Airbags

Location of Airbags

Airbags are located in the approximate areas shown below. Airbag warning information is printed on the sun visors.

Model S is equipped with an airbag and lap/shoulder belt (also called seat belt assembly) at both designated front seating positions. The airbag is a supplemental restraint at those seating positions. All occupants, including the driver, should always wear their seat belts whether or not an airbag is also provided at their seating position to minimize the risk of severe injury or death in the event of a crash.

The location of all airbags inside the vehicle

Passenger front airbag
Driver front airbag
Seat-mounted side airbags
Curtain airbags

How Airbags Work

Airbags inflate when sensors detect an impact that exceeds deployment thresholds. These thresholds are designed to predict the severity of a crash in time for the airbags to help protect the vehicle's occupants. Airbags inflate instantly with considerable force accompanied by a loud noise. The inflated bag, together with the seat belts, limits movement of occupants to reduce the risk of injury.

Front airbags are not ordinarily designed to inflate in rear collisions, rollovers, side collisions and when braking heavily or driving over bumps and potholes. Likewise, front airbags may not inflate in all frontal collisions, such as minor front collisions, underride collisions, or minor impacts with narrow objects (such as posts or poles). Significant superficial damage can occur to the vehicle without the airbags inflating and, conversely, a relatively small amount of structural damage can cause airbags to inflate. Therefore, the external appearance of the vehicle after a collision does not represent whether or not the front airbags should have inflated.

Warning

Before modifying your vehicle to accommodate a person with disabilities in a way that may affect the airbag system, use the mobile app to schedule a service appointment.

Types of Airbags

Model S has the following types of airbags:

Front airbags: The front airbags are designed to reduce injuries if larger children or adults are riding in the front seats. Follow all warnings and instructions related to seating a child on the front passenger seat (if permitted in your market region).
Seat-mounted airbags: A seat-mounted side airbag in the front seats helps protect the pelvis and the thorax region of the torso. The seat-mounted airbag on the inside portion of the driver's seat helps protect the head and torso. Seat-mounted airbags on both the impacted and non-impacted side of the vehicle inflate in the event of a severe side impact or a severe offset frontal impact.
Curtain airbags: Curtain airbags help protect the head. Curtain airbags on both the impacted and non-impacted side of the vehicle inflate only if a severe side impact occurs, or if the vehicle rolls over.

Airbag Status Indicator

The status of the passenger front airbag displays on the touchscreen:

Airbag and passenger symbols with text: Passenger airbag off

The Passenger Airbag Off indicator displays on the touchscreen when the passenger front airbag is OFF. When the passenger front airbag is OFF, it does not inflate when a collision occurs. This indicator also displays when the seat is unoccupied. When driving with a child seat on the front passenger seat (if permitted in your market region), always double-check the status of the passenger front airbag to confirm that it is OFF.

Note

In cars manufactured prior to approximately December 2019, the Passenger Airbag Off indicator does not display when the seat is unoccupied.

A child safety seat icon with a circle-backslash symbol and text: Passenger airbag on

To protect an adult occupying the front passenger seat, ensure the passenger front airbag is ON. When the passenger airbag is ON, it may inflate when a collision occurs.

A red circle depicting an airbag and an icon of a passenger with a seat belt on

The airbag indicator on the instrument cluster remains lit if the airbag system is malfunctioning. The only time this indicator should illuminate is briefly when Model S first powers up, in which case it turns off within a few seconds. If it remains illuminated, use the mobile app to schedule a service appointment immediately and do not drive.

Warning

If seating a child in the front passenger seat is legally permitted in your market region, it is the driver's responsibility to ensure that the passenger front airbag is OFF. Never seat a child in the front passenger seat with an active airbag, even if using a child restraint system or booster seat. DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY to the child can occur.

Controlling the Passenger Front Airbag

When a child is seated in the front passenger seat (even when the child is seated in a child restraint system or booster seat), you must disable the passenger front airbag to prevent it from injuring the child if a collision occurs. Toggle the front passenger airbag OFF before placing a child seat in the front passenger seat by ensuring the vehicle is in Park, then touching Controls > Safety > Passenger Front Airbag.

Note

To access the control for the front passenger airbag, the front passenger seat must be empty. If the occupancy sensor detects weight (such as a person, a child safety seat, or an object), the control is grayed out. You must remove any weight from the seat before turning the passenger front airbag on or off.

Note

Model S has a capacitive touchscreen and may not respond to your touch if you are wearing standard gloves. If the touchscreen is not responding, remove gloves or wear gloves with conductive fingertips for use with capacitive touchscreens.

Warning

When you manually disable the passenger front airbag, you must subsequently manually enable it to protect an adult occupant seated in the front passenger seat.

Warning

If the front passenger airbag is not turning on or off as expected based on the weight thresholds previously described, use the mobile app to schedule a service appointment immediately.

Warning

Never seat a child on the front passenger seat when the passenger front airbag is ON. Doing so can cause serious injury or death. It is the driver's responsibility to confirm that the passenger front airbag is OFF before driving with a child seated on the front passenger seat.

Warning

If the passenger front airbag, or the touchscreen control for Passenger Front Airbag, does not appear to be functioning (for example, the airbag status indicator shows that the airbag is on, even if you have turned it off , or vice versa, or the touchscreen control for turning the airbag on or off is grayed out even when the seat is empty), do not seat a passenger in the front seat. Use the mobile app to schedule a service appointment immediately.

Ensuring Accurate Occupant Detection

To help ensure an occupant in the front passenger seat can be accurately detected, the passenger must:

Wear a seat belt.
Sit upright on the center of the seat cushion, with shoulders resting against the seat back and legs extended comfortably in front with feet on the floor. See Examples of Correct and Incorrect Seating Positions.
Remain positioned on the seat cushion and not lift their weight off the seat (for example, by pushing their feet against the floor or pressing on the center console or armrest to lift up).
Never wear thick, wet, or bulky clothing (such as ski wear or padded clothing).

In addition to the items listed above, the following situations can interfere with the accuracy of the occupant classification system:

Placing a radio transmitter (for example, a hunting radio or walkie-talkie) on the front passenger seat.
Placing an AC/DC inverter, or a device that is being powered by the inverter (for example, a cell phone, tablet, or computer) on the front passenger seat cushion.
Placing liquid (such as a bottled drink) or food containers on a car seat when a child seat is present.
Objects lodged under the seat or wedged between the seat back and cushion.
Heavy objects sitting on the seat (briefcase, large purse).
Cargo interfering with the seat.
Aftermarket items attached to or placed between the seat and the occupant, such as covers, mats, blankets, etc.

These conditions can interfere with the occupancy sensor. If you have eliminated the above possibilities, and the airbag status is still incorrect, instruct passengers to ride in the rear seats and use the mobile app to schedule a service appointment to have the airbag system checked.

Note

The front passenger occupancy sensor affects the operation of the passenger front and side airbags.

Warning

Failure to follow the above instructions can adversely affect the Occupant Classification System (OCS) which can cause serious injury or death.

Warning

If the front passenger airbag is not turning on or off as expected, do not seat a passenger in the front passenger seat. Use the mobile app to schedule a service appointment.

Warning

To ensure accuracy of the occupant detection system, do not make any modifications to the front passenger seat and do not use seat covers. Modifying the seat, or using seat covers, can restrict deployment of the seat-mounted side airbags if a collision occurs. It can also reduce the accuracy of the occupant classification system.

Examples of Correct and Incorrect Seating Positions

Correct seating position:

Person sitting in car seat correctly: shoulder and back against the seat, feet on the floor, seat belt on

Incorrect seating position - the passenger's feet must be on the floor:

Person sitting in car seat incorrectly with feet on the dash

Incorrect seating position - the passenger must not slide forward on the seat cushion:

Person sitting in car seat incorrectly with hips at the front of the seat cushion

Incorrect seating position - the passenger must not recline the backrest to a laying down position when the vehicle is moving:

Person sitting in a car seat incorrectly with the backrest in a laying down position

Inflation Effects

Warning

When airbags inflate, a fine powder is released. This powder can irritate the skin and should be thoroughly flushed from the eyes and from any cuts or abrasions.

After inflation, the airbags deflate to provide a gradual cushioning effect for the occupants and to ensure the driver’s forward vision is not obscured.

If airbags have inflated, or if your vehicle has been in a collision, always have the airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners and any associated components checked and, if necessary, replaced by Tesla.

In a collision, in addition to the airbags inflating:

Doors unlock, and the door handles extend.
Hazard warning lights turn on.
Interior lights turn on.
High voltage is disabled (you must use the mobile app to schedule a service appointment to restore high voltage power).
Windows go to the vent position.
Vehicle applies the brakes to come to a stop.

Note

Depending on the nature of the impact and the forces involved, doors may not unlock in a collision and/or damage may prevent them from opening. In such cases, the door may need to be opened using the interior manual release, or other means of extrication (for example, exiting through another door, breaking the window, etc.).

Airbag Warnings

Warning

Do not place objects over or near airbags because any such objects could cause harm if the vehicle is in a crash severe enough to cause the airbag to inflate.

Warning

All occupants, including the driver, should always wear their seat belts, whether or not an airbag is also provided at their seating position, to minimize the risk of severe injury or death in the event of a collision.

Warning

Front seat occupants should not place their arms over the airbag module, as an inflating airbag can cause fractures or other injuries.

Warning

Do not use seat covers on Model S. Doing so could restrict deployment of the seat-mounted side airbags if a collision occurs. It can also reduce the accuracy of the occupant detection system, if equipped.

Warning

Airbags inflate with considerable speed and force, which can cause injury. To limit injuries, ensure that occupants are wearing seat belts and are correctly seated, with the seat positioned as far back as possible.

Warning

Children should not be seated on the front passenger seat unless permitted by regulations in your market region. Follow all regulations in your region for the appropriate way to seat a child based on the child's weight, size, and age. The safest place to seat infants and young children is in a rear seating position. Seating an infant or child in a rear-facing child restraint system on a seat equipped with an operational airbag can cause serious injury or death.

Warning

To ensure correct inflation of the side airbags, maintain an unobstructed gap between an occupant’s torso and the side of Model S.

Warning

Passengers shouldn't lean their heads against doors. Doing so can cause injury if a curtain airbag inflates.

Warning

Do not allow passengers to obstruct the operation of an airbag by placing feet, knees or any other part of the body on or near an airbag.

Warning

Do not attach or place objects on or near the front airbags, the side of the front seats, the headliner at the side of the vehicle, or any other airbag cover that could interfere with inflation of an airbag. These include but are not limited to: steering wheel covers, decals, seat cushions, pillows, etc. Objects can cause serious injury if the vehicle is in a collision severe enough to cause the airbag to inflate.

Warning

Following inflation, some airbag components are hot. Do not touch until they have cooled.