Why “Suicide Doors” Mostly Disappeared — And Where They Still Survive

They were largely abandoned because rear-hinged doors were riskier with early latches, harder to make crash-safe under modern regulations, more complex and costly to engineer, and less practical for everyday use—though they’re not banned and still appear on a few luxury and niche models. The term “suicide doors” colloquially refers to rear-hinged doors; automakers prefer “coach” or “rear-hinged” doors, which saw their heyday in the 1920s–30s and now persist mainly in highly engineered, low-volume vehicles.

How We Got Here: A Brief History

Rear-hinged doors were common on early cars because they made chauffeur-driven entry easier and complemented upright body styles. As speeds rose and door-latch technology lagged, the configuration’s biggest flaw emerged: if a latch failed or a door popped ajar, oncoming air could catch the leading edge and fling the door wide, potentially pulling occupants out—especially before seat belts were universal. By the 1950s–60s, most mainstream makers had switched to front-hinged doors, which aerodynamic forces tend to push closed if unlatched.

Safety and Regulation: Not Banned, But Burdened

No major market outright bans rear-hinged doors. Instead, modern safety standards make them far harder and costlier to execute safely at scale. In the U.S., for example, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) require strong latches and hinges (FMVSS 206), robust side-impact protection (FMVSS 214), and ejection mitigation (FMVSS 226). Europe and other regions have analogous rules. Meeting these with rear-hinged doors is feasible—but demands intricate engineering, testing, and expensive hardware.

Why Traditional Rear-Hinged Doors Were Risky

Early designs relied on simpler latches and lacked side-impact beams, airbags, and seat belts. If a rear-hinged front door opened at speed, airflow exacerbated the opening rather than resisting it. In side impacts, door apertures without strong central pillars could deform more, and occupants were at higher ejection risk. Modern vehicles can solve these issues, but it takes reinforced structures, interlocking latch systems, and advanced restraint integration.

The Practical and Economic Hurdles

Beyond pure safety, rear-hinged layouts complicate day-to-day usability and manufacturing. That combination—lower consumer demand plus higher cost—keeps them rare outside premium or niche use cases.

The list below outlines the key reasons automakers avoid rear-hinged doors in mainstream models today.

• Crash engineering complexity: To pass side-impact and ejection tests without a conventional B‑pillar, engineers must add strong floor, roof, and sill reinforcements or build a “virtual B‑pillar” into the doors with interlocking latches and frames.
• Weight and cost: Extra structure, hinges, and multi-stage latches add mass and expense, hurting efficiency targets and pricing.
• Airbag and sealing challenges: Side-curtain and seat-mounted airbags, wiring, and weather seals are harder to package cleanly across a rear-hinged gap, especially if doors open independently.
• Usability trade-offs: Many designs require opening the front door before the rear can open (to maintain strength), complicating passenger entry/child-seat access in tight spaces.
• Market demand: Most buyers prioritize convenience and price over novelty. The “suicide” label also carries negative connotations that marketing teams tend to avoid.
• Repair complexity: Body repairs and door alignment can be more involved, increasing lifecycle costs for owners and insurers.

Together, these factors tip the cost–benefit equation toward conventional front-hinged doors for mass-market vehicles, even though rear-hinged designs can be made safe.

Where You Can Still Find Them

Despite their rarity, several modern vehicles use rear-hinged doors—typically with heavy engineering to meet today’s safety rules.

The following examples highlight recent and current models that employ rear-hinged doors and how they mitigate the classic downsides.

• Rolls-Royce lineup (Phantom, Ghost, Cullinan, Spectre): Full-size, rear-hinged rear doors with robust latches, integrated pillar-strength solutions, and power-closing systems; favored for elegant curbside egress.
• Lincoln Continental Coach Door Edition (2019–2020, limited run): Rear-hinged back doors on a stretched wheelbase, engineered with additional structure and bespoke latching.
• BMW i3 (discontinued 2022): Compact EV with rear-hinged rear doors that opened only after the front doors, creating a strong interlocking frame and improving side-impact performance.
• Mazda RX‑8 (2003–2012) and Mazda MX‑30 (select markets 2021–): “Freestyle” rear doors allowed easier access to a tight rear row; doors interlocked with the front for rigidity.
• Pickup “extended cab” doors (e.g., Ford F‑150 SuperCab, Nissan Frontier King Cab): Rear-hinged half-doors for back-seat access; typically require the front door to open first to preserve structure.
• Past niche models: Honda Element, Toyota FJ Cruiser, Mini Clubman (one “Clubdoor”), Saturn SC/Ion coupes, Opel Meriva “FlexDoors”—all leveraged interlocking designs and added reinforcements.

These applications show that rear-hinged doors survive where their benefits—elegant access, style, or packaging—justify the added engineering and cost.

Engineering Fixes That Make Them Viable Today

To counter historical risks, modern rear-hinged doors rely on a suite of safety and structural solutions.

The list below summarizes the key techniques engineers use to deliver compliance and real-world safety with rear-hinged layouts.

• Interlocking latches and striker systems: Front and rear doors mechanically tie together, creating a rigid ring when closed and preventing accidental opening under load.
• Reinforced sills, roof rails, and door frames: Extra high-strength steel or composites compensate for reduced pillar mass and preserve crash energy paths.
• Advanced latches and sensors: Multi-stage latches with inertia management, door-ajar detection, and speed-sensitive locks minimize unintended opening.
• Airbag integration: Side-curtain and thorax airbags tuned to the altered geometry, often with sensors that monitor door status.
• Child-safety interlocks: Prevent independent opening by rear passengers, especially when the vehicle is in motion.

These measures can make rear-hinged doors as safe as conventional ones in prescribed tests, albeit with greater complexity, weight, and cost.

Will They Make a Comeback?

EV platforms give designers more freedom, and we’ve seen periodic revivals when style or packaging calls for it. Still, without clear mass-market advantages—or a rebrand that sheds the “suicide” stigma—rear-hinged doors will likely remain a niche feature for luxury flagships, design-forward EVs, and a handful of utility trucks.

Bottom Line

Automakers didn’t stop making rear-hinged “suicide” doors because they’re illegal; they stopped making them in volume because early safety issues damaged their reputation and modern compliance adds cost and complexity that most buyers won’t pay for. Where design, brand image, or packaging benefits outweigh those costs, you’ll still find them—just with far more engineering behind every satisfying swing of the door.

Summary

Rear-hinged doors faded from mainstream use due to historical safety risks, tougher modern crash and ejection standards, engineering and packaging complexity, and limited consumer demand. They persist in carefully engineered luxury and niche vehicles—proof that while not banned, they’re a specialized solution best suited to brands and models that can justify the added effort and expense.

Do they still make suicide doors?

Vehicle doors that are hinged on the rear side, or rear-hinged doors, are commonly known as suicide doors. The name appeared in the 60s due to them being unsafe for passengers. Today they are not that common but are still put in some vehicles by manufacturers.

Why are suicide doors bad?

Disadvantages. When front doors are directly adjacent to rear suicide doors, exiting and entering the vehicle can be awkward if people try to use the front and back doors at the same time. There are also a number of safety hazards: Aerodynamic factors forcing rear-hinged doors open at speed in older cars.

Why did suicide doors go away?

‘Suicide’ doors largely disappeared due to previously mentioned structural integrity issues resulting from having no B-Pillar which an increasing focus on safety and crash testing in the latter part of the last century would have driven.

Are suicide doors banned?

No, suicide doors are not illegal; while they fell out of favor due to safety concerns in the past, modern vehicles with suicide doors often incorporate advanced safety features and are found on luxury and limited-edition models, making them a legal and stylish design choice. 
Why they are not illegal

• Modern Safety Features: Opens in new tabUnlike early models, contemporary suicide doors are engineered with automatic locking mechanisms that keep them shut when the car is in motion. 
• Seatbelt Usage: Opens in new tabPassengers are required to wear seatbelts, providing a crucial layer of protection against ejection. 
• Focus on Luxury and Design: Opens in new tabAutomakers use them on high-end vehicles to maximize the space for rear passengers, creating an elegant, iconic, and exclusive look. 

Why they were historically problematic

• Lack of Safety Regulations: Opens in new tabIn the early days of motoring, there were fewer safety regulations, and door latches and seatbelts were not as reliable. 
• Aerodynamic Forces: Opens in new tabThe air pressure on a moving vehicle could easily catch a rear-hinged door and pull it open or even rip it off its hinges, a hazard not present with front-hinged doors that are forced shut by the wind. 
• Risk of Ejection: Opens in new tabIf a door opened while the vehicle was moving, the force of the air could eject passengers from the car, which led to the “suicide door” nickname.