Tesla owner fled fire through a window -- federal rules don't require door-release labels

A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notice has rejected a Tesla Model 3 owner’s request to investigate a potential escape defect after a crash left the car burning and its electric door handles unusable. The owner said he couldn’t find the vehicle’s mechanical release and escaped through a rear window. In its July 23 submission, published July 24, NHTSA said federal rules under FMVSS No. 206 don’t govern the location or labeling of mechanical door releases, only door-lock components. The agency found only one complaint involving a hidden, unmarked release across 179,031 vehicles covered by the petition.