China Recalls Millions of EVs Due to Hidden Emergency Door Releases
China’s market regulator has ordered a recall of more than 4 million vehicles, including nearly 2.98 million Teslas, due to a blending issue with interior emergency door releases. The trim color of these releases makes them difficult to locate in a crisis.
The affected vehicles from 11 manufacturers are primarily Tesla models, with domestic brands such as Xiaomi, Leapmotor, Xpeng, Zeekr, Chery, Dongfeng, Arcfox, and FAW also included.
The issue is strictly cosmetic; the releases function correctly, but in a crash, occupants and rescuers struggle to find a handle that’s designed to be discreet.
Remedies include adding warning labels and software updates that modify door unlocking logic and automatically lower windows after an impact. These solutions are temporary, as a new standard banning concealed handles will take effect in 2027.
This recall highlights a common safety concern worldwide. While China is leading with its 2027 standard, Europe’s Euro NCAP protocol already requires electrically powered exterior handles to remain operable after an impact. The United States, however, has yet to implement similar rules, with at least 15 deaths linked to Tesla door handles.
The decision to recall these vehicles was sparked by a tragic incident in 2025, where three students died in a Xiaomi SU7 after the car hit a barrier and caught fire, with bystanders claiming they couldn’t open the doors due to retracted handles.