China has announced a recall for 7 million vehicles. Tesla is responsible for 5.7 million of them.

The Chinese regulator SAMR has revealed the largest one-time recall in the history of the country’s automotive industry. It covers over 7 million vehicles from brands such as Tesla, Xiaomi, Leapmotor, Xpeng, Zeekr, Chery, and Dongfeng, with the common issue being faulty mechanical door handles for opening doors from inside.

In the worst-case scenario, after a serious accident and loss of 12 V power, passengers may struggle to quickly find and use the mechanical door opening mechanism. For EV drivers, this is a minor issue that is usually overlooked until it suddenly becomes very serious.

The common problem: faulty door opening mechanisms are poorly marked

According to SAMR, most of the vehicles involved in the recall share this same problem. The internal mechanical handles for emergency door opening are too similar in color to the rest of the interior finish, making them difficult to spot and operate under stress.

The regulator states explicitly that after a serious collision, when the low-voltage power system fails, it can make escaping from the vehicle and rescue efforts from outside more difficult. In short, electronics are important, but mechanics must still be reliable.

Tesla accounts for the largest share. The company has reported two service campaigns covering a total of 5,716,552 vehicles. Of these, 2,975,910 vehicles are affected by the issue with emergency door opening. The campaign begins on September 25, 2026, and includes 973,156 Chinese Model 3 vehicles and 1,956,713 Chinese Model Y vehicles. In addition, there are imported vehicles: 35,590 Model 3s, 8,328 Model X vehicles, and 2,123 Model S vehicles.

Repair? Tesla will add free warning labels and push an OTA update that, under the new strategy, should automatically lower the windows after a collision. Some vehicles already have the appropriate markings, so not all will require an in-person visit.

Xiaomi is recalling 390,435 units of the 2024 SU7 for repairs. In addition to the labels, the manufacturer also plans an OTA update with improved logic for unlocking the center console and lowering the windows.

Leapmotor is covering 371,200 vehicles with this action, including 322,575 C11s and 48,625 C01s. Xpeng will launch its campaign on August 22, covering 264,842 cars: 134,588 G6s, 94,688 P7+ models, and 35,566 X9s. In this case, the repair involves only adding labels.

Zeekr will fix 92,658 units of the 007 and X models starting August 24. Chery has reported 68,488 vehicles, including 57,688 iCar 03 models and 10,800 Fulwin X3 models, starting September 18, with only the mechanical brake covers to be replaced here for better identification. Dongfeng has 53,452 vehicles, Arcfox has 46,850, and FAW has another 11,908 units.

Tesla adds a separate campaign for driver monitoring

Meanwhile, Tesla has announced a second service campaign covering 2,740,642 Chinese Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, effective immediately. It involves monitoring the driver’s attention in the autonomous driving system.

SAMR determined that the current mechanism based on steering wheel torque control does not provide sufficient warning when a driver takes their eyes off the road. Therefore, Tesla will add internal camera monitoring via OTA updates. This seems like a move we will likely see more of eventually outside of China as well.

All of this is part of stricter regulations regarding handles and doors. The GB 48001-2026 standard was announced in February and will apply to new models starting January 1, 2027. It requires a mechanical opening system for all doors, effectively ending the use of completely electronic, hidden handles. Models already approved will have a transition period until January 2029.

The Chinese have just shown manufacturers that a “hidden handle” only makes sense if it can be found in two seconds. What do you think the EU should do regarding similar solutions in cars sold in Europe?

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