The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has denied a petition requesting a safety defect investigation into the emergency mechanical door release system in 2022 Tesla (TSLA) Model 3 vehicles, the agency said Thursday.
The agency "concluded that it is unlikely that additional investigation would result in finding that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists, and the issue is best addressed through the rulemaking process," according to the statement.
The petition, submitted by Kevin Clouse in November 2025, alleged that the vehicle's mechanical door release was not easily accessible or clearly identifiable, the NHTSA said.
Tesla didn't immediately respond to' request for comment.
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