The Tool Desk
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What the Tremblett lawsuit alleges
Electrek reported on Feb. 6, 2026, that Tremblett’s family filed suit after a 2021 Model Y left the road and struck a tree on Oct. 25, 2025. The family alleges the interior door-handle design kept him from getting out and seeks damages, including for conscious pain and suffering. These are claims attributed to the lawsuit, not findings about what caused the death. Electrek’s report is the source for the reported crash and allegations.
A Dahlborg-MacNevin Funeral Home obituary identifies Samuel David Tremblett as 20 and gives his date of death as Oct. 29, 2025, four days after the reported crash. The obituary provides his age and dates; it does not establish the circumstances of the crash or the lawsuit’s claims.
The complaint itself has not been independently reviewed here, and the current docket status is not established. The exact wording of the filing—and any evidence supporting or disputing its claims—therefore should not be inferred from news coverage.
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What NHTSA’s 2021 Model Y investigation covers
NHTSA opened preliminary evaluation PE25010 on Sept. 15, 2025. It concerns reports of difficulty opening the outside doors of 2021 Model Ys when low voltage from the 12-volt system affected electronic locks. Its focus is different from the Tremblett family’s reported allegation about escaping from inside after a crash.
In its opening materials, NHTSA described an estimated population of 174,290 vehicles and nine owner questionnaires reporting an inability to open doors. Four of those reports said owners broke a window to regain access. The opening summary listed zero crashes, fires, injury incidents, or fatality incidents among those nine reports. These are counts in that investigation’s initial summary, not totals for every Tesla incident or a ruling on the Tremblett case. See NHTSA’s PE25010 investigation page and its opening resume.
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- Right Side Exterior Door Handle: Engineered using original factory specifications to ensure perfect fitment for both front Right and rear Right doors. This direct door handle replacement matches or exceeds OEM standards in dimensions, function, appearance, and feel—restoring your vehicle's exterior to like-new condition.
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NHTSA said restoring power to the exterior locks under the procedure it reviewed required applying 12 volts DC from a separate source at two exterior access points. The agency also described interior manual releases, while noting that its evaluation focused on outside lock operation, for which it found no manual way to open the door from outside. The agency cautioned that entrapment is a concern in emergencies, including when children are trapped in a hot vehicle.
What the 2026 Model 3 decision does—and does not—say
A separate NHTSA decision in July 2026 addressed a petition about the location and identification of mechanical releases in 2022 Model 3 vehicles. NHTSA denied that petition, saying Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 206 did not address the petitioner’s specific concern about release location and labeling. The agency also said a separate petition seeking a rule requiring an obvious door-egress system had been granted for rulemaking. The Federal Register notice describes the decision.
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- Direct Replacement Solution: If your door handle is cracked or damaged, there's no need to spend a fortune on replacing the entire handle assembly. Our upgraded door handle offers a cost-effective replacement that solves handle damage problems without breaking the bank.
- Left Side Exterior Door Handle: Engineered using original factory specifications to ensure perfect fitment for both front left and rear left doors. This direct door handle replacement matches or exceeds OEM standards in dimensions, function, appearance, and feel—restoring your vehicle's exterior to like-new condition.
- Premium Material Construction: Our model 3 door handle replacement is crafted from ABS+PC material with a chrome finish for superior smoothness and strength. It resists deformation and cracking even under extreme temperatures, with reinforced structural integrity that extends product lifespan.
- Professional Installation Recommended: Installation requires removing the door panel. We strongly recommend having a professional technician perform the installation to ensure proper fitment and avoid potential damage to your vehicle's door assembly. Package Included: 1x Left Side Exterior Door Handle.
The review identified 179,031 subject 2022 Model 3 vehicles and one complaint as of March 13, 2026; that complaint involved the same VIN as the petition. This is not a fatality count. The petition denial is limited to the issue and standard NHTSA considered; it is not a blanket safety endorsement, does not decide the Model Y allegations, and does not resolve the separate rulemaking.
Another lawsuit is a separate case
The Associated Press reported on a different lawsuit involving a Jan. 7, 2023, crash in Tacoma, Washington, and a 2018 Model 3. That complaint alleged that the door design thwarted bystanders trying to rescue occupants. Those allegations concern another vehicle, crash, and lawsuit; they should not be combined with the Tremblett case. The AP report covers that case.
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- Location-specific - this black handle is designed to fit the passenger side front or rear door; select our part number 15842 for a handle for driver side front or rear door
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- Ensure fit - Input your vehicle into the garage tool and check Confirmed Fit bar at the top of the page. If there is an “i” in a blue circle, additional verification is needed. Please hover over the "i" to verify fitment notes match your vehicle.
How to read the evidence
- Tremblett case: allegations reported from a lawsuit; no court finding or current docket outcome is established here.
- PE25010: an NHTSA preliminary evaluation of reported exterior-access problems in 2021 Model Ys, with counts from its opening summary.
- 2022 Model 3 petition: an agency decision about a petition concerning mechanical-release location and labeling, not a decision on the Model Y lawsuit.
- Other litigation: a separate complaint concerning a 2018 Model 3 and a Tacoma crash.
Keeping the model year, whether the issue is entering or exiting the vehicle, the electrical circumstances, and the legal status of each claim distinct is essential. The materials described here do not establish a verified total of Tesla door-handle-related fatalities.
Quick Recap
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