Today, there are thousands of vehicles on the roads equipped with power-operated doors—a feature that allows passengers to open the door with the push of a button to exit the vehicle. While this technology, found in cars from Tesla to Chevrolet Corvette, can be convenient, it can also be potentially deadly.
This is because if a car's 12-volt battery dies or, for example, disconnects after a collision, passengers will still need to open the doors to leave the vehicle. This is where manual door opening mechanisms come into play, providing passengers with the ability to exit the vehicle using an additional manual handle or cable.
So what’s the problem? The main issue is that not all power-operated car doors have a manual opening option. Some manufacturers have not included this important safety feature that allows for manual door opening in emergency situations. This is particularly concerning given that power doors are becoming increasingly popular.
Many cars do indeed have mechanical door unlocks, but often their locations are not marked. As a result, potential passengers may not even know that such a feature exists or how to use it. Sometimes even car owners may not be aware that there are manual unlocks on the rear doors unless they specifically look for them. Now imagine how many people get into the back of a car for ridesharing and are unfamiliar with its features.
What hope do these individuals have of quickly escaping a burning or submerged vehicle if there’s no electricity and the door buttons don’t work? In an emergency situation where quick exit from the vehicle is required, the inability to manually open doors can lead to tragic consequences. In which cars are doors equipped with power operation? The main player here is Tesla, with several models (both old and new) featuring power-operated doors. This includes the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover, as well as older models like Model X and Model S. The unusual Cybertruck also has power-operated doors.
Additionally, even internal combustion engine vehicles, including high-end sports cars like Chevrolet Corvette and Ferrari Purosangue, as well as Maserati Grecale and GranTurismo, have power door operation features. New Lexus models also include this option. The Ford Mustang Mach-E has such power operation, but it is located externally, which could create difficulties if the car loses power and you need to get inside quickly.
In which cars is there no manual door opening?
While most cars have a manual door opening function, in many models this feature is only available for front doors. This leaves rear-seat passengers less protected in case of needing a quick exit. And they all come from Tesla. According to the online user manual for Tesla Model 3 (2017-2023), there are no manual unlocks on the rear doors.
This information was confirmed by an owner of a 2022 Model 3 who admitted he never even thought to look for this feature. As for the Model Y crossover, the user manual states that not all Model Y variants are equipped with rear door manual opening functionality; therefore, investigators from Carsales reached out to Tesla for clarification.
The representative's response was: "All current Model Y [sic] sold today are equipped with manual door openings on rear doors." Then at a local Tesla charging station, journalists spoke with an owner of a 2023 Model Y. He confirmed that his car only has manual unlocks on the front doors. There’s nothing in the back. When asked how concerned he was about his family's safety (including two small children), he replied: "I’ll just use the app to open the doors," not realizing that if there were no power in the car, the app wouldn’t work.
The experience at a Tesla dealership only added gloom to the situation. When safety features were mentioned, the salesperson said that Tesla removed rear manual unlocks because children constantly "play with them" and open the doors.
Upon inspection in the showroom, it turned out that both Model 3 and Y from 2024 do indeed have manual unlocks hidden in rear door pockets, although they are difficult to find. For Model 3 you need to lift up a piece of carpet and then pull on a yellow loop that should open the door.
On Model Y it’s slightly easier. You need to lift up plastic trim from the door pocket where you’ll find a large red latch. Then you’ll see a white latch in front of you that you need to pull on to open the door. The problem is that small fingers will be needed to reach it through a narrow hatch. The current C8 Corvette—a two-door sports car—has a clearly marked lever on the floor for manual operation.
What do people say?
For many this isn’t news; people have been calling for stricter safety regulations for vehicles with power-operated doors for years now—especially in the U.S. Over the past decade there have been several fatal incidents where some blamed power-operated doors for "trapping" passengers. For example, there was a notorious case in Toronto where a girl couldn’t escape from her burning Tesla. This ongoing issue has led some owners and websites like AliExpress to start offering solutions. For instance, fabric handles have emerged that attach to the rear door lock in Tesla 2024 models. They help passengers exit more quickly in emergencies. However, we do not recommend using these aftermarket or DIY options.
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