There are 22 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 2020 Tesla Model Yin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Vehicle had "front passenger safety restraint system fault" multiple times intermittently. Serviced by Tesla service center in Dublin, CA who confirmed the problem. Documentation on the invoice stated that there was an open service bulletin related to this issue and was related to "the occupancy sensory in the seat was not functioning as expected." Upon inspection by the technician they found "an open connection in the seat harness and seat cover that can cause intermittent alerts." Additional repair notes indicate that this was to "address a service bulletin related to the front passenger seat's occupant classification system. We identified the need for an update to ensure proper functionality. To resolve this, we retrofitted the system in the front passenger seat as per the bulletin requirements." The fact that there is an open service bulletin for this issue indicates that it is not isolated to just this vehicle. An issue with the occupant sensors of a front vehicle seat directly impacts whether the air bags will deploy in a crash, therefore this is a serious safety risk.
Subject: Complaint Regarding Faulty Seat Belt on Tesla Vehicle (VIN: [XXX] ) Dear NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline, I am writing to formally report a safety concern regarding my Tesla vehicle, VIN [XXX] . I have experienced issues with the seat belt system, which I believe are related to a known defect. Despite this, my vehicle was not included in the recent recall for faulty seat belts. The problem I am facing is consistent with the conditions described in the recall notice, and I am concerned about the safety implications of continuing to use this defective component. I believe that my vehicle shares the same defect as the recalled units, and I request that NHTSA review this matter to determine whether my VIN should be included in the recall or whether further investigation is warranted. Please advise on the next steps I should take, and whether Tesla should be required to address this issue for my vehicle. Safety is a top priority, and I appreciate your attention to this matter. Thank you for your assistance. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I am reporting a recurring Safety Restraint System Fault error in my 2020 Tesla Model Y. The issue manifests as an alert on the vehicle's dashboard, warning of a problem with the safety restraint system. This error began appearing at approximately 75000 miles. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The Safety Restraint System in my Tesla Model Y is giving errors. Yes, the component is still installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? This malfunction affects critical safety features, including the airbag system and seatbelt functionality, potentially preventing proper deployment of airbags in an accident. Additionally, when the fault occurs, it disables key driving safety features like Autopilot and cruise control, which increases the risk of accidents, particularly in scenarios where these features are expected to function. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, the problem has been reproduced and confirmed by Tesla. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? Inspection by tesla is scheduled Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes, the "Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault" warning appeared on the vehicle's display prior.
The contact owned a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH in rainy weather, the vehicle inadvertently spun in circles, and he lost control of the vehicle. The contact took his foot off the accelerator pedal. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle crashed into an embankment and then spun twice before inadvertently driving into the forest and coming to a complete stop. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact and his father, who was a passenger, were uninjured. There was no medical attention received. The vehicle was first towed to the tow yard, and then the insurance company had it towed to the salvage yard, where it was deemed totaled. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to contact the local dealer for the computer data. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
I have been getting "RCM2_a626" error for "front passenger safety restraint system fault. It comes and goes. Apparently it is a common issues among tesla owners. When I first filled for the error they quoted $2000 for replacing front passenger seat. The error went away so I canceled the appointment. Then it came back in a random fashion and getting more frequent. This time, in addition to replacing the front passanger seat cushion, "they're retrofitting "SBR in OCS Equipped Front Passenger Seat." I'm not sure what that means. If this is a common issue, there must be something to do with manufacturer QC.
Rcm2_a636 Front passenger safety restraint system fault
we were in a head-on collision (not our fault) in April. The police determined the combined speed of the crash impact to be 60-65 miles per hour. The 2020 Tesla Y did not deploy its airbags. And as far as we can determine, the accident was not automatically recorded by the Tesla as it should have been. Because the airbags did not deploy, I sustained a fracture to my sternum that traverses over to my collarbone. We both have TBIs and other injuries. With that kind of an impact, one would expect an airbag to protect oneself, yet it did not. There were no warning lights/messages/etc from our vehicle. We are asking that you please look into this safety matter. (Especially since you are part of the push to have us own electric cars, they need to be safe for us). I do not know how much longer the Tesla will be available to inspect.
Rear seat seatbelt (behind driver) doesn't latch
The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH with the Auto Pilot activated, the driver attempted to steer into the left lane to avoid a collision. The vehicle suddenly began to fishtail causing the driver to lose control of the steering and crash into the concrete median. During the crash, the vehicle was destroyed. The air bags did not deploy and the driver sustained a head contusion and later received medical treatment. No police report was taken. The vehicle was towed to the home. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the incident. The contact later received a recall notice for the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V838000(Electrical System). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 45,000.
Front Passenger safety restraint system fault. This is 3rd time this system warning has come up. The previous 2 fixes were under warrantee (the last one was Feb 2023), the new one is not and estimated at $1100 fix.
Passenger rear seat seatbelt stopped working abruptly. Buckle will not click to secure.
Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault, error message appeared. Tesla is asking for ~$1500 to fix a sensor that would prevent air bag from deploying. Seems like a safety issue that should be addressed. The message appears whenever there is someone/some thing in front passenger seat. Tesla has inspected. I believe it happened after a minor accident in a parking lot, but Tesla and the repair shop can not prove that it did, so insurance will not correlate to the accident.
Its a known issue affecting many model 3 and model Ys front passenger safety restraint system fault. It's all over the tesla message boards. It just happened to my vehicle.
The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated, indicating that the passenger’s side air bag was disabled. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty; however, the manufacturer sent a mechanic to the residence, who replaced the sensor; however, the failure recurred. The mechanic came back a second time and performed a bypass on the sensor; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer informed the contact that the passenger's seat needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to the code RCM2_A636 (Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault). The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that after an update was made to the vehicle's autopilot feature, the vehicle experienced phantom braking intermittently that activated without the brake pedal being depressed. The contact stated that while his wife was driving on autopilot at 55 MPH, the phantom brake occurred which caused the vehicle to hydroplane. The vehicle initially veered to the left and then to the right, hitting a guardrail. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The guardrail was damaged as a result of the incident. The contact's wife did not notice any warning lights during the failure. His wife did not suffer any injuries during the crash and a police report was not filed. The contact's wife managed to drive the vehicle home after the incident. The service center nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a stationary dumpster. During the crash, the front driver-side air bag did not deploy and the front driver-side seat belt malfunctioned and failed to secure the driver in place. As a result of the failures, the contact sustained an injured nose and facial bruises after making contact with the steering wheel, a fractured rib, and a right elbow injury along with torso bruises. No police report was taken. The vehicle was towed away. Medical treatment was later provided. The cause of the failures was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the incident. The failure mileage was 22,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH in the right-hand lane, another vehicle was swerving towards her vehicle, and she instinctively veered to the side of the road. The contact hit a fire hydrant, drove on a sidewalk, and crashed into a building. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact sustained severe whiplash injuries that included torn ligaments in the neck, a large abrasion and bruises on the shoulder, bruised abdomen from the seatbelt. The contact was transported to the hospital by emergency services. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 14,608.
my wife who is 130 lbs while driving the passenger airbag turns off, I have told tesla service and they keep saying she needs to sit all the way back in the seat which we have tried and this does not work either, I took it into service to have this fixed and they did not fix it. I continue to send the bug report when it happens, it is oblivious that the sensor is not reading the correct weight. I have been dealing with this for over 5 months
The car suddenly picked up the speed in the parking lot, went over the car stopper, curb and hit the Tree. The airbags never got activated, OR the sensors were nonfunctional. I received a call in less than 1 minute from Tesla Roadside if I was safe. Paramedics took me to the ER by 911. I had some injuries because of a malfunction of airbags, brakes, and warning systems. The car is towed to the nearby Tesla-approved repair place. I am somewhat concerned about the cause, and I believe Tesla knew what had malfunctioned in their car. I have been a safe driver without traffic tickets and accidents ever in the last 45 years.
2 weeks back one of the rear passenger seat belts stopped latching to the seat buckle. I filed a service request with Tesla and scheduled a service appointment. They have rescheduled the appointment twice already and they haven't addressed the issue as the necessary parts are not yet available. I don't understand how to safely use the car with children if the seat belts are not working.
Showing 1–20 of 22 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026