China launches massive 4.3 million vehicle recall

Chinese regulators have announced a massive automotive recall involving approximately 4.3 million vehicles from nine manufacturers, marking the largest such action in the country’s history. The primary safety concern involves concealed or electronic door handles that may be difficult for passengers to locate or operate during emergencies, such as collisions that cause electrical system failures.

Tesla is the most significantly affected company, with nearly 3 million vehicles—including Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X—subject to the recall. To address the issue, Tesla will install high-visibility warning labels on emergency mechanical releases and deploy an over-the-air software update to automatically lower windows following a severe impact. Tesla is also conducting a separate recall of approximately 2.7 million vehicles to improve driver monitoring systems.

Other manufacturers involved in the large-scale recall include Xiaomi, Leapmotor, Xpeng, Geely, Dongfeng, BAIC, FAW, Chery, and BYD. Xiaomi is recalling approximately 390,000 vehicles, while Leapmotor and Xpeng are also facing significant numbers. This regulatory crackdown follows the introduction of new national safety standards in China, which will prohibit certain types of fully concealed door handles starting in 2027 to ensure reliable manual egress.