Door handle stuck

[SoxFan2004]

My two week old Model S has a problem. When I walk up to my car, the door handles present themselves but I cannot open the driver's side door. Nothing happens when I pull it. The other doors seem to work fine.

Also interesting is that the side mirrors do not retract when I walk up to the car. They only retract when I open another door.

I have a service appointment next week, but I was hoping it was a software problem. Any ideas?

 

[byan1232]

Yeah my friend had that same problem. A service center visit fixes it. It's a mechanical and software problem.

 

[SoxFan2004]

Yes, I had it fixed this morning. It took about 90 minutes and is apparently a common problem.

 

[Hank42]

Anyone know what the problem actually is, if it is so common?

 

[mmccord]

Surprised it would happen on a two-week old car. The most common reason for this is a faulty design that causes a wire to break off the microswitch after many in-out cycles of the handle. This guy explains it well:

I pulled mine out and re-soldered it a few weeks ago. I also drilled a small hole through the aluminum (inside) and ran a wire-tie through to secure the wire properly.

 

[Piney999]

Any had this problem out of warranty? What does your service center charge to fix it??

 

[Hank42]

I had this problem, was a wiring thing. Fixed it as per the video(out of warranty, SC wanted an arm and a leg to fix - can't say I blame them too much, it is not an easy fix). A few weeks ago, had a door handle get stuck in the out position. I let it sit for a week being that it was too cold to pull apart without a warm garage. I finally had time to look at it, and low and behold, it "fixed" itself. Been fine ever since. Fickle those handles are!

 

[vletnguyen]

Any had this problem out of warranty? What does your service center charge to fix it??

740.75 for parts , labor was 162.50. total damage was $903.25

 

[brkaus]

740.75 for parts , labor was 162.50. total damage was $903.25

Humm. They should be able to replace just the paddle.

 

[vletnguyen]

Humm. They should be able to replace just the paddle.

I asked them about the flex part. SA said you can something to "hear the gears grinding, would love to save you money but the whole assembly needs to be replaced" . I was hoping for $25 in parts and labor, being under $200.

 

[DFibRL8R]

I asked them about the flex part. SA said you can something to "hear the gears grinding, would love to save you money but the whole assembly needs to be replaced" . I was hoping for $25 in parts and labor, being under $200.

See this post for some nice details on how to do this yourself (maybe for next time).
Tesla door handle failure - pivot gear (anyone have one I can buy?)
The problem you describe sounds like a broken paddle gear which is a $1 part. I just replaced mine yesterday. It is a lengthy DIY project to get the handle assembly out of the car (took me 3 hours) but I like doing things myself when possible. I think it is unfortunate that Tesla continues to charge owners $900 to replace the entire assembly when it is a simple fix. Should be 1$ plus labor. I too paid $900 to have my second handle replaced (first was under warranty) but I'll do them again myself in the future.

 

[vletnguyen]

See this post for some nice details on how to do this yourself (maybe for next time).
Tesla door handle failure - pivot gear (anyone have one I can buy?)
The problem you describe sounds like a broken paddle gear which is a $1 part. I just replaced mine yesterday. It is a lengthy DIY project to get the handle assembly out of the car (took me 3 hours) but I like doing things myself when possible. I think it is unfortunate that Tesla continues to charge owners $900 to replace the entire assembly when it is a simple fix. Should be 1$ plus labor. I too paid $900 to have my second handle replaced (first was under warranty) but I'll do them again myself in the future.

I saw that and another thread about the flexing cable that is cheap to repair/replace. I may look into it if the handles fail me again (hope not) but the last time it was in winter and way too cold to attempt to do anything.

 

[gmontem]

I apologize for bringing up an old thread, but just this morning the driver side door handle of my 2012 S won't retract. This was already replaced a few years ago while under warranty. Trying to get a hold of a service center rep over the phone seems impossible now. I either need to use an app that is unavailable for my phone, or some how be able to use their website chat from my phone.

Until I am able to get home and use my computer to chat with them, are their any temporary solutions to force a stuck door handle to open? Has anyone tried to use a narrow plastic or metal tool to force it out?

I'm getting so paranoid now. I could just imagine all four door handles no longer retracting with my baby still in the car.

 

[vletnguyen]

I had another one go out and did the $2-3 gear part. Took about 2 hours with breaks/beer in between to do.

To open door before I got a hold of the part, I used an extra plastic interior pry tool that I wedged in to open the driver door when it was stuck. You could also slide a credit card to open it. Another member tied a string and tugged it open. Good luck.