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
2022 Tesla Model Y airbags problems
19 complaints (2% of all complaints for this car). 9 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 19
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- crashes
- 9
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Sensor: occupant classification: front passenger1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Tesla Model Y airbags problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2022 Tesla Model Y airbags
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2022 Tesla Model Y owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
**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
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.”
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
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.
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.
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.
Have had a service error come up multiple times front passenger safety restraint system fault -
Front passenger safety restraint system fault service is required error. this just appeared on my screen when my wife sat in the passenger seat.
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.
Questions about the 2022 Tesla Model Y airbags
Does the 2022 Tesla Model Y have airbags problems?
Owners have filed 19 complaints about the airbags of the 2022 Tesla Model Y, 2% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2022 Tesla Model Y airbags problems start?
Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.
Was there a recall on the 2022 Tesla Model Y airbags?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Tesla Model Y have bad airbags?
The Tesla Model Y model years with the most airbags complaints are 2023 (41 complaints), 2021 (23 complaints) and 2022 (19 complaints).
Other 2022 Tesla Model Y problems
Driver assistance 531Acceleration 140Brakes 132Electrical 121Steering 63Suspension 42Visibility 36Body 32Seat belts 24Seats 17Transmission 17Wheels 17Lights 16Engine 11Fuel system 9Locks 7Tires 5
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