NHTSA Complaint #11708668 — 2026 TESLA MODEL Y

The front trunk (frunk) on my 2026 Tesla Model Y lacks internal lighting and an internal emergency release mechanism. This creates a foreseeable entrapment hazard, particularly for children or small adults. Unlike rear trunks regulated under FMVSS No. 401 (Internal Trunk Release), the frunk provides no illuminated internal release, no glow-in-the-dark handle, and no means of escape or signaling if the hood is closed. In low-light conditions (nighttime or enclosed garages), the absence of lighting would immediately impair orientation and increase panic, raising the risk of injury or suffocation. I identified this hazard during routine cleaning when my [XXX] child was able to sit comfortably inside the frunk while it was open. Although no incident occurred, this demonstrates that a child can easily enter the frunk and could become trapped if it were accidentally closed during loading or unloading. Once closed, there is no internal method of release. While FMVSS 401 currently applies to rear trunks, it establishes a federal safety precedent that enclosed compartments capable of child entry must include internal, operable, and visible escape mechanisms to prevent entrapment deaths. The frunk presents an analogous hazard and fails to meet these basic entrapment-prevention principles. This is a design defect, not misuse. The risk is foreseeable, preventable, and severe. I request that NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation evaluate this condition, review similar complaints for this model year, and consider corrective action (recall or retrofit) requiring an illuminated internal emergency release. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)