China Orders Fix for Hard-to-Find Emergency Door Handles: Tesla Recalls Near 3 Million

China's State Administration for Market Regulation published a cluster of recall filings on August 21, with Tesla, Xiaomi, Leapmotor, Xpeng and Zeekr among the brands affected. The common defect is that the interior emergency mechanical release is too close in color to the surrounding trim, making it hard to identify and operate. Tesla alone accounts for nearly 3 million vehicles, making it the center of this recall wave.

According to the filings, Tesla's Shanghai and Beijing entities will recall 973,156 locally built Model 3 sedans and 1,956,713 locally built Model Y SUVs starting September 25, 2026, plus 46,041 imported Model 3, Model X and Model S vehicles, for a combined total above 2.97 million.

In the affected vehicles, the emergency mechanical release is difficult to spot and operate. In extreme scenarios such as a severe crash that disables the low-voltage electrical system, occupants may struggle to open the doors quickly to escape, and outside rescuers may be delayed, creating a safety risk.

The fix involves Tesla adding free warning labels to the recalled cars and pushing an OTA update to the window control software, adding a post-crash window-lowering strategy. Vehicles that already carry the warning label do not need a second one.

In a separate filing on the same day, Tesla's Shanghai arm is recalling 2,740,642 locally built Model 3 and Model Y vehicles produced between March 4, 2019 and December 7, 2025, effective immediately, over insufficient driver attention monitoring while assisted steering is engaged. An OTA update will add in-cabin camera monitoring on top of steering wheel torque sensing to remind drivers to stay engaged.

Beyond Tesla, two Xiaomi SU7 batches total 390,435 recalled units, Leapmotor is recalling 371,200 C01 and C11 vehicles, Xpeng 264,842 units across the G6, P7+ and X9, and Zeekr 92,658 units of the 007 and Zeekr X. Chery's iCAR 03 and Fulwin X3, Dongfeng's Nammi 06, the Arcfox Kaola, and Hongqi's EH7 and Tiangong 08 are also on the list, all for the same door release identification issue, with warning labels and OTA window-lowering updates as the standard remedy.

A mandatory national standard on door handle safety published this February already spells out hard requirements for mechanical releases and emergency handles, and it takes effect on January 1, 2027. This wave of recalls reads as a coordinated cleanup ahead of the new rules.