Why Tesla has been caught up in a massive car recall in China

Hidden door handles were popularised That's after China confirmed its biggest ever recall of cars, with more than four million vehicles - mostly Teslas - affected . The recall comes ahead of new regulations in China , requiring cars to have a mechanical release both on the inside and outside of their doors.

Popularised Hidden door handles are widely used in modern cars in China, with around 60% of the top 100 best-selling new energy vehicles, including EVs and hybrids, having them.

"Even I often find it difficult to locate the switch to open the door from the inside of an unfamiliar vehicle," shared Dyer, who is based in Shanghai. But beyond their usability, the handles have been blamed for endangering the lives of drivers and passengers.

Electronically powered door handles became an industry trend, but raised "real safety concerns" when doors failed to open promptly, delaying rescue efforts after accidents, shared Nanyang Technological University associate professor Lyu Chen. For related coverage, explore our detailed analysis on Technology and Digital Systems.

Core Findings and Detailed Timeline

"A door handle may seem simple, but it becomes safety-critical in the seconds after a crash," Chen shared. Chinese carmaker Xiaomi faced intense inquiry following two fatal crashes in 2025 involving its SU7 model, when suspected electrical failures allegedly trapped occupants.

One of the incidents took place on a highway in Tongling city, eastern China, killing three people, according to regional news coverage cited Relatives of the victims shared the passengers were stuck in the car as the vehicle's doors could not be unlocked after the collision, the outlet shared.

The SU7 was Xiaomi's first electric vehicle At the time, Xiaomi's representatives shared the SU7 had mechanical emergency release handles that function even without power, which are located at the bottom of each door. The company added at the time that it was investigating the matter and cooperating with the law enforcement personnel officers officers.

The latest models of the SU7 come with new door handles that can be opened without power.

Xiaomi has not responded to BBC requests for comment. The company has been sued The car did not have door handles and the electronic buttons meant to open the doors failed to work, according to his lawyers from The Veen Firm.

In court filings, Tesla denied any wrongdoing and shared the Cybertruck is compliant with US federal safety standards, the Guardian reported.

Broader Implications and Future Outlook

There have been other cases in the US of passengers, including children, allegedly being trapped in Tesla cars after the doors suddenly paused working. The BBC has contacted Tesla for comment. In February, China shared it would ban hidden door handles, making it the first country to do so.

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The measures in China come ahead of the US and European Union, which typically lead regulations around road safety and emissions, Dyer noted. One reason is likely to be the sheer number of EVs in China, he added.

On 21 August, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) confirmed that Tesla and some major Chinese car makers - including Xiaomi, XPeng and Geely - would recall more than four million vehicles.

China will ban hidden door handles on cars sold in the country from next year The manufacturers were ordered to add warning labels inside vehicle doors to show passengers how to open them. Some cars will also get a software update that will lower their windows in the event of a crash.

Tesla, which started selling the Model S sedan with hidden door handles in China in 2014, is recalling nearly three million cars, according to the SAMR.

The agency shared the recalled cars have door handles that are "difficult to identify" because they are a similar colour to the vehicle's interior trim. Xiaomi, XPeng and Geely will also recall a total of more than 750,000 vehicles. Some engineers say the measures may not go far enough to resolve safety concerns.

Engineering instructor Lim Hong Wee shared the measures do not address the need for a mechanical way to open the doors. Access to a car during an emergency should not depend on software, shared Lim from the National University of Singapore.

The measures mainly address the issue of people being able to get out of a vehicle, but do not provide a reliable way for rescuers to get in, shared Gokul Krithivasan from risk management consultancy SecureSafe.

Warning labels are also a "weak remedy", he added. "When panicked, people fall back on their instinctive responses, and don't read small print in a dark and possibly smoke-filled cabin." For now, it is unclear whether there will be similar recalls outside China.

The BBC understands that carmakers have not yet notified authorities of any plans for a similar recall in the US.

The world's carmakers are struggling to compete with China Elon Musk's stratospheric rise to trillionaire status - in charts The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration informed the BBC that it is reviewing whether it will require emergency door-exit systems in vehicles. In Europe, regulators have flagged the potential hazards related to hidden handles and drafted new standards to ensure they still work even if a car's power is cut off.

Since cars are built to sell globally, it is likely that the safety requirements in China will be adopted elsewhere, he added. "The common principle is clear: emergency entry and exit should remain possible even after a loss of electrical power."