How Canadians Open Tesla Model 3 Door Handles When They Freeze Shut

A Tesla Model 3 owner up in Canada shows the rest of the world how to open the handles on the Tesla Model 3 when they freeze shut. The video is paired with a priceless quote that will surely go down in history: “The Tesla Model 3 is a car, not a crystal glass; give it a smack and stop complaining about frozen handles.”

It is Canada, things are going to freeze. The #tesla #model3 is a car, not a crystal glass; give it a smack and stop complaining about frozen handles… here is a simple video instruction. pic.twitter.com/WZAEx0fPg0

— Driving Slate (@DrivingSlate) December 10, 2018

The door handles on the Model 3 use a robust design, but winter weather, ice storms, and the like can put a hurt on anything mechanical that’s exposed, including more traditional door handles. The fact that the Model 3 handles sit flush make it easier for ice and slush to get behind the handle, which then freezes overnight, locking them tight come morning.

The tweet serves as a good reminder that many Tesla owners have become spoiled by either Tesla’s historical excellence or an over-flexed expectation that, because Tesla excels in some areas, it must be perfect. Frozen handles happen and sometimes the best way to fix that is to just give them a quick fist bump.

Winter is coming (or is already here) for many of you, and while you might find me bundled up in 2 jackets on cold mornings here in southern California, I doubt that anyone would get too excited about an 8°C day. One thing is for sure — we definitely will not need to worry about frozen door handles anytime soon.

What has your experience been with the door handles in the Tesla Model 3? I’ve had some sand get in there, but other than some crunching up front, it has not caused any issues with the functionality of the handles themselves. They do still confuse just about everybody when they try to get into the car the first time, but that’s a different story altogether.

Source: Twitter via Reddit