Federal regulators announced plans on Friday, July 24, to craft new rules for emergency release systems on the doors of cars after a series of fiery Tesla crashes.
The announcement from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration follows a September 2025 investigation into the performance of emergency door handles on Tesla's Model Y compact SUV, which is the Austin-based automaker's most popular model.
The NHTSA separately announced a December 2025 investigation into the mechanical door release on the 2022 Tesla Model 3, which is Telsa's most affordable and second-highest selling car.
The sleekly designed door handles that have become popular on Teslas and other electric cars have mechanisms that can cause problems for first responders
if the cars lose power after a crash, regulators believe.
The NHTSA said in a document posted on a federal government website that is granting a petition it received in November 2025 that called for regulators to craft new rules that would "mandate a robust and obvious door egress system in all motor vehicles."
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.
Tesla's stock dipped slightly on July 24 to about $317 per share in early trading on NASDAQ stock exchange after the plans for new door regulations was made public. That was down 0.7% from Tesla's close of over $319 per share at the end of trading on Thursday, July 25.
Why are Tesla's doors being investigated?
The NHTSA said in December 2025 it was launching a defect investigation after receiving a petition citing allegations that the mechanical door release on the Tesla Model 3 is "hidden, unlabeled, and not intuitive to locate during an emergency."
The investigation covered an estimated 179,071 cars and it includes one crash that led to injuries.
The NHTSA separately in September launched an investigation into the performance of emergency door handles on Tesla's Model Y compact SUV.
The initial investigation covered 174,290 2021 Tesla Model Ys after the agency said it received nine complaints reporting an inability to open doors on the vehicles.
The NHTSA said the most commonly reported scenarios "involved parents exiting the vehicle after a drive cycle in order to remove a child from the back seat or placing a child in the back seat before starting a drive cycle."
What could the upcoming federal doors regulation mean for car buyers?
Tesla and other automakers could pass costs associated with the required changes onto customers.
The Model 3 and Model Y are by far Tesla's top selling vehicles.
The company sold 467,762 of the two models in the second quarter of 2026.
All of Tesla's other vehicles accounted for 12,364 in sales in the quarter.
The robust sales occurred while both models were under investigation.
The average price of a new Tesla was $53,107 in June 2026, according to Cox Automotive's Kelley Blue Book. The average price a new Model Y was $51,775, the group said.
Cox noted that the Model Y accounted for more than 35% of all electric vehicle sales.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: After series of fiery Tesla crashes, US plans new rules for car doors
