Tesla’s sleek, retractable door handles are back in court, this time over claims that they fail so often owners are locked out of their own cars. The latest class action focuses on drivers who say the futuristic hardware stops presenting itself after a few years of normal use, turning a basic task like getting into the vehicle into an expensive repair problem. The dispute lands as regulators and lawmakers question whether the brand’s minimalist approach to doors has crossed the line from innovation into safety risk.
The new lawsuit and a long trail of complaints
The newest case centers on 2014–2016 Tesla Model S sedans, whose exterior handles sit flush with the body and extend electronically when the car senses a key. Plaintiffs say that after a few years of normal use, the mechanisms fail, leaving the handles stuck inside the door and the car effectively sealed. The complaint, filed in Florida and first flagged by Florida and Business Insider, argues that owners face repair bills running into thousands of dollars for a defect they say should have been disclosed and covered. It also points to earlier litigation and internal references to a Tesla “company update” as evidence that the automaker knew the parts were prone to failure.
Reporting by Tom Carter describes how the suit, brought on behalf of Model S drivers, accuses Tesla of selling vehicles with “defective” handles that can fail without warning and potentially trap people inside or keep rescuers from pulling them out in emergencies. According to Tom Carter, the plaintiffs say the company has long been aware of the problem yet continued to market the design as a premium feature. A related complaint, detailed in a separate Tesla filing, alleges that internal communications about a “company update” on the handles show the automaker quietly adjusted parts and software while leaving owners to shoulder repair costs.
From lockouts to life-or-death stakes
What began as a customer-service headache over lockouts has steadily escalated into a broader safety controversy. Earlier coverage of the new class action notes that it follows a string of prior cases, including fatal crashes where families alleged that flush handles or electronic releases made it harder to open doors in time. One recent story, credited as a Tesla Being Sued item, underscores that this latest lawsuit is unusual because the focus is on people who cannot get into the car at all, rather than those struggling to get out after a crash. A separate Story by Stephen Rivers highlights plaintiff John Urban, a Florida owner who says his handles failed and that he was left paying for repairs on a premium car he could not reliably enter.
At the same time, regulators have widened their lens beyond the Model S. Federal investigators are already examining whether Tesla Model 3 sedans have door release defects tied to their reliance on electronic switches rather than traditional mechanical handles. Another case, described in a report on how Tesla is facing a fatal door handle lawsuit, involves a 2024 crash where families allege that passengers in the front and rear seats could not be freed quickly enough. In California, relatives of two teenagers killed in a Cybertruck crash say first responders struggled with the doors before the teenagers were trapped inside, a case that has become a touchstone in debates over electronic latches.
Lawmakers, regulators and even China push back
The litigation is unfolding alongside a political and regulatory backlash against hidden or fully electronic door releases. A federal proposal described by By Teresa Moss would require the National Highway and Traffic Safety Admi to ensure that every electric vehicle sold in the United States has easy-to-find manual door handles or releases. A separate measure, known as the Securing Access for First Responders and Everyone Safe Exit Act, or Safe Exit Act, would mandate that drivers and passengers can easily locate the release in an emergency, a requirement detailed in a report that notes how, The bill comes after scrutiny of designs that are not intuitive to locate during a crisis. The same coverage explains that supporters want to make sure Want Statesman Make Preferred Source Google Her bill requires that both drivers and passengers can easily locate the release.
Outside the United States, regulators are going further. In China, authorities have decided that Tesla-style retractable handles have no place on future models, with new rules that will effectively ban all retractable EV door handles on new cars starting January 1, 2027. In the United States, a growing docket of civil cases is adding pressure of its own. One trucking industry report notes that Tesla ( Tesla Inc ) faces growing litigation over alleged safety defects in its doors, with some of the cases scheduled for February 2027. Another analysis of prior crashes, cited in an In a normal parking lot scenario, argues that quirks that might be tolerable in everyday use can become deadly in smoke-filled cabins, and that warnings about these risks over the years were ignored. Together with earlier coverage that A month later Tesla was urged to provide more obvious manual controls, and follow up reporting that A month later Tesla was again under pressure over vehicles based on build date, the pattern is clear: what once looked like a design flourish has become a global test case for how far carmakers can push minimalism before basic access and escape are put at risk.
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