NHTSA starts rulemaking process that would require obvious door handles

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is working on rules that would require an obvious door egress system on all motor vehicles, according to documents filed in the federal registry. 

A 2025 petition to NHTSA’s Office of Rulemaking requested the issuance of a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS), and the request has been granted, NHTSA said in documents filed last week. 

However, NHTSA’s statement was in response to a different petition that the agency was denying. The petition NHTSA denied requested an open defect investigation into the door handles on 2022 Tesla Model 3s. 

“NHTSA’s Office of Defect Investigations (ODI) concluded that it is unlikely that additional investigation would result in finding that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists, and the issue is best addressed through the rulemaking process,” the document states. 

The petitioner requesting the investigation said their Model 3 completely lost electrical power, caught fire, and the electric door handles became inoperative. The petitioner said he was unable to locate the mechanical door handles and was forced to climb into the back seat and exit the vehicle through a rear passenger window. 

He added that the mechanical door handle is not accessible nor clearly identifiable, thus not complying with the FMVSS. 

While NHTSA notes that the lack of an accessible mechanical door release poses a safety risk, the standard doesn’t address the petitioner’s concern regarding the labeling and location of a mechanical door release in passenger vehicles. 

A federal bill would require NHTSA to issue a final rule if passed. The rule would require electric vehicle manufacturers, such as Tesla, to have an easy-to-find manual release.

The Securing Accessible Functional Emergency (SAFE) Exit Act was introduced earlier this year by U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) weeks after Bloomberg printed an investigation that found 15 people have died in crashes where Tesla doors wouldn’t open.  

Currently, the act remains in committee. 

The act would also require NHTSA to establish performance and labeling requirements for electric doors, a press release states. 

“Profits and, least of all, style, should not come before people’s lives. Elon Musk and his Tesla designs are not safe, nor efficient, and it has cost people their lives,” said Kelly in the release. “When crashes or power loss leave drivers and passengers trapped inside their own cars, that is not innovation — it’s a safety failure. Just like requiring basic safety standards like seatbelts, my SAFE Exit Act will protect consumers. As the auto industry continues to innovate, we must ensure people’s safety.”

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