


An Arizona woman found herself in a precarious situation when her 2021 Tesla Model Y shut down, trapping her inside with no way to open the doors or windows.
The motorist, identified only as Diane in a Phoenix CBS affiliate AZFamily report, said her electric vehicle was fully charged when she unplugged it and got in. When she closed the door, the entire system shut down, leaving her unable to operate any of the car’s functions.
“It was fully charged. I unplugged the car, went to get in my car, shut the door and everything just shut down. I couldn’t open the windows. I couldn’t unlock the doors. I was trapped,” she told AZFamily.
In an attempt to find a solution, Diane reached for the Tesla owner’s manual, only to discover that the glove box wouldn’t open without electricity. With no immediate escape in sight, she called a friend for assistance. Unfortunately, her friend also struggled to find a way to open the SUV from the outside.
Determined to find a way out, Diane turned to Tesla’s mobile app and requested roadside assistance. A customer service representative informed her about an unmarked manual latch that could be used to open the door. The manual levers are located on the front two door handles and in the floor area of the rear seats, hidden under a removable rubber lining.
Tesla vehicles use a primary battery for driving and a smaller battery to power onboard electronics. According to Tucson CBS affiliate KOLD-TV, no warning appears when this smaller battery runs low, which can lead to such incidents.
• Staff can be reached at 202-636-3000.