A Tesla steering wheel and a person using the vehicle's touchscreen.

By Chris Spiker From Daily Voice

Federal safety regulators are widening an investigation into reports that Tesla vehicles' doors can fail to open and trap children inside them.

In a letter to Tesla dated Monday, Oct. 27, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it has received 16 reports of outside door handles "becoming inoperative due to low 12VDC battery voltage" on some 2021 Tesla Model Y vehicles.

Some parents said they stepped out to remove or place a child in the back seat and couldn't reopen the door to get back inside the vehicle. In four reports, drivers said they had to break a window to enter the midsize SUV.

The NHTSA first launched the investigation after a Bloomberg report raised safety concerns about Tesla's retractable door handles, which sit within the vehicle's body. The design can make entry difficult if battery power fails or a crash disables the electronics.

Complaints of trapped passengers have continued since the investigation began in September. In some cases, children were stuck inside hot vehicles, requiring first responders to break windows.

The expanded probe covers all 2021 Model Y vehicles sold or leased in the US, as well as "peer vehicles," including 2017-2022 Model 3s, along with 2020 and 2022 Model Ys. Regulators requested records on door handle design, latches, batteries, and software systems, as well as any related warranty claims or lawsuits.

Tesla must submit responses by Wednesday, Dec. 10. The electric automaker faces potential penalties of $27,874 per violation per day, with a maximum of $139,356,994, if it doesn't respond "completely, accurately, or in a timely manner."

Tesla design leader Franz von Holzhausen has previously said the company would modify future door handle designs, CNBC reported. Competitors such as Rivian are reconsidering similar retractable systems, while Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer recently said VW isn't planning to adopt flush-mounted handles because customers "don't even want" them.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has proposed new safety rules requiring vehicles to have easier-to-use emergency door releases. Public comments are open through Saturday, Nov. 22.

The door handle investigation is the latest in a growing list of safety issues for Tesla.

Earlier in October, the NHTSA launched a review of more than 2.8 million Tesla vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving (FSD) software after reports of cars running red lights, veering into oncoming lanes, and stopping on railroad tracks. Regulators linked at least 58 incidents, including 14 crashes and 23 injuries, to potential software failures.

Investigators said the review will examine how FSD responds to red lights, wrong-way signs, and lane markings, along with how much time drivers have to avoid dangerous situations. Some crashes reportedly occurred after Teslas drove through intersections against red lights, including repeated wrecks at the same crossing in Joppa, Maryland.

Tesla has also recalled more than 63,000 Cybertrucks from 2024 through 2026 because the front parking lights are too bright, creating severe glare for oncoming drivers. The automaker previously recalled 46,000 Cybertrucks in March after stainless-steel trim panels were found to detach while driving.

The safety problems have piled up as CEO Elon Musk has been blamed for Tesla's falling sales throughout 2025. Tesla has faced massive protests and boycotts due to the billionaire's close relationship with President Donald Trump, his gutting of federal agencies as the de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency, and his advocacy for far-right causes in Europe.

Compared to the start of 2025, Tesla's stock lost as much as 44% of its value in the year by mid-March before rebounding after Musk spent about $1 billion buying his own shares in September.