More than 2.9 million Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles manufactured in China between 2019 and 2026 are being recalled over electronic, retractable door handles, according to WIRED. The action, announced Friday by the State Administration for Market Regulation, marks Tesla's largest recall ever — and China's largest as well.
The door handles have led to Tesla's largest recall ever—and China's.
Record Recall: 2.9 Million Teslas
The recall covers vehicles built in China from 2019 through 2026. According to WIRED, government regulators have spent the last year asking serious questions about Tesla's electronic, retractable door handles, a design flourish that competitors have imitated. The handles have been blamed, in the US and in China, for making it difficult for passengers to quickly exit vehicles and for impeding rescue efforts. A handful of crash victims' families have filed lawsuits against Tesla, alleging the door handle designs played roles in their loved ones' deaths.
The recall action affects three separate groups of vehicles, as shown in the table below.
| Recall action | Vehicles affected | Models / Automakers | Issue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla China-built | More than 2.9 million | Model 3, Model Y | Electronic retractable door handles |
| Chinese automakers | More than 1 million | Beijing Automotive, Chery, Dongfeng, First Auto Works, Geely, Leapmotor, Xiaomi, Xpeng | Flush door handles |
| Imported Teslas | Nearly 50,000 | Model 3, Model X, Model S | Assisted-steering driver monitoring |
How Tesla Will Fix the Door Handles
Some affected Tesla vehicles will be made safer with an over-the-air software update that lowers windows after collisions, making it more difficult for passengers to become trapped inside. Many cars will also need new warning stickers — affixed free of charge — that help passengers find and operate emergency mechanical door handles, according to WIRED.
The mechanical handles are currently hard to identify because they are similarly colored to the rest of the vehicles' interiors. They become especially important when vehicles' low-voltage batteries fail; those batteries do not operate the cars themselves but power onboard computers, displays, and other accessories, including electronically powered door handles. Tesla did not respond to WIRED's request for comment.
Simultaneous Recalls of Chinese Automakers
At the same time, the Chinese government recalled more than 1 million vehicles manufactured by eight Chinese automakers, also for safety concerns related to flush door handles. The automakers are Beijing Automotive, Chery, Dongfeng, First Auto Works, Geely, Leapmotor, Xiaomi, and Xpeng.
Imported Teslas: A Separate Driver-Monitoring Recall
Separately, the Chinese government recalled nearly 50,000 imported Tesla Model 3s, Xs, and Ss for insufficiently monitoring drivers using the US automaker's assisted steering technology. The government said the technology increased the risk of collisions. The recall affects some vehicles imported between 2019 and 2026.
According to WIRED, some of those vehicles can be fixed with software updates, but some will need new in-cabin cameras that ensure drivers are paying sufficient attention while operating their vehicles.
China's Regulatory Stance, and a US Review
China has been more aggressive than other countries in regulating new automotive technology, WIRED reported. It put in place new rules earlier this year that will soon ban fully retractable door handles in the country. In 2021, a government agency issued regulations more tightly governing the operations of autonomous vehicles, even before that technology had widely hit the road; another agency that same year created specific rules for the data generated by its increasingly software-centric cars.
The US' top road regulator has started to examine whether it needs new rules governing door handle design, Bloomberg reported last month, according to WIRED.
For manufacturing and supply-chain executives, the combined actions cover more than 3.9 million vehicles across the Tesla and Chinese-automaker recalls, plus nearly 50,000 imported Teslas. The remedies range from over-the-air software updates to free warning stickers and new in-cabin camera hardware — a signal that flush and retractable door handle designs, and the supplier components behind them, are now a regulatory focus in China.
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