Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Door handle defect (within two weeks of delivery)

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
Not sure if this is record time but my model S has 500 miles on it. Took delivery on the 16th of Dec and discovered tonight that the rear driver side passenger door won’t extend.

Both keyfob and using touch screen to unlock doesn’t make it extend. There is no mechanical whizzing sound coming from it when unlocking all doors.

Planning on calling Tesla tomorrow morning and hopefully resolving very quickly. Will keep this thread updated.

I know this has been a pretty common issue in the past but I’ve read that Tesla had made an effort to fix handle issues on their newer cars. I’m loving the car so far but it’s disheartening to have a defect so early on in ownership.
 
Mine came off the line in November and it took about 700 miles before my handles had trouble retracting. Had mobile service come out to my work and fixed it on site. Guy said it was happening with cars around a two-week period of when mine was produced and they had a software update that remedied it
 
  • Like
Reactions: cwerdna
Lemon law claims have very specific criteria involving the car being unusable for extended periods.

And for what it’s worth, my driver’s door handle went at 200 miles and was fixed within a day.
That’s good to hear. Glad I didn’t set the record!

I called the service center on Friday morning but unfortunately couldn’t get anything for that day (I believe it’s quite rare to get appointments day of) so their next opening was Tuesday unfortunately. They did say it should take no more than an hour to fix.

Out of curiousity, have you had any other issues with door handles since?
 
This is a long-standing issue for the Model S. The extending door handles are cool, but they must be an engineering nightmare for Tesla. I've had 6 or 7 door handles replaced in 5 years. I wouldn't consider it a lemon law issue, rather a very annoying issue.
 
That’s good to hear. Glad I didn’t set the record!

I called the service center on Friday morning but unfortunately couldn’t get anything for that day (I believe it’s quite rare to get appointments day of) so their next opening was Tuesday unfortunately. They did say it should take no more than an hour to fix.

Out of curiousity, have you had any other issues with door handles since?

It’s only been another 750 miles since, so thankfully no. I’m also grateful that the Owings Mills service center isn’t terribly busy and everybody has been beyond friendly/helpful so far.
 
My driver side handle has started doing this thing where it extends, but when you pull on it, it doesn't open. Instead, it retracts all the way, then extends again. Then the next time you pull on it, it opens. Really strange. Meanwhile, the passenger side door doesn't always like to open when pulling the handle from the *inside*. Not sure what's up with that. I've also had a few handles replaced.

The door handles, in my own personal experience, are the one big lemon feature of the S. A shame, as they are otherwise cool. I guess the good news is that it's generally an issue you can live with.
 
Yeah I really didn’t read much into Tesla handles prior to my purchase, but it’s unlikely to have affected my decision either way.

However if Tesla ever came out with a “simplified” package for model S where the handles and charger lid all opened manually with regular framed windows at a slightly discounted price, I’d imagine a good deal of second time Tesla buyers would opt for such a build.
 
Yeah and each state has their own.

OP is in CT, so I found DCP: All About the Lemon Law Program and Connecticut Law About Lemon Law..

Thank you for the info. Based on what I'm seeing here on the CT Lemon Law link:

Program requirements
The law covers those vehicles that do not conform to the manufacturer’s express warranty, and have substantial manufacturer's defects affecting the use, safety or value of the vehicle.
The defects must have shown up within the first two years after the original owner took delivery or within the first 24,000 miles on the odometer (whichever comes first). Repairs must have been attempted during a certain time period, but these defects could not be repaired, even after “a reasonable number of attempts."

Sounds like simply a faulty door handle isn't enough to qualify for "substantial". Additionally, seems like most of us experiencing these issues have had them fixed by Tesla service centers. But in case my battery becomes defective within the time frame stated, I'll look forward to a new car :)