NHTSA Complaint #11526083 — 2015 TESLA MODEL S

Door handle that allows for opening the door from the outside fails to present. Motor just turns and turns, and it is impossible to open the door from the outside. This is the SECOND time for this defect on this vehicle - in 2021 the driver-side door failed in the same manner. This is the passenger side door that has failed now. Tesla said in 2021 that this was a known defect with a cheap gear that fails. There is also a class action lawsuit pending in California federal court, Urban v. Tesla, related to this identical defect which involves 2014-2016 Model S vehicles. No warning signs before the failure. In the event that the vehicle is in an accident, this failure would make it difficult for emergency personnel to open the door from the outside (which they otherwise would be able to do, because the key fob in the vehicle would ordinarily allow extension of the handle upon merely pushing in the handle).