The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·17V023000·Announced 2017-01-10

Tesla Recalls 2012 Model S Vehicles for Front Passenger Air Bag Defect

Tesla is recalling 2012 Model S vehicles because the front passenger air bag inflator may rupture in a crash, potentially causing serious injury or death.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly states that the defect may result in 'serious injury or death,' which aligns with the rubric criteria for a Severe (4) rating involving significant injury reports or potential for serious harm.

Plain-English summary

Tesla Motors, Inc. is recalling all 2012 Model S vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment.

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Tesla will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag, free of charge. The recall began September 12, 2017. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
TESLA MODEL S
Brand
TESLA
Manufacturer
Tesla Motors, Inc.
Category
Vehicle — Air Bags
Hazard
Affected units
2,997

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (1)

  • MODEL S

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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