BEIJING, China – Tesla is recalling nearly three million vehicles in China after regulators raised concerns that interior door handles could prevent occupants from escaping during emergencies.

The American electric vehicle manufacturer, which runs a large production facility in Shanghai, is one of nine carmakers affected by the safety directive from China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR).

The recalls, which began on Friday and will continue through September, affect millions of vehicles with door handles that blend into car interiors, making them difficult to locate and operate during critical situations.

Tesla’s massive recall footprint

Tesla’s recall covers 2.9 million domestically produced Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles, with the action beginning on 25 September. The company is also recalling approximately 46 000 imported Model 3, Model X and Model S units.

The problem centres on emergency mechanical handles that are similar in colour to the vehicle’s interior. In the Model 3, rear passengers must reach into a compartment inside the door pocket and locate a release cable to manually open the door.

SAMR warned that in extreme situations, such as severe collisions causing the vehicle’s low-voltage system to fail, the handles may prevent passengers from quickly opening doors to escape or hamper rescue operations.

Tesla is separately recalling 2.7 million domestically made Model 3 and Model Y vehicles over issues with monitoring systems used when drivers engage steering assist functions. It remains unclear whether some vehicles are counted in both recalls.

Chinese manufacturers face similar issues

Eight Chinese carmakers, including Xiaomi, XPeng, Geely, Chery and Leapmotor, are recalling vehicles with handles that similarly blend into their interiors.

Xiaomi began recalling around 390 000 units of its 2024 SU7 series on Friday, whilst XPeng started recalling nearly 265 000 cars on Saturday.

Beijing-based BAIC BluePark, a subsidiary of state-owned automaker BAIC, began recalling approximately 46 000 Arcfox Kaola electric vehicles on Saturday over a lack of dedicated text prompts near the emergency mechanism on its right rear sliding door.

Geely is recalling around 92 000 cars from its luxury brand Zeekr, beginning on Monday.

Manufacturers have offered to attach warning labels near the handles free of charge. Some companies said they would remotely upgrade software to automatically lower windows after a crash.

ALSO READ: Tesla Cybertruck makes surprise stop in Upington during world record attempt

New regulations target hidden handles

The mass recalls align with China’s plan to ban hidden door handles on cars from 1 January 2027, according to local media reports.

The rules, announced in February by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, will require door handles to have both interior and exterior mechanical releases.

Electronic door handles were introduced with Tesla’s 2012 launch of the Model S and later became popular with Chinese electric vehicle brands prioritising high-tech features. The handles fold into the body of the car, providing a slight boost to efficiency by reducing drag whilst the vehicle is in motion.

Safety concerns have increased in China recently over sleek car designs that are prone to losing operability during crashes.

ALSO READ: Tesla shareholders approve Musk’s $1 trillion pay package