China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) ordered Tesla to recall nearly three million vehicles because their signature flush door handles are too hard to spot in an emergency. The regulator says the mechanical emergency handles blend in with the interior trim, so occupants may struggle to release them if a severe crash knocks out the car's low-voltage system, which also slows down rescuers trying to get in from outside.

Tesla's fix combines old and new: warning labels next to the handles, which some cars already carry, plus an over-the-air update that automatically lowers the windows after a crash, giving occupants another way out.

Tesla is not alone. SAMR ordered a similar recall for close to 400,000 Xiaomi SU7 electric vehicles over the same handle problem. The move follows a broader ban on hidden door handles that China introduced earlier this year, requiring every new car model sold in the country from 2027 onward to carry mechanical handles both inside and out.

The design has drawn scrutiny elsewhere too. In 2025 a family sued Tesla, alleging a Model S door design trapped occupants in a fatal post-crash fire. Separate reports have raised similar concerns about Cybertruck door handles jamming after collisions.