The defect
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2026 Model Y and 2024 Model 3 vehicles. The vehicles were originally built for a foreign market and do not have knee air bags, may not be equipped with certain interior safety countermeasures, and may not have been tested for bumper impact resistance procedures. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers, 208, "Occupant Crash Protection," 201, "Occupant Protection in Interior Impact," and Part 581, "Bumper Standards."
The risk
A noncompliant vehicle may have reduced occupant protections, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
The remedy
Tesla will repurchase noncompliant vehicles currently registered in the United States, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 5, 2026. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752 or resolutions@tesla.com. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-26-00-004.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3 | 2024 |
| Tesla Model Y | 2026 |
Components: AIR BAGS:KNEE BOLSTER | STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3 | 2024 | 221 | 5 |
| Tesla Model Y | 2026 | 415 | 8 |
Other air bags recalls in 2026
23 of the 666 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2026 concerned the air bags; Tesla, Inc. filed 85 campaigns in all.
| 26V622000 29 Sept 2026 | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) |
| 26V611000 24 Sept 2026 | General Motors, LLC |
| 26V581000 9 Sept 2026 | Ford Motor Company |
| 26V580000 9 Sept 2026 | Ford Motor Company |
| 26V545000 21 Aug 2026 | Kia America, Inc. |
| 26V526000 12 Aug 2026 | Nissan North America, Inc. |
| 26V389000 12 Jun 2026 | Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC |
| 26V358000 2 Jun 2026 | Braun Corporation |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2026