When lithium-ion batteries are defective or become damaged, they can get very hot very quickly. This is called thermal runaway. In EVs, the battery pack is made up of thousands of individual lithium-ion battery cells. When one cell experiences thermal runaway, it can cause a chain reaction and spread to other cells of the battery pack, leading to a fire. Burning lithium-ion batteries have the potential to release toxic and flammable gases that can result in an explosion. Even after a fire is put out, a damaged EV battery pack can start burning again because of extra energy trapped inside.
Inoperable Door Handles: When Electric Vehicles Become a Deadly Trap
In September 2025, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced an investigation into whether certain Tesla electric vehicle doors are defective. This investigation follows several incidents where door handles stopped working after a crash when the vehicle caught fire, trapping people inside their cars. NHTSA’s investigation covers roughly 174,290 Tesla Model Y SUVs from the 2021 model year and will also assess the reliability of Tesla’s door locks and applicable power supplies.
Why Electronic Door Releases Are Problematic
Tesla has received more than 140 complaints about the doors getting stuck, not opening, or otherwise malfunctioning on various Tesla models since 2018. In many cases, the electric cars lost power after a crash, and occupants - and first responders - were unable to open the vehicle’s doors to help the occupants escape.
Tesla vehicles are equipped with two batteries: 1) a high voltage battery that makes the car move; and 2) a low voltage battery-pack that powers interior components like windows, doors, touchscreens, and other functions. In the event the low voltage battery pack fails, the vehicle’s electronic doors may not unlock and the door handles may not open. People would then have to use the emergency mechanical release. The problem is that many drivers and passengers do not know where this release is. And in some older models of Teslas, there is no mechanical release for the rear doors.
Holding Tesla Responsible
There have been numerous incidents of a Tesla vehicle leaving people trapped inside after a crash. Last November, a lawsuit was filed against Tesla on behalf of a couple who died when their Tesla sedan hit a tree and caught fire. The couple survived the initial crash but could not get out of the car because the doors would not open. They were locked inside as the car burned. The lawsuit accuses Tesla of negligence, arguing the manufacturer was aware of dangers proposed by the handles’ design but failed to address the issue.
Unfortunately, there have been many similar incidents where occupants were seriously injured or killed after being trapped inside their cars. Although Tesla has not officially responded to these complaints, according to Franz von Haulzhausen, Tesla’s longtime design chief, Tesla is working on redesigning its door handles to put both the electronic and manual releases in the same location, so people can find them more easily during an emergency.
