Tesla Recalls 7,600 Model S And Model X Vehicles Due To Faulty Airbags

Just so we can clarify things early, this has nothing to do with the wide-scale Takata airbag recall. According to a document from the NHTSA, Tesla’s Mexican airbag supplier TRW Steering Wheel Systems de Chihuahua introduced a new wrapping and scoring production method for the airbag cover door on June 29, 2021. During quality assurance testing on July 12, 2021, the supplier identified a tear in a deployed airbag sample, which was caused by the airbag catching on the cover door when it deployed.

A countermeasure was implemented by the supplier on September 9, 2021, through the reinforcement of the cushion fabric in order for the airbag to prevent tearing if it ever gets caught by the cover door. The faulty airbags were produced from June 29 to September 8.

However, as a precautionary measure, Tesla will recall 2021 Model S vehicles produced between June 21, 2021, and September 29, 2021, along with 2021 Model X vehicles built between September 3, 2021, to September 23, 2021. In total, 7,600 vehicles are affected by the airbag door recall.

Tesla will offer the fix free of charge by simply replacing the affected driver’s side airbag. Owners will be notified beginning on January 2022, while Tesla stores and service centers were already notified since November 10, 2021. The company also notes that it is not aware of any injuries or warranty claims due to the faulty airbags.

This recall comes just a few weeks after the company announced another recall for 11,704 units of the Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y, due to an error with these vehicles’ automatic emergency braking feature. The software communication error may result in the forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking making false triggers. The recall was fixed through an over-the-air update.