30.08.2026 11:10
China has launched a massive recall operation covering 4.3 million vehicles due to the life-threatening risk posed by flush door handles, which have become popular in electric cars, during accidents. Following the process involving major manufacturers such as Tesla, as well as Xiaomi, Leapmotor, XPeng, and Geely, it has been decided to completely ban hidden door handles by 2027.
A historic decision has been made in the Chinese automotive market. It has been determined that flush door handles, frequently preferred in electric vehicles for their aesthetic and aerodynamic advantages, pose a serious safety vulnerability during accidents. Tesla received the largest share of the process with approximately 2.98 million vehicles; leading Chinese automotive giants such as Xiaomi, Leapmotor, XPeng, and Geely were also included in the scope. This move, affecting a total of 4.3 million vehicles, has been recorded as the most extensive recall operation in the country's history.
SYSTEM LOCKS UP AT THE MOMENT OF IMPACT
The safety risk in question stems from the vehicle's low-voltage electrical system being disabled during a potential collision. Under normal conditions, flush door handles that extend outward via electronic mechanisms become non-functional during a power outage. In this situation, access to the mechanical emergency release handles inside the vehicle becomes difficult, while rescue teams attempting to intervene from the outside also face great difficulty opening the doors due to the smooth surface. This vulnerability critically delays evacuation from the vehicle and emergency response times after an accident.
SOFTWARE STEP FROM TESLA
Following the recall decision, Tesla announced that it has prepared a series of safety measures for the affected vehicles. In addition to the software updates it will offer, the company will add warning labels that make the emergency manual release mechanisms inside the vehicle more visible, and will activate an infrastructure that ensures the windows automatically roll down in the event of an accident.
Meanwhile, the Chinese government is preparing a radical legal regulation to address the problem at its root. Starting from 2027, the use of fully hidden door handles will be banned in new vehicles sold in the country. According to the new standards, vehicle doors will be required to have a design that allows them to be easily opened mechanically from both the inside and the outside, even in the event of any power outage.