Tesla Inc. was sued by the sole survivor of a 2024 Cybertruck crash in California that killed three college students who were unable to escape the burning vehicle, the latest in a growing body of litigation faulting the automaker’s electrically powered doors.Jordan Miller was rescued by a friend who witnessed the middle-of-the-night crash in the San Francisco suburb of Piedmont and smashed a window with a tree branch after the doors wouldn’t open. The other occupants — driver Soren Dixon, 19; Jack Nelson, 2 ...

Core Points - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into approximately 174,000 Tesla Model Y vehicles from the 2021 model year due to reports of inoperative electronic door handles [1][3] - The investigation is a preliminary evaluation that could lead to a recall if the vehicles are deemed to pose an unreasonable safety risk [3] - NHTSA has received nine reports of parents being unable to open doors on the 2021 Tesla Model Y, with some instances requiring breaking a window to regain access [4] Technical Details - Initial reviews by NHTSA suggest that the issue with the electronic door locks may occur due to insufficient voltage from the vehicle [5] - Repair invoices indicate that the low voltage battery was replaced after incidents, but no owners reported low-voltage battery warnings prior to the failure of the exterior door handles [5]