Manually Disabling Passenger Front Airbag

[VTShaggy]

I used to be able to disable the Passenger Front Airbag in my 2022 Model 3 by the following:

Controls > Safety > Passenger Front Airbag

Suddenly that option has disappeared. Was this changed in a recent software update? I can't find anything in the release notes so far.

 

[RSpanner]

Why?

 

[father_of_6]

Spousal life insurance policy collection, duh.

 

[stopcrazypp]

I used to be able to disable the Passenger Front Airbag in my 2022 Model 3 by the following:

Controls > Safety > Passenger Front Airbag

Suddenly that option has disappeared. Was this changed in a recent software update? I can't find anything in the release notes so far.

I imagine this is different depending on which country, given not all countries may allow you to disable the airbag.

From the current manual, the current model does not allow you to manually disable the passenger airbag. It instead works based on the passenger seat sensor. If you have a child who is too small for the airbag (yet indicator shows it is triggered on), it requires you to put them in a rear seat yourself.
Model 3 Owner's Manual | Tesla
This may be related to these rule/recommendations from the NHTSA:

The occupancy classification system (OCS) meets the regulatory requirement of FMVSS 208 and automatically detects when inflating the passenger front airbag would be unnecessary or potentially harmful.

Tesla follows NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) recommendations that all occupants age 12 and under must ride in a rear seating position.

I dug the old manual (also USA market) from back in 2018, it does not say you can manually disable the airbag.

However for countries where it is legal to put a child in the front seats, the option is mentioned in the manual (example from Jordan's manual):
Model 3 Owner's Manual | Tesla

 

[Timbo2]

Why?

Like everything in life there are tradeoffs.

1. A rear-facing infant restraint must be placed in the front seat of a vehicle because there is no rear seat or the rear seat is too small for the child restraint. (For the passenger air bag only.)
2. A child under 13 years of age must ride in the front seat because the child has a condition that requires frequent medical monitoring in the front seat. (For the passenger air bag only.)
3. An individual with a medical condition is safer if the frontal air bag is turned off. A written statement from a physician must accompany each request based on a medical condition unless the request is based on a medical condition for which the National Conference on Medical Indications for Air Bag Deactivation recommends deactivation. (For driver and/or passenger frontal air bag as appropriate.)

NHTSA - Air Bags

In countries where many people don't drive around with automobiles the size of small trucks you may need to carry small children in various ways in the front seat. You generally have the ability to manually turn off the passenger airbag in these countries.

 

[RSpanner]

Like everything in life there are tradeoffs.

1. A rear-facing infant restraint must be placed in the front seat of a vehicle because there is no rear seat or the rear seat is too small for the child restraint. (For the passenger air bag only.)
2. A child under 13 years of age must ride in the front seat because the child has a condition that requires frequent medical monitoring in the front seat. (For the passenger air bag only.)
3. An individual with a medical condition is safer if the frontal air bag is turned off. A written statement from a physician must accompany each request based on a medical condition unless the request is based on a medical condition for which the National Conference on Medical Indications for Air Bag Deactivation recommends deactivation. (For driver and/or passenger frontal air bag as appropriate.)

NHTSA - Air Bags

In countries where many people don't drive around with automobiles the size of small trucks you may need to carry small children in various ways in the front seat. You generally have the ability to manually turn off the passenger airbag in these countries.

yep, I forgot about those things...grandkids are older now, thanks.