Front and Rear Seats

Correct Driving Position

The seat, head support, seat belt and airbags work together to maximize your safety. Using these correctly ensures greater protection.

Person sitting in the driver's seat, seat belt on, hands on steering wheel

Position the seat so you can wear the seat belt correctly, while being as far away from the front airbag as possible:

Sit upright with both feet on the floor and the seat back in an upright position.
Make sure you can easily reach the pedals and that your arms are slightly bent when holding the steering wheel. Your chest should be at least 10 inches (25 cm) from the center of the airbag cover.
Place the shoulder section of the seat belt mid-way between your neck and your shoulder. Fit the lap section of the belt tightly across your hips, not across your stomach.

Model Y seats include integrated head supports in the front that cannot be adjusted or removed.

Adjusting the Front Seats

Three adjustment knobs on the side of the seat

Move seat forward/backward and adjust the seat’s height and tilt angle up/down.
Adjust backrest.
Adjust lumbar support.

CAUTION

Do not move a front seat's backrest fully forward when the seat is also in the fully forward position. Doing so can cause the top of the seat to hit, and potentially damage, the sun visor.

Warning

Before adjusting a front seat, check that the area around the seat is free of obstacles (people and objects).

Warning

Do not adjust seats while driving. Doing so increases the risk of a collision.

Warning

Riding in a moving vehicle with the seat back reclined can result in serious injuries in a collision, as you could slide under the lap belt or be propelled into the seat belt. Ensure your seat back is reclined no more than 30 degrees when the vehicle is moving.

Calibrating Seats

You can calibrate the driver seat. This is useful if you find your seat range limited or your driver profile does not automatically adjust the seat for you. Navigate to Controls > Service > Driver Seat, Steering & Mirrors Calibration and follow the instructions on the touchscreen.

Warning

Ensure nothing is behind or underneath the driver seat during calibration. Failure to do so may cause serious injury.

Adjusting Second Row Seat Backs

Model Y provides seating for up to three passengers in the second row. The seat back is split 60/40 so adjusting the left seat back moves the seat backs for both the left and center seating positions, whereas adjusting the right seat back moves only the rightmost seat back.

Use the adjustment handles on the outside corner of each second row outboard seat back to adjust the corresponding seat back. While pulling and holding the handle, move the seat back to the desired position, and then release the handle. Ensure the seat back is securely latched into position by pushing it forward and rearward.

Two arrows each pointing to a button on the outside of the second row seats

Folding Second Row Seat Backs

To maximize cargo space, each second row seat back can be folded fully forward to lay flat. While pulling and holding the handle, push the corresponding seat back fully forward.

One second row seat folded forward with arrow pointing down

Note

Before folding seats fully forward, remove any items from the seats and the rear footwell. To allow the seat backs to fold completely flat, you may need to move the front seats forward.

Note

Driving with second row seats folded forward may increase perceivable noise and/or vibration coming from the rear of the vehicle (trunk, suspension, etc.).

To allow you to carry long items (such as skis) in the rear of Model Y, the center seat back can also be independently folded forward. Pull the handle on the rear of the seat back to unlatch it, then pull it forward.

Blue handle on the back of the center seat

Center second row seat folded forward with arrow pointing down

You can also fold the second row seat backs fully forward by pressing the corresponding switch located on the left side of the rear trunk. Pressing the switch causes the seat back to swing forward. You can then push it downward so it lays fully flat.

A callout showing a switch on the left side of the rear trunk

Warning

Before pressing the switch to fold the seat back, you MUST keep body parts (hands, fingers, etc.) and objects away from the edges of rear seats. The seat can swing forward with considerable force and cause injury or damage.

To return the seat backs to their upright position, pull it upwards until it locks into place. To confirm that the seat back is locked in the upright position, try pulling it forward.

Note

Before raising a second row seat back, make sure that the seat belts are not trapped behind the backrest.

CAUTION

Before folding seats all the way down, ensure the seat belt is unbuckled and there are no objects remaining on the seat.

Warning

Always ensure the seat backs are locked in their upright position by pushing it forward or rearward. Failure to do so increases the risk of injury.

Head Supports

The front seats include integrated head supports that you cannot adjust.

The second row outboard seats include an adjustable head support that you can raise, lower, or remove. When either of these seats is occupied by a passenger that is not in a child safety seat, the corresponding head support should be adjusted (align the center of the head support with the center of the occupant's head) and locked into position. To raise a head support on a second row outboard seat, pull it upward to the desired position. To lower it, press and hold the button on the base of the outer post while pushing it downward.

An arrow pointing to a button on theg head support base, with an arrow pointing down on the head support cushion

The second row center seat are equipped with the option to raise a head support. Initially stowed into the seat's back rest, you can access the head support by pulling it upward.

Warning

When installing a child safety seat in a second row seating position, you must lower the head support. The headrest must be raised and locked in place when sitting in the rear middle seat.

To stow the head support in the second row center seat, press and hold the button on the base of the post while pushing the head support fully downward.

An arrow pointing to a button on the head support base, with an arrow pointing down on the head support cushion

Warning

To minimize the risk of severe injury or death in the event of a collision, ensure that head supports are positioned correctly before driving.

Removing/Installing a Head Support

All head supports in the second seating positions can be removed. To remove a head support:

Fully raise the head support by pulling it upward.
Press and hold the button located at the base of one of the posts.
Insert a short, flat object (such as a small flat-head screwdriver) into the opening in the base of the opposite post and pull the head support upward.

To re-install the head support:

With the front of the head support facing forward, insert both posts into the corresponding holes on the seat back.
Press downward on the head support until it clicks into place.
Pull upward on the head support to ensure that it is secure.

Warning

Ensure that the head support is correctly installed before seating an occupant. Failure to do so increases the risk of injury or death if a collision occurs.

Seat Heaters

The front and second row seats operate at three levels from 3 (highest) to 1 (lowest). To operate the seat heaters, see Operating Climate Controls.

Warning

To avoid burns resulting from prolonged use, individuals who have peripheral neuropathy, or whose capacity to feel pain is limited because of diabetes, age, neurological injury, or some other condition, should exercise caution when using the climate control system and seat heaters.

Seat Covers

Warning

Do not use seat covers on a front seat. Doing so could restrict deployment of the seat-mounted side airbags if a collision occurs. Also, if the vehicle is equipped with an occupant detection system that is used to determine the status of the passenger front airbag, seat covers may interfere with this system.