Tesla’s China Recall Covers Nearly 3 Million Model 3 and Model Y Vehicles

Tesla is recalling 2,975,910 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in China over the visibility of their manual emergency door releases, according to reporting on the filing by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR). Nearly 1.9 million of the affected vehicles are Model Y units, while just over 970,000 are Model 3s. Teslarati reported the figures and the planned remedy on August 21, 2026.

Tesla’s fix has two parts. The company will add warning labels near the emergency releases at no cost, then use an over-the-air software update to introduce a post-crash window-lowering strategy. The goal is to make it easier for occupants or emergency responders to access the cabin when a collision disables the vehicle’s low-voltage system.

This is a recall remedy, not a redesign of the exterior door handles. Owners in China should wait for Tesla’s official service instructions and software notification rather than treating the update as optional maintenance. The exact vehicle population and campaign timing outside China may differ, so owners in other markets should check Tesla’s local recall lookup or contact a service center.

The practical change is limited but important: the labels improve the physical instructions, while the software is intended to help responders gain access after a serious crash. Neither measure removes the need to understand where a Tesla’s manual emergency release is located before an emergency.