2022 TESLA MODEL 3 warning

Seat CoversWARNING: Do not use seat covers in Model 3.
Doing so could restrict deployment of the seat-
mounted side air bags if a collision occurs. Also, if
the vehicle is equipped with an occupant detection
system that is used to determine the status of the
passenger front airbag, seat covers may interfere
with this system.
Front and Rear Seats
26MODEL 3 Owner

Wearing Seat Belts
Using seat belts and child safety seats is the most
effective way to protect occupants if a collision occurs.
Therefore, wearing a seat belt is required by law in most jurisdictions.
Both the driver and passenger seats are equipped with three-point inertia reel seat belts. Inertia reel belts are automatically tensioned to allow occupants to move
comfortably during normal driving conditions.
To
securely hold child safety seats, all passenger seating
positions are equipped with an automatic locking
retractor (ALR) feature that, by fully extracting the seat
belt (beyond the length needed for a typical adult
occupant), locks the belt into place until the seat belt is
unbuckled.
The seat belt reel automatically locks to prevent
movement of occupants if
Model 3 experiences a force
associated with hard acceleration, braking, cornering, or
an impact in a collision.
Seat Belt Reminders
The seat belt reminder on the touchscreen
alerts you if a seat belt for an occupied driver or passenger seat is unbuckled. If
the belt remains unbuckled, the reminder
flashes and an intermittent chime sounds.
If all occupants are buckled up and the
reminder stays on, re-buckle seat belts to
ensure they are correctly latched. Also
remove any heavy objects (such as a
briefcase) from an unoccupied seat. If the
reminder light continues to stay on,
contact Tesla.
You can temporarily mute a seat belt reminder
associated with a rear seating position. This is useful in situations when you are carrying an object in a rear seat
that triggers the seat belt reminder alert. To mute the reminder, touch the associated seat on the seat belt reminder card that displays on the touchscreen when a seat belt reminder alert is active. When a reminder is muted, the seat belt reminder icon is replaced by a seat icon. Touch the seat again to unmute the reminder. The reminder is disabled for the current drive only.
WARNING: Seat belts must be worn by passengers
in all seating positions. Do not disable a seat belt
reminder when the seating position is occupied by
a passenger.
To Fasten a Belt
1.
Ensure correct positioning of the seat (see Correct
Driving Position on page 23).
2. Draw the belt out smoothly, ensuring the belt lays flat
across the pelvis, chest and mid-point of your collar
bone, between the neck and shoulder.
3.
Insert the latch plate into the buckle and press together until you hear a click indicating it is locked
in place.
4.
Pull the belt to check that it is securely fastened.
5.
Pull the diagonal part of the belt toward the reel to
remove excess slack.
To Adjust the Shoulder Anchor
Height
Model 3 is equipped with an adjustable shoulder anchor
for each front seat to ensure that the seat belt is positioned correctly. The seat belt should lay
flat across
the mid-point of your collar bone while in the correct driving position
(see Correct Driving Position on page
23. Adjust the height of the shoulder anchor if the seat
belt is not positioned correctly:
1.
Press and hold the button on the shoulder anchor to release the locking mechanism.
2.
While holding the button, move the shoulder anchor up or down as necessary so that the seat belt is
positioned correctly.
3.
Release the button on the shoulder anchor so that it
locks into position.
Seat Belts
27Seating and Safety Restraints

4. Without pressing the button, pull on the seat belt webbing and attempt to move the shoulder anchor
downwards to check that it is locked into position.WARNING: Ensure that the seat belt is positioned
correctly and that the shoulder anchor is locked
into position before driving. Riding in a moving
vehicle with the seat belt positioned incorrectly or
with the shoulder anchor not locked into position
can reduce the effectiveness of the seat belt in a
collision.
To Release a Belt
Hold the belt near the buckle to prevent the belt from
retracting too quickly, then press the button on the
buckle. The belt retracts automatically. Ensure there is
no obstruction that prevents the belt from fully
retracting. The belt should not hang loose. If a seat belt
does not fully retract, contact Tesla.
Wearing Seat Belts When Pregnant
Do not put the lap or shoulder sections of the seat belt over the abdominal area. Wear the lap section of the
belt as low as possible across the hips, not the waist. Position the shoulder portion of the belt between the
breasts and to the side of the abdomen. Consult your doctor for
specific guidance.
WARNING: Never place anything between you and
the seat belt to cushion the impact in the event of
a collision.
Seat Belt Pre-tensioners
The front seat belts are equipped with pre 

2. With the belt unfastened, unreel the webbing to its limit. Check that unreeling is free from snags, and
visually check the webbing for wear. Allow the webbing to retract, checking that retraction is
smooth and complete.3.
With the webbing half unreeled, hold the tongue plate and pull forward quickly. The mechanism should lock automatically and prevent further unreeling.
If a seat belt fails any of these tests, contact Tesla immediately.
For information about cleaning seat belts, see Seat Belts
on page 168.
Seat Belt Warnings
WARNING: Seat belts should be worn by all
occupants at all times, even if driving for a very
short distance. Failure to do so increases the risk
of injury or death if a collision occurs.
WARNING: Secure small children in a suitable child
safety seat as described in the Child Safety Seat
topic. Always follow the child safety seat
manufacturer

To access an anchor point, press down on the back of its
cover.
For dual-strap tethers, position a strap on each side of
the head support.
For single-strap tethers at the outboard seating positions, run the strap over the outside-facing side of the head support (same side of the head support as the
seat belt retraction mechanism).
For a single-strap tether in the center seating position,
fully lower the head support
(see Head Supports on
page 24) and run the strap over the top center of the
head support.
Testing a Child Safety Seat
Before seating a child, always make sure the child safety seat is not loose:
1.
Hold the child safety seat by the belt path and try to slide the safety seat from side to side and front to back.
2.
If the seat moves more than one inch (2.5 cm), it is
too loose. Tighten the belt or reconnect the
LATCH
retained child safety seat.
3.
If you are unable to reduce slack, try a different seat
location or try another child safety seat.
Child Safety Seat Warnings
WARNING: Extreme hazard! Do not seat a child on
the front passenger seat even if you are using a
child safety seat. This seat has an airbag in front of
it. Although this airbag is disabled when Model 3
detects a lightweight passenger, do not rely on
technology to protect your child.
WARNING: Child restraint systems are designed to
be secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap
belt portion of a lap-shoulder belt. Children could
be endangered in a crash if their child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle.
WARNING: According to collision statistics,
children are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seating
positions.
WARNING: Do not use a forward facing child
safety seat until your child weighs over 20 lbs (9
kg) and can sit independently. Up to the age of
two, a child

WARNING: Do not allow a baby or infant to be
held on a lap. All children should be restrained in
an appropriate child safety seat at all times.
WARNING: To ensure children are safely seated,
follow all instructions provided in this document
and by the manufacturer of the child safety seat.
WARNING: Children should ride in a rear facing
child safety seat using the seat

Location of Airbags
Airbags are located in the approximate areas shown below. Airbag warning information is printed on the sun visors.
Model 3 is equipped with an airbag and lap/shoulder belt at both front seating positions. The airbag is a
supplemental restraint at those seating positions. All occupants, including the driver, should always wear their seat belts whether or not an airbag is also provided at their seating position to minimize the risk of severe injury or death
in the event of a crash.
1.
Knee airbag
2.
Front airbags
3.
Seat-mounted side airbags
4.
Curtain airbags
Airbags
36MODEL 3 Owner

Controlling the Passenger Front Airbag
Model 3 has an occupancy sensor in the front passenger seat that controls the status of the front airbag.
NOTE: The occupancy classification system (OCS) meets the regulatory requirement of FMVSS 208 and
automatically detects when
inflating the passenger front airbag would be unnecessary or potentially harmful.
WARNING: Seating an infant in a rear facing child safety seat on a seat equipped with an operational airbag
can cause serious injury or death.
Object ClassificationOCS Passenger
Airbag Status*Indicator statusNotesEmptyOFFPASSENGER AIRBAG OFF ObjectOFF or ONPASSENGER AIRBAG OFF or
PASSENGER AIRBAG ONDepends on material/
contents.Rear facing child seat
designed for children up to a
year oldOFFPASSENGER AIRBAG OFF20 lbs (9 kg) or lessForward facing child seatOFFPASSENGER AIRBAG OFF35 lbs (16 kg) or lessChild in a booster seatOFF or ONPASSENGER AIRBAG OFF or
PASSENGER AIRBAG ON20-100 lbs (9-45 kg)*Large childOFF or ONPASSENGER AIRBAG OFF or
PASSENGER AIRBAG ON 5th percentile female or
larger (by weight)ONPASSENGER AIRBAG ONOver approximately 100 lbs
(45 kg)
*If the passenger airbag status indicator does not match the situation, do not use the seat. The passenger must
ride in a
different seat. Contact Tesla Service.
NOTE: It takes approximately six seconds after you power on Model 3 for the occupant classification system (OCS)
to report accurate status of the front passenger airbag. As a result, when you
first power on Model 3, even in
situations when it should be OFF because the seat is occupied by a weight of
20 lbs (9 kg) or less, it will take the
touchscreen approximately six seconds to display the status, PASS AIRBAG OFF. If it fails to do so, contact Tesla
Service and do not seat a child in the front passenger seating position.
To make sure the sensing system can correctly detect occupancy status, eliminate the following: