The Brief

Tesla is under investigation for potential defects in car doors that reportedly left children trapped in the back seat.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the investigation centers around Tesla’s most popular model.

Why is Tesla under investigation?

What we know:

The NHTSA said it received nine reports of electronic door handles not working properly on 2021 Tesla Model Y SUVs, possibly because of low battery voltage. In four of those cases, parents had to break the windows to get their children out of the car.

The incidents appear to occur when the electronic door locks don’t get enough voltage from the vehicle, NHTSA says. Of those who reported incidents, none saw a low voltage battery warning before the exterior door handles stopped working.

See Full Page