The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday it had opened an investigation into about 174,000 Tesla Model Y cars from the 2021 model year over reports that electronic door handles can become inoperative.

Parents of young children reported alarming situations involving the 2021 Tesla Model Y, with four of them telling the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) they had to break their own windows to reach kids stuck inside. More: Tesla Admits A Flaw In Some Of Its New Cars Could Pose A Safety Risk

Cars.com owned a 2021 Model Y for more than two years as a long-term test car, and we were curious to see whether the changes for 2026 address the issues we had with the prior generation.

US auto safety officials opened an investigation into a 2021 Tesla model after parents were unable to open the vehicle from the outside, according to