Tesla is recalling nearly 2.98 million Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X vehicles in China, with the recall beginning on 25 September. Other manufacturers affected include Xiaomi, Leapmotor, Xpeng, and Zeekr, as announced by China’s market regulator, SAMR, last week making a total of 4.3 million vehicles.
Most of the recalls involve the mechanical emergency door releases inside the vehicles. According to SAMR, these releases may be difficult for occupants to locate or operate in an emergency. In the worst-case scenario — such as a fire —this could turn the affected vehicles into death traps. As part of the recall in China, Tesla and other manufacturers plan to make improvements: the emergency releases will be better labelled, and windows will automatically open in the event of an accident.
KBA investigates Tesla door opening mechanism
As these electric vehicles are used worldwide and not just in China, the question is whether similar recall actions will follow in Europe. The answer, for now, is no. The German Federal Ministry of Transport told Reuters news agency that an investigation by the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) into the safety concerns is still ongoing.
This refers to an ongoing KBA investigation that began in April 2026. At the time, the public prosecutor’s office requested an assessment from the KBA following an accident in Schwerte, Germany, in which three Tesla occupants were fatally injured, to determine why the door opening mechanism had apparently failed.
