Sue Thatcher/Getty Images Happy Friday! It's July 24, 2026, and this is The Morning Shift — your daily roundup of the top automotive headlines from around the world, in one place. This is where you'll find the most important stories that are shaping the way Americans drive and get around. In this morning's edition, we're looking at Tesla's latest run-in with the NHTSA, and Volkswagen's 2026 finances. We'll also look at the Port of Long Beach wanting nuclear power, and yet another Ford recall. The Morning Shift now has its own newsletter! For a roundup of automotive news in your inbox every morning, sign up here! 1st Gear: Tesla dodges investigation into Model 3 door releases Scott Olson/Getty Images Last week, Tesla was unable to weasel itself out of a recall for Model 3 and Y headlights that could blind oncoming drivers. Today, though, the company managed to dodge an investigation for something worse: Model 3 door latches that could allegedly trap passengers inside. From Reuters: The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has denied a petition seeking a defect investigation into the emergency mechanical door release on about 180,000 Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab Model 3 vehicles. NHTSA said the petition did not present evidence of a likely safety-related defect warranting an investigation and that the issue would be more appropriately addressed through an ongoing rulemaking process. The petition covered 179,701 model-year 2022 Tesla Model 3 vehicles and alleged the manual door release was difficult to locate after a crash if the vehicle lost power, increasing the risk of occupants getting trapped. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Tesla's electronically operated door handles have faced scrutiny after several crashes in which occupants were reportedly unable to exit their vehicles after losing power, prompting broader calls for stricter federal safety standards governing emergency door releases. Plenty of people have died in inescapable Teslas, but it seems this specific fault — the location of the Model 3's release — wasn't the cause of those deaths. 2nd Gear: Volkswagen's rough second quarter presages a rough 2026 Hesham Elsherif/Getty Images It's once again "company revises estimates" time here on TMS, and this time it's Volkswagen's turn. The company had estimated 3% growth for this year, and now that's been updated to a 3% decline. From Automotive News: BERLIN — Volkswagen Group revised down its revenue forecast for 2026 after its operating profit slumped in the second quarter amid costly U.S. tariffs and intensifying competition from China. The group, which includes subsidiaries Porsche and Audi, reported operating profit of €3.5 billion ($3.98 billion) in the April-to-June period, down 9.5 percent year on year. Revenue was €82.4 billion. This made for an operating margin of 4.2 percent. VW now expects a decline of up to 3 percent in sales revenue this year, having previously forecast growth of up to 3 percent. The company maintained its forecast for an operating margin in the range of 4.0 percent to 5.5 percent. Turns out, an unpredictable global trade market is rough! 3rd Gear: The Port of Long Beach wants a nuclear reactor Chizhevskaya Ekaterina/Shutterstock The Port of Long Beach is enormous, sprawling, and power-hungry. The port now wants to address that last point by getting its very own nuclear reactor. From the Wall Street Journal: One of the busiest ports in the U.S. is looking to go nuclear. The Port of Long Beach this week signed an agreement with federal regulators to explore the construction of a small nuclear reactor to power the energy-hungry port. It is among the most significant steps forward so far in the Trump administration's push to bring nuclear power to the shipping industry. The plan is still in the early stages and may not come to fruition, but if it does, it could make the port the first in the world to run on nuclear power. The next frontier could be building nuclear-powered ships in American shipyards, another administration goal as it looks for ways to revive the dying domestic shipbuilding sector. I'm generally bullish on nuclear energy — it's worse than solar and wind, for sure, but it's better than fossil fuels and safer than many assume — but this particular setup doesn't seem like a fantastic idea. A coastal location near a fault line brings back memories of Fukushima. 4th Gear: It's Ford recall time again Sergio Thor/Shutterstock Another Ford recall! Who could have seen this coming. From Reuters: Ford is recalling 565,691 vehicles in the U.S. as the engine compartment wiring harness may become damaged and short circuit, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Friday.Here are the details: - The recall affects certain 2021-2026 Bronco and Bronco Raptor vehicles. - A short circuit in the engine compartment can create heat or spark, increasing the risk of a fire, the auto safety regulator said. Take a drink! Reverse: The song survived, for sure I feel like people misremember this as being from the first movie, but nope! The Fuel Up AAA $4.10 already! Things are really skyrocketing once again. Can we hit $5? On The Radio: Underscores - CCTV This is today's vibe, for sure.