In the space of a heartbeat, a routine drive home transforms into a nightmare. On a December evening in 2023, Susmita Maddi was trapped inside her burning Tesla Model Y, flames creeping through the cabin whilst rescue workers desperately tried to find a way in. The doors wouldn't open. The electrical system was dead. Every second meant the difference between life and a lifetime of recovery—a reality that continues to haunt her today.
Maddi's ordeal is not an isolated incident. Across the United States, Europe, and Asia, a troubling pattern has emerged: Tesla's revolutionary door designs, once celebrated as the epitome of futuristic engineering, have become a liability in moments when occupants need them most—immediately after a crash.
