NEW YORK: United States auto safety officials have launched an investigation into the 2021 Tesla Model Y following multiple reports of parents being unable to open vehicle doors from the outside.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration received nine complaints specifically involving situations where a child was trapped inside the back seats of the electric vehicle.
In four separate incidents, parents were forced to break vehicle windows to regain entry and rescue children who could not exit the vehicle independently.
Tesla vehicles include manual door releases inside the cabin, but young children may lack the strength or understanding to operate these emergency mechanisms.
“Entrapment in a vehicle is particularly concerning in emergency situations, such as when children are entrapped in a hot vehicle,“ the safety agency stated in its official posting.
A preliminary review indicates the door lock failures occur when the electronic system receives insufficient voltage, though affected owners reported no prior low battery warnings.
The NHTSA has initiated a preliminary evaluation to determine the scope and severity of this potentially dangerous condition affecting Tesla’s popular Model Y. – AFP