NHTSA campaign 18V031000 · Tesla campaign SB-18-20-001
Tesla Recall 18V-031: Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode
- Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation
NHTSA recall 18V031000 (Tesla campaign SB-18-20-001) was reported by Tesla, Inc. on January 9, 2018, with 17,846 vehicles potentially affected (per NHTSA). NHTSA's record lists the Tesla Model S for the 2013 model year. Owners were notified on February 28, 2018, per NHTSA.
Updated daily from NHTSA's recall files
Is my vehicle included?
This page lists, by model year, the vehicles NHTSA's recall record names for campaign 18V031000 in the model years try.vin imports (1995 and later); NHTSA's own record can list more. A model year on the list doesn't mean every vehicle of that year is included, and some may already have been repaired.
To see whether a specific vehicle is included and still needs the repair, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Tesla VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Key facts
- NHTSA campaign
- 18V031000 (also written 18V-031 or 18V031)
- Filed by
- Tesla, Inc.
- Tesla campaign number
- SB-18-20-001
- Report received
- Potentially affected
- 17,846 vehicles (per NHTSA)
- Component
- Air Bags — Frontal — Passenger Side — Inflator Module
- Owners notified
Repair completion: 89.84% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated October 21, 2026)
NHTSA cautions against comparing completion rates across recalls or manufacturers. How try.vin reads them.
Vehicles listed for this recall
NHTSA's recall record lists these vehicles for recall 18V031000. try.vin imports model years 1995 and later, so NHTSA's own list can be longer. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to it. Build dates are NHTSA's range for a model year (per NHTSA); a vehicle built in that range is not necessarily included.
Tesla
Tesla Model S
- 2013 · Vehicles built January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013 (per NHTSA)
NHTSA's recall notice
As NHTSA's recall record states it for campaign 18V031000.
Defect description
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling all 2013 Model S vehicles equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Safety consequence
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Manufacturer remedy
Tesla will notify owners, and Tesla Service Centers will replace the passenger frontal air bag modules, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in March 2018. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-18-20-001.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Sources
Official NHTSA notice for recall 18V031000
Campaign details come from NHTSA's recall files, which try.vin imports once a day. The plain-language subject and the completion rate come from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Recalls Data dataset. How try.vin reads recall data.