TOM WARNING ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH 'HIDDEN' HANDLES ON VEHICLE DOORS - WHAT THEY ARE, AND WHAT OWNERS SHOULD DO - Filenews 9/3 by Ioanna Kyriakou
Problems with hidden handles on car doors are being recorded internationally, which led the Department of Road Transport (TOM) to issue a warning notice about possible risks to passenger safety, even making recommendations to the owners of these vehicles. This particular type of grip was popularized by billionaire Elon Musk's Tesla and is mainly introduced in electric car models.
In particular, hidden or pop-up handles are a type of handle on car doors that does not protrude from the "body" of the vehicle when it is turned off. Instead of the traditional handle pulled by the driver, their surface is flat and integrated into the vehicle, and is activated electronically or mechanically when the door needs to be opened.
How the announcement came about and what is happening in Cyprus
The announcement of the TOM is the result of the control that these vehicles face by safety authorities around the world, after a series of serious road accidents. According to international road safety bodies, incidents have been recorded where electronically controlled and/or fully integrated ("hidden") vehicle door handles did not work properly in emergency situations, such as road collisions and fires. In some events, the battery voltage drop resulted in the external handles inactivating in their closed (hidden) position.
In addition, European safety organizations have pointed out that existing standards do not adequately ensure that electronically controlled doors can be opened after an accident or even in the event of a power failure, which increases the risk of entrapment in the vehicle.
It is worth noting that Filenews contacted the Department of Road Transport, which clarified that no such incidents were recorded in Cyprus and the announcement is of a precautionary nature. Therefore, based on the above, the following recommendations are made to the owners of vehicles in Cyprus with such handles:
- Find out immediately from your vehicle's owner's manual the exact way to use the manual release mechanism, as well as the procedure for opening doors when there is no electrical power.
- Identify where the manual releases are located, for both the front and rear doors.
- Inform all people using and riding in the vehicle about how the release mechanism works.
- Check the condition of the battery regularly, as the proper functioning of the electric handles also depends on it.
- Check if your vehicle is subject to a recall via the manufacturer's official page and/or EU Safety Gate announcements.
- In the event of a malfunction of the door handles, do not use the vehicle until it has been inspected and repaired.
For more information and incident reports, citizens can contact the Department of Road Transport at recalls@rtd.mcw.gov.cy.
China Bans Hidden Handles – Investigations in the US and Europe
Last month, China became the first country to ban hidden handles on electric vehicle doors. According to the BBC, two fatal road accidents involving Xiaomi electric vehicles were recorded in the country, in which it was suspected that power outages prevented the doors from opening. According to the new regulations, from January 1, 2027, cars sold in the country must have a mechanical door opening system visible and functional. In the US, Tesla's door handles are already being investigated by the country's safety regulators, while authorities in Europe are looking at their own rules.
Serious cases worldwide
In November, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an investigation focusing on Tesla's electric door handles, responding to reports that they suddenly stopped working, leaving children trapped in cars.
NHTSA said it had received nine complaints about the grips on Tesla's 2021 Model Y cars, the company's flagship model. In four of the cases, car owners resorted to breaking the window to fix the problem, reports the BBC.
Tesla is being sued in the US by the parents of a teenager who was killed in a car crash in 2024 and involved one of its Cybertrucks. The vehicle hit a tree and caught fire, according to a police report. When the power to the truck's power doors was cut off by the fire, the four passengers were locked inside with no way out, and three died.
In October, a fatal collision in the city of Chengdu involving the SU7 electric sedan of the Chinese company Xiaomi resulted in passers-by being unable to open the vehicle and save the driver before it burst into flames.
