2022 Tesla Model Y Airbags Problems

I was driving at approximately 30-35 mph on a 30 mph residential road with my son in the front passenger seat. My vehicle unexpectedly collided with a parked, unoccupied car on the right side of the road, impact occurring between my front passenger side and the rear driver side of the parked vehicle. Following the initial collision, the vehicle continued past a small tree, mounted the sidewalk, and struck a second parked car before I was able to manually bring it to a stop 2–3 houses further down near an intersection. Throughout this sequence—with the vehicle traveling at ~35 mph—neither the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) activated nor did any airbags deploy. Fortunately, neither my son nor I sustained catastrophic injuries, though my chest struck the steering wheel during the impact, causing ongoing pain my and mental trauma for my son. I am currently receiving medical advise. Given the speed and sequence of impacts, it is terrifying that the vehicle’s primary safety systems failed to engage before, during, or after the collision. I am seeking a thorough technical investigation into why Automatic Emergency Braking and airbag deployment failed in this scenario with Tesla Model Y

NHTSA ID

11754177

Incident

Jul 17, 2026

**Incident Report — Tesla Model Y Safety System Failure** The subject vehicle, a Tesla Model Y equipped with Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology and advanced safety features, was involved in a collision at an estimated impact speed of 40–45 MPH. The vehicle's onboard recording system captured the incident and clearly documents the impact dynamics, vehicle speed at impact, and the contributing actions of the other party involved. **Incident Details:** - **Impact Location:** Left front side of vehicle - **Impact Speed:** 40–45 MPH - **Damage Assessment:** Vehicle declared total loss by insurance - **Recorded Evidence:** Onboard system footage available **Safety System Failures:** Despite the severity of the impact and speed involved, the following safety systems failed to activate: - Emergency braking system did not engage - Forward Collision Warning Failed - Seatbelt pre-tensioning/locking mechanism did not activate - Airbag deployment systems failed (front, side, curtain, and knee airbags) **Concern:** The vehicle's advanced safety features—which are primary design components marketed for collision mitigation—did not function as designed or expected. Given the impact speed and severity, these safety systems should have either mitigated the collision or deployed to protect occupants. The failure of multiple redundant safety systems raises questions regarding the reliability and function of these critical systems at the time of impact. **Available Evidence:** - Onboard system footage (speed, impact angle, timing) - Insurance total loss assessment - Medical records (if applicable) - Vehicle service history

NHTSA ID

11752329

Incident

Jul 8, 2026

On January 12, 2026, I was involved in a multi-vehicle collision on I-4 West near US-27 Off Ramp in Polk County, Florida. My vehicle was struck on the left rear quarter panel causing me to lose control, hit a second vehicle, and travel off the road to the hazard lane. The vehicle was declared a total loss by the insurance company. Despite the severity of the impact, none of the airbags deployed. The Florida state crash report confirms airbags were marked as Not Deployed. The vehicle is currently at a salvage yard and is available for inspection. No warning lamps related to the airbag system were present prior to the crash. The failure of the airbag system to deploy in a total loss collision put the driver at significant risk of serious injury.”

NHTSA ID

11727855

Incident

Jan 12, 2026

We live on a road with a steep embankment. My wife backed across our driveway and when she put the car from reverse to drive it accelerated uncontrollably. She hit our mailbox, then a power pole across the street, a driveway across the street then over the embankment where she hit a retainer wall another wooden railing and finally came to rest against our neighbors house. If she wouldn’t have caught the edge of the house she would have went down approximately 150 foot embankment. Not only the car accelerated on its own it is supposed to automatically brake, it didn’t and the airbags never deployed. This all this happened right after it went through an automatic update. The car was totaled, with my wife getting a concussion and a lot of muscle injuries. There was no warning lights prior to event and we reported it to Tesla and all they did was send camera images which we had. The car is now in possession of Wawanesa Insurance because it was a total loss

NHTSA ID

11716189

Incident

Jan 28, 2026

I keep getting alerts that there is a front right safety restraint system issue and service is required. Repair note Nov. 14 2024 stated: Safety Restraint alert has been intermittent over at least the past year. Customer has had previous Service Visits for same alert (RCM2_a136_sideAB1stRowROpen). Issue seems to be somewhere within the harness affecting the passenger side airbag. Replaced the Front Right (passenger) seat harness.Alerts are currently cleared. Feb 15, 2024 Repair Notes: Technician verified customer concern. Tech found the alert was for the 1st row passenger side airbag. Tech checked the connector in the seat and it was softset. Tech plugged it back in and made sure it was secure. Tech test drove and verified no alerts present.

NHTSA ID

11690194

Incident

Sep 28, 2025

Every few months, my car receives a warning stating "Front passenger safety restraint system fault". This error noted that there are issues related to checking the front passenger seatbelt/airbag status, and that they may not work as expected. Tesla has tried to repair this 4 times on my car already, but the error keeps coming back after a few months. This is now the 5th time this is happening in my car over the 3 years I've owned it. The date/mileage listed is when this issue first started occuring.

NHTSA ID

11664408

Incident

Jul 20, 2023

I have an intermittent warning message "Front passenger safety restraint fault" which started about 1.5 years ago. Tesla added a "filter" which sorta resolved the problem, but as i mentioned its an intermittent problem. I submit another service reqyest for the same issue January 2024 at 51k miles but they denied my warranty claim because it is past their 50k basic warranty. I resubmitted a service request around September 2024 to look at the issue but they said they will look into my request for warranty but never got back to me. Fast forward to 2025 I submit another service request because the warning message keepings popping up more frequently and I read that Tesla SRS warranty is up until 60,000 miles which as of January 2024 I was still within. Now they are denying my claims because I didnt request a service within warranty period. I wasn't aware of the SRS warranty and Tesla employee saying i am outside the warranty and deny my warranty claim which was either incorrect, a lie or both. I have tried explaining to them multiple times but every time they say its outside of warranty now.

NHTSA ID

11646579

Incident

Mar 1, 2025

Have had a service error come up multiple times front passenger safety restraint system fault -

NHTSA ID

11641022

Incident

Aug 11, 2024

Front passenger safety restraint system fault service is required error. this just appeared on my screen when my wife sat in the passenger seat.

NHTSA ID

11605850

Incident

Jul 31, 2024

My vehicle encountered a severe loss of control, resulting in a collision with a concrete wall on I-90 west towards Seattle at 19,877 miles. This critical event, leading to non-deployment of airbags and subsequent hospitalization, occurred shortly after two prior services addressing a Rear Drive Motor unit malfunction, first at 14,768 miles and again at 14,820 miles. These incidents underscore a troubling pattern of safety concerns. Inspection Details: Front Suspension: Replacement of Stabilizer Bar Link (1188391-00-B). Steering Gear: Replacement of Steering Gear Assembly (1044831-00-H), essential for control. Sub-Frame & Steering Components: Reinstallation of the sub-frame and replacement of the tie rod end (1044841-00-E), indicating significant structural and steering issues. Safety Risks: The sequence of malfunctions, particularly the recurring issues with the Rear Drive Motor unit followed by a severe loss of control and airbag system failure, presents an extreme safety risk. The absence of warnings prior to these failures compounds the danger, suggesting systemic safety and reliability flaws. Conclusions & Reporting: The vehicle's history of critical malfunctions within a short mileage interval demands an in-depth examination by the manufacturer and safety regulatory authorities. The objective is to uncover root causes, evaluate if these issues are widespread among similar models, and implement corrective actions promptly. This report aims to highlight the critical nature of the encountered safety issues, advocating for immediate interventions to safeguard vehicle occupants and the public.

NHTSA ID

11575187

Incident

Aug 29, 2023

My car met a major accident and the impact was so severe that it was total loss. The car was badly damaged from drive side and it skid at least 100 meters and it turn around And I am aware that Tesla has side airbags also but none of airbag were deployed I tried to contact Tesla support and report this issue but no one from Tesla gave proper Response . If you want I can share the pics of my car and claim details

NHTSA ID

11531477

Incident

May 7, 2023

The contact rented from Turo a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at approximately 65-70 MPH in rainy weather, the contact's daughter released her foot from the accelerator pedal to decelerate; however, she lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle crashed into a guardrail and went into a ditch. The vehicle then inadvertently reversed onto the highway. The contact's daughter slammed her foot on the brake pedal, and the vehicle stopped immediately. No warning light was illuminated. No air bags were deployed. A police report was filed. The contact's daughter suffered body aches, and medical attention was received. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location. The contact was unaware if the vehicle was deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ID

11527977

Incident

Jun 10, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side seat was not sensing his wife seated in the seat due to her weight. The contact stated that his wife was 102 lbs. which was not recognized by the occupant detection system. The contact stated the front passenger air bag off warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the front passenger’s side seat to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer but was unable to determine there was a failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and was informed the minimum weight was 100 lbs. The failure mileage was approximately 50.

NHTSA ID

11516019

Incident

Feb 1, 2022

Mileage

50 mi

The front passenger seat airbag does not properly arm when occupied by an adult female weighing between 120-125 pounds. According to the vehicle's Owners Manual, it should arm at any weight in excess of 100 pounds. There is an indicator on the main display that clearly displays when the passenger airbag is armed and when it is unarmed. This is an intermittent issue, occurring more than 50% of the time the seat is occupied. The best we can do to characterize the behavior is as follows: 1) The passenger airbag is more likely to arm correctly if the passenger gets into the car at the same time as the driver. 2) It is less likely to arm correctly if the passenger gets in after the driver has started the car and/or driven it a bit. Two examples: Driver gets in to set the temp or navigation before a trip and passenger gets in a few minutes later, or driver retrieves car from a parking place and then drives a short distance to pick up the passenger. In both cases, the airbag is unlikely to arm correctly. 3) Even after a successful drive (in which the airbag armed), say to the grocery store, it is unlikely to arm when the driver and passenger get back in together a few minutes later. In all cases above, the longer it is driven in a single trip, the more likely it is to randomly arm/disarm itself multiple times during that trip. By failing to correctly and consistently arm when occupied by a 120-pound adult passenger, it leaves said passenger unprotected in case of an accident. Tesla Service performed static, calibrated-weight tests, and confirmed that it takes greater than 125 pounds to consistently arm the front passenger airbag. They have replaced the passenger seat twice so far, and claimed that the most recent seat installed passed the 100-pound test, but the issue persists. The car was serviced for this issue on November 28th, and again from November 23 to December 7. This issue remains to this date (December 19).

NHTSA ID

11498051

Incident

Oct 27, 2022

The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that after he made a right turn, another vehicle crashed into the front passenger side door to the rear passenger side door. The air bags failed to deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact sustained soreness to the shoulder, neck, and back. No medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 8,607.

NHTSA ID

11484298

Incident

Sep 11, 2022

Mileage

8,607 mi

My Tesla provided an in car warning message on June 28 stating that the “front passenger safety restraint system fault” exists. I immediately created a service request (the same day) and included pictures of the fault message. On July 6th, the Tesla service team stated that the appointment required a service center visit (which is not an option when making the appointment originally) and scheduled the appointment for July 25. On July 25, I took the car into the service center. A day later, Tesla confirmed an issue with the OCS module that required a new front passenger seat be installed. Tesla could not provide a date the new seat would be available and let me drive off with the vehicle. I made a follow up appointment on August 16th. On the day of the appointment, the Tesla service team confirmed that the replacement seat was not yet available and they still did not know when it would be. It has now been almost two months since the original alert and despite my proactive efforts, Tesla cannot tell me when this serious safety issue with my vehicle will be repaired. Tesla is allowing its customers to continue to drive vehicles with critical safety issues without any urgency in the repair.

NHTSA ID

11479520

Incident

Jun 28, 2022

I have a son 14 who is 99 lbs. It doesn't trigger the passenger airbag for the front seat. According to Tesla the limit is 100 lbs. My son is average height and weight. Why wouldn't a 14 year old kid trigger the Airbag to be on?!? My son has been out of a car seat/booster for 5 years! IMO this is a safety concern and I will have him sit in the back seat, but this seems kind of ridiculous.

NHTSA ID

11479034

Incident

Aug 12, 2022

While driving at a normal speed and turning around at an intersection in our neighborhood, the car suddenly went out of control, causing the car to hit a fire hydrant in front of a home, smashed a tree before crashing into the siding of the home. Insurance deemed the car as "totaled". We were reimbursed by insurance so this is not about monetary losses, but a report to protect other drivers and their families. The Tesla database records mentioned user acceleration and error, but this doesn't sound like a reasonable cause. The airbags didn't open and neither did the automatic emergency braking or forward collision warning work. I was unable to brake and control the car to stop. This accident is captured in the security system video of the impacted home.

NHTSA ID

11471044

Incident

Feb 20, 2022

Tesla Model Y passenger airbags are armed automatically based on the weight in the seat. The manual states the airbag should be on with a person weighing above 100 lbs. The airbag does not turn on consistently for my wife who weighs about 120 lbs. About 80% of the time the airbag remains off. Even when the airbag is on, sometimes it will turn off from a deceleration approaching a stop sign. Took the car in for a service at the Tesla service center and they say airbag staying off is "normal" for a 120 lbs person. They advised we tilt the seat cushion down in the back to help activate the weight sensor. The passenger weight sensor or the program logic of the car is not reliable to turn on the airbag for my wife consistantly.

NHTSA ID

11468656

Incident

Jun 10, 2022