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Airbag Recall is here for Tesla

boonedocks

Active Member
May 1, 2015
2,598
3,603
Gainesville, GA
Per Tesla Airbag Recall Memo:
"As part of a recent expansion of the industry-wide recall of Takata airbag inflators, the passenger airbags in certain 2012 Model S vehicles are now affected by the recall, and Tesla will be replacing them. Although the Takata recall currently only applies to 2012 Model S vehicles located in regions of the United States designated as high humidity, Tesla will replace the passenger airbags in all 2012 Model S vehicles globally. The safety of our customers is paramount and Tesla is taking this action even though there have been no airbag ruptures or other related incidents in any of its vehicles.

If you own a 2012 Model S vehicle, Tesla will contact you to schedule your replacement service. At this time there is no immediate action that you need to take.

As with the tens of millions of other vehicles with Takata airbags, this recall is taking place according to the schedule determined by the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Tesla intends to follow the same schedule for replacements in other countries as well – even where local regulators have not required a recall. This schedule ensures that customers will have sufficient time to replace recalled airbags before they present a risk to safety, due to the fact that the inflators only become defective based on a number of different factors, including their age.

Although the current recall only applies to 2012 Model S vehicles, the passenger airbags of all Model S vehicles produced through late 2016 are expected to eventually be recalled. If you own a Model S produced between 2013 and 2016, your airbags are safe, and you do not need to take any action until you receive further notice from Tesla. As noted by NHTSA, customers do not need to be concerned about Takata inflators before they receive a recall notice. Nevertheless, for convenience and peace of mind, Tesla will make every effort to proactively replace the airbags of all affected vehicles even before they are recalled. This will be performed as parts supply allows, and at this time you do not need to take any action.

The recalls will not affect any Tesla vehicles currently being produced, Model S vehicles that were produced after late 2016, or any Tesla Roadster or Model X vehicles. These vehicles do not have the type of airbag inflator that is subject to the recall.

For more information, FAQs, and other details related to this recall, please visit the Recall Information page. If you need additional assistance, you can also contact us by phone at (877) 798‑3752 or by email at [email protected].

Thank you for being a Tesla customer and working with us to ensure your safety. We apologize for any inconvenience."
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Informative
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Slipstream

Member
May 3, 2016
51
37
Pacific NW
Many of us just saw the airbag recall today for 2012 Model S cars (and later every model S up to late 2016).

So...

Since the airbags will likely be removed/replaced, how about Tesla retrofitting the new autopilot 2 hardware (cameras) into the pillars and sides and front/rear while they are replacing the airbags?

An extra time/cost to Tesla (especially if they don't charge for the retrofit), but they would more than make their money back in the software upgrade payment for the autopilot 2/self-driving feature.

This could be an option for existing Model S owners, of course.

Win-win for Tesla and their established customers!
 

Doubletap67

Member
Nov 23, 2016
203
93
Vancouver BC
Many of us just saw the airbag recall today for 2012 Model S cars (and later every model S up to late 2016).

So...

Since the airbags will likely be removed/replaced, how about Tesla retrofitting the new autopilot 2 hardware (cameras) into the pillars and sides and front/rear while they are replacing the airbags?

An extra time/cost to Tesla (especially if they don't charge for the retrofit), but they would more than make their money back in the software upgrade payment for the autopilot 2/self-driving feature.

This could be an option for existing Model S owners, of course.

Win-win for Tesla and their established customers!

I'm afraid you're dreaming. Even if the software upgrade paid for the parts and labor to do the upgrade, the engineering effort to design the rework and then to validate performance of reworked older cars with the software would consume resources that Tesla is very unlikely to have to spare in Model 3 launch year.
 

Andyw2100

Well-Known Member
Oct 22, 2014
6,542
2,393
Ithaca, NY
As part of a recent expansion of the industry-wide recall of Takata airbag inflators, the passenger airbags in certain 2012 Model S vehicles are now affected by the recall, and Tesla will be replacing them.

@boonedocks --

If you can still edit your post, you really should put quotation marks around it, or in some other way indicate that it is just a copy and paste of information Tesla sent out. By the time someone gets to the last line it is pretty obvious, but someone shouldn't have to read the entire message to know the words are not your own.
 
  • Helpful
Reactions: bmah

drklain

Active Member
Dec 17, 2016
1,049
1,049
Scottsdale, AZ/Fairfax, VA/Brussels, BE
So instead of just replacing the airbag unit on the steering wheel (or even the entire steering wheel) you are proposing:

- rip out the headliner and run additional cable runs
- rip out the front facing camera unit and install a new unit
- rip out the B-pillar covers, run cables to them and install new units (with cameras)
- rip out the turn signal side indicators, run new wiring to them and install new units (with cameras)
- replace all the ultrasonic sensors
- replace the Autopilot computer as well as the graphics processing unit(s) that process the cameras
- put all the associated trim back in after testing all connections, etc.

So in effect you are talking about taking a job that should be a couple of hours of labor plus the cost of the new airbag part(s) which will at least partially be paid for by Takata and instead turning this into probably 40-60 manhours plus a hole bunch of expensive parts that Tesla should just do "while they are in there"?
 

Slipstream

Member
May 3, 2016
51
37
Pacific NW
So instead of just replacing the airbag unit on the steering wheel (or even the entire steering wheel) you are proposing:

- rip out the headliner and run additional cable runs
- rip out the front facing camera unit and install a new unit
- rip out the B-pillar covers, run cables to them and install new units (with cameras)
- rip out the turn signal side indicators, run new wiring to them and install new units (with cameras)
- replace all the ultrasonic sensors
- replace the Autopilot computer as well as the graphics processing unit(s) that process the cameras
- put all the associated trim back in after testing all connections, etc.

So in effect you are talking about taking a job that should be a couple of hours of labor plus the cost of the new airbag part(s) which will at least partially be paid for by Takata and instead turning this into probably 40-60 manhours plus a hole bunch of expensive parts that Tesla should just do "while they are in there"?

Yes, exactly that.

Just joking!!! Of course, this is just a pipe dream :) Apologies with not adding a sarcasm (/s) to my original post.

Was actually thinking about the airbag front/side replacement, and how the interior covers to run the airbags would be exposed already...so, why not? :)

But yes, you are correct in that it would be an inordinate amount of labor/cost/parts to achieve this feat.

It is my birthday today...and I'm willing to provide my car for a retrograde fitting like this...help me, wk057 - you're my only hope!
 
Last edited:

mark

Member
Sep 8, 2012
236
107
Dallas
So instead of just replacing the airbag unit on the steering wheel (or even the entire steering wheel) you are proposing:

- rip out the headliner and run additional cable runs
- rip out the front facing camera unit and install a new unit
- rip out the B-pillar covers, run cables to them and install new units (with cameras)
- rip out the turn signal side indicators, run new wiring to them and install new units (with cameras)
- replace all the ultrasonic sensors
- replace the Autopilot computer as well as the graphics processing unit(s) that process the cameras
- put all the associated trim back in after testing all connections, etc.

So in effect you are talking about taking a job that should be a couple of hours of labor plus the cost of the new airbag part(s) which will at least partially be paid for by Takata and instead turning this into probably 40-60 manhours plus a hole bunch of expensive parts that Tesla should just do "while they are in there"?

Front facing camera? Ultrasonic sensors? No need to rip any of that out of a 2012...lol. But yeah, totally unrealistic.
 
  • Funny
Reactions: MP3Mike

mhw23

Member
Sep 12, 2016
57
29
Los Angeles
If you read the notice carefully, it's implying that airbags on all Model S cars will eventually be replaced, unless you have a late 2016 or newer car.
 

NeverEnough

Member
Nov 11, 2012
139
98
Austin, TX
If you want AP2 hardware, a 2012 would need a replacement of the single front facing camera with the triple camera unit (and obviously 3 video wires run to it). The AP2 cars supposedly have longer range ultrasonic sensors meaning you'd have to replace those as well.

The point is 2012's don't have AP1 hardware nor ultrasonic sensors so there is nothing to replace.
 

JohnnyG

Weee!
Jun 24, 2016
872
1,186
Columbus, OH
Many of us just saw the airbag recall today for 2012 Model S cars (and later every model S up to late 2016).

So...

Since the airbags will likely be removed/replaced, how about Tesla retrofitting the new autopilot 2 hardware (cameras) into the pillars and sides and front/rear while they are replacing the airbags?

An extra time/cost to Tesla (especially if they don't charge for the retrofit), but they would more than make their money back in the software upgrade payment for the autopilot 2/self-driving feature.

This could be an option for existing Model S owners, of course.

Win-win for Tesla and their established customers!
This would be a fine dream if they were replacing all of the airbags, but the e-mail specifically states that it is only the inflator for the passenger airbag.
 

BluestarE3

Active Member
Apr 2, 2016
4,083
5,153
Norcal
@boonedocks --

If you can still edit your post, you really should put quotation marks around it, or in some other way indicate that it is just a copy and paste of information Tesla sent out. By the time someone gets to the last line it is pretty obvious, but someone shouldn't have to read the entire message to know the words are not your own.
And if you (OP) can no longer edit the post, please click REPORT and ask a moderator to add the quotation marks for your.
 
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