Equipment Problems of Tesla Model Y - part 2

The front trunk (frunk) on my 2026 Tesla Model Y lacks internal lighting and an internal emergency release mechanism. This creates a foreseeable entrapment hazard, particularly for children or small adults. Unlike rear trunks regulated under fmvss no. 401 (internal trunk release), the frunk provides no illuminated internal release, no glow-in-the-dark handle, and no means of escape or signaling if the hood is closed. In low-light conditions (nighttime or enclosed garages), the absence of lighting would immediately impair orientation and increase panic, raising the risk of injury or suffocation. I identified this hazard during routine cleaning when my [xxx] child was able to sit comfortably inside the frunk while it was open. Although no incident occurred, this demonstrates that a child can easily enter the frunk and could become trapped if it were accidentally closed during loading or unloading. Once closed, there is no internal method of release. While fmvss 401 currently applies to rear trunks, it establishes a federal safety precedent that enclosed compartments capable of child entry must include internal, operable, and visible escape mechanisms to prevent entrapment deaths. The frunk presents an analogous hazard and fails to meet these basic entrapment-prevention principles. This is a design defect, not misuse. The risk is foreseeable, preventable, and severe. I request that NHTSA’s office of defects investigation evaluate this condition, review similar complaints for this Model Year, and consider corrective action (recall or retrofit) requiring an illuminated internal emergency release. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

In bright sunlight or at certain sun angles, the central touchscreen in my 2026 Tesla Model Y becomes unreadable due to glare and washout. This screen is required for essential driving functions. Safety concern: the touchscreen is used for selecting drive and reverse, viewing the rear camera, and accessing other safety-related controls. During glare conditions, I have difficulty seeing the screen clearly, which interferes with safe vehicle operation. Why this is dangerous: there are no physical backup controls for gear selection or rear camera viewing. Inability to clearly see the screen creates a safety risk, particularly during parking, reversing, or low-speed maneuvers. Conditions: the issue occurs repeatedly during bright daylight when sunlight strikes the screen at certain angles. This is not a rare event and has occurred multiple times. Requested action: investigation into screen glare and visibility for safety-critical controls in Tesla vehicles, and evaluation of whether a design modific.

Picked up car from Tesla service on 12/30/2025. On [xxx] at around [xxx] I had pressed the car break and suddenly accelerated and lead to crashing into the pole. I am concerned about the safety and if it is drivable. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2021 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

I have no front hood (frunk) emergency release button. Seems like it should have one.

New 2026 Model Ys made after October 2025 no longer have an emergency release/opener for the front trunk. Easily large enough for a child to lay in and be trapped.

Autopilot was engaged and active at the time of the incident. The vehicle failed to detect a stationary piece of road debris (appearing to be a dropped vehicle part) located in the driving lane. The system did not provide any warning, slow the vehicle, or attempt an avoidance maneuver. The vehicle drove directly over the debris, resulting in damage to the lower exterior/body panel. Road and traffic conditions were normal. This raises concerns about autopilot’s object detection and hazard response capabilities.

See all problems of the 2024 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

1. Incident description (fsd failure) "while operating the vehicle using fsd (supervised) on December 30, 2025, at approximately [time], the vehicle failed to detect and completely ran through a red light/stop light at the intersection of [street name] and [cross street]. I had to take over the vehicle to avoid a potential collision. The system did not provide a warning or attempt to brake for the traffic signal. " 2. Control failure (sliding/steering) "under low-speed conditions (approximately 13 mph), the vehicle suffered an uncontrolled loss of traction and directional stability. The traction control system (tcs) failed to intervene or stabilize the car. I was forced to perform a manual steering intervention to correct the slide and maintain my lane. This occurred at [location/address]. " 3. Hardware/exit concern (door) "the vehicle has a mechanical defect in the [front/rear] door. It requires excessive physical force (hard slamming) to latch properly. I am concerned that in an emergency, the door may fail to open or close correctly, posing a safety risk to passengers. " 4. Summary of risk "I no longer feel safe operating this vehicle. The combination of an autonomous driving system that ignores traffic signals and a stability system that fails at school-zone speeds makes this vehicle a life-threatening hazard to myself and others on the road. ".

See all problems of the 2022 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

Date: December 28, 2025 time: approximately 3:25 pm vehicle: 2026 Tesla Model Y incident location: southbound on the I-35n feeder road, just north of highway 114. Safe harbor location: burger king (15925 n hwy 114, northlake, TX) statement of facts: I was driving my 2026 Tesla Model Y southbound on the I-35n feeder road at approximately 3:25 pm today. I was traveling at a steady speed of 55 mph. Without any warning chime or dashboard notification, the front hood (frunk) suddenly and violently flew open. The hood slammed into the windshield, shattering the glass across my entire field of vision and completely obstructing the road ahead. I was forced to perform an emergency "blind" stop on the feeder road. Once the vehicle was under control, I drove at approximately 10 mph with zero forward visibility to reach a safe location off the main road. I pulled into the burger king parking lot located at the intersection of I-35 and highway 114 to inspect the damage and call for assistance. Key safety failures: • software failure: at no point before the hood flew open did the vehicle alert me that the frunk was unlatched. • mechanical failure: the latching mechanism failed to hold at standard highway speeds, creating a life-threatening visibility hazard. • structural damage: the windshield is fully shattered, and the hood and hinges are visibly warped from the force of the impact. Conclusion: this incident was a catastrophic safety failure. Given Tesla's history of recalls for this exact issue (NHTSA recall 24v-554), it is clear that this 2026 model either suffers from the same defect or the previous "software fix" is insufficient to protect drivers.

See all problems of the 2025 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

Car was on complete auto pilot on mayland highway 270 and car suddenly took exit with any command and notification. Car was very close , few feet away from the guardrail at 55 mile per hour. This could have been a life threatening event with such decisions made by car. I saved all the dash cam videos of such two occurrence. I no longer have any trust in auto pilot software after too many mishaps with recent updates.

See all problems of the 2020 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

Date & time: December 25, approximately 6:00 pm location: northbound I-880 between the mowry avenue and thornton avenue exits, fremont, CA weather & road conditions: heavy rain at the time of the incident. Road surface was wet with reduced visibility. Vehicle & system state: Tesla Model Y. Driver assistance / self-driving functionality was active at the time of the incident (traffic-aware cruise control / autopilot functionality). Description of the incident: while driving northbound on I-880 in heavy rain, the vehicle had been operating normally. Without warning, the vehicle appeared to incorrectly detect that it was drifting out of its lane and attempted to correct this perceived drift. Instead of a minor lane correction, the vehicle abruptly applied heavy braking and initiated a sudden and aggressive left steering maneuver. The car crossed approximately four lanes of traffic in the same direction of travel and continued rotating, ultimately performing an unintended u-turn while remaining on the northbound side of the highway. As a result, the vehicle came to a stop oriented against the direction of travel, facing oncoming northbound traffic. Immediately afterward, the vehicle unexpectedly began reversing at high speed without driver input, creating an additional imminent risk of collision with the outer highway wall (noise barrier separating the highway from adjacent residential areas). During this entire sequence of events, I was unable to regain control of the vehicle despite attempting to intervene. There were no vehicles immediately surrounding us at that moment. Had there been nearby traffic, this incident would likely have resulted in a severe or fatal multi-vehicle collision. Occupants: my wife and two young children were in the vehicle. The children were asleep in the back seat, secured in car seats. Outcome: no physical collision occurred. However, the incident caused extreme fear and distress, and we remain shaken by the event.

There is no emergency release button and light inside the frunk (front trunk) of my Tesla Model Y performance 2026.

My Tesla was unable to access supercharging due to a payment system error, even though I had just made a payment. The battery level was critically low, and a severe storm warning was active. Supercharging access was blocked, and I could not reach Tesla customer support by phone. This created a potentially dangerous situation and represents a safety risk.

See all problems of the 2023 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

The frunk emergency release switch/button is not present on brand new purchase.

The rear door releases contain no easily accessible mechanical back up for releasing the door. In an emergency during a loss of power rear passengers would either have to know how to access the hidden door releases cable or would be trapped.

Full self driving caused my Tesla to enter an intersection while the light was red. The fsd stopped at the red light on Monday Dec. 22. 2025 at 9:37 am. After a few moments is began to drive from the correct stop and enter the intersection while the traffic light was red. I had to manually take control to prevent it from continuing thru.

On Sunday evening (12/21) at approximately 6:30 pm, I enabled self?driving while my car was parked in my garage with the garage door open. The vehicle was positioned facing forward. Immediately after activating self?driving, the car began reversing rapidly in an apparent attempt to exit the garage. During this unexpected movement, the passenger?side mirror struck the garage door trim and cracked. I quickly applied the brakes and disengaged self?driving to stop the vehicle. This was a frightening incident, and I was unable to submit an fsd bug report because the reporting prompt disappeared within seconds.

While using full self-driving, the vehicle accelerated aggressively during a left turn, crossing two lanes of traffic. I believe the system commanded acceleration, not me. I am requesting a review of vehicle logs to determine whether accelerator input came from the driver or from fsd.

On December 21, at approximately 9:17 pm, my Tesla was operating with full self-driving (supervised) engaged while reversing out of a parking space at 4 cook cir, medford, MA, USA. During the maneuver, the fsd system failed to detect a low-positioned barrier and collided with it, impacting the rear right quarter panel near the rear right wheel. The damage was caused by the actions of the fsd system while under active control. The vehicle remained drivable; however, the incident represents a failure of the full self-driving system to ensure safe operation during a low-speed maneuver. I believe this incident resulted from a defect or malfunction in the fsd software and request a formal safety investigation. On December 21, at approximately 9:17 pm, my Tesla was operating with full self-driving (supervised) engaged while reversing out of a parking space at 4 cook cir, medford, MA, USA. During the maneuver, the fsd system failed to detect a low-positioned barrier and collided with it, impacting the rear right quarter panel near the rear right wheel. The damage was caused by the actions of the fsd system while under active control. The vehicle remained drivable; however, the incident represents a failure of the full self-driving system to ensure safe operation during a low-speed maneuver. I believe this incident resulted from a defect or malfunction in the fsd software and request a formal safety investigation. Photographs of the vehicle damage and the incident location are attached.

On December 16 and 17, 2025, the manufacturer (Tesla, inc. ) utilized remote telemetry to modify the software state of my 2025 Model Y while it was being operated on public roadways. The manufacturer remotely switched the vehicle profile to "inventory mode" (error code displayed: "delivery type: pickup_service_center"). The safety failure: this unauthorized remote manipulation immediately disabled the electronic child safety locks without driver consent or warning. My minor children were seated in the rear of the vehicle at the time. The rear doors, which had been locked for child safety, suddenly became operable from the inside while the vehicle was in motion - and my children actually opened the doors while the vehicle was in operation. (thus my discovery of the issue) the hazard: this defect allows the manufacturer to remotely override and deactivate critical safety retention features (child locks) on a moving vehicle. This created an immediate risk of accidental door opening and passenger ejection for the minor occupants. Manufacturer response: the manufacturer admitted in writing (email dated Dec 15, 2025) that there was "no active financing" on the vehicle, yet persisted in accessing the vehicle's safety computer systems to alter its status. This demonstrates a systemic defect where Tesla’s remote access tools lack safety interlocks, allowing them to degrade safety features on vehicles currently in motion/use by consumers. Status: the vehicle remains unsafe as the manufacturer retains the ability to toggle safety locks remotely without operator input.

Full self driving (supervised) was active and functioning properly on interstate 70. The self-driving feature decided to move one lane over to the furthermost lane to the left. That lane was half covered with snow. The speed was approximately 65mph when the front left wheel hit the snow the the car swerved to the right and hit the snow bank against the rail. I immediately steered to the right and could limit the damage damage was not severe and I could drive the car to destination.

No emergency release inside frunk.

Incident date: December 11, 2025 vehicle: 2026 Tesla Model Y location: dfw airport, irving, TX system: full self-driving (autopilot / fsd) description: on December 11, 2025, my 2026 Tesla Model Y was operating under full self-driving while exiting an airport when the vehicle struck a gate arm, causing property damage and windshield/body damage. No injuries occurred, but the collision happened while the fsd system was actively controlling the vehicle. Following the collision, I requested the vehicle operational and fsd engagement data from Tesla for the incident timeframe. Tesla provided a csv dataset; however, the fsd engagement and autonomy decision-layer data were almost entirely missing, despite the vehicle being in motion and presumably under fsd control. On follow-up requests, Tesla stated they are unable to provide additional autonomy data and that “Tesla does not collect all your vehicle data,” despite marketing the system as full self-driving and collecting extensive telemetry. This raises a safety concern because: 1. A collision occurred during fsd operation. 2. Tesla is not providing complete autonomy data for safety assessment. 3. There appears to be no transparency into fsd decision-making, object detection, or control authority at the time of impact. 4. Owners, insurers, and potentially regulators cannot review how fsd behaved during a safety-related event. I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA is aware that: (1) a collision occurred under fsd control, and (2) Tesla refused complete operational autonomy logs for evaluation.

The defect involves the front suspension and/or steering system of a new 2026 Tesla Model Y long range awd. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Symptoms—persistent front-end clunking/thunking (primarily driver-side), steering instability, and vibration—began immediately upon delivery in late 2025, with Tesla notified same afternoon as delivery. The vibration now begins around 60 mph and intensifies with speed. Steering feel is excessively vague on-center (requiring constant correction to maintain lane position) yet overly twitchy and sensitive to inputs, creating inconsistent and unpredictable handling. The condition has progressively worsened and now renders the vehicle unsafe at highway speeds due to risk of loss of control. No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms have appeared prior to or since onset. Tesla service centers have had multiple opportunities to evaluate the vehicle under warranty. The problem has not been confirmed objectively by Tesla; during at least one evaluation, a technician drove only at speeds below complaint threshold (despite requests to test at the speeds where symptoms occur), stated he did not feel the issue, and performed no further diagnosis. Multiple appointments were canceled or rescheduled by Tesla (including one after I arrived). The vehicle was repeatedly returned without documented objective testing or repair addressing the complaint. During one visit, the Tesla app indicated an active “visual quality check” while the vehicle remained parked outside and not being worked on for an extended period (documented). To rule out tires, I installed a brand-new set; the vibration worsened afterward. Safety risk: unresolved steering/suspension instability increases the risk of loss of vehicle control at highway speeds, endangering occupants and other road users. Odometer at onset: 15 miles current odometer: 3596 miles.

Per federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) no. 401 an emergency release in any enclosed trunk compartment large enough to hold a person (generally defined as having a volume of at least 1. 2 cubic meters or similar dimensions that could pose an entrapment risk). My 2026 Tesla Model Y does not have an emergency release in the front trunk (frunk) area and it appears Tesla Model Y’s manufactured after on and or after September 2025 no longer have this included. I assume this is because Tesla came out with the standard Model Y which has a smaller frunk and are using that labeling to get away without putting the button in the premium Model Y’s which have a larger frunk and are required by federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) no. 401 to have an emergency release button.

After approximately 6 months we leased this vehicle we found out some issues with the vehicle. This vehicle has e parking(p),drive(d),neutral(n),reverse(r) positions. When you want to maneuver you vehicle you pull the lever at the required position. So what happenes some times: I put the vehicle in drive(d) and when I am in very slow traffic,or stop and go traffic or in stop light/sign vehicle parks itself in park (p) positions and sometime its difficult placing the vehicle right away in drive (d). Parking (p) is reseved only to put the vehicle manually in park(p) like any other vehicle. This vehicle has another option :when you remove your feet from accelarator after 2-4 sec it does apply brakes without pressing the brake pedal. This has happen several times until now. Can you imaging you are in traffick and this keeps happen and when it happens there is a possibility that this can be cause for accident because as soon as trafic start moving drivers behind you as soon as they see that traffic is moving they aslo start moving and if the car does park istelf than the chance for the driver behind you to hit you is high,because you are making unintentionaly unnecesary sudden stop . I brought this problem up several times to manufacture's service location and they are telling me (initially I was told its normal,after explaing in details thay accepted the issue and took the vehicle and kept for 2 weeks . ) after the service I was told that nothing was found . Issue had repeated againg. Also I was told that they are not able to find/read a problem if something happen to the car if had passed more than a month from the incident . I informed them again with the date/time stapm. Looks like they are not taking this issue seriosly, and I beleive that this is a safety issue because this for now its happening when in slow speeds but no one knows that this will not happen in higher speed and if this happen in higher speeds the consequences are bad. Thank you.

I was operating my 2023 Tesla Model Y long range awd with full self-driving (fsd) engaged at low speed in a residential neighborhood. The vehicle took an incorrect turn into a neighboring driveway instead of continuing on the roadway. I attempted to correct the vehicle’s path. At that point, the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated. I experienced a sudden loss of control and was unable to stop the vehicle before it struck my garage door and entered the garage, causing structural damage to the garage wall. Notably, automatic emergency braking did not activate, and no effective front collision warning intervened, despite an imminent collision with a fixed structure. Tesla’s post-incident vehicle report states that accelerator pedal input was detected, which I believe occurred as a panic response while attempting to regain control after the vehicle took the incorrect turn. However, I am concerned that the vehicle’s software behavior, lack of braking intervention, and failure of safety systems contributed to the incident. This incident raises safety concerns regarding unintended acceleration behavior, fsd path selection errors at low speed, and failure of emergency braking or collision avoidance systems when approaching fixed objects such as garage doors or walls.

While exiting a parking area, the vehicle’s autopilot/driver-assist system engaged during a tight right-hand turn. At the time of the maneuver, my hands were not actively controlling the steering wheel, as the system appeared to be managing the turn. The vehicle failed to properly account for curb proximity and steered too close to the curb, resulting in the wheel striking the curb and causing visible rim damage. The system did not provide adequate warning or disengage in time to prevent the curb impact. This raises safety concerns regarding autopilot behavior during low-speed, tight turning scenarios such as parking lot exits, where precise steering control is critical. I contacted Tesla to request that they review vehicle logs to determine whether this was a system error. Tesla did not adequately address the issue or take responsibility for reviewing or acknowledging a potential defect in the automated driving system. This incident presents a broader safety concern, as similar behavior could result in more serious damage or injury in different circumstances (e. G. , pedestrians, cyclists, or roadside objects). I am reporting this to NHTSA so the agency can evaluate whether Tesla’s automated driving technology performs safely in tight-turn, low-speed environments. I request that NHTSA review this issue as a potential defect in Tesla’s automated driving or driver-assist systems.

Tesla's full self driving (fsd) stopped my car on trolley tracks today, and would have stayed on the tracks for a minute if I hadn't taken control and driven off the tracks. This occurred in downtown san diego, where the trolley (light rail) has many level street crossings. They are well marked. You are not supposed to enter the zone around the tracks until the vehicle ahead of you has moved far enough for you to be able to cross the tracks and get safely past them. I was using fsd. It drove my Tesla onto the tracks before the car ahead of me had given me room to get off the tracks. The line of traffic was stopped for a red light. I would not have been able to drive forward until the light changed, perhaps over a minute. So, I took over and manually drove the car into the adjacent lane, which luckily was empty, and off the tracks. If a train had come while fsd was still in control, this would have killed me, and perhaps other nearby people. There was no warning message or other indicator.

I was driving 2023 Tesla model -y (VIN [xxx] ) with the latest fsd software with fsd and navigation on. As I approached a stoplight it was unclear whether the car would make the appropriate turn at the intersection, so I pushed up on the right stalk to disengage fsd and inadvertently touched the brake pedal before fsd had disengaged in response to the stalk movement. Touching the brake apparently disengaged fsd, so when I pushed up on the stalk it put the car in reverse. There was no visual or audible warning (or at least none that I saw or heard), and when I stepped on the accelerator the car went in reverse. Fortunately, I did not hit the car behind me. It seems to me that the sequence of events I described could happen often and there should be some sort of audible or visual warning. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

This is my 9th report about my defective Tesla. When I wrote last month (complaint number: xxx, submitted electronically to NHTSA on 2/27/2026, 8:06:19 pm) I forgot to mention the significant safety issue I had with my tires: I arrived into albuquerque airport in early December 2025 during a storm. I'd planned to drive at least to [xxx] on my way home further north, but a friend in [xxx] said it was still snowing there and I shouldn't attempt it. I made a reservation at the motel 6 in [xxx] . It was dark, and the rain had stopped, but the roads were wet. Driving north on I-25 I encountered the snow/sleet storm. All of a sudden I found myself hydroplaning. . . Or sliding. . . In the poor visibility and there was no nearby exit. I white-knuckled to the motel, and only later realized that my low-quality, already-worn tires were the likely problem. Yesterday I was shopping for new tires and learned that the factory-installed continental procontact RX 255/45r19 is not electric-vehicle rated, is a "passenger touring" tire and is not recommended for the weight of an ev. Additionally, it has a 55k mile warranty. . . I am at ~32k miles, and not even due for my next tire rotation, which is when I thought I would have to buy new tires. My local tire dealer, private in a small town, is not able to access the continental warranty until the tire is down to a tread of 2/32". Discount tire will not let me drive away if the tread is below 4/32". . . And at 5/32 (I think) last tire rotation they weren't sure I'd even make it to my next rotation. . . Clearly I haven't, even though I'm below the 8k interval for rotation. The price of the now-discontinued continental procontact RX was $211. I must now spend over $300/tire for a suitable replacement. Tesla knowingly installed a low-quality tire on my $53k car, further compromising my safety and that of other drivers and persons in the vicinity of moving Teslas. In addition to all the other safety problems on this former top information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information.

I parked my Tesla vehicle in a friend’s driveway. When I returned and opened the driver’s door, I entered the vehicle and attempted to put it into drive. At that point, the vehicle display went completely blank and the vehicle became inoperable. I then attempted to open the door from inside the vehicle, but the door would not open and I was unable to exit the car. I was effectively locked inside the vehicle. I contacted Tesla customer support and remained on the call for approximately 1. 5 hours before receiving assistance. Tesla customer support confirmed that the issue was caused by failure of the 12-volt battery. At the time of the incident, the outside temperature was below 0 degrees centigrade. The incident occurred in cedar rapids, iowa. There was no prior warning or notification from the vehicle or the Tesla mobile app indicating that the 12-volt battery was at risk of failure. The failure resulted in loss of vehicle function and inability to exit the vehicle, creating a serious safety concern.

While operating under active full self-driving (supervised) mode the Tesla abruptly and without any driver input shifted from drive into neutral while accelerating through a curved highway on-ramp at highway speeds. This uncommanded gear change caused an immediate and total loss of motive power, resulting in the vehicle colliding with the guardrail before I was able to manually re-engage drive. If I had not reacted promptly and calmly all passengers could have been killed with a collision at high speeds. The earliest available appointment for inspection at a Tesla service center has been scheduled for December 23. There were no warnings at all.

I [xxx] ) was driving my Tesla Model Y (2026) with full-self-driving engaged while leaving the parking lot of the flower mound community activity center (1200 gerault rd. , flower mound, TX, 75028). After exiting the parking area and entering the roadway, the car came to a stop between two lanes and unexpectedly began reversing, even though there was another vehicle behind me. The system failed to detect the car behind, and a collision occurred before I could even understand what was happening. I have all the video recordings of the incident. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The front trunk on my Model Y is missing emergency release button. There is not way of to exit if kids get trapped in it.

The front trunk (frunk) on my 2026 Tesla Model Y juniper lacks both internal lighting and an emergency safety release mechanism. This design flaw creates an unnecessary and severe safety risk, as a small adult or child could easily become trapped in the frunk with no way to signal for help or escape. In low-light conditions—such as at night or in a garage without adequate illumination—the absence of a light would exacerbate disorientation and panic for anyone trapped. Without an internal release latch or glow-in-the-dark handle (standard in many vehicle trunks to prevent entrapment deaths), this could lead to a life-threatening suffocation or injury situation, especially if the frunk is accidentally closed on a person during loading/unloading. I discovered this issue while inspecting the frunk during routine cleaning and noticed that my four-year-old sat very comfortably inside the frunk listening to music while I cleaned the car. No incident has occurred yet, but the potential for harm is clear and warrants immediate investigation, as it violates basic entrapment-prevention standards observed in rear trunks and other vehicles. This defect compromises occupant safety and should be addressed through a recall or a retrofit that includes an illuminated emergency release. Please investigate similar complaints for this Model Year.