Tesla Recalls 3 Million Cars in China Over Door Handle Issue

Tesla has decided to recall approximately three million vehicles from the Chinese market because their interior door handles could impede passengers’ ability to exit the vehicles in emergencies, according to authorities in Beijing.

On Friday, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) reported that eight automakers had submitted recall requests due to similar safety concerns.

Tesla is expected to recall 2.9 million locally manufactured Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles starting September 25.

The U.S. automaker, which operates a large factory in Shanghai, will also recall approximately 46,000 imported Model 3, Model X, and Model S vehicles, according to the regulator.

The regulatory body clarified that the recalled vehicles are equipped with internal mechanical emergency door handles that are “similar in color to the interior cabin, making them difficult to identify and operate” in emergencies.

The regulator stated that these handles “may negatively affect passengers’ ability to quickly open the car doors” to exit “in extreme situations, such as severe collisions that cause the vehicle’s low-voltage system to fail.”

It further noted that Tesla will separately recall 2.7 million locally manufactured Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles due to issues with the monitoring systems when drivers use steering assistance functions.

On Friday, Xiaomi began recalling approximately 390,000 vehicles from its 2024 SU7 lineup, while XPeng started recalling around 265,000 vehicles on Saturday.

On Saturday, BAIC BluePark, a subsidiary of the state-owned BAIC Group, began recalling approximately 46,000 electric vehicles of the Arcfox Kaola model due to “missing text labels” near the emergency release mechanism on the right rear door.

Starting Monday, Geely will recall approximately 92,000 vehicles from its Zeekr luxury brand.

These widespread recalls align with China’s plan to ban clearly non-visible door handles in vehicles starting January 1, 2027, according to local media reports.