The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Tuesday that it is opening an investigation into Tesla, regarding the door handles of its best-selling car Model Y.
The US Auto regulator is holding a preliminary evaluation over the issue, covering Model Ys from the 2021 model year.
According to Bloomberg, the preliminary evaluation comes a few days after the outlet reported people were injured or died after being unable to open the doors when the power is lost, particularly after crashes.
Features such as flush door handles, while initially characteristic of the manufacturer’s vehicles, have presented challenges for both occupants and first responders in crisis situations.
“NHTSA’s investigation is focused on the operability of the electronic door locks from outside of the vehicle as that circumstance is the only one in which there is no manual way to open the door,” the auto safety regulator noted.
Last month, the authority opened an investigation on Tesla regarding potential delays in reporting vehicle crashes that involve advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) or self-driving vehicles.
The regulator is auditing Tesla after finding that multiple incidents were reported several months after they occurred.
According to a 2021 order imposed by the authority, the reports should be submitted in the space of one to five days.
A year ago, the agency had investigated 2.4 million Teslas equipped with the Full Self-Driving (FSD) system after four reported collisions, including a fatal 2023 crash.
In the beginning of 2025, the NHTSA had also opened a probe into 2.6 million Tesla vehicles in the US, over reports of crashes involving the Actually Smart Summon feature.
The feature was launched a year ago and allows users to remotely move their vehicle towards them or another location using a smartphone application.
After investigating, the NHTSA issued in March a physical recall for about 46,000 Tesla Cybertrucks due to a steel trim panel that could detach while driving.
The recall affected nearly all Cybertrucks produced to date, as it included vehicles manufactured from November 2023 to February 2025.
