The Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration has opened an investigation into claims that Tesla’s door handles change into inoperable in sure conditions on Mannequin Y SUVs.
The protection company’s Workplace of Defects Investigation (ODI) revealed the probe on Tuesday, after having acquired 9 studies from house owners who had been unable to get into their automobiles. ODI writes that the commonest state of affairs includes mother and father who exit their automobile and can’t open the rear doorways to take away their youngsters.
In 4 of these circumstances, in response to the ODI report, house owners needed to break a window “to regain entry into the car.”
Information of the probe comes a number of days after Bloomberg revealed an investigation into a series of incidents the place Tesla house owners (and passengers) turned caught inside their autos following a crash.
Based on a preliminary overview by ODI, Tesla’s handles can change into inoperable if the digital door locks aren’t getting sufficient voltage from a car’s battery system. However ODI additionally factors out in its preliminary report that not one of the house owners who associated this drawback to the company talked about seeing low-voltage battery warnings.
Tesla’s autos do have handbook door releases, though they’re solely on the within of the automobile. The door releases may be arduous for kids to entry, and a few house owners aren’t even conscious they exist, in response to ODI.
It’s attainable to revive energy to the digital door locks, in response to Tesla’s house owners manuals, however it’s a multi-step course of that requires an exterior energy supply.
Tesla didn’t reply to a request for remark.
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