A door handle on a Tesla Model Y at a charging station in San Francisco. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg)
December 22, 2025 3:37 PM, EST
Key Takeaways:
- Tesla is promoting new features that automatically unlock doors, activate hazard lights and contact emergency services after serious crashes to aid first responders.
- The move follows a Bloomberg News investigation and a September NHTSA probe into whether Model Y door designs can fail after crashes, trapping occupants.
- Tesla did not say whether the features are available via software updates or only on new vehicles and did not immediately comment.
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Tesla Inc. is newly promoting features intended to make it easier for first responders to enter its cars after crashes, following months of scrutiny over the safety of its door designs.
On a new website, Tesla says that when its cars detect a serious collision, hazard lights will turn on, doors will automatically unlock and its vehicles will contact emergency services for help. In a footnote, the company says certain features may not be available in all regions or for all vehicles, depending on build date.
Tesla is touting the capabilities following a Bloomberg News investigation into how its electrically powered doors can lose function following a crash, impeding first responders and trapping occupants inside. In September, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into whether one iteration of doors of the Model Y, the company’s top-selling vehicle, are defective.
RELATED: Tesla Cybertruck Doors Blamed in Fatal California Crash
It’s unclear whether Tesla has deployed the emergency-response features to existing vehicles via an over-the-air software update, or if they’re only going to be available on new cars. The company didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
A person interacts with the door release button on a Tesla Cybertruck. (Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg)
Teslas have two batteries: a high-voltage pack that propels the car, and a low-voltage battery that powers the windows and doors. If the low-voltage pack dies or is disabled, the doors may not unlock from the exterior.
RELATED: Tesla Owner Complaints Rise in US Door-Handle Defect Probe
Inside Teslas, buttons that open the doors in normal circumstances stop working. While the company built manual release handles into front-row doors, some aren’t clearly marked. For passengers in the back seat, releases are located under rugs, behind speaker grilles, or under pieces of plastic, depending on the model. Certain versions of the Model 3 and Model Y aren’t equipped with manual releases for rear doors.
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