Cybertruck Airbag Issue: Unexpected Deployment and Injury—Any Similar Experiences?

[CTFS2024]

This is my experience when I got into a car accident with my Tesla (MYP not CT). The towing company will tow it to any Tesla service center, Service center does not service or fix for accident, only Tesla Collision center. The collision center was 1 hour from my house, even though there is a service center about 15 minutes away. Your best bet is to claim through your insurance, you can have it towed to a Tesla Collision center or authorized Tesla collision, and have it fixed. Regarding the airbag deployed and have objects that hurt you, I think you need to report to your insurance first, this issue you need to get to the attention of Tesla, I don't know which way, but I think on X addressing to Elon may get some attention, or report it to NHTSA.

From my understanding, if the collision caused an airbag to be deployed, then it's considered total loss. So the impact may be at the wrong location for the car to sense it to deploy the airbag as a safety measure, I do not think it's an error, unless you open up the truck to see what is the damage. Your insurance company and collision center will be the one to determine this. So I want to wish you a lot of patience in getting the CT fixed. With MYP, I had to wait almost 2 months to get all the parts, but my airbag did not deploy.

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[igs]

You can thank the NHTSA for putting explosives that can hurt you in your car.

 

[MyOtherTruck]

Hey Y'all, I wanted to share a recent experience with my 2024 Cybertruck Foundation Series and see if anyone else has dealt with similar issues.

I was driving the other day, had just taken off from a green light, when a small 2010-ish Mazda hatchback hit my driver's side rear wheel. Thankfully, there was no real damage to the Cybertruck—these things are tanks—but what really shocked me was that both side curtain airbags deployed, along with the rear center console airbag. There was no reason whatsoever for the airbags to go off in this low-speed, minor accident, and only me in the car. From what I can remember I got hit the truck felt like rubber and just bent and went right back, Keep in mind we both were going under 20 miles per hour.

To make matters worse, when the airbags deployed, something plastic or foreign object possible clip to flew out from the airbag and hit me in the back of the head. The impact left me out for about 10 seconds and left the entire left back side of my head swollen, black and blue, and still painful. It felt like I was hit with a hammer. Not how I expected to be injured in such a minor accident with a "Bullet Proof" Truck.

I love this truck, but the experience with Tesla Service has been incredibly frustrating. I followed all the instructions to get the truck to them, but when I finally arrived, the GM turned it down and wouldn’t allow it on the lot because the airbags had deployed. His reasoning? I called sent texts through the app but, only person I could talk to was Tesla Roadside dispatch. The Manager who told me to bring it there He said the GM shoot it down, didn’t want it near their $200K worth of inventory, so instead, I had to pay $500 to have it towed to my house so the neighborhood kids can play with it? Now it’s just sitting in my driveway, vulnerable, while I'm getting no help from Tesla. I got more info from the roadside assistance guy. I was pissed so I drive the 35 minutes to Tesla, to get told "I told him to bring it to another body shop" Funny the towing guy said you suggested to bring it anywhere but Tesla service.

This whole situation has been disappointing, especially from a brand like Tesla. I’m really concerned that this airbag issue could hurt someone else even worse. when I got hit I was pulling into the charging station with about 6-7% after it got hit it sat there in the median for 2 hours waiting on Hwy Patrol. So currently the battery is dead, since the air bags deploy, they put a little stopper so it can't be charged. I love the Truck, but didn't expect to be Tesla's Crash dummy. Zero help from Tesla, the first time I talk to him he said if the Air bags deploy, they total the vehicle. So basically, with less than 5K Hwy miles, Garage kept, with less than $1500 in damage + airbags that shouldn't of went off you want me to report it to my insurance to total it, raise my rate, and i am sure won't be able to get another one (not sure after that if i want another one) but after waiting 5 years I got a good 60 days out of it. Crazy Tesla doesn't even want to talk about the airbags.

Has anyone else had their Cybertruck’s airbags deploy without reason? Or worse, had a foreign object fly out during deployment? Tesla really needs to take a close look at this before someone else gets hurt. Would love to hear your thoughts or experiences. Any advice greatly appreciated. Everyone keeps telling me to go after Tesla you are going to get paid. I don't care about that I just want to be made whole with the path of least resistances. Thanks Joseph Tampa, FL

Agree. Like the truck a lot but regret it because how lousy the service is.

 

[Deleted member 17810]

Did you ask to be checked out by a medic on scene?

Your truck was hit in three panels and the wheel.

You haven't properly described the accident either.

Where they making a left from oncoming?

Did they run a red and t boned you?

where they next to you at the green and it's a side swipe.

 

[PowersolUSA]

Your airbags worked exactly as intended. Period. Nothing to complain about. This post is bogus trash talk. They absolutely should have deployed based on what you described and the little plastic bit that gave you an owie you should stop whining about. Sorry for the tough love but from my persoective you deserve it. This is what they are for. Just because it surprised you that they went off does not mean it wasn’t an appropriate deployment. I have worked in trauma centers for over 20 years. Be thankful you have a vehicle that looks out for you and your passengers.

my two cents, FWIW

cheers… and safe driving.

Thank you for the input, your expertise in airbag deployment and tough love. I really expected you to coddle me and tell me everything is going to be fine. I understand your perspective. You are absolutely correct I deserve it. Every bit, what i do not deserve is a CT. I guess this is the worlds way of taking it away from me. Most of all I am grateful for your 20 years as a trauma nurse, that makes you not just an expert in diagnosing "owies" you are the Massiah. Since we got the important part it's all my fault, I should just be grateful the Sharanpal didn't hit me in the temple. The "Owie" fractured my orbital, concussion, and TMJ. The plastic piece turns out to be Metal and about the size of a ground lug metallic, cylindrical piece, almost like a short bolt or screw with a shiny reflective surface. It does appear to have sharp edges, and it knocked me out. So, Mr. Massiah shall I report the issues (of course taking all the blame) or just wait until it happens to someone else so I can laugh and point and tell them how unintelligent they are, it's just an "Owie" I don't care if it shot out your eye, its supposed to shoot AR rounds, be grateful its just a .22 less carcinogenic..... Thank you, looking forward to your factual response. This is the piece surely it was supposed to come out of the airbags like a shotgun, right?

 

[XCeilidhX]

Thank you for the input, your expertise in airbag deployment and tough love. I really expected you to coddle me and tell me everything is going to be fine. I understand your perspective. You are absolutely correct I deserve it. Every bit, what i do not deserve is a CT. I guess this is the worlds way of taking it away from me. Most of all I am grateful for your 20 years as a trauma nurse, that makes you not just an expert in diagnosing "owies" you are the Massiah. Since we got the important part it's all my fault, I should just be grateful the Sharanpal didn't hit me in the temple. The "Owie" fractured my orbital, concussion, and TMJ. The plastic piece turns out to be Metal and about the size of a ground lug metallic, cylindrical piece, almost like a short bolt or screw with a shiny reflective surface. It does appear to have sharp edges, and it knocked me out. So, Mr. Massiah shall I report the issues (of course taking all the blame) or just wait until it happens to someone else so I can laugh and point and tell them how unintelligent they are, it's just an "Owie" I don't care if it shot out your eye, its supposed to shoot AR rounds, be grateful its just a .22 less carcinogenic..... Thank you, looking forward to your factual response. This is the piece surely it was supposed to come out of the airbags like a shotgun, right?

I’m sorry that happened to you. I’m really not sure how any resonable person thinks that the accident that rendered them unconscious should not have had an airbag deployment so your details actually shock me even more in terms of your judgment.

when you get into an accident, parts of cars fly around. Not sure how Tesla is responsible for the accident or how the vehicle fell apart due to the trauma of the accident. An auto manufacturer does their best to design a safe vehicle but cannot prevent injury in all cases.

And although it doesn’t matter, I’m not a nurse.

an accident as severe as the one you were in should absolutely have triggered the airbags. Thinking that airbags prevent all manner of injuries though and the vehicle manufacturer is responsible for every loose piece of metal that flies in a particular accident scenario is not necessarily reasonable from my perspective. It depends on if it is a pattern or unique to the unfortunate accident you were involved in.

i wish you a speedy recovery. I also would still not bash the airbags deploying or necessarily fault them for not preventing the injury from the metal piece. And I’m not a messiah. I just take exception to unreasonable criticism of the devices that by and large save countless lives annually.

seatbelts can cause chest and abdominal injuries themselves as part of an accident. They still save lives. Thie injuries are far less than those that get ejected through windhields.

airbags similarly can cause injuries, but those injuries are typically far less than if one had been in the same accident and the same vehicle if it had lacked airbags. Same goes for the seatbelts as well. That’s why they are required safety equipment. You started this thread seeming to take issue with the airbag deployment in this case and from what details you have shared I still say that they should absolutely have deployed. And what happened to you, while unfortunate, may indeed be an owie compared to what would have happened without airbags and seatbelts. So i’m perplexed at the ongoing derision directed at the way the airbags deployed and the accident unfolded. Everything is relative. Sounds like your accident was far more severe than you originally painted it to me… so i am glad you have injuries from which you can eventually recover as crappy as it is that this happened to you.

Please do enlighten us with the details that explain how you would have been better off without the safety equipment deploying in this case, though. I still seem to be missing your point in that regard. Mea culpa.

get well soon

cheers

 

[PowersolUSA]

Did you ask to be checked out by a medic on scene?

Your truck was hit in three panels and the wheel.

You haven't properly described the accident either.

Where they making a left from oncoming?

Did they run a red and t boned you?

where they next to you at the green and it's a side swipe.

we were both at a green light. when the light turned green

I’m sorry that happened to you. I’m really not sure how any resonable person thinks that the accident that rendered them unconscious should not have had an airbag deployment so your details actually shock me even more in terms of your judgment.

when you get into an accident, parts of cars fly around. Not sure how Tesla is responsible for the accident or how the vehicle fell apart due to the trauma of the accident. An auto manufacturer does their best to design a safe vehicle but cannot prevent injury in all cases.

And although it doesn’t matter, I’m not a nurse.

an accident as severe as the one you were in should absolutely have triggered the airbags. Thinking that airbags prevent all manner of injuries though and the vehicle manufacturer is responsible for every loose piece of metal that flies in a particular accident scenario is not necessarily reasonable from my perspective. It depends on if it is a pattern or unique to the unfortunate accident you were involved in.

i wish you a speedy recovery. I also would still not bash the airbags deploying or necessarily fault them for not preventing the injury from the metal piece. And I’m not a messiah. I just take exception to unreasonable criticism of the devices that by and large save countless lives annually.

seatbelts can cause chest and abdominal injuries themselves as part of an accident. They still save lives. Thie injuries are far less than those that get ejected through windhields.

airbags similarly can cause injuries, but those injuries are typically far less than if one had been in the same accident and the same vehicle if it had lacked airbags. Same goes for the seatbelts as well. That’s why they are required safety equipment. You started this thread seeming to take issue with the airbag deployment in this case and from what details you have shared I still say that they should absolutely have deployed. And what happened to you, while unfortunate, may indeed be an owie compared to what would have happened without airbags and seatbelts. So i’m perplexed at the ongoing derision directed at the way the airbags deployed and the accident unfolded. Everything is relative. Sounds like your accident was far more severe than you originally painted it to me… so i am glad you have injuries from which you can eventually recover as crappy as it is that this happened to you.

Please do enlighten us with the details that explain how you would have been better off without the safety equipment deploying in this case, though. I still seem to be missing your point in that regard. Mea culpa.

get well soon

cheers

I would just assume that if the airbags deploy you should touch them or they should protect you from broken glass, whatever it may be. I got hit in the tire and the only injures my "Owie" caused by flying object shrapnel. Why did the other car that hit me air bags not go off? I was at a Redlight and started to go, not pulling a Richard Petty or drag racing, was about to turn right my self, that is why I didn't see the other car that was stopped at the light, and she thought that it was green. Was pulling into a shopping center not speeding lol she had a pit bull in her lap. The dog was fine, but explains why she wasn't paying attention hard to miss a CT. We both just started moving and not going fast. Let me reverse engineer the statement or rephrase it. I was knocked out because the airbag deployed it didn't touch me it was a Curtin airbag, the back seat one in the center went off for some reason as well. I was hit by debris AKA shrapnel in the head. My cell phone did slide out of the charger and hit the ground. Thank God the screen didn't break, so no broken glass, not from a window or cell phone. Other than it hit the Plastic piece around the tire (Lol, it snapped right back in) it scraped the rear passenger door, that cleaned right off. It is off center but I think that may have come like that, I have noticed the stainless steal pieces seem to be all cut a 1/4 inch diffrent from truck to truck. Now, the black bar that wraps arround the the truck is bent but it is hollow and didn't bend the frame the back side of it is straight. Had the airbag not went off we would have exchanged info and drove off. Well her car had some front-end damage, but she was able to drive it to the parking lot. We can agree to disagree, I am 100% for seatbelts and airbags. When the Cybertruck was reveled, it was hit with a sludge hammer, no air bag. I thought that it would have been a more serious accident to have air bags deployed. I showed the service reps pictures of the vehicle, and he didn't see any reason why I couldn't bring it to service, until someone above him noticed he was trying to plug it to the charger. Again, all I want is to have someone from Tesla's undivided attention for twenty minutes to discuss it. That seems impossible. And NO I do not think Metal fragments of any sort should be coming out of an explosive like an airbag. Only thing Tesla Says, is "its a concept car you knew what you were getting into when you bought it" Ummm I thought that was what the 5 year wait to get it was. Also, as a very selfish request if I ever get a chance to talk with someone at Tesla, i would like them to investigate it so it doesn't happen to someone else. It was milliliters away from my temple if it hit me there or at a different angle, we are probably not having this conversation. I know I'm sorry I care about ppl, if its something they can fix why not fix it? I would hate for anyone to go through the "owie" I went through.

 

[XCeilidhX]

All cars with airbags have potential to send “shrapnel” flying. This is not unique to the CT/CB. And you are correct. We will agree to disagree.

i wish you a speedy and complete recovery. I hope you get your 20 mins with someone that can make a difference at Tesla.

cheers

 

[DrPhyzx]

Not much description of the accident configuration, but based on lack of major deformation of the panels (relative to many other accidents posted here with details) and the longitudinal scrapes, I'm going to guess you got turned left into by an oncoming car. I also agree that this does not look like a major impact, but sensors can't be perfectly placed or tuned to always trigger at a level that is appropriate to severity, so one can't really say for certain whether or not it worked as designed and whether or not it was designed appropriately. Unless this happens a lot, or someone at Tesla HQ takes an interest because of media exposure, an involved engineering analysis like that just isn't going to get done.

However, one thing is for sure: You made a big mistake posting here and expecting anything but having most replies attack you and your story.

 

[Deleted member 17810]

So you were side swiped at 20 mph and your upset the airbags went off?

 

[Crissa]

I wonder where the piece of metal came from. How would it have hit the back of your head had it come from the airbag?

Has anyone poked around the headliner to see if this matches the metal of anything up there?

-Crissa

 

[M0unt41nm4n]

Question, was it the little piece that knocked you out or the airbag?

Being a fire fighter for many years, those bags can create a heck of a punch. They can cause bruising and abrasions. Its normal and it doesn't surprise me if they deployed from the curtains on the left that it would have possibly created a mild head injury which was better than if they didnt deploy (under normal accident conditions). T-Bones are the largest cause of aortic dissections and have the highest death rates of all accidents. It's possible that it saved your life. It doesn't take much lateral mechanism of injury to cause internal damage to your body and it's likely why it went off. Better to be safe than sorry.

If the little piece is what knocked you out, then yeah, you may have a complaint. That shouldn't happen. But if it was the impact of the airbags, then it's really not all that uncommon. The amount of bruising/fractures/abrasions on chests/faces caused by airbag deployments from the steering wheel is mind-blowing.

Here is a little info on it:

https://impactmedicalgroup.com/2022/07/29/common-airbag-injuries-and-how-we-treat-them/

 

[XCeilidhX]

However, one thing is for sure: You made a big mistake posting here and expecting anything but having most replies attack you and your story.

I for one am willing to be relatively objective. I have nothing to prove on Tesla’s behalf and I am not so into the CT/CB as to lose all sense of what is objectively reasonable.

i just happen to work on the receiving end of motor vehicle collision victims and have heard over and over again complaints from people who are unfairly judging the impact of airbags because what they perceive is the injury the airbag caused rather than the lack of the far more severe injury that would have occurred if those airbags had not been present or not deployed.

when i hear such clearly biased BS, I’m gonna’ call it like I see it. It is what it is and this has nothing to do with the vehicle in question. It’s the same as people complaining about the side effects of vaccines when they don’t think of how awful they would be feeling or how dead they would be had they not been vaccinated.

having that perspective and caring about things like public health and safety, greatest good for greatest number ethics when it comes to population decisions, the hippocratic oath, and unbiased science and statistics, gives one a certain take on certain totally obvious things.

my two cents.

cheers

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