Tesla Faces US Auto Safety Investigation over Door Handles

Re:Tesla Faces US Auto Safety Investigation over Door Handles by ericpauley on Tuesday September 16, 2025 @12:10PM (#45264188)

It's particularly telling that Tesla's design flaws are so inexcusable that people have a hard time even believing they are real.

Here's another example: https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/model3/en_us/GUID-A7A60DC...

Yes, opening the rear door in some models requires popping an unlabeled access panel in the cargo pocket.

The craziest part to me is that this isn't the evil profit maximizing à la Unsafe at Any Speed. It's simply pure designer insanity.

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Re:Tesla Faces US Auto Safety Investigation over Door Handles by Someone1234 on Tuesday September 16, 2025 @12:15PM (#45264257)

This is actually their "upgraded" design, the original Model 3 had no rear mechanical release at all. Hidden or otherwise. None.

See the older manual here:

https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/2017_2023_model3/en_us/GU...

> Only the front doors are equipped with a manual door release.

How was THAT legal? How was that ADA compliant?

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Re:Tesla Faces US Auto Safety Investigation over Door Handles by amaranth on Tuesday September 16, 2025 @12:45PM (#45264651)

I believe it's legal because rear doors have child safety locks so often can't be opened from the inside anyway. Although that doesn't cover opening it from the outside...

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Re:Tesla Faces US Auto Safety Investigation over Door Handles by ryandrake on Tuesday September 16, 2025 @12:28PM (#45264416)

Wild. Door handles have been a solved problem for decades. Why do companies always have to go and fuck something up that's already working?

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Re:Tesla Faces US Auto Safety Investigation over Door Handles by jerlam on Tuesday September 16, 2025 @12:47PM (#45264683)

I guess I'm not surprised that only the vehicles made in China have the tiny concession to put a label on the access panel.

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