NHTSA Won't Investigate Tesla Door Latches - Jalopnik

NHTSA won’t investigate Tesla door latches, denying a petition tied to potential passenger entrapment in a Model 3 release design. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rejected a request for a defect investigation involving about 180,000 Model 3 vehicles. NHTSA said the petition did not provide evidence of a likely safety-related defect warranting an investigation, and stated the matter is better handled through an ongoing rulemaking process. The petition covered 179,701 model-year 2022 Tesla Model 3 vehicles and alleged the manual emergency door release could be difficult to locate after a crash if the car lost power, increasing the chance occupants could get stuck. Tesla did not immediately respond to a comment request. The report also notes broader scrutiny of electronically operated door handles.