2023 Tesla Model Y Airbags Problems

The contact owned a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact experienced a medical emergency and the vehicle crashed into a tree. The air bags deployed as needed. The contact and wife who was seated in the front passenger seat, were transported to the local medical center. The contact was unconscious when transported. The contact sustained injuries, including burns to the face; both eye corneas were burned, lungs infected due to the inhalation of toxic fumes and a broken talus on the right foot. In addition, the contact was continuing to receive medical treatment. The contact's wife sustained burns to the face and inhalation of the toxic fumes. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. A Police report was filed. The contact stated that the air bags were defective and unsafe. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.

NHTSA ID

11752660

Incident

Oct 11, 2025

Mileage

28,000 mi

The contact owned a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving at approximately 58 MPH, the vehicle hydroplaned and the front passenger side crashed into a lamp pole however, the air bags were not deployed. The air bag warning light was illuminated. No injuries were sustained and no medical attention was sought. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the vehicle was totaled. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,577.

NHTSA ID

11741505

Incident

May 23, 2026

Mileage

57,577 mi

PLAINTIFF: [XXX] [XXX] Phone: [XXX] ] Email: [XXX] ] VS. DEFENDANT(S): 1. [XXX] 2. King Bodyshop [XXX] 
Phone: [If known] STATEMENT OF CLAIM (File in Duplicate Plus One For Each Defendant) The Plaintiff sues the Defendant(s) for money owed Plaintiff by Defendant(s); and which is past due and unpaid; for: ☐ Work done and materials furnished by Defendant to Plaintiff (or check “Other” below). ☐ Other (Explain): Breach of contract for incomplete auto body repairs. Additional facts: Plaintiff. On or about December 12, 2024 you dropped off the vehicle, Year 2023 Model Y performance VIN [XXX] to Defendant King Bodyshop (operated/owned by [XXX] ) for body repairs pursuant to an agreement/estimate. Plaintiff paid $24.500 amount paid] for the repairs. Defendant agreed to complete the repairs properly but not only failed to do so, but charged over $9000 to fix the problem and damages, still leaving the vehicle with unresolved safety restraint system issues, including active alerts: • RCM2_a203: Safety restraint system issue – Service is required • RCM2_a095: Front left safety restraint system issue – Service is required Despite repeated requests over several months (October 2025] to present), Defendant has not completed the repairs, fixed the faults, or refunded the payment. This constitutes a breach of contract and/or negligent/incomplete workmanship under Florida law (including the Motor Vehicle Repair Act). As a result, Plaintiff has incurred damages including: • Eon paid $24500 amount and [XXX] paid additional $9000 to shop] (refund demanded) • $Tesla estimate to fix the current problems is another 2900 cost from other shop quotes to complete/fix] (additional repair costs) • $[any rental INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11716550

Incident

Feb 12, 2024

I am requesting an urgent review of the airbag non-deployment for my 2023 Tesla Model Y involved in a front-impact collision on [Jan 19th 2026]. Because the vehicle has been declared a total loss and may be released to salvage at any time, I urgently request that Tesla preserve and review the vehicle’s crash data (EDR/SRS) and confirm whether the restraint system performed as designed.

NHTSA ID

11715085

Incident

Jan 19, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH in light rain, the vehicle suddenly braked and causing the vehicle to lose control. The contact stated that the vehicle was on cruise control and auto drive assist. The contact stated that the vehicle veered to the left, crossed two lanes of traffic, and crashed into the highway divider wall. The contact stated that there were no warning lights. The contact stated that the left front end had crashed first, and then the driver's door and left front fender had crashed into the dividing wall. The contact stated that the driver's front air bag had deployed and burst; there was a large tear starting from the top of the air bag all the way to the steering wheel. The contact stated that he had burns on his hands due to the air bag explosion, bruises on his chest, and right arm. The contact stated that the police and emergency services arrived. A police report was filed. The contact stated that he was transported to the hospital, and the vehicle was towed to a manufacturer's collision center. The contact stated that the manufacturer's collision center downloaded the collision information from the vehicle's main frame and shared the accident report with the contact. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

NHTSA ID

11708923

Incident

Dec 24, 2025

Mileage

45,000 mi

Front Passenger Seat Occupancy Sensor Defect – Tesla Vehicle In March 2025, my Tesla vehicle began displaying a warning message indicating a fault in the front passenger seat occupancy sensor system. I brought the car in for service on March 14, 2025, and the system was reportedly replaced. However, in April, the issue recurred — the seat sensor alarm would activate randomly, particularly after going over bumps, falsely indicating that a passenger was present when the seat was unoccupied. I returned the car to Tesla service, and they again claimed to have repaired the issue. Despite this, the false passenger occupancy alerts continued. In May, I contacted Tesla and submitted several videos clearly documenting the problem. Tesla performed a remote diagnostic and stated that the seat occupancy sensor was functioning as intended. On June 22, 2025, I brought the vehicle back in for in-person inspection. Tesla physically examined the vehicle and acknowledged that the false alarm could be reproduced in a similar model vehicle, effectively confirming a design defect. Despite this, Tesla maintained that the issue did not affect the safety or function of the front seat. I believe this defect presents two significant safety concerns: 1.The frequent false alarms are distracting during driving, increasing the risk of an accident. 2.The defect raises serious concerns about the reliability of airbag deployment and other safety systems, which rely on accurate seat occupancy detection in the event of a collision. I have video evidence and service documentation supporting the timeline and recurrence of this defect. The problem has been reviewed multiple times by Tesla service teams, both remotely and in person. Tesla has acknowledged the issue can be reproduced but has taken no corrective action. I have videos of the defect I can submit and documentation of my conversations with Tesla.

NHTSA ID

11668616

Incident

Mar 12, 2025

While driving, a persistent error appears on the screen with a chime: "Front left safety restraint system issue" (Error Code: RCM2_a128). After researching online, it appears this is a commonly reported issue among Tesla owners and may have serious safety implications. The error code RCM2_a128 indicates a fault in the vehicle’s safety restraint system, specifically related to the seat belt or restraint mechanism on the front left side.

NHTSA ID

11666524

Incident

Jun 1, 2025

The primary safety restraint system, specifically the driver's side airbag, failed to deploy during a significant frontal impact collision. This severely compromised my personal safety, as my head struck the steering wheel with force, leading to injury and pain. Had the impact been more severe, the lack of airbag deployment could have led to much more serious, potentially life-threatening, injuries. Immediately after the impact, the primary braking system also malfunctioned, and the vehicle's warning and autopilot systems became compromised, posing further safety risks. The specific airbag non-deployment problem has not yet been reproduced or formally confirmed by a dealer or independent service center, vehicle is currently scheduled for its first post-accident inspection at a Tesla Collision Center address 6010 Richmond Ave, Houston TX 77057 on June 11, 2025, and is available for inspection. To date, the vehicle has not been formally inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives for these specific malfunctions. Police responded to the accident scene and filed a report, but no technical inspection was conducted by them. There were NO prior warning lamps, messages, or symptoms indicating a malfunction with the airbag system before the collision. However, immediately after the collision, the primary brakes failed and the warning system and autopilot system showed signs of malfunction/disruption; no specific warning lights related to these post-impact issues appeared prior to their malfunction.

NHTSA ID

11666057

Incident

May 27, 2025

The contact owned a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, occupied with his son in the vehicle, another vehicle collided into the front center of the vehicle, causing the vehicle to merge into another lane. The air bags did not deploy.  The contact sustained injuries to his neck, shoulder, and lower back. The contact son sustained injuries to the neck. No medical attention was required. The vehicle was towed to Al's Towing Yard. The contact stated that a police report was filed. The contact mentioned that the seat belts did retract. The contact stated that the failure was not diagnosed by a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and they informed the contact to call his insurance company. The approximate failure mileage was 30,491.

NHTSA ID

11657299

Incident

Apr 24, 2025

Mileage

30,491 mi

My wife was driving the car on March 7th 2025. Before she leaves the house, she had her front defroster on and the windshield was clear before she leaves the house. 5 minutes later, the front windshield became so foggy to the point she could not see anything in front of her and the front defroster was still on. And because of that so foggy windshield she moved out of her lane with no lane departure warning or anything and then she hit the railway pole without any emergency brakes going off or any warning signs letting her that she is about to hit something. The whole front of the car was gone and the car was totally lost but no airbags deployed at all and that was also concerning. Also there was no issues or any warning lamps or messages before the loss. The car was taken to a body shop and was inspected by the body shop and I believe a representative from my insurance company went to inspect the car at the body shop. So these are the parts I felt faulty or causing the safety concern: - front defroster - automatic emergency brakes - lane departure warning - forward collision warning

NHTSA ID

11654625

Incident

Mar 7, 2025

Accident report [XXX] I was driving on [XXX] fort smith ar to Bentonville Car was on autopilot, it was raining on and off and with all other cars we were driving around 70-80 mph All the sudden it started a short slip on the right then second after that it started spinning and took us out of the road car totaled car. I believe problem is autopilot did not disengage when car started to slip but instead it was still on until the car got out of the road and hit a large tree. This is 3rd time for me to have this type of accident with same situation slip then spin then out of the road. I believe autopilot is the problem here 100%. This autopilot system is very dangerous. I had enough of this and im hoping national highway traffic system will step in. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11630997

Incident

Dec 16, 2024

My car was hit by another car in front left corner and side door at very high impact. Car has severe damaged and it is totaled now. Air bags on the driver side did not deploy even at such high impact. No air bags were deployed. There was only one person, myself driver, in the car. Police came and investigated the accident and filed report. I have also submitted the air bags issue to Tesla.

NHTSA ID

11630696

Incident

Dec 10, 2024

Received a sign on my car 4 times- front right safety restraint system fault All 4 times I have taken my car to get serviced for them to fix it but still sign returned 4 times total.

NHTSA ID

11626116

Incident

Nov 19, 2024

First time when it happened, i was able to control and It went to back to normal. I did not pay attention after. Second time I took right turn and the car drove in left lane but this time I felt steering was rigid and was unable to control the Steering and hit a tree. Driver seat air bag was deployed and all doors were locked. Gel from air bag burned my right hand wrist.

NHTSA ID

11613574

Incident

Aug 16, 2024

My vehicle is less than a year old and still under warranty. The dashboard display is showing the following error message: “front passenger safety restraint system fault”. Tesla informed me that the occupant classification safety system filter module has failed and must be replaced. Tesla has agreed to fix the component under warranty, but they informed me they could not schedule a repair until October 31. It is my understanding that damage to this component could prevent the airbags from functioning properly during an accident, so I am concerned that the car is not safe to operate with passengers. I have asked Tesla repeatedly if the vehicle is safe to operate and they refuse to answer the question.

NHTSA ID

11611288

Incident

Aug 27, 2024

We were about the park in the marked parking lane and the vehicle unintedly accellerated, the brakes did not work and we saw message "Automatic emergency brake not available" and Air bags not available. We tried to control the vehicle to avaoid crashing into the porch of the infront apartment and steared the speeding vehicle and the vehicle hit the pillar of the aparement and finally came to halt few meters away in the parking lot as the front right wheel broke. 1. The ADAS Automatic emergency breaking seems failed 2. Forward collission warning seems not working 3. The safety of the driver and the passenger were at risk while the collission happened 4. I am not sure if the similar incidents happened or can be reproduced by the dealer/manufacturer. 5. Vehicle components inspected by the Tesla collission center but no software logs inspected and they said that they cannot get the device crash/event logs. 6. At the incident/while the incident was underway we saw few message that displayed "Automatic emergency brake is not avaiilable" and "Air bags are not available"

NHTSA ID

11608563

Incident

Jun 25, 2024

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while his daughter was attempting to make a left turn at approximately 5 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the rear passenger-side end of the vehicle. There was cosmetic damage and the vehicle came to a stop in the middle of the road. The air bags failed to deploy. As a result, the driver impacted her head on the steering wheel causing head injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and was not given a diagnosis. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure still occurred; the contact was informed the headliner was damaged due to the repairs done along with several other failures. The manufacturer was notified of this failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The failure mileage was 7,000.

NHTSA ID

11605694

Incident

Feb 7, 2023

Mileage

7,000 mi

I was driving down I90 with no one in front of me and a clear road. Unexpectedly, the right side passenger airbags exploded and struck me in the face and shoulder. The car immediately braked and I saw a semi truck pass me on the right with pieces of what appeared to be tire debris flying in the air. I pulled over and my car become inoperable. I inspected the outside of the vehicle and there was no damage or collision at all yet the passenger side airbags went off.

NHTSA ID

11605317

Incident

Jul 27, 2024

Airbags (any) failed to deploy in a hard impact t-bone collision with another vehicle, endangering occupants. Vehicle is being inspected by insurer.

NHTSA ID

11605236

Incident

Jul 25, 2024

Tesla met with an head on collision with another Toyota. Tesla’s airbags didn’t deploy and i had my 6 year old in car as well. The other car which was 2007 toyota, its airbag still worked.

NHTSA ID

11601986

Incident

Jul 13, 2024

My car collided with another car and a fine white powder was released but no airbag was deployed along with a slight burning odor

NHTSA ID

11590673

Incident

May 24, 2024

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? >>> The passenger detection hardware underneath the front passenger seat had faulty wiring. The repaired hardware completed by Tesla this week is available for inspection upon request. I did take amateur photos of my seat hardware before-and-after repair. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? >>> MY PASSENGER'S AIRBAG COULD RANDOMLY FAIL IN THE MIDDLE OF A DRIVE. Anywhere from 10 seconds to 10 minutes while driving with a damp passenger in the front passenger seat (e.g., a 100 lb. person after swim practice), a red airbag indicator will assert with error code rcm2_a636 ("Front passenger safety restraint system fault"). The indicator would stay asserted for days, then start toggling on-and-off randomly. According to Tesla Model Y documentation, "If the airbag system detects a fault in any of the previously mentioned components, the airbag warning indicator stays on. In this case contact Tesla service immediately. Do not drive the vehicle until the airbag system is inspected by Tesla." (reference: [XXX] ) Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? >>> YES! I was able to reproduce the problem WITHIN MINUTES with the loaner Model 3 given to me by Tesla (sorry, I did not get that vehicle's VIN but I wager Tesla Ridgepoint Austin TX has it). SURELY THERE ARE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM! Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? >>> Yes, but only after three attempts by Tesla. Each attempt was incremental (first: cable shielding, second: upholstery, third: replace the entire seat). Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? >>> No. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11590663

Incident

Mar 15, 2024

I’ve received repeated errors of front right safety restraint system needs service with an indication of the airbags being disabled. Tesla has attempted to fix this on two occasions by replacing various wiring and seat belt parts, but the problem returns each time.

NHTSA ID

11590269

Incident

Feb 28, 2024

Front passenger safety restraint system fault alarms comes intermittently

NHTSA ID

11582396

Incident

Apr 11, 2024

Tesla suddenly accelerated forward from a complete stop at very rapid pace and hit a wall

NHTSA ID

11580239

Incident

Mar 23, 2024