Auto Safety Regulation

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a safety defect investigation into roughly 179,000 2022 Tesla Model 3 vehicles after an owner reported being unable to find the manual door release and having to escape through a rear window when the car caught fire. The December 23 filing follows prior incidents, including a 2023 fatal crash in Tacoma, Washington, and broader reports that occupants and rescuers have been unable to open Tesla doors after crashes and fires, with Bloomberg reporting at least 15 deaths over the past decade linked to such scenarios.