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Tesla Model 3 and Model Y missing U.S. safety equipment

NHTSA campaign 26V445000 · Reported 2026-07-07 · Tesla, Inc.

high How serious is it? About this label

Serious if you are in a crash because you have less protection than a U.S. vehicle would give you, but nothing is expected to fail while driving and the notice does not tell owners to stop driving.

What's wrong, in plain English

These cars were originally built for sale in another country and never set up to meet U.S. safety rules. They do not have knee airbags, may be missing some interior protection features, and their bumpers were not tested to U.S. impact standards. That means people inside may be less protected in a crash. Because the missing equipment cannot simply be added at a service center, Tesla is buying these vehicles back from owners rather than repairing them.

What you should do

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if your vehicle is part of recall SB-26-00-004.
2. Contact Tesla at 1-877-798-3752 or resolutions@tesla.com about the buyback; owner letters were due to be mailed September 5, 2026.
3. Tesla repurchases the vehicle at no cost to you — there is no repair option for this one.

Affected vehicles (1)

Who to contact

Tesla — official Tesla recall lookup

Customer service: 1-877-798-3752

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Official notice

Component
STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS
Summary
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."
Safety risk
A noncompliant vehicle may have reduced occupant protections, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
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.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.