What a terrible question, truly, as it poses the chilling thought, “What if ‘cutting-edge car technology’ becomes a deadly trap instead?’” Indeed, there have been a minimum of 15 deaths related to car accidents because the doors in Teslas will not open; this occurred in the same decade, just in the past ten years alone. Such incidents, which have been documented in police files, fire department files, as well as in investigative reporting, have brought to light the glaring flaws in the design for electric door handles for such cars.
The smooth operation of the Tesla car’s electric doors is still a reminder of the increasing application of modern technology in the auto industry. But the moment the electricity is cut off after an auto crash, these doors could cause accidents – and, indeed, tragic ones. Finally, warnings about the dangers associated with these doors, through which more than half the death toll in the statistics compiled by Bloomberg occurred after the end of 2024, have been voiced.
The list will highlight some of the major concerns and rescue operations associated with the Tesla door systems. There will be an understanding of how and why these occurrences take place.
1. Rising Death Toll Because of Disabled Doors
As per an investigation by Bloomberg, there have been a minimum of 15 deaths due to a dozen incidents where drivers or first responders were unable to open the doors of a Tesla vehicle because of a crash and subsequent fire, as per reports. More than 50% of such deaths have been since November, 2024. The government agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, does not hold records of cases like this. All these cases involve different models of Teslas; however, in most instances, there is failure involving the 12-volt battery, which is responsible for engaging the door handles. As soon as the battery dies or is damaged due to an accident, all the doors lock and would not open even if their occupants are trapped inside the vehicle.
2. Loss of power turns grip handles into dead weights
The electrical door handles of Tesla vehicles are operated by the low voltage battery of the car. During emergency conditions such as accidents, a failure in the battery can render such systems less functional. In terms of emergency release systems, Tesla vehicles are equipped with manual releases in their front doors. However, they can sometimes inadequately display their functions in other cases. The rear seats of other versions of the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y do not have manual releases, or sometimes they are hidden. Though this is an emergency situation, it becomes quite difficult to search for these concealed releases when there is smoke, fire, and injury in the field. It has resulted in some deaths due to complexity in the design.
3. First Responders Confront EV-Specific Challenges
Although emergency personnel face potential dangers during the rescue of occupants from electric vehicles, some dangers are specifically linked to the task of rescue. High voltage Lithium Ion Batteries may ignite resulting in the production of high amounts of heat and may also produce fires that cannot be extinguished through standard fire control procedures. According to Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell of Fire and Rescue NSW, “Battery fire can force rescue crews into ‘very crude extrication’ procedures.” Battery positioning, too, might be taken into consideration as a reason that the use of hydraulic equipment might be limited to either pushing or ramming car parts for the purpose of relocating trapped passengers away.
4. Children in Non-Crash Emer
The on-going investigation by the NHTSA against Tesla Models Y over a deficiency in their doors handles has registered distressing cases where children are locked inside the vehicle as a result of a battery drain. In Florida, a child was left alone in the vehicle in its carrier seat; this was for 30 minutes at 80 degrees. In California, another child, who was just 8 months old, had a temperature of above 104 degrees. These non-crash emergencies also help emphasize the fact that the hazard extends not only into crashes, but also into normal usage, especially involving failing electrical systems.
5. Lack of Standardized designs of Emergency Exits
According to Michael Brooks, a researcher from the Center for Auto Safety, some regulation is required to introduce a uniformity that would facilitate exit from cars that use electric handles for the doors. In this case, consumers must learn a different process every time they purchase a new car because all designs are unique from one another. “I think what we have to do is make sure that every new car sold in America meets a set of standards relating to emergency escape from that vehicle,”There is no restriction for the manufacturers when it comes to the manual release positioning in difficult-to-access or hard-to-reach areas as is required in the case of Tesla and Rivian.
6. Other Car Makers Also Charged Headlines
Many Tesla, though, is not alone that has been questioned. Rivian reported that the design for the rear door manual release design for their R2 sport utility vehicle would change to make the design more recognizable. The Volkswagen ID.4 had to issue a recall when their doors unexpectedly opened when their electronic door handles came into contact with water. Instances, like those involving Cadillac, BMW, and Audi, make it clear that the issue with the electronic door handles is not something that Tesla alone experiences. Despite this, it has the greatest complaints among consumers, and therefore, it warrants particular attention.
7. Hidden Manual Releases Make Escapes
More Difficult Sometimes, before six tug-release actions can be carried out, removal of panels, mats, or a grille housing speakers is required. For example, in the latest designs of the Tesla Model Y, tug-release is located beneath the mat and an access door labeled by a red button. In Tesla’s Model X, this is located behind the speakers’ grille and involves the manual act of pulling the falcon door upwards. These latent actions require both knowledge and experience, but no one knows of their existence. Based on the complexity of window escape mechanisms based on these hidden systems, it can be noted that these systems make escape difficult due to the lack of experience and knowledge of their existence. Additionally, they also require manual action. Discussing further the complexity of escaping through the window of Tesla models will require additional discussion on complex actions required by some systems.
8. Laminated Glass Makes Window Escapes Impossible
Since electric cars usually utilize laminated glass or car safety glass or noise reduction, and since laminated glass is harder compared to tempered glass, tests conducted by AAA in 2019 concluded that general break out instruments won’t be used on laminated glass materials. Moreover, breaking windows is no longer an option if the glass is tempered. As these windows can be used only once escape through the door is not possible, they can be considered nothing but an obstacle.
9. Regulatory Investigations Mount
The examination of the Tesla Model Y started by the NHTSA on September 15, 2025, based on nine consumer complaints since July of 2023. Furthermore, within the next 10 days, they received seven complaints from consumers. The investigation is requiring information on the number of filed complaints, accidents, and fires, and also suits filed. These started amid other NHTSA probes related to Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving Capability” and advanced function features.
There is an increased focus on the Tesla electric car’s security. “The coming together of failure of electronic car handles, hidden emergency release mechanisms, laminated glass, and electric car fires is leading to a dangerous gap. To be frank, for Tesla owners and Electric Vehicles generally, an elementary knowledge of escape techniques before a disaster can be the very best means of having an escape when it matters most,” according to an article that pointed out that finally, security regulations have emerged.
