Tesla rear door back-up open issue prompts @NHTSA follow-up

Tesla rear door

We’ve now sent a second letter to NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), this time concerning a Tesla rear door back-up open issue. We did this earlier when we could not figure out how to access Rivian rear door latch mechanical back-up.

Regular mail is the only option available in cases such as this where a third party (us) is reporting a potential safety issue. To file a complaint on-line requires a specific vehicle identification number (VIN) is required and as an outside party, we do not have one.

The car in question this time belongs to a relative. She is so concerned about the safety of children that she created a clever solution for her Model Y and its difficult to see, and interpret, symbol.

And she put it so, so well in a text: “Should not have to explain a DOOR.” We posted on this last month.

In the interim, we’ve decided we want to continue contact with NHSTA. In our opinion, all electronic latches are an unnecessary safety hazard. Unnecessary because a mechanical back-up is required. The result is that each door has twice the equipment needed simply to open a door.

Back to the Tesla, the image shows the small “door” that opens to reveal the cable pull has been opened and a “Pull To Eject” tag has been attached to the cable.

The tag is the perfect color. And we even love the use of the word “Eject”!

Saturday Night Live had a little fun with new door handles (click here), which is a small piece of this puzzle. And as much as we’d like to join in, given the absurdities involved, that small piece is a part of a much larger and serious problem, one that has actually cost lives.

Note that it is easy to connect the issue to electric vehicles, but electronic latches are in use in several gas or diesel powered vehicles as well, and actually pre-date the more widespread use of EVs.

We’ve been on the issue for some 10 years and only recently has this been seen elsewhere in the press. And presumably NHTSA is looking into some Tesla models, as if they are the only perpetrators. They are not.

Our Get Out page, which you can see here, covers no less than 14 manufacturers.

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