NHTSA Complaint #11157088 — 2016 TESLA MODEL S

REAR PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE FAILS TO OPEN DOOR. THIS HAS BEEN A ON-GOING ISSUE WITH TESLA MODEL S VEHICLES. MY FIRST 2013 MODEL S HAD OVER 15 DOOR HANDLES REPLACED DUE TO FAILURE. MY CURRENT 2016 MODEL S HAS HAD AROUND 6. THE LAST WAS FRONT PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE REPLACED IN MAY 2018 WHICH WOULD NOT EXTEND NOR OPEN THE DOOR. I HAVE THE FAILED UNIT IN HAND, AS I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET NON-WARRANTY (AS I WAS OVER THE WARRANTY MILEAGE), TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE DOOR HANDLE SHORTED OUT DUE TO WATER INTRUSION FROM POOR DESIGN (HIS WORDS). REAR PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE HAS NOW FAILED. IT WILL EXTEND, BUT WILL NOT OPEN THE VEHICLE'S DOOR. THIS IS A KNOWN, AND ON-GOING ISSUE FOR THE MODEL S VEHICLES OF ALL YEARS AND TRIM LEVELS. TESLA NEEDS TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION, AND PERMANENT FIX. I ALSO WANT TO REPORT THAT ALL DOOR HANDLES FAIL TO OPERATE BELOW IN TEMPERATURES OF 20*F ABOUT 25% OF THE TIME AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT UNLESS THE VEHICLE IS REMOTELY PRE-HEATED (AS THE DOOR HANDLES FREEZE CLOSED INTERNALLY (IN THE DOOR) AND WILL NOT EXTEND.