Electronic door handles have become a familiar feature on modern electric cars, offering cleaner styling and a more futuristic look. In China, however, that design trend is now at the center of a major safety issue, with Tesla and eight other automakers recalling around 4.3 million vehicles over concerns that doors may be difficult to open in an emergency.
The recall is believed to be the largest of its kind in China’s automotive history and comes as regulators increase their scrutiny of new EV technologies. China has already announced plans to ban hidden door handles from 2027, signaling a broader shift toward prioritizing emergency access over styling and aerodynamics.
Sleek Styling Meets a Serious Safety Concern
Tesla helped popularize flush door handles that sit neatly within the bodywork, and the idea quickly spread across the EV market. Beyond giving cars a cleaner appearance, the design can also improve airflow around the vehicle and reduce aerodynamic drag.
Many of these systems rely heavily on electronics. Some handles automatically extend when the driver approaches, while others use electronic buttons to release the doors instead of a conventional mechanical handle.
That dependence becomes more complicated after a crash or a loss of electrical power. If the electronic system stops working, passengers may need to rely on a manual emergency release, and in some cars those releases are not especially easy to find.
Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, warned that the lack of an obvious manual way to open the doors could make it harder for passengers to escape in dangerous situations. In some Tesla models, for example, emergency releases can be hidden inside door pockets or beneath trim panels with little indication of where they are located.
EV Owners Have Raised Similar Concerns
Regulators are not the only ones questioning these designs. Some electric car owners have also complained that increasingly complicated door mechanisms can create unnecessary confusion.
J.D. Power reported in 2023 that door handles were becoming a growing source of owner complaints as manufacturers experimented with new designs. Seven of the 10 models with the highest number of door handle related problems were electric vehicles.
Tesla has also faced lawsuits claiming that the design of its door systems contributed to injuries or deaths in cases where occupants were unable to escape vehicles that caught fire. In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received complaints from drivers who said they struggled to get back into their vehicles to reach children after the doors became inaccessible.
Tesla Accounts for Most of the 4.3 Million Vehicles
The Chinese recall covers Tesla as well as several major domestic brands, including Xiaomi, Leapmotor, XPeng and Geely.
The fixes differ from one manufacturer to another. Some vehicles will receive over the air software updates, while others will get clearer labels or markings showing passengers where to find the emergency door release.
Tesla represents the largest part of the campaign, with around 2.98 million Model 3, Model Y, Model S and Model X vehicles affected. The figure includes both vehicles built in China and imported models.
As part of the remedy, Tesla will add warning labels showing the location of the mechanical emergency releases. The company will also issue a software update designed to automatically lower the windows after a collision.
Xiaomi is recalling around 390,000 vehicles, while Leapmotor is covering roughly 371,000 and XPeng around 264,000. Leapmotor, XPeng and Geely are also carrying out the biggest recalls in their respective histories.
Despite the huge number of vehicles involved, the financial impact may be more manageable than the headline figure suggests. Many of the fixes can be completed through software updates or minor changes rather than major mechanical repairs at service centers.
China Will Ban Hidden Door Handles From 2027
The recall arrives at a time when China is taking a closer look at the rapid development of its electric vehicle industry and the technologies that have spread with it.
In February, the country announced plans to ban hidden door handles from 2027, making China the first major market to introduce such a broad restriction on a design that has become common across the EV industry.
Similar concerns are also being discussed elsewhere.
In the United States, regulators are considering rules that could require vehicles with electronic door systems to include a clearly accessible manual backup if electrical power is lost.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also said in July that it was studying whether a new safety standard should address the risk of doors becoming impossible to open. That review followed a petition involving Tesla Model 3 vehicles and concerns over how clearly their emergency releases are marked.
European regulators are also paying closer attention to the issue, while the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe is working on standards intended to ensure that doors can still be opened both electronically and manually, from inside and outside the vehicle, even after a power failure.
Although this recall is focused on China, the issue has become much bigger than one market. Hidden and electronic door handles are now common across dozens of modern EVs, and regulators are increasingly questioning whether cleaner styling is worth the added complexity in an emergency.
For automakers, the message is becoming clear. Future door designs will need to do more than look sleek and improve aerodynamics. They will also need to make sure passengers can get out quickly and easily when it matters most.
