ChinaChina’s State Administration for Market Regulation has ordered the recall of nearly 4.3 million vehicles from 11 manufacturers over door handles that occupants or rescuers may not be able to open after a serious crash. It is the largest recall campaign the country has run.
What the regulator found
The cars in the campaign open their doors electrically. Pulling the handle sends a signal rather than moving a latch, and a crash that damages the 12-volt system takes that signal with it. Every affected car does have a mechanical backup inside the cabin, so the finding is not that the release is missing. It is that a driver who has never used it is unlikely to find it: on many of these cars it sits low on the door card or under a trim panel, unmarked, and blends into the surrounding material. Rescuers working from outside have the same problem, with less time.
Who is recalling what
Tesla is the largest single filing at about 2.98 million cars, covering the Model 3, Model Y, Model S and Model X in both China-built and imported form. Xiaomi follows with roughly 390,000 vehicles, Leapmotor with about 371,000 and Xpeng with around 264,000. Geely, Zeekr, Chery, Dongfeng and Arcfox are also on the list.
The fix is a sticker and a software update
Nine of the 11 manufacturers will add a warning label next to the mechanical release so it can be identified without hunting for it, and most are also preparing over-the-air software changes. Tesla’s update lowers the windows automatically after a collision, which leaves an opening to reach through if the doors will not open. Its campaign starts on 25 September. No manufacturer is replacing hardware, because the recall does not require it.
The standard that follows
The campaign arrives ahead of GB 48001-2026, the national safety standard for vehicle door handles. It requires a mechanically operable handle inside and outside the car, and sets a minimum hand space of 60x25x20 mm for the exterior handle, which rules out the fully flush designs that retract into the door. Cars must also keep a purely mechanical emergency release that works with the electrical system dead. The standard applies to new model approvals from 1 January 2027 and to every vehicle built from 1 January 2029. It sits alongside a separate Chinese rule that will require physical buttons for safety-related controls from 1 July 2027.
The Tesla Model 3 is a battery-electric sedan, updated in 2024 with the "Highland" refresh. The China lineup runs from a rear-drive version to an 830 km Long Range RWD and a Performance model, from ¥235,500. Canada is supplied from the same Shanghai plant, where the Premium RWD starts at C$39,490.
The Tesla Model Y is a battery-electric mid-size SUV, refreshed in 2025 with the "Juniper" update. The China lineup runs from a 593 km rear-drive version to an 821 km Long Range RWD and a six-seat Model Y L. Prices start from ¥263,500.
The Tesla Model S is a battery-electric liftback sedan built at Fremont, California since 2012. Tesla ended production in May 2026 after a 14-year run, closing out the line with the AWD dual-motor (670 hp, 410 miles/660 km) and the 1,020 hp tri-motor Plaid (368 miles/592 km, 0-100 km/h in 2.1s). Final US pricing ran from $109,990 to $124,990.
The Tesla Model X is a battery-electric SUV with falcon-wing rear doors, built at Fremont, California since 2015. Tesla announced the model's end in January 2026 and built the last cars in May, closing out the line with the AWD dual-motor (670 hp, 352 miles/566 km) and the 1,020 hp tri-motor Plaid (335 miles/539 km, 0-100 km/h in 2.6s). Final US pricing ran from $99,990 to $114,990.
