• A Tesla Model 3 has been recalled due to an airbag problem
  • The MY 2024 sedan was built without a gas deflector in the airbag module
  • The car had already been recalled and repaired when NHTSA announced the recall

We’ve reported on some massive recalls over the years, involving millions of cars and creating a logistical nightmare for automakers and their dealers. And at the other end of the spectrum, there’s the lone Tesla Model 3 that had to go to a service center to fix an airbag problem.

The only 2024 sedan built in the U.S. was built without a deflector in the airbag module, which is necessary to direct gas flow when the airbag deploys. Normally when we write about recalls, the automaker has not yet contacted the affected owners, but since this case involves such a small number of vehicles, the car had already been returned to a Tesla service center and already had its deflector installed when the NHTSA made the announcement.

Related: Mercedes takes its recalls seriously, even for a single S-Class

Official documents show that on March 15, a Tesla parts supplier noticed that one of its driver airbag modules had been installed without a deflector. The supplier then combed through three days of video footage of the assembly process and identified seven driver seat airbag modules that were sent to Tesla for installation and were missing their deflectors.

After reviewing its own records, Tesla was able to identify the seven affected vehicles, six of which were still in its custody and were towed aside for inspection and repairs before delivery. That left a rogue Model 3 at large, so Tesla contacted the owner and arranged for him to schedule a service appointment so the car could be reunited with its missing deflector.

Tesla is recalling a single (1) Model 3 due to a defective airbag

NHTSA’s recall files also show that from April 1 to April 5, Tesla studied what impact the lack of an air bag deflector would have on air bag performance. The chronology does not indicate the results of this test, but we can assume that the performance of the airbag would be affected. Fortunately, the driver of the Model 3, who fled into the wilderness, had no chance of having an accident and finding out the outcome for himself.