2018 Tesla Model X Air Bags & Restraints Problems

‘safety restraint system issue’ error pops up when ever car is turned on was told that can cause airbag to not be deployed when needed.

System warning for the rear left safety restraint. Took it into Tesla and they charged me.

I have encountered what seems to be a very common issue in 2018ish tesla vehicles. Seatbelt sensor issues. While I believe it is due to wiring below the seat, tesla claims the only fix is an entire seat replacement. Researching this it seems to be a widespread issue, especially as the cars age.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the driver and passenger side second-row captain seat belts were engaged, and the seat belt restraint error message was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that when the seat belts were extended right, and seat belts failed to retract. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the seat belt assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that the second-row passenger's side seat belt had fully retracted and could not be pulled out. The vehicle was taken to a Tesla Service Center, where it was diagnosed that the seat belt was twisted internally. The Tesla Service Center untwisted the seat belt internally. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.

Since the purchase of this vehicle the Safety Restraint System Fault Alert intermittently pops up while I am driving the vehicle. Tesla has owners make service appointment in an App which I have done multiple times in the past few years but each time the alert has gone away and the service appointments have been canceled. Turns out now, 4 years later, we have been driving with a faulty restraint system and there is a disconnect between the system and the wiring. Essentially this is a safety issue in that the notification system is faulty and incorrectly and only intermittently warns of possible failure as well as a possibility of the restraint system actually failing in a driving scenario. This problem is particularly concerning because they are unable to correctly diagnose which seats are affected and that includes seats that may have car seats attached.

May 21, 2021 air bag had to be replaced, horn did not function as well as other components of the unit on the steering wheel. I am now dealing with the same issue again and the air bag and horn again are not work less than a year later after replacement. I will be getting it serviced again.

MY 4 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER CLIMBED INTO THE 3RD ROW OF OUR TESLA MODEL X WHILE IT WAS PARKED. SHE WANTED TO SIT IN THE BACK SEAT AND USE A "BIG GIRL" SEAT BELT, INSTEAD OF HER CAR SEAT. SHE ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE SEAT BELT ON AND EVEN CLICKED IT INTO PLACE WITH THE STRAP OVER HER LAP. HOWEVER, SHE SOMEHOW GOT THE CHEST/SHOULDER STRAP WRAPPED AROUND HER NECK. MY DAUGHTER & WIFE THOUGHT THAT LETTING THE BELT RETRACT A LITTLE WOULD ALLOW THE REMOVE THE TENSION AND ALLOW THE BELT TO BE FULLY EXTENDED. THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. LUCKILY, ONE OF MY CHILD'S ARMS WAS IN A RAISED POSITION AND PREVENTED THE SEAT BELT (NOW IN A LOOP AROUND HER NECK) FROM LITERALLY STRANGLING HER. MY WIFE CALLED ME IN A PANIC AND HURRIED HOME. MY DAUGHTER SAT IN THE BACK SEAT CRYING AND IN A PANIC. I MET THEM IN THE STREET WHEN SHE ARRIVED. THE CAR WAS STILL ON WHEN I JUMPED IN THE BACK SEAT. I INITIALLY THOUGHT I COULD LET THE SEAT BELT RETRACT A BIT AND THEN THE TENSION WOULD RELEASE SO THAT I COULD REMOVE HER. THE PROBLEM IS THE BELT NEVER ALLOWED ME TO EXTEND IT. INSTEAD, THE SEAT BELT CONTINUED TO REMAIN TIGHT AND ENGAGED EVEN AS IT WAS RETRACTED. IN THE END, I HAD TO HOLD THE SEAT BELT IN PLACE SO IT WOULDN'T GET ANY TIGHTER AND MY WIFE RAN INTO THE HOUSE AND GRABBED SCISSORS. ONCE I HAD SECURED THE SEAT BELT AND HAD SCISSORS IN HAND, I ASKED MY WIFE TO TAKE A CELL PHONE VIDEO OF IT. I CAN SHARE THAT VIDEO WITH YOU IF YOU LIKE. ULTIMATELY, WE HAD TO CUT THE SEAT BELT. WE HAVE NOT ALERTED TESLA OF THIS ISSUE AND WE HAVE NOT YET HAD THE CAR REPAIRED. I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH SEAT BELT SAFETY REQUIREMENTS, AND I REALIZE MY DAUGHTER IS VERY YOUNG AND HAVING THE SEAT BELT WRAP AROUND HER NECK IS LIKELY AN UNCOMMON SITUATION, BUT IT SEEMED ODD TO ME THAT THE BELT PERFORMED IN THIS MANNER. I'M ALERTING THE NHTSA IN CASE THIS IS A PRODUCT SAFETY ISSUE THAT WARRANTS ACTION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TESLA MODEL X. WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE INADVERTENTLY ACCELERATED OVER A CURB BEFORE CRASHING INTO A CEMENT LIGHT POLE. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED NECK, SHOULDER, AND CHEST INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, AN ERRONEOUS WARNING MESSAGE DISPLAYED WHILE DRIVING, INDICATING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING TOO CLOSELY TO THE PRECEDING VEHICLE, EVEN THOUGH ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS NOWHERE IN THE VICINITY. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, INCLUDING SHORTLY BEFORE THE CRASH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,500.