since 2012, when the functionality of doors seemed to have contributed to the deaths, and at least 15 victims.
Over 50% of those deaths came after November 2024, although Tesla registered record vehicle sales. Investigators and safety activists believe that the cluster of cases, which frequently deal with fires and power interruptions, is not merely accidents.
Rescues That Came Down to Seconds
The danger is evident in one recent incident in Virginia. The driver of a Tesla Model Y could not open the doors when a state trooper arrived at the crash, and the car was on fire. The dashcam footage has the trooper trying to break down the door before breaking a window and dragging the driver out in time.
Bloomberg documented several similar cases where survival depended not on opening a door, but on breaking glass, sometimes by bystanders, sometimes by first responders, and sometimes by the trapped occupants themselves.
Power Failure and Electronic Handles
At the heart of the issue are Tesla’s signature flush, electronically controlled door handles. They run on the car’s 12V electrical system, unlike traditional mechanical handles. In severe crashes, the low-voltage battery can fail, cutting power to the handles right when people need to get out of the car.
Tesla cars still come with manual mechanical releases, but reports reviewed by Bloomberg suggest they can be tricky to locate, hard to operate in stressful moments, and confusing for passengers unfamiliar with the vehicle. In some models, especially in the rear seats, access to these manual releases is limited or not immediately obvious.
Testimony From Those Who Escaped and Those Who Didn’t
Others who have survived entrapment are greatly traumatized by the experience. In 2023, a Georgia resident, Kevin Clouse, told Bloomberg that he was inside his Tesla Model 3 due to a crash, and that he had to kick out a window to get out.
He has already issued a complaint with the federal regulators and gone to social media, warning other motorists. You are in a box on fire, and you can not get out, Clouse said. In cases where lives are lost, the families have also used wrongful-death as a suit because they believe that the failures of the electronic doors failed to rescue the lives.
Implications of regulation and industry
Regulators are starting to take notice. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation into Tesla’s door handles, starting with the Model Y, due to low-voltage failures. While NHTSA acknowledges that manual releases exist, investigators have raised concerns about their placement, visibility, and ease of use, especially for children or passengers who may not be familiar with them. Safety advocates argue that Tesla isn’t the only automaker with issues, as any electrically powered door system can be risky in crashes where power loss is common.
I understand for model S and X where the door handle pops out for you, electrically. But surely the model Y has a handle which you manually push in at one end, so that the other end swivels out – without a motor involved at all?