US safety regulators have opened a probe focused on Tesla’s electric-powered door handles, responding to reports that they suddenly stopped working, leaving children trapped in the cars.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Tuesday that it had received nine complaints about the handles in Tesla’s 2021 Model Y cars, the company’s flagship model.
In four of the cases, the car owners resorted to breaking the window to resolve the issue.
Tesla did not immediately comment on the investigation, which is the first step toward a potential recall.
NHTSA said its preliminary review found that the problem appeared to occur when the electric locks received insufficient voltage.
The owners who have reported the incidents – most of whom were parents trying to get their children out of the back seat after stepping out their car – said they had received no warning about battery problems prior to the incidents.
Though the doors can technically be opened from the inside, children may be unable to reach or access the manual handles, NHTSA said.
“In these instances, an occupant who remains inside a vehicle in this condition may be unable to be rapidly retrieved by persons outside of the vehicle,” the safety regulator said in its initial review.
“Entrapment in a vehicle is particularly concerning in emergency situations, such as when children are entrapped in a hot vehicle,” NHTSA added.
The investigation into the scope and severity of the issue will involve an examination of roughly 170,000 Model Y vehicles, the regulator said.
The latest investigation is not Tesla’s first NHTSA probe. The regulator is also looking into complaints about its driver assistance systems.
Tesla is grappling with slumping EV sales. Deliveries of its cars are poised to fall for the second consecutive year. Elon Musk, its chief executive, has shifted the company’s focus toward robotaxis and humanoid robots, but Tesla still relies heavily on its core car business.
Consumer backlash against Musk’s ties to the Trump administration has dented sales in recent months. But the EV maker has also failed to entice consumers through new, more affordable vehicles, despite its release of a new Model Y version this year.
More competition has chipped away at Tesla’s market share, contributing to its recent woes.
Its US market share fell to an almost eight-year low in August, Reuters reported, citing data from research firm Cox Automotive.
