NHTSA complaint #11588025

Owner complaint summary

Starting on May 6, 2024, my vehicle display showed an error message stating "Front passenger safety restraint system fault - Service is required." I alerted Tesla of this error through my phone app and set an appointment to have this fixed. I then received an estimate of $1400 which consisted of replacement of the passenger airbag ($1000) as well as an additional sensor that Tesla is indicating went bad ($400). I have never been in an accident with this vehicle so I can't understand why the airbag would be to be replaced, unless it was defective. I questioned this with Tesla and was told that none of the safety systems are covered anymore since the vehicle is now our of warranty. My wife drives my daughter to school daily and I'm more concerned that a car I spent $40k + on will not protect her in the event of a crash. Why would an un-used airbag need to be replaced at the owner's expense? Why isn't Tesla covering a defect in their restraint systems?