Overview

• The U.S. safety agency opened a preliminary investigation covering about 174,000 2021 Model Y vehicles after reports that exterior handles would not open when the low‑voltage system sagged.
• Tesla design chief Franz von Holzhausen said the company is working to combine or clarify mechanical and electronic door releases to make egress more intuitive in a panic situation.
• German police in North Rhine‑Westphalia are conducting a forensic reconstruction after a Sept. 7 crash in Villigst where a 43‑year‑old man and two nine‑year‑olds died and a third child survived.
• A nearby shop owner told local media he could not open the Tesla’s retractable handles as the car burned, and firefighters reported repeated flare‑ups while extinguishing the blaze.
• ADAC warned in April 2024 that retractable handles can stay retracted after power loss, and consumer complaints and a U.S. lawsuit allege inoperative handles hindered escapes and rescues.