Tesla Model X: Airbags
Airbags are located in the approximate areas shown below. Airbag warning
information is printed on the sun visors.
Model X is equipped with an airbag and lap/shoulder belt at both 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. 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, contact Tesla. Model X has the following types of airbags: Passenger Front Airbag Status The status of the passenger front airbag displays on the
touchscreen: Model X has an occupancy classification system (OCS) that controls the
status of the passenger front airbag. NOTE: 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. WARNING: Seating an infant in a rear facing child safety seat on a seat
equipped with an operational airbag
can cause serious injury or death. *If the passenger airbag status indicator does not match the situation, do
not use the seat. The passenger must ride in a different
seat. Contact Tesla Service. NOTE: It takes approximately six seconds after you power on Model X for
the occupant classification system (OCS)
to report accurate status of the front passenger airbag. As a result, when you
first power on Model X, even in
situations when it should be OFF because the seat is occupied by a weight of 20
lbs (9 kg) or less, it will take the
touchscreen approximately six seconds to display the status, PASS AIRBAG OFF. If
it fails to do so, contact Tesla
Service and do not seat a child in the front passenger seating position. To make sure the sensing system can correctly detect occupancy status,
eliminate the following: These conditions can interfere with the occupancy sensor. If you have
eliminated the above possibilities, and the
airbag status is still incorrect, ask passengers to ride in the rear seats and
contact Tesla to have the airbag system
checked. NOTE: The front passenger occupancy sensor affects the operation of the
passenger front airbags only. The side
airbags are not affected. WARNING: If the front passenger airbag is not turning on or off as
expected based on the weight thresholds
previously described, contact Tesla immediately.
WARNING: Never seat a child in the front passenger seat. DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY
to the child can occur.
Per recommendations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, all
occupants age 12 and under
must ride in the rear seats.
WARNING: To ensure accuracy of the occupant detection system, do not make any
modifications to the front
passenger seat. WARNING: Do not use seat covers on Model X. Doing so could restrict
deployment of the seat-mounted side
air bags if a collision occurs. It can also reduce the accuracy of the occupant
detection system and the noise-cancelling microphones, if equipped. To help ensure an occupant in the front passenger seat
can be accurately classified, the passenger must: In addition to the items listed above, the following
situations can interfere with the accuracy of the
occupant classification system: 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 contact Tesla to
have the airbag system checked. NOTE: Tesla follows NHTSA (National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration) recommendations that all
occupants age 12 and under must ride in the rear seating
positions. NOTE: The front passenger occupancy sensor affects
the operation of the passenger front airbags only. The
side airbags are not affected. 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. Contact
Tesla Service.
WARNING: To ensure accuracy of the occupant
detection system, do not make any modifications
to the front passenger seat.
WARNING: Do not use seat covers on Model X.
Doing so could restrict deployment of the seat-mounted side air bags if a collision occurs. It can
also reduce the accuracy of the occupant classification system. Correct seating position: Incorrect seating position - the passenger's feet must
be on the floor: Incorrect seating position - the passenger must not
slide forward on the seat cushion: Incorrect seating position - the passenger must not
recline the backrest to a laying down position when the
vehicle is moving: 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: To restore high voltage power, use the touchscreen to
manually power off Model X (see Powering Off), then press the brake to power it back on again. Airbag Warnings 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 X.
Doing so could restrict deployment of the seat-
mounted side air bags 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. The National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
recommends a minimum distance of 10" (25 cm)
between an occupant's chest and an airbag.
WARNING: Children should not be seated on the
front passenger seat. 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
on a seat equipped with an operational front
airbag can cause serious injury or death.
WARNING: Do not use a rear-facing child safety
seat on a seat with an operational airbag in front
of it. Doing so can cause injury or death if the
airbag inflates. WARNING: To ensure correct inflation of the side
airbags, maintain an unobstructed gap between an
occupant's torso and the side of Model X.
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. 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.Location of Airbags
Types of Airbags
The Passenger Airbag Off
indicator
displays only when the passenger front
airbag is OFF. When the passenger front
airbag is OFF, it does not inflate when a
collision occurs. This indicator does not
display when the airbag is ON or when
the seat is unoccupied.
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.
Controlling the Passenger Front Airbag
Ensuring Accurate Occupant
Classification
Examples of Correct and Incorrect
Seating Positions
Airbag Warning Indicator
The airbag indicator on the
touchscreen
remains lit if the airbag system is
malfunctioning. The only time this indicator
should light up is briefly when Model X first
powers up, in which case it turns off within
a few seconds. If it remains lit, contact
Tesla immediately and do not drive.