NOT IDEAL

Tesla Under Investigation After Kids Trapped Inside Locked Vehicles

Numerous parents have reported being unable to get their children out of the locked cars.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation into Tesla’s Model Y series following reports that children have been left trapped inside the vehicles after parents were unable to unlock the doors. More than 174,000 Model Ys are currently being investigated by the NHTSA to determine if further action is needed. “Entrapment in a vehicle is particularly concerning in emergency situations, such as when children are trapped in a hot vehicle,” the agency wrote, and said it would examine the “operability of the electronic door locks” from outside the car when the EV runs out of power. The probe was triggered following nine reports from Tesla owners who said they were unable to open the doors of their Model Y. Most of those affected by the problem were parents attempting to get their children out of the back seat. Although the owner’s manual suggests an alternate way to open the exterior doors, the NHTSA said the process was not well-known enough to owners, given the frequency of the problem. Tesla is also facing multiple NHTSA probes into its driver-assistance systems, which have resulted in unexpected braking and acceleration, and the company was forced to recall 46,000 Cybertrucks in March to replace an exterior panel that could fall off while the car is in motion.