Austin, TX – November 29, 2022 – Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is recalling 29,348 2021-2023 Tesla Model X electric SUVs because their front passenger airbags may “deploy incorrectly” when a child is seated in that spot. While it is not clear what the manufacturer means by incorrect deployment, airbags that deploy while a small child is in the seat can cause a serious injury or even death of the child occupant.
Recall summary
Front passenger airbags are designed to deploy differently depending on who is seated in that spot. More specifically, this safety device should not be triggered when a small, unbelted child is in that seat. But due to incorrect calibration caused by a software issue, exactly this may happen during a crash at low speeds.
The part causing this recall is the Vehicle Firmware, with version releases before 2022.40.200.
Recall risks
Airbags are designed to protect adults. Even then they can cause injuries when deploying given that the deployment happens in milliseconds with very high force. For children, these injuries can prove to be very serious or even fatal as their head can be pulled away from the body by the force of the airbag inflating.
Safety tips
Children under 13 should never be seated in the front seat as it doubles their risk of injury in a crash. If you must put your child in the front seat, make sure that you move the seat as far away from the dash as possible. If possible, also manually turn off the airbag, “especially for a rear-facing seat.”
Be sure to connect with your local fire department or another first responder for free child seat checks.
Other Tesla Model X recalls
Apart from this Tesla airbag recall, Model X was recently affected by a power steering issue that may result in a loss of control.
Earlier this month, Model 3 and Model X were recalled over faulty tail lamps, as reported.
The repair
Tesla has launched a free over-the-air firmware update with corrected calibrations for the airbag control module. You can reach out to Tesla customer service to ensure that the update has been implemented on your car.
Owners will be sent letters with additional information on January 14, 2023.
Is your vehicle part of this recall?
Nearly 30,000 electric SUVs are affected by this Tesla Model X airbag recall. To do a Tesla recall check and see if yours is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.
