Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Reckless product design and failed systems engineering

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

A father and his two daughters burned to death in their Tesla because the doors wouldn’t open

September 7, 2025.

Schwerte, Germany.

A Tesla hits a tree and bursts into flames.

Inside: a 43-year-old father and his two 9-year-old daughters.

A witness tries to open the doors.

He can’t.

All three burn to death.

Tesla’s flush door handles are designed to pop out electronically when you approach the car or pull the interior release.

When the crash damaged the electrical system, the handles stayed retracted—flush with the body, offering nothing to grip.

↳ The 12V battery likely failed on impact

↳ Without power, the solenoids controlling the handles don’t activate

↳ The handles remain mechanically locked inside the door

Manual releases exist in the front seats—a mechanical cable behind a small panel—but most people don’t know they’re there.

In the rear seats of many Tesla models, there’s no manual release at all.

Or it’s hidden under the seat mat, requiring knowledge and steps no one performs under stress.

The German fire service is now demanding visible, mechanical handles that work without power.

Tesla announced design reviews after this incident and multiple lawsuits.

But the core issue is simple:

A door handle that requires electricity to become a door handle isn’t a safety system.

It’s a failure point.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

This is reckless product design and failed systems engineering

source : Lukas Timm