Tesla Recalls Model S And Model X Vehicles Over Incorrect Airbag Installation

Tesla has issued a recall for 91 vehicles, including certain Model S and Model X units built between 2021 and 2025, due to incorrect airbag installation that may render the horn inoperative.

According to the report filled by Tesla to NHTSA said, On affected vehicles, a service operator may have installed an airbag with a non-mechanical horn pad in a mechanical steering wheel or an airbag with a mechanical horn pad in a non-mechanical steering wheel, resulting in a loss of horn functionality. Airbag functionality is unaffected.

"If a non-mechanical horn pad is installed in a mechanical steering wheel, the horn is non-operational if the horn pad is pressed. If a mechanical horn pad is installed in a non-mechanical steering wheel, the horn is non-operational if the steering wheel switch for horn is pressed," the report added.

The issue was noticed on December 2024, while conducting a routine review of driver side airbag service consumption records for service repair rates. From December 12, 2024, through March 12, 2025, Tesla reviewed service records, vehicle configuration and material records globally related to incorrect part consumption for driver side airbags. Based on the completion of this review, Tesla identified 91 vehicles in which the wrong driver side airbags by horn type may have been consumed into non-compatible steering wheel configurations.

As of March 19, 2025, Tesla reported four warranty claims potentially linked to the issue, but no crashes, injuries, or fatalities have been associated with the condition. Tesla has updated its service system as of March 5, 2025, to include a steering wheel type selector to ensure proper parts are used in future repairs.

To deal with the issue Tesla will inspect the driver-side airbags and replace any incorrect variants at no cost. Since all affected vehicles are still under warranty, no reimbursement process is necessary.