China has ordered its largest-ever car recall, affecting more than four million vehicles, most of them Teslas, ahead of new regulations requiring cars to have mechanical door releases on both the inside and outside. The move has put a spotlight on hidden door handles, a sleek, minimalist design popularised by Tesla and now used in around 60% of China's top 100 best-selling electric and hybrid vehicles, amid growing concern that the feature can trap occupants or hinder rescuers in emergencies.

Safety experts have warned that these electronically powered handles, while reducing wind drag and improving appearance, can be hard to locate and fail to work if power is lost after a crash. Chinese carmaker Xiaomi faced scrutiny after two fatal 2025 crashes involving its SU7 model in which occupants were reportedly unable to escape, while Tesla is being sued in the US over a 2024 Cybertruck crash in California that killed three people, with the driver alleging faulty door mechanisms hampered rescue attempts; Tesla denies wrongdoing. China's new rules, the first of their kind globally, take effect on 1 January 2027 and will also require clear instructions inside vehicles on how to open the doors.