Geely, Leapmotor, Tesla, BAIC, Hongqi, and other automakers have filed for massive recalls in China due to safety concerns. The emergency mechanical door handles inside the cars' cabins are difficult to identify because their color is similar to the interior trim. This could hinder occupants' ability to open the doors and escape the car during a low-voltage system failure.
Previously, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released the “Technical Requirements for Automobile Door Handle Safety” standard, which will come into force in January 2027. This standard mandates that every door must have an external door handle with mechanical release functionality. Internal handles must be easily identifiable, clearly visible, and positioned within 300 mm of door edges.
Although this standard has not yet come into force, the Chinese government has begun tightening door handle regulations, leading most operating automakers to file recall plans for their interior door handles. China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has announced a massive recall plan, reportedly the largest in automotive history.
According to SAMR, BAIC, Chery, Dongfeng, FAW Hongqi, Geely, Leapmotor, Tesla, Xiaomi, and Xpeng have filed recall plans in accordance with the "Regulations on the Recall of Defective Automobile Products" and the "Implementation Measures for the Regulations on the Recall of Defective Automobile Products." Tesla is the most affected, with nearly 3 million vehicles being recalled.
The recall information states that the emergency mechanical grab handle in vehicles from the mentioned automakers is difficult to identify and operate due to its color matching the interior trim. To address this, automakers will provide free warning labels for the emergency mechanical grab handles inside the recalled vehicles. Most cars will also receive a special Over-The-Air (OTA) update to add a post-accident window-lowering function. The specific recall information for each automaker is as follows:
- Zeekr is recalling 92,658 units of the 007 sedan and the X crossover.
- FAW Hongqi is recalling 4,035 units of the EH7 and the Tiangong 08.
- BAIC BluePark is recalling 46,860 units of the ArcFox Kaola minivan.
- Dongfeng is recalling 53,452 units of the Nammi 06, the Aeolus L8, the eπ 007, and the eπ 008.
- Leapmotor is recalling 371,200 units of the C01 sedan and the C11 crossover.
- Chery is recalling 64,488 units of the iCaur 03 and the Chery Fulwin X3 crossovers.
- Tesla is recalling 2,975,910 units of the China-made Model 3 and the Model X.
- Tesla is recalling 46,041 units of the imported Model 3, the Model X, and the Model S.
- Xiaomi is recalling 390,435 units of the 2024 model year SU7.
- Xpeng is recalling 264,842 units of the G6, the P7+, and the X9.
This recall is a consequence of several fatal incidents. The accident involving a Xiaomi SU7 sedan, which claimed the lives of three university students who reportedly could not find the emergency release mechanisms hidden in the door panel storage compartments and thus could not escape the burning vehicle, was a major topic of discussion.
Update (August 21): BYD was not included in the SAMR recall plan.
