Lawsuit Alleges Three of Four Door Handles Fail on 2015 Model S, Hits 2014–2016 Cars
A Florida class-action alleges Tesla’s flush electronic door handles on 2014–2016 Model S vehicles routinely fail after a few years, posing safety risks. Owner John Urban reports three of four handles on his 2015 Model S Ludicrous failed by 2022.
1. Tesla Faces Class-Action Over Defective Door Handles
Tesla has been named in a new class-action lawsuit filed in Florida by owner John Urban, representing purchasers and lessees of 2014–2016 Model S vehicles. The complaint alleges that the luxury sedan’s spring-loaded, electrified flush door handles routinely cease to function after a few years, with three of the four handles on a 2015 Model S "Ludicrous" variant failing by 2022. Urban reports being forced to enter his car via the passenger door on multiple occasions, and the suit claims the defect poses a significant safety risk by potentially trapping occupants in emergency scenarios. The filing points to a handle redesign introduced on post-2016 Model S vehicles and asserts Tesla was aware of the issue but failed to address it in earlier models.
2. Significant Insider Stock Sales in Early 2026
In the first two weeks of 2026, Tesla Director James Murdoch sold 60,000 shares of the company’s common stock, netting proceeds of $26.7 million. This follows insiders’ combined equity dispositions totaling approximately $44 million in January 2025, suggesting that senior executives may again exceed last year’s sales volume by month-end. While standard trading plans can explain routine sales, the timing and scale of these disposals will be closely watched by investors evaluating insider confidence as the company navigates a slowing EV market and evolving strategic priorities.
3. ‘Prove-It’ Year: Autonomy, Robotaxi and New Vehicle Milestones
Elon Musk has characterized 2026 as a pivotal year, setting multiple self-imposed deadlines across Tesla’s autonomy roadmap. The robotaxi service, operating with safety drivers in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin and Atlanta since June 2025, will be evaluated for regulator approval to remove those drivers. Production of the Cybercab—Tesla’s dedicated, driverless two-seat vehicle—is slated to commence in April, and the company will stage a new Roadster reveal in early April. Tesla also aims to advance commercialization of its Optimus humanoid robot and begin Semi truck deliveries from its Nevada plant. Collectively, these milestones underpin analysts’ views that scalable, profitable autonomous operations will be the primary driver of Tesla’s valuation going forward.