Eleven automakers announced on Friday (21) the largest recall in China’s history, covering over 4.27 million vehicles. This step comes amid increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies over emergency door release systems in vehicles. Among the brands affected by the recall are Tesla, Xiaomi, Chery, and Xpeng, according to Bloomberg.
The recall was announced by the State Administration for Market Regulation, China’s regulator in this sector. Most of the measures, classified under Chinese regulations as product recalls, aim to address issues with mechanical emergency door handles, which in emergency situations may be difficult to locate or activate.
Details of the recall and solutions
Nine of the 11 automakers, including Tesla and Xiaomi, will install warning stickers free of charge to indicate the location of the handles. Most companies will also provide over-the-air (OTA) software updates.
Tesla will recall 2.98 million Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X vehicles, imported to China or manufactured in the country, starting from September 25, the company reported. The recall by Xiaomi will cover 390,400 vehicles, Leapmotor 371,200, Xpeng 264,800, Zeekr 92,600, Chery 68,500, Dongfeng 53,400, BAIC 46,800, and FAW 11,900.
This massive campaign is taking place as Beijing intensifies oversight of the electric‑vehicle sector and introduces stricter safety requirements. Meanwhile, automakers are implementing new technologies amid a fierce price war in the world’s largest automotive market.
Tesla stated that the mechanical emergency door release handles may be difficult to locate after a serious collision and a failure of the electrical system. This could complicate passenger egress or rescue access, the company’s statement said. The American automaker’s solution involves installing warning stickers and an OTA update that automatically lowers the car windows after a collision. Also on Friday, the company announced the recall of another 2.7 million vehicles to improve the monitoring system of cars using autopilot.
According to the regulator, this is the largest recall of Tesla in China. It has also become the largest in scale for Xiaomi, Leapmotor, Xpeng, Zeekr, and Lynk & Co.
Future restrictions and incidents
China plans to ban built‑in or “hidden” door handles from 2027, becoming the first country to begin phasing out the design popularized by Tesla and widely adopted by Chinese electric‑vehicle manufacturers. This design allows doors to be opened using an electronic key fob, smartphone, or a mechanism activated by pressing. It has come under increased scrutiny from regulators in China and the United States because the handles may be hard to locate in emergencies.
According to Bloomberg, at least 15 people have died in accidents where passengers in Tesla vehicles were unable to open the doors after a crash or fire.
Source: Folha de S.Paulo
