Trapped as cars burst into flames. The issues with these vehicle doors that have drivers concerned.
The Center for Auto Safety is the nation’s premier independent, member driven, non-profit consumer advocacy organization dedicated to improving vehicle safety, quality, and fuel economy on behalf of all drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
“You don’t have time to consult an owner’s manual,” said Michael Brooks, Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety. He says federal regulators should step in.
“I think there needs to be a federal safety standard that standardizes the placement of manual releases for emergency exit,” Brooks said.
By Justin Gray, WSB-TV
November 17, 2025
A Georgia man who got trapped in his Tesla as it caught fire is pushing for safety changes with the electric car maker.
The concern is the doors on Teslas and some other electric cars.
Channel 2 consumer investigator Justin Gray found more than 180 safety complaints to federal regulators about this in their database.
“All this backside of me got burned,” Clouse told Gray, showing where he got burned.
He only learned after his 2023 crash and the fire that followed that Tesla’s electronic doors can lose power
“I tried to reach and push the button to open the door. I shoved on it. I hit on it. I couldn’t get out,” Clouse said.
It’s not just Tesla’s. Last year, Jenn Pereira called 911 when smoke was entering the cabin of her Rivian. Firefighters on the scene had to research how to get the doors open.