Door handle pinched my hand while retracting

[mknox]

My cousin had a piece of his finger ripped of when he tried to grab the handle BEFORE it fully emerged from the door... there is too much power pushing the handle out

The handles do extend with a lot of force. There's Tesla video somewhere showing the handles powering their way through a very thick coating of ice. At least with mine, not so when they retract. There is a spring that pulls it back in, but if you hold it, there is not a lot of force with that spring. It will "snap" quickly back in if you let go, however.

 

[yobigd20]

He put his hand inside the halfway out handle in a way that the tip of his middle finger got squeezed in between the emerging handle and the edge of the door under the handle. I saw it with my own eyes, it actually ripped the tip off! There was blood, and a lot of it

hmm yea i could see that happening now if the handle is halfway out and you get your finger in there. that's not good since it was designed to push out with so much force to break ice.

 

[ecarfan]

He put his hand inside the halfway out handle in a way that the tip of his middle finger got squeezed in between the emerging handle and the edge of the door under the handle. I saw it with my own eyes, it actually ripped the tip off! There was blood, and a lot of it

But the handle was extending: it was moving away from the car. So if you put a finger in the space between the handle and the side of the car as it is extending, that space is enlarging.

So how could a finger get "squeezed" within a space that is growing bigger?

I am not disputing what you say you perceived. I am simply having difficulty comprehending how an accident could occur under the conditions you have described.

You describe the finger as contacting "the edge of the door under the handle". The lower edge of the handle is curved and smooth and moving away from the side of the car. So maybe the finger was inadvertently pressed down hard (by the person, not pressed down by the extending handle, obviously) on the edge of the door that is exposed when the handle extends and the person accidentally pulled their hand towards them (away from the car) and possibly slightly sideways thus slicing into their finger with the edge of the door that was exposed when the handle extends.

That is the only way I can imagine that finger injury occurring.

Obviously the door is not designed to be pulled open in that manner. One should grasp the extended handle and pull. I am sure that people have done that hundreds of thousands of times since the Model S was first produced and I'm confident that no one has been injured opening the door by grasping the extended handle.

So perhaps this person whose finger was injured attempted to pull the car door towards them by grabbing the lower edge of the hole exposed by the extending handle. And since the door moves in an arc (pivoting on the hinges) their finger slid laterally and the edge sliced through their skin.

I'm sorry that happened, but they made a mistake. They didn't grab the door handle. Should Tesla redesign the door handles based on this one incident? In my opinion they should not.

 

[Zythryn]

He put his hand inside the halfway out handle in a way that the tip of his middle finger got squeezed in between the emerging handle and the edge of the door under the handle. I saw it with my own eyes, it actually ripped the tip off! There was blood, and a lot of it

I don't see how that is possible.
If the handle is emerging there is no way to pinch, as the gap is widening?

 

[mknox]

So how could a finger get "squeezed" within a space that is growing bigger?

I think the section behind the chrome handle, which is painted to match the body color, extends out with the handle. I could see someone getting a pinched finger between the back side of the door skin and that surface as it extends.

 

[Zythryn]

I think the section behind the chrome handle, which is painted to match the body color, extends out with the handle. I could see someone getting a pinched finger between the back side of the door skin and that surface as it extends.

If you are fast enough, that might be a possibility, if there was a way to do that.
On my Model S, you can't get your fingers, or anything else in there as the "lip" follows the shape of the handle, not the door.
Call me obsessive, as an investor and owner any safety issue, perceived or real, concerns me so I just tried it with a straw and my hand.
You simply can't get something behind the door through the opening or closing handle. Unless the design has changed.

 

[markb1]

No it's not. That's like saying that if you push open one of those mesh spring doors with a broom handle, and then slowly bringing the broom handle back so that the door closes gently on it, rather than slamming shut, that it's the action of the broom handle causing the door to close. It really is not.

Similarly, the motor doesn't pull on the spring or the handle in any way - it's stationary mounted like the mesh spring door. It merely extends the handle, and then stops extending it.

Do yourself a favor - wrap a piece of thin cloth (or even cut down paper) around the handle and have it close all the way. Then pull on the cloth to open the handle without the motor, and play around with it a little bit. It becomes very obvious how it works.

Different ways of looking at it. But, yes, I was a bit confused on how it works, in that the spring is either stretched or compressed when the handle extends.

 

[MileHighMotoring]

OP HERE. I did an experiment today with my wife. We both tried it to ensure I wasn't imagining or exaggerating.

1) Close door.
2) Press LOCK on fob.
3) As handle is retracting, insert hand as if you were about to open door.
4) Feel pain/discomfort as handle wedges your hand against the upper groove cutout in the door.
5) Feel door handle NOT open until you press fob UNLOCK.

Repeatable and painful.

 

[deonb]

OP HERE. I did an experiment today with my wife. We both tried it to ensure I wasn't imagining or exaggerating.

1) Close door.
2) Press LOCK on fob.
3) As handle is retracting, insert hand as if you were about to open door.
4) Feel pain/discomfort as handle wedges your hand against the upper groove cutout in the door.
5) Feel door handle NOT open until you press fob UNLOCK.

Repeatable and painful.

I wonder if the door handle safety somehow got changed. I still have those very original handles that doesn't give any way when you open the door etc. I've tried as I may, unless I scrape myself against the edge, the door handle doesn't do any damage or impart any pain - knuckles, fingertips, full fingers, palm etc.

The alternate theory is that after 2 years, my springs are more worn out than with a new car. The door handles still sit flush against the car body though.

- - - Updated - - -

On my Model S, you can't get your fingers, or anything else in there as the "lip" follows the shape of the handle, not the door.

I have about 1.5 mm overhang between the panel of the door and the tunnel in which the door handle moves, that forms a lip. It would be possible for you to get your finger stuck behind it. It requires a bit of contortionism to get your finger into the position, and you have to be holding onto the handle during closing, in order to get your finger into there during opening.

But yes, if you do that I can see the door scraping off up to 1.5 mm of skin during opening of the handles, which would certainly bleed.

Then again, considering when I got my car, none of the panels really line up with anything . Newer cars may or may not have a more perfect overlap.

The lip isn't an issue while closing though - then handle moves away from it.

- - - Updated - - -

5) Feel door handle NOT open until you press fob UNLOCK.

I just reread this. Are you saying you literally cannot pull open the handle with your hand? And you have to press unlock to have your hand freed?

This is 100% definitely a design change then. I can with very little force always pull the door handle completely open. Even when the car is locked - as long as I get something behind it initially, I can pull the handle all the way open.

 

[Cyclone]

I just reread this. Are you saying you literally cannot pull open the handle with your hand? And you have to press unlock to have your hand freed?

This is 100% definitely a design change then. I can with very little force always pull the door handle completely open. Even when the car is locked - as long as I get something behind it initially, I can pull the handle all the way open.

To me this is unclear if it means the handle pulled away from the door to free their hand, but the door itself remained closed -- or if this mean the door would not open, which is the expected behavior if you are pulling on a "locked" door handle.

 

[Zythryn]

If the door handle cannot be pulled, I'd suggest, again, contacting service.
Unless the mechanism changed, I don't even see a malfunction that could cause this behavior.

Next time, test it with a string ;-)

 

[deonb]

To me this is unclear if it means the handle pulled away from the door to free their hand, but the door itself remained closed -- or if this mean the door would not open, which is the expected behavior if you are pulling on a "locked" door handle.

Ok, let's do an actual test. This is how my car works. I can open the handle with a Kleenex without it tearing. Can someone with a newer model see if this still works?

If it tears, fold the Kleenex and try again, and see how many times you have to fold it to open the handle. (Or if it even opens at all).

 

[MileHighMotoring]

I just reread this. Are you saying you literally cannot pull open the handle with your hand? And you have to press unlock to have your hand freed?

This is 100% definitely a design change then. I can with very little force always pull the door handle completely open. Even when the car is locked - as long as I get something behind it initially, I can pull the handle all the way open.

You CAN pull the handle out against the spring, but I expected the door handle to present if it was pinching our hands. It doesn't. You have to pull the handle open yourself and pull your hand out.

I'll think about taking a video to show what I'm talking about since apparently I'm lying?

 

[firstpl@gmail]

I think the section behind the chrome handle, which is painted to match the body color, extends out with the handle. I could see someone getting a pinched finger between the back side of the door skin and that surface as it extends.

Yes, that is what has happened. One solution that comes into mind would be a non stick surface under the handle, teflon for instance

 

[Zythryn]

Yes, that is what has happened. One solution that comes into mind would be a non stick surface under the handle, teflon for instance

Unless our cars are built differently, I call shenanigans.
There is a "tunnel" the shape of the handles that the handle retracts into. You can't (in my car) get your fingers behind the door.
I'll take a look at the new cars once I get the chance, however, if someone with a recent build could check, that would be great.

 

[deonb]

Unless our cars are built differently, I call shenanigans.
There is a "tunnel" the shape of the handles that the handle retracts into. You can't (in my car) get your fingers behind the door.
I'll take a look at the new cars once I get the chance, however, if someone with a recent build could check, that would be great.

Is that in both your Sig Red & your Blue?

The panel on my car doesn't perfectly align with the tunnel. There is about a 1.5mm (1/16") overhang where the panel cutout is smaller than the tunnel, and you can get your finger stuck behind that and scrape of 1.5mm of skin if you're really unlucky.

It's all very smooth edges though. I tried having the door handle chew up the back of a pen, but it just pushes it up and out. With a finger I'd imagine it be possible to get pinched though.

 

[ecarfan]

Has anyone else had the door handle retract just as you've got your fingers are grabbing it? It's a painful experience that left a mark on my finger for a few days. I think what happened is that my wife had the fob in her purse, and was walking in the house as I was opening the door to grab something. At the exact moment I had my fingers under the handle and was about to pull, they retracted on me. They came right back out to release me from the neo-chinese finger trap I found myself in. It's only happened the one time, thankfully!

I have tried to duplicate your painful experience using my Model S. I placed my hand inside the extended handle and then used the fob to tell the car to lock. The handle retracted onto my hand. At no time did I experience anything I would call "pain" in even the slightest sense. I would describe it as a "mild pressure". My skin was unmarked. I tried placing my hand in various positions; from below, from above, one finger, etc., never experienced any pain. I pushed my fingers into the door cavity by pushing the moveable panel out of the way, I could not feel any sharp edges.

- - - Updated - - -

I think the section behind the chrome handle, which is painted to match the body color, extends out with the handle. I could see someone getting a pinched finger between the back side of the door skin and that surface as it extends.

The small hinged panel behind the handle feels like it is on a spring so that when the handle extends that panel comes out to fill the hole. I just checked it, and with the handle out I can easily move that panel with my finger. The panel exerts almost no force itself.

I do not believe that panel could cause any injury no matter what you do with your fingers.

- - - Updated - - -

I replicated what you described in your post. At no time did I experience any pain. Apparently I have a higher pain threshold than you do. That is not a criticism, simply an observation. Humans do vary quite a bit in that regard.

OP HERE. I did an experiment today with my wife. We both tried it to ensure I wasn't imagining or exaggerating.

1) Close door.
2) Press LOCK on fob.
3) As handle is retracting, insert hand as if you were about to open door.
4) Feel pain/discomfort as handle wedges your hand against the upper groove cutout in the door.
5) Feel door handle NOT open until you press fob UNLOCK.

Repeatable and painful.

 

[Zythryn]

Is that in both your Sig Red & your Blue?
...

Sig Red, our Blue is due later this week.
I'm looking forward to checking that one out to see if there have been any changes.

 

[firstpl@gmail]

Unless our cars are built differently, I call shenanigans.
There is a "tunnel" the shape of the handles that the handle retracts into. You can't (in my car) get your fingers behind the door.
I'll take a look at the new cars once I get the chance, however, if someone with a recent build could check, that would be great.

Ok, for the third time, the finger was pinched WHILE THE HANDLE WAS STILL COMING OUT. It got caught in between that "tunnel" and the REAR END of the handle, is that so hard to imagine...

 

[MileHighMotoring]

Ok, for the third time, the finger was pinched WHILE THE HANDLE WAS STILL COMING OUT. It got caught in between that "tunnel" and the REAR END of the handle, is that so hard to imagine...

We should both just quit this thread We're apparently either dumb, lying, or wimps. Maybe all three.