Chinese regulators instructed Tesla to address defective doors that fail to open in crashes on 21 August 2026, affecting 2.98 million Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles. Safety authorities added warning labels to clarify manual door-opening procedures.
Tesla and eight other automakers announced on August 21–22 a record Chinese vehicle recall totaling approximately 4.3 million units to address emergency door-release defects. China's State Administration for Market Regulation banned vehicles with hidden key-fob or mobile-phone activated locks due to risks that occupants could become trapped after accidents.
On August 21, China's market regulator mandated a major recall of nine automakers—including Tesla—affecting approximately 4.3 million vehicles due to faulty retractable door handles that could trap occupants after crashes. The recall addressed safety risks where doors became difficult or impossible to open after accidents.
Tesla recalled 2.98 million vehicles in China on August 21, 2026, due to safety concerns with emergency door release mechanisms that were difficult for occupants to locate. The recall was mandatory under Chinese regulatory requirements and addressed risks in Model 3, Y, S, and X vehicles.
On August 21, 2026, Tesla recalled 3 million vehicles as part of a China-wide push by nine automakers to install warning labels identifying often hard-to-find manual door releases. The safety measure addresses occupant difficulty locating emergency exits.
Tesla announced a record vehicle software recall affecting millions of China-made and imported electric vehicles in China as of 2026-08-21. The move came as Tesla and other manufacturers launched record recall operations in the Chinese market.