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Tesla issues 2013 Model S airbag replacement initiative amid Takata recall
Tesla has issued a Model S safety update, stating that the passenger airbags in certain 2012-2013 Model S vehicles would be affected by the ongoing global Takata airbag recall. According to the California-based electric car maker and energy firm, Tesla would be following the schedule set by the NHTSA, which mandated that defective airbags in affected vehicles be replaced immediately.
Tesla prides itself as a company that manufactures some of the safest vehicles on the road, and this is evident in the Elon Musk-led electric car maker’s latest safety update to its customers. In Tesla’s note, the electric car firm stated that while there have been no untoward incidents reported so far with regards to the Model S’ Takata airbags; the company is taking the initiative to replace the defective inflators now. The carmaker further noted that it would be contacting all Tesla Model S owners who are affected by the Takata recall. Thus, no immediate action is required from those whose vehicles are affected by the issue.
The California-based electric car and energy firm also reminded its customers that Takata’s faulty airbags affect millions of vehicles on the road. Considering the scope of the issue, Tesla would be following the NHTSA’s guidelines and replacing affected vehicles’ airbags in phases, depending on the electric cars’ manufacturing date. According to Tesla, however, it would be continuing its airbag replacement initiative even if regulators do not require a full-scale recall.
One thing that Tesla did emphasize in its latest safety update, however, was the fact that eventually, Model S vehicles that were manufactured up to late 2016 might subsequently be called back for possible airbag issues. Currently, the ongoing Takata recall only affects Model S cars that were produced from 2012-2013. Considering that Takata airbags were fitted on the flagship sedan well after those years, however, recalls for 2014-2016 Model S would likely happen. Tesla did state, however, that Model X and Model 3 vehicles, as well as the first-generation Tesla Roadster, are not affected by Takata’s faulty airbags, since these cars were not equipped with the firm’s defective inflators.
Takata’s faulty airbags have become one of the biggest scandals in the auto industry during the past few years. The defective units, which have a tendency to shoot shrapnel into passengers during impact, have caused at least 139 injuries and two fatalities, according to a Car and Driver report. Being one of the world’s most prolific airbag manufacturers, Takata was the brand of choice for many car makers including Tesla, which was just an electric car startup then.
Recalls for Takata’s faulty airbags were initiated eventually, but by that time, injuries caused by the defective inflators were already piling up. By August 2015, Tesla became one of only two carmakers that were not mandated to recall its vehicles due to Takata’s faulty airbags. In the following months, however, it became evident that some Model S were equipped with defective airbag units. By early 2017, Tesla issued a recall for 2997 Model S sedans that were manufactured in 2012.
Tesla’s official safety update for the Model S could be viewed here.
News
Tesla extends FSD Supervised ride-alongs in Europe by three months
Needless to say, it does appear that FSD fever is starting to catch in Europe.
Tesla appears to be doubling down on its European Full Self-Driving (Supervised) push, with the company extending its demo ride-along program by three months until the end of March 2026. The update seems to have been implemented due to overwhelming demand.
Needless to say, it does appear that FSD fever is starting to catch in Europe.
Extended FSD demonstrations
Tesla EU Policy and Business Development Manager Ivan Komušanac shared on LinkedIn that the company is offering ride-along experiences in Germany, France and Italy while working toward FSD (Supervised) approval in Europe.
He noted that this provides a great feedback opportunity from the general public, encouraging participants to record and share their experiences. For those unable to book in December, Komušanac teased more slots as “Christmas presents.”
Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt highlighted the extension on X, stating that dates now run from December 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, in multiple cities including Stuttgart-Weinstadt, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf in Germany. This suggests that the FSD ride-along program in Europe has officially been extended until the end of the first quarter of 2026.
Building momentum for European approval
Replies to Merritt’s posts buzzed with excitement, with users like @AuzyMale noting that Cologne and Düsseldorf are already fully booked. This sentiment was echoed by numerous other Tesla enthusiasts on social media. Calls for the program’s expansion to other European territories have also started gaining steam, with some X users suggesting Switzerland and Finland as the next locations for FSD ride-alongs.
Ultimately, the Tesla EU Policy and Business Development Manager’s post aligns with the company’s broader FSD efforts in Europe. As per recent reports, Tesla recently demonstrated FSD’s capabilities for Rome officials. Reporters from media outlets in France and Germany have also published positive reviews of FSD’s capabilities on real-world roads.
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Tesla’s six-seat extended wheelbase Model Y L sold out for January 2026
Estimated delivery dates for new Tesla Model Y L orders now extend all the way into February 2026.
The Tesla Model Y L seems to be in high demand in China, with estimated delivery dates for new orders now extending all the way into February 2026.
This suggests that the Model Y L has been officially sold out from the rest of 2025 to January 2026.
Model Y L estimated delivery dates
The Model Y L’s updated delivery dates mark an extension from the vehicle’s previous 4-8 week estimated wait time. A detailed chart shared by Tesla data tracker @Tslachan on X shows the progressions of the Model Y L’s estimated delivery dates since its launch earlier this year.
Following its launch in September, the vehicle was given an initial October 2025 estimated delivery date. The wait times for the vehicle were continually updated over the years, until the middle of November, when the Model Y L had an estimated delivery date of 4-8 weeks. This remained until now, when Tesla China simply listed February 2026 as the estimated delivery date for new Model Y L orders.
Model Y demand in China
Tesla Model Y demand in China seems to be very healthy, even beyond the Model Y L. New delivery dates show the company has already sold out its allocation of the all-electric crossover for 2025. The Model Y has been the most popular vehicle in the world in both of the last two years, outpacing incredibly popular vehicles like the Toyota RAV4. In China, the EV market is substantially more saturated, with more competitors than in any other market.
Tesla has been particularly kind to the Chinese market, as it has launched trim levels for the Model Y in the country that are not available anywhere else, such as the Model Y L. Demand has been strong for the Model Y in China, with the vehicle ranking among the country’s top 5 New Energy Vehicles. Interestingly enough, vehicles that beat the Model Y in volume like the BYD Seagull are notably more affordable. Compared to vehicles that are comparably priced, the Model Y remains a strong seller in China.
Elon Musk
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang commends Tesla’s Elon Musk for early belief
“And when I announced DGX-1, nobody in the world wanted it. I had no purchase orders, not one. Nobody wanted to buy it. Nobody wanted to be part of it, except for Elon.”
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast on Wednesday and commended Tesla CEO Elon Musk for his early belief in what is now the most valuable company in the world.
Huang and Musk are widely regarded as two of the greatest tech entrepreneurs of the modern era, with the two working in conjunction as NVIDIA’s chips are present in Tesla vehicles, particularly utilized for self-driving technology and data collection.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang regrets not investing more in Elon Musk’s xAI
Both CEOs defied all odds and created companies from virtually nothing. Musk joined Tesla in the early 2000s before the company had even established any plans to build a vehicle. Jensen created NVIDIA in the booth of a Denny’s restaurant, which has been memorialized with a plaque.
On the JRE episode, Rogan asked about Jensen’s relationship with Elon, to which the NVIDIA CEO said that Musk was there when nobody else was:
“I was lucky because I had known Elon Musk, and I helped him build the first computer for Model 3, the Model S, and when he wanted to start working on an autonomous vehicle. I helped him build the computer that went into the Model S AV system, his full self-driving system. We were basically the FSD computer version 1, and so we were already working together.
And when I announced DGX-1, nobody in the world wanted it. I had no purchase orders, not one. Nobody wanted to buy it. Nobody wanted to be part of it, except for Elon.
He goes ‘You know what, I have a company that could really use this.’ I said, Wow, my first customer. And he goes, it’s an AI company, and it’s a nonprofit and and we could really use one of these supercomputers. I boxed one up, I drove it up to San Francisco, and I delivered it to the Elon in 2016.”
The first DGX-1 AI supercomputer was delivered personally to Musk when he was with OpenAI, which provided crucial early compute power for AI research, accelerating breakthroughs in machine learning that underpin modern tools like ChatGPT.
Tesla’s Nvidia purchases could reach $4 billion this year: Musk
The long-term alliance between NVIDIA and Tesla has driven over $2 trillion in the company’s market value since 2016.
Tesla extends FSD Supervised ride-alongs in Europe by three months
Tesla’s six-seat extended wheelbase Model Y L sold out for January 2026
