Federal auto safety regulators have opened an investigation into reports that the doors of a popular Tesla model could in some cases not be opened from the outside, trapping children inside the vehicle.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said its preliminary investigation, which it opened Monday, is based on nine reports from owners of 2021 Model Y sport utility vehicles. The most common complaint was from people who said they were unable to retrieve children from back seats. In four cases, adults had to break windows to free the children, the safety agency said in a document posted on its website.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. Elon Musk, the company’s chief executive, has often said that the company’s vehicles are the safest on the road.
The Teslas in question have electronic doors that rely on power from a 12-volt battery that is separate from the much larger battery that operates the car. If the 12-volt battery loses its charge, the doors may not open. A mechanism allows doors to be manually opened from inside, but it is difficult for children to operate, according to the N.H.T.S.A.
Children who are in a Tesla with a depleted battery “may be unable to be rapidly retrieved by persons outside of the vehicle,” N.H.T.S.A. said in its summary of the investigation.
The agency did not report any deaths or injuries from the door issue, but some independent safety experts have criticized Tesla for what they describe as flaws in the design of its electronic doors. If a Model Y loses power, the back seat passengers must lift a plastic panel on the lower part of the door and pull a cable to manually release the door, according to the instructions in the car’s owners manual.
Small children find that procedure difficult, and for those in car seats, it would likely be impossible. Even adults who are unfamiliar with the car or who are trying to get out quickly in an emergency might struggle to manually open a door.
The investigation begun Monday is confined to the 2021 Model Y, but the agency said it was still assessing the “scope and severity” of the issue.
This inquiry is the latest by N.H.T.S.A. into Tesla vehicles. The agency said last year it was looking into reports that Tesla’s driver-assistance system was prone to failure during times of poor visibility. In one case, a pedestrian was struck and killed while it was engaged, agency documents say.
Jack Ewing covers the auto industry for The Times, with an emphasis on electric vehicles.
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