Tesla Stock Drops as U.S. Auto Regulator Probes Alleged Model 3 Door Defects

Tesla’s electric doors have come under scrutiny in recent months. (JADE GAO/AFP via Getty Images)

Key Points

• The U.S. auto safety regulator is investigating the 2022 Tesla Model 3’s mechanical door release, affecting 179,071 vehicles.
• The investigation follows a November petition alleging the door release is “hidden, unlabeled, and not intuitive to locate during an emergency.”
• Tesla stock fell 1% to $480.26 on Wednesday, remaining a few percentage points off its December 16 record closing high of $489.88.

The U.S. auto safety regulator has opened an investigation into the mechanical door release on the 2022 Tesla Model 3.

The probe, launched Tuesday by the Office of Defects Investigation at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, covers an estimated 179,071 vehicles. The agency first received a petition in November alleging the door release was “hidden, unlabeled, and not intuitive to locate during an emergency.”

Tesla didn’t immediately respond to Barron’s request for comment.

Tesla stock fell 1% to $480.26 on Wednesday after rising in premarket trading. Shares remain a few percentage points off the $500 mark after hitting a record closing high of $489.88 on Dec. 16.

NHTSA investigations, which precede recalls, are more common than drivers may want to know. They are part of the process of keeping cars safe and in working order. Tesla, Ford Motor, and Chrysler have been the subject of five new investigations each in 2025. Honda Motor has been the subject of eight.

Tesla’s doors have become a particular flashpoint in recent months. In September, the NHTSA opened an investigation into doors failing to open on 2021 Tesla Model Y vehicles, preventing parents from removing children from the back seat.

Bloomberg reported Monday that at least 15 people have died in Teslas when doors wouldn’t open after a crash. CEO Elon Musk demanded the electric doors even after engineers raised safety concerns, Bloomberg said.

Write to Nate Wolf at nate.wolf@barrons.com