China Initiates Record Recall of 4.3 Million Vehicles Over Difficult Emergency Door Handles

China's market regulator has ordered a recall of almost 4.3 million vehicles from nine manufacturers after tests indicated that emergency mechanical door-release handles could be difficult to find or use in a crash. The recall, the largest ever in the country, involves roughly 3 million Tesla cars produced locally and a range of models from Leapmotor, Xpeng, Geely and Xiaomi.

The corrective actions vary by brand and include software updates, warning labels, and enhanced markings around the door handles. Tesla's recall, covering 2.98 million China-made vehicles, will add an over-the-air update that automatically lowers windows after a collision and affix new warning labels, according to regulatory filings.

Leapmotor, Xpeng and Geely have also announced sizable recalls, with Xiaomi recalling about 390,000 units, Leapmotor 371,000 and Xpeng 264,000. Many of the fixes are expected to be delivered via over-the-air updates, allowing owners to receive the remedy without visiting service centers.

Separately, regulators issued a recall for 50,000 imported Model 3, Model X and Model S vehicles from 2019-2026 because driver-monitoring systems were deemed insufficient and potentially increased collision risk. Some of those cars will be corrected with software patches, while others may require replacement of in-car cameras.

"The emergency door-release handles may be hard to locate or operate in a crash," the regulator stated in its notice.

The recalls follow incidents in which passengers were trapped inside burning vehicles, including a fatal crash involving a Xiaomi SU7 in October 2025. Chinese authorities have previously banned flush-mounted door handles for new vehicles after 2027, citing safety concerns.