In a heart-wrenching development, the parents of a college student who tragically died in a car crash last year in California have initiated legal action against Tesla. Their lawsuit asserts that the unique design of the Cybertruck’s doors rendered their daughter unable to escape the burning vehicle, effectively sealing her fate.
The legal challenge, brought forth in a California court by the family of 19-year-old Krysta Tsukahara, amplifies existing concerns regarding the operational mechanisms of many Tesla vehicle doors. Federal auto safety regulators launched an investigation into these doors back in September. This lawsuit further compounds the challenges for the Cybertruck, a model already grappling with underwhelming sales and eight recalls since its introduction last year.
Tesla was at the forefront of implementing car doors that operate with a simple button press. This high-tech feature, often replicated by other automakers primarily in electric models, contributes to a futuristic aesthetic and can slightly improve aerodynamics by eliminating protruding exterior handles.
Crucially, the automaker’s door latches depend on a separate 12-volt battery, distinct from the high-voltage battery powering the vehicle’s electric motor. Should a collision sever this power supply, the electronic door system might become inoperable.
Krysta Tsukahara, a promising student at the Savannah College of Art and Design, was a rear-seat passenger in a Cybertruck involved in a high-speed collision with a tree in Piedmont, California. The driver, Soren Dixon, 19, and another rear-seat passenger, Jack Nelson, 20, both perished instantly in the impact.
The lawsuit contends that Ms. Tsukahara sustained only minor injuries from the initial crash but ultimately succumbed to burns and smoke inhalation as the Cybertruck’s battery ignited. Her inability to escape stemmed from manual door releases that were reportedly too obscure and difficult to locate in an emergency.
The suit, filed by her parents, Carl and Noelle Tsukahara, states that Ms. Tsukahara endured “unimaginable pain and emotional distress” during her failed attempts to escape the fire. Had it not been for the difficulty of exiting the burning Cybertruck, “she’d be alive today,” Mr. Tsukahara emotionally shared in an interview from the family’s Piedmont home.
Accessing the Cybertruck’s rear doors requires passengers to lift a rubber mat within a storage pocket and then pull an underlying cable. The lawsuit alleges that the Cybertruck conspicuously lacked an easily discoverable, functional, or redundant manual door release for emergency situations.
A friend, who was closely following the Cybertruck, managed to rescue a fourth passenger from the front seat by shattering the vehicle’s window with a tree branch.
This legal action poses yet another challenge to Tesla’s reputation, following a Florida jury’s decision in August to award $243 million in damages. That verdict stemmed from a crash involving the company’s driver-assistance system, with the jury determining that Tesla’s software contributed to a 2019 accident that resulted in one fatality and severe injuries to another individual.
Tesla remained unresponsive to requests for comment this week and did not issue a statement after the lawsuit was filed.
In the Piedmont incident, Tesla may attempt to shift blame to Mr. Dixon, the Cybertruck’s driver. A coroner’s report indicated he was intoxicated and had consumed both cocaine and amphetamines that evening. The company might also contend that the doors failed due to structural damage from the crash, rather than inherent design flaws.
While electric vehicles are considerably less prone to catching fire than gasoline-powered cars, their batteries, when ignited, burn with extreme intensity. Flames can rapidly consume a vehicle, necessitating swift evacuation or rescue efforts.
Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s chief designer, acknowledged in a September podcast interview that the company is actively developing new door designs to facilitate easier exit in the event of power loss. He stated, “That’s something we are working on, and it’s in the car soon.”
The Tsukaharas’ lawsuit argues that the critical defects in the door latch design have been evident for years, yet Tesla reportedly failed to implement improvements even in its newest vehicle, the Cybertruck.
“For more than a decade before the crash,” the suit declares, “Tesla received repeated and direct notice that its reliance on electronic door systems posed a grave risk of entrapment. Owners, bystanders, and emergency responders documented numerous instances where Tesla occupants survived crash forces but could not escape due to electrical power failure and subsequent fires.”
Last year, Tesla reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed by the family of Kevin McCarthy, a software firm CEO who died after a Tesla Model S, driven by one of his employees, crashed into a tree and caught fire. This incident occurred in Indianapolis in 2016, with the driver dying on impact. However, witnesses reported seeing Mr. McCarthy desperately attempting to escape the front passenger side before the car was engulfed in flames.
“Ours is not an isolated case,” emphasized Mr. Tsukahara, whose family is represented by Roger Dreyer of Dreyer Babich Buccola Wood Campora in Sacramento. Expressing his frustration, Mr. Tsukahara questioned, “This company is worth a trillion dollars. How can you release a machine that’s not safe in so many ways?”
Federal regulators opened an investigation into Tesla doors in September, which remains ongoing. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is scrutinizing 2021 Tesla Model Y SUVs after numerous owners reported being unable to open the rear doors after exiting the front seats. In four documented cases, owners resorted to breaking windows to free children trapped inside.
Other leading automakers, including Ford Motor, Toyota, and Stellantis (the parent company of Jeep), have also adopted electronic door systems. However, these companies have incorporated various safety designs to ensure doors can be opened during power failures or emergencies.
For instance, electronic door handles on certain Lexus models offer a manual override, requiring a double pull, alongside an additional manual release tab on the exterior. Volkswagen’s electric ID.4 model allows manual operation of its handles with a firmer pull.
According to company statements, Ford’s electric Mustang Mach E and some Jeep models integrate a capacitor near the door mechanism. This capacitor retains sufficient power to open the doors even if the main battery system fails.
The tragic Piedmont crash has deeply affected the serene bedroom community nestled in the hills above Oakland, a place where winding streets are lined with ranch homes and a notable number of Teslas. Mr. Tsukahara concluded, “Our life is never going to be the same, and there are other families just like us.”