— Tesla Model S door handles have caused a class action lawsuit that alleges the exterior and interior door handles are defective and Tesla concealed the defects from consumers.
Plaintiff Robert L. Hyde says he purchased a new 2023 Tesla Model S in February 2023, and although he doesn't claim his vehicle crashed or he had any problems with the door handles, the plaintiff complains he has "suffered an economic injury."
The plaintiff further complains Tesla has refused to replace his Model S or refund his money.
According to the door handle class action, all 2023-present Model S cars are defective because the door handles are defective. The plaintiff contends Tesla concealed the defects from him and all Model S customers.
The class action explains how the Model S exterior door handles are flush-mounted and require electronic extension and latch actuation to open the doors from the outside. But losing the power on the electric vehicles means the doors cannot be opened from the outside.
There are interior front door emergency releases the lawsuit says are "readily accessible" and not hidden away like the rear door releases. An occupant will be in trouble in a crash where the Model S has lost power and the back seat occupant has no clue the emergency door release is under carpet.
According to the Model S lawsuit, a huge problem is the rear seat interior door handles when the car loses battery power. The emergency releases for the back doors are reportedly hidden from occupants. In an emergency a back seat occupant must "pull a hidden manual cable beneath the carpeting underneath the rear seats in order to open the rear doors."
"In the event that the vehicle is involved in a collision where there is a loss of low-voltage electrical power and/or an emergency system shutdown, Tesla’s 'solution' is to require occupants to effectively locate and pull apart part of a small cut section in the carpeting beneath the rear seats, find and locate a cable within it, and pull it toward the center of the vehicle, none of which would be easily discernable to any rear seat occupant and all while enduring the stress of being trapped in a potential dangerous vehicle or condition." — Tesla door handle lawsuit
The class action alleges Tesla knows about the supposed door handle defects but has done nothing about it. And the plaintiff complains Tesla refuses to repair the "defects" on the Model S cars which have allegedly lost their values due to the door handles.
The Tesla Model S door handle lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: Robert L. Hyde v. Tesla, Inc.
The plaintiff is represented by Kazerouni Law Group, APC.