Airbag complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact is a police officer from the Simi police department, who called on behalf of the owner of a 2026 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated the owner was driving at 30 MPH with full autopilot mode with direction destination set, the vehicle increased in speed to make a U-turn on the opposite side of a driveway; therefore, the driver attempted to disengage the autopilot and depressed the brake pedal. The vehicle failed to stop and instead increased in speed, causing the driver to crash into a curb, a Dodge Ram truck, a light pole, and an occupied Nissan Maxima vehicle, where the vehicle came to a stop. Both vehicles that were crashed into were occupied by 1 occupant each. The contact stated the owner's air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that the owner did not sustain any injuries. No medical attention was required. …
I was driving the car inside the parking garage of the UCLA Medical Plaza in Westwood at around 3:10pm on [redacted], looking for an appropriate parking spot. When entering the second basement floor and turning the steering wheel right, to follow the road, the steering wheel was unresponsive and the car felt as if in neutral gear. As the car was on a downward slope, it went straight into the car parked in front. It happened so fast, but it seemed as if the brakes were ineffective. The air bags on the sides were deployed. On the front, the airbag in the steering wheel came out but did not inflate. [redacted]
The contact owns a 2025 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle crashed into a tree impacting the front of the vehicle, but the air bags did not deploy. In addition, the seat belt failed to retract during the crash. The front of the vehicle was severely damaged. The contact did not sustain injuries. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired however it was pending diagnosis at a Tesla Service Center. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 4,444.
I am writing to formally report a serious safety incident involving a Tesla vehicle and to document multiple critical system failures that occurred during an accident, resulting in physical injuries to me. On the 12/24/2025, while operating Tesla under rainy conditions, I experienced a sudden and dangerous malfunction of the vehicle. During the event, the steering system became unresponsive and appeared to lock, preventing me from maintaining control of the vehicle. Simultaneously, the braking system failed to respond as expected despite my attempt to apply the brakes. These failures significantly impaired my ability to avoid or mitigate the collision. Most concerning, the vehicle's airbag system did not deploy during the impact. …
The contact owned a 2024 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was involved in a T-bone crash. The contact stated that the driver's side of the vehicle crashed into it while the vehicle was stopped at a four-way intersection. The contact stated that none of the driver's side air bags deployed. The contact stated that only the passenger's side air bags were deployed. The fire department and Police department arrived on the scene. The fire department had to cut the driver's door off to remove the contact's wife from the vehicle. The contact's wife was transported to the local hospital. The contact's wife was severely injured. The contact's wife sustained injuries to the head and the neck along with other injuries. …
The contact owns a 2024 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration causing the driver to lose control of the steering and crash into a second vehicle. During the crash, the frontend of the vehicle was severely damaged but the air bag did not deploy. The contact sustained a right-hand injury that did not require medical treatment. Three occupants from the second vehicle sustained undisclosed injuries and were transported to the hospital. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 7,608.
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 owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while pulling into a parking space with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated and struck an occupied parked vehicle ahead. Upon shifting into Reverse (R), the failure recurred, causing the vehicle to strike the front bumper of a parked and unoccupied USPS truck, which then struck a parked, unoccupied vehicle. The contact engaged the electric parking brake to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that the forward collision avoidance system failed to engage to prevent the collisions. The front driver's side air bag failed to deploy as expected. The vehicle sustained rear-end damage. The vehicle was towed to an auto collision center, where a superficial diagnostic inspection was performed, and the contact was informed that no failure was found. …
Related recalls (1)
Air bags › Knee bolster
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2026 Model Y and 2024 Model 3 vehicles. The vehicles were originally built for a foreign market and do not have knee air bags, may not be equipped with certain interior safety countermeasures, and may not have been tested for bumper impact resistance procedures.
Remedy: Tesla will repurchase noncompliant vehicles currently registered in the United States, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 5, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which Tesla Model Y years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2023 (41), 2021 (23), 2022 (19), 2020 (17) and 2024 (9) model years. Airbag complaints make up 3% of all complaints for the 2023.
Is there a recall for Tesla Model Y airbag problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 26V-445 (knee bolster, Jul 7, 2026). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Tesla Model Y airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 23,000 miles; 86% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the sensor › occupant classification › front passenger (3 mentions), followed by the sensor › occupant classification (2).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.