— Tesla Model 3 emergency door releases may be investigated by the government if 2022 Model 3 owner Kevin Clouse gets his way.
The owner filed a defect petition with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requesting an official investigation into Model 3 mechanical door releases and how they function without any power.
According to the emergency door release petition, his Model 3 was involved in a head-on crash in May 2023 that left the vehicle without power which took out the electronic door handles.
He says the interior caught fire and he was trapped inside, "unaware of the location of the hidden mechanical emergency door release because it is not visibly labeled, not explained upon delivery, and not intuitive in an emergency."
He says he was forced to climb into the back seat and break the rear passenger window with his legs, suffering a "broken hip, broken arm, and later required a full hip replacement."
The owner complains the mechanical emergency door release was concealed and unlabeled and caused him to become trapped in the burning Model 3.
He further complains Tesla failed to provide "warnings, recall guidance, labeling, or owner education regarding how to exit the vehicle during a power-loss emergency."
However, the petition doesn't say if the Tesla owner looked at the Model 3 owner's manual.
Although the petition alleges the emergency door release is "concealed" and "hidden," the 2022 Tesla Model 3 owner's manual shows the mechanical release is next to the window switches on the door.
NHTSA will look into the allegations and decide if a formal defect investigation should be opened into Tesla Model 3 emergency door release mechanisms on 179,000 Model 3 vehicles.
CarComplaints.com will update our website when more details are released.
