China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) says that some interior door handle releases are too close in color to the rest of the vehicle trim, making them too hard to use in an emergency.
The recall affects millions of vehicles, including 2.98 million Teslas.
China has set specific standards for door handles, banning hidden electronic ones that do not have an obvious mechanical backup, starting in 2027.
Hidden and electronic door handles have rightfully gotten a bad rap as of late. All across the globe, consumers are starting to realize they’ve had enough, while governments have expressed concerns about safety risks. China, the world’s biggest market when it comes to EVs and PHEV models, has experienced the brunt of this. Concerns were so great that the country outright banned fully hidden door handles and electronic door handles that have no obvious mechanical backup, from 2027 onward.
But the country hasn’t stopped there, either. Out of an abundance of caution, China has instituted a recall for current vehicles on the road. China’s State Administration for Market Regulation has recalled millions of vehicles because the mechanical interior releases aren’t easy enough to find in an emergency. The recall affects nearly 3 million Teslas sold in China, but also hundreds of thousands of Chinese-domestic models that use a similar design as Tesla. BYD, Geely, Xiaomi, BAIC, Leapmotor, Chery, FAW, Xpeng, and FAW are also part of the same recall.
