Tesla is pushing a new software update to proactively fix airbag in right-hand drive Model X vehicles

During “a routine internal test this week”, Tesla has found an “anomaly with the passenger airbag in a right-hand-drive Model X.” the company says that it is not aware of any accident where it caused an issue, but it is nonetheless proactively pushing an update.

Tesla started sending a notice to the affected owners tonight to let them know that they are pushing a software update in order to fix the issue.

While the situation is likely to be officially considered a “voluntary recall”, owners will not have to do anything more than accept the software update.

Tesla has often used its capability to push over-the-air updates to fix issues without bothering its customers by having them go to service centers or adding a strain on the already busy service centers in the process.

In this case, there are close to 4,000 Model X vehicles affected – again all are right-hand drive and therefore in markets like the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and all other countries that insist on driving on the wrong side of the road (just joking).

Here’s the email that Tesla started sending out to the affected customers today:

Although we’re not aware of a single customer car that has had an issue with it, there was an anomaly with the passenger airbag in a right-hand-drive Model X that was part of routine internal tests this week. After reviewing the results of this test, we were able to isolate the anomaly to the software controlling the passenger airbags in right-hand-drive Model X cars only, and we are already developing an over-the-air software update that fixes it. We will be deploying that update to all affected cars this weekend.

There is no need to bring your vehicle into service. All you need to do is accept the over-the-air software update that we will be deploying to your car. In the meantime, as a precaution, we recommend that the front passenger seat of your vehicle not be occupied until the software update is installed.

We apologize for this inconvenience. If you have any questions, please contact us by phone at 1-800 64 6952 or by email at ServiceHelpAU@tesla.com.

After finding the issue earlier this week, Tesla quickly tracked it down to Bosch’s software in control of the passenger airbag and working with the German electronic supplier, they quickly found a solution to push customers.

This issue with the Model X airbag follows Tesla having to gradually recall all Model S sedans from 2012 to 2016 through the industry-wide Takata airbag recall.

Featured Image: ‘I want my family back in a Tesla’ says father after surviving severe crash in a Model X