China Orders 4.3 Million EV Recall Over Tesla Style Hidden Door Handles
Last update: August 24, 2026
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That sleek flush door handle you love on EVs could trap you in a crash. Now China has ordered its biggest ever recall to fix it.
Those minimalistic hidden door handles that became the signature of electric vehicles are now at the centre of China’s biggest ever car recall, as cbinews.tv reports.
Nearly 4.3 million vehicles are being recalled over concerns it may be difficult to open doors in an emergency. Tesla accounts for the largest share with 2.98 million imported and China-made Model 3, Model Y, Model S and Model X vehicles.
The recall also covers about 390,000 Xiaomi vehicles, 371,000 Leapmotor and 264,000 XPeng vehicles, plus Geely brands Zeekr and Lynk and Co.
The issue is simple but serious. The handles are difficult to identify and operate because their colour is similar to the interior trim. In extreme situations such as a severe collision causing the low voltage system to fail, occupants cannot quickly open doors to escape and rescuers cannot get in.
The fix for now is a warning label stuck on the interior door plus a software update to automatically lower the windows after a collision. Tesla said its remedy includes warning labels and an OTA update that automatically lowers vehicle windows after a collision.
It comes after scrutiny of two fatal crashes in China involving Xiaomi EVs where power failures were suspected to have prevented doors from opening. In the US, Tesla’s handles were also probed after reports they suddenly stopped working, leaving children trapped.
In July, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggested creating a new formal safety standard.
This design trend snowballed after Chinese brands copied the sleek look of Tesla’s Model S since 2014. But regulators have had enough.
China has also said it will ban concealed door handles from 2027, making it the first country to phase out a design popularised by Tesla and widely adopted by domestic Chinese EV makers.
Industry watchers call the label and software patch a band-aid. Under rules from 1 January 2027, all cars sold in China must have a mechanical release on both the inside and outside of doors.
It is not yet clear if Tesla, XPeng, Xiaomi and Geely will extend the recall beyond China.
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