22nd August 2026 – (Beijing) Tesla and eight other major automotive manufacturers have announced a collective recall involving approximately four point three million vehicles in China. This move marks the country’s largest automotive recall on record, driven by concerns that concealed or modern door handles may increase the risk of passengers being unable to escape vehicles during emergencies. The recall comes as Chinese authorities step up scrutiny of vehicle safety standards across the rapidly expanding electric vehicle market, which is currently the largest in the world.
This extensive recall will see manufacturers, including Tesla, Xiaomi, Leapmotor, Xpeng, and Geely Holding, offering solutions such as software updates, warning labels and improved visible markings around door handles. In most cases, vehicles will receive remote, over-the-air updates, while labels will be installed free of charge to help occupants or rescuers more easily locate emergency mechanical releases. The manufacturers aim to address regulatory concerns after several reported incidents in which people were trapped in vehicles following collisions and electrical system failures.
Tesla is set to recall two point nine eight million imported and locally produced Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X vehicles from 25th September, with its solution including both visible warnings and an updated system that will lower the windows automatically after an accident. Other companies are also dealing with their largest recalls to date, with Xiaomi recalling around three hundred and ninety thousand vehicles, Leapmotor three hundred and seventy-one thousand, and Xpeng about two hundred and sixty-four thousand. The remaining firms involved are implementing smaller-scale recalls in response to official announcements.
The cost of this expansive recall is expected to be less severe than in previous years, as new technology allows rapid software updates without extensive workshop visits. Meanwhile, China has confirmed it will completely ban the use of concealed door handles from 2027, becoming the first country in the world to mandate such a change. This proactive regulation follows a series of high-profile incidents and corresponding investigations, including a fatal accident in a Xiaomi SU7 sedan last October in which rescuers were reportedly unable to access the vehicle due to its design.
While U.S. authorities have indicated they are reviewing the safety of similar door mechanisms, automakers have not yet notified their American counterparts of plans for a similar recall in the United States.