Federal regulators have opened a preliminary investigation into Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) over concerns that door handles on its Model Y vehicles can malfunction and prevent reentry.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) preliminary investigation covers 174,000 2021 Model Y vehicles. The initiative from NHTSA comes in the wake of a Bloomberg article citing numerous instances where passengers became stuck inside the vehicle. While the issue can be prevalent in other vehicle and models, the preliminary investigation only concerns Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA).
According to NHTSA, the issue arises when electronic door locks receive insufficient voltage from the vehicle. This can be especially problematic when a child is left inside the car and parents are unable to regain entry. Although there are manual door releases inside the car, a child may not be able to operate the releases.
“Entrapment in a vehicle is particularly concerning in emergency situations, such as when children are entrapped in a hot vehicle,” NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation states in their report.
At this time, NHTSA’s investigation is focused on the operability of the electronic door locks from the outside of the vehicle. However, the agency will monitor any reports of entrapment inside the vehicle and expand its investigation accordingly.
The investigation has done little to dent Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) upward trajectory and shares continue to grind higher. Last trading with a gain of 1% in premarket, the stock is poised to extend its winning streak to a sixth straight day.