The company was sued in October over claims that defects in the doors of a crashed Cybertruck in Piedmont, California, made it a “death trap” by preventing three college students from escaping before they died of smoke inhalation. Tesla vehicles have two batteries: a low-voltage battery that operates interior functions like windows, doors and the touchscreen, and the high-voltage pack that propels the car. If the low-voltage battery dies or is disabled, the doors may not unlock and must be operated manually from the inside. While there are mechanical releases inside Teslas, many owners and passengers are unfamiliar with where they’re located or how to operate them. Global Scrutiny Electric handles — which were popularized by Tesla and are now found in dozens of models from many automakers — have attracted global scrutiny in recent months. China issued new safety rules banning concealed exterior handles and requiring mechanical releases, while European regulators have said they intend to accelerate rulemaking on the matter. In September, days after Bloomberg’s initial investigation into Tesla’s handles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration disclosed that it was probing possible defects in certain Model Y SUVs, citing incidents in which exterior handles stopped working and trapped children and other occupants inside. In December, NHTSA said it would evaluate a request for a defect probe that was filed by a Georgia man who had to kick his way out of his burning Model 3 sedan. A US lawmaker in January proposed legislation that would require manual door releases in new cars as well as means for first responders to gain access to vehicles when power is lost. The case is Tremblett v. Tesla, 1:26-cv-10567, US District Court, District of Massachusetts (Boston). More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com ©2026 Bloomberg L.P.