What 982 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Tesla Model 3 Bev

I received and indicator noting that my front passenger safty system has a fault. They indicated that they will have to replace the seat sensor and the airbag. I believe this to be an innate fault of the cars construction. It is dangerous and should be fixed by Tesla and not charged to the customer.

NHTSA ODI 11647112

This is a widespread safety issue that requires a recall! This is not isolated. Model 3 passenger airbags are at risk of not deploying. Car alert: Update Front Passenger Airbag to Maintain Compatibility with Front Passenger Seat Remedy: “Replace Front Passenger Airbag And Update Vehicle Configuration”

NHTSA ODI 11645888

I received an onboard alert that says ‘Safety Restraint System Issue/Service is required.’ According to online Tesla Forums, this is a very common issue with the Model 3 drivers side air bag system. Although some relate it to a wire under the seat that becomes worn with movement of the seat, Tesla gives an estimate of over $1,000 to fix the problem. There repair estimate involves updating the front passenger airbag ($444), and replacing the occupant classification system ($426).

NHTSA ODI 11634756

Passenger Safety Restraint system fault. Faulty wiring under the seat. Cost of repair is $1000. Passenger airbag requires replacement.

NHTSA ODI 11631988

The error popped up randomly and states "front left safety restraint system fault." This has been a common problem with Tesla and should be a recall as it's a manufacture defect with a safety system.

NHTSA ODI 11628551

Got warning about front drivers safety restraint failure on screen. Airbag warning began to display on the side showing if an accident occurred, they would not deploy. Talked with Tesla representatives and was told this is a known issue but would not be covered. Seems to be faulty wiring from chair moving over time based on what I was able to read. Error code was rcm_a021.

NHTSA ODI 11620367

Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault error. Tesla is indicating this is out of warranty but seems this is a very pervasive issue with an important safety mechanism on the car.

NHTSA ODI 11619895

Concern: I See the error message on my screen like restraint system fault require service. when I contacted Tesla for Sevice Repair I got an estimate which includes following fixes for a charge of 1,804.02. They are not covering for this saying the car is out of warranty. Seems like Tesla is aware of this issue and impacting many other Tesla's for 1) FIRST ROW SEAT HARNESS ASSEMBLY - RIGHT HAND(1489060- 03-G) 2) FIRST ROW - SEAT BELT REMINDER SENSOR BOX CLIP(1130363-00-B) 3)Correction: Replace Front Passenger Airbag And Update Vehicle Configuration - Remove and Replace

NHTSA ODI 11618804

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? “Front left safety restraint system fault” error code “RCM_a021” How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? It appears as though the seatbelt or airbag may not function properly when needed. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No but it has been on every time I drive. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No, upon requesting inspection, I was quoted 400$ Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No, it appeared periodically before but now it’s constant as of 9/29/2024

NHTSA ODI 11618185

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "Front Driver’s Side Safety Restraint Fault" remained displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,000.

NHTSA ODI 11615616

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the "Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault" message remained displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the failure had occurred previously with the front driver’s seat, the rear middle seat, and the rear passenger’s side seat. The vehicle was repaired at the local service center. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11615634

I have an error on my car, have had this for almost a year now, Front Left Safety Restraint System Fault. This seems to be a safety issue that Tesla should recall. I have seen thousands of online posts related to this same issue. .

NHTSA ODI 11613384

Occupant classification System (OCS) for front passenger seat kept alerting while driving both with and without any person or object in the seat. I contacted Tesla service center and they stated that the occupant classification system (OCS) AND the front passenger airbag require replacement, otherwise the front passenger airbags will not function properly in a collision. I asked if this was a recall or covered by warranty, and they said no.

NHTSA ODI 11612101

I was involved in a rear-end collision where I was completely stopped at a green light due to traffic congestion and the person driving behind me hit my car from behind that caused me to hit the car in front of me. The impact was hard that the Tesla model 3 immediately turned on the hazard lights and called 911. The screen of my Tesla model 3 stated "airbag deployed;" however, no airbags deployed. The Tesla immediately became inoperable and did not let me drive the car to the side of the road out of traffic. Also, the Tesla did not let me change to towing mode (since the screen eventually went black); which made it more difficult to tow the vehicle out of the way of traffic.

NHTSA ODI 11612041

Front passenger safety restraint system fault error. They tried fixing and it started the next day again. Now they want to replace this along with my airbag. This seems to be a consistent issue reading forums online. This is a manufacturing defect and major safety issue.

NHTSA ODI 11611309

I started getting this alert on my screen a few weeks ago: RCM_a056 "Front passenger safety restraint system fault" Service Required. Tesla says the warranty only covered this issue up to 60,000 miles and I'm at 61,000. They are quoting like $2,000 to fix. They say they have to change something in the seat (sensor) and change the air bag since new sensor is not compatible with old airbag. Looked up issue and it seems to be common happening at before and after warranty for a lot of people. I see different quotes from $500 to $2000 (mine was the highest). This should be a safety recall. I do not suspect too many people getting this fixed on their own their due to the expense.

NHTSA ODI 11610888

Error message in passenger airbag restraint system. There is a known issue where the cable bundle in the seat wears with movement of the seat, causing a short. Tesla has redesigned the bundle and it’s using a new airbag, but will only replace the faulty bundle if it fails while under warranty. It is a >$1900 Repair for the customer. Upon my research, this happens frequently even in the first year of the car. My car has 39,000 miles on it is faulty already. They can’t replace the bundle because the new Improved bundle requires a different airbag, increasing the cost of the consumer

NHTSA ODI 11610531

For the fifth time since the car was purchased new, it is displaying a warning that there is a passenger airbag fault. This has been repaired previously four times by Tesla, on 8/04/20 (28980 miles, replace OCS filter module), 2/10/21 (35831 miles, replace front passenger seat), 1/06/22, and 5/08/23 (52891 and 82293 miles, both replace OCS filter module). It is now showing this warning again (106507 miles, 8/22/24) for the fifth failure. This is extremely concerning that an airbag may not deploy properly or even might deploy when not warranted. Since the car has been repaired so many times for the same recurring problem it suggests there is a systemic issue with this component which should be addressed properly.

NHTSA ODI 11610225

My Tesla has been displayed a warning error message "Front passenger restraint system fault". This is a safety issue, I searched online and it looks like this is a common problem for the 2017-2019 Tesla Model 3. Many of the owners were fortunate if the issue happened before the expiration of the warranty which Tesla fixed it for free. However, this issue happened after warranty expired. I took the car to service center, they estimated the fix would cost over $3200 (see attached). Tesla claimed that the fraudulent module cannot be replaced as it's no longer support the older version of the airbag system. To fix the problem, it will have to replace the airbag, seat cushion and harness system. This is clearly a defect with the original equipment where manufacture does not support or provide replace with original parts.

NHTSA ODI 11609454

I randomly received an alert indicating “Front passenger safety restraint system fault” on my Tesla’s display. When I look this up, it indicates that the airbag may not deploy correctly in the event of an accident due to a seat sensor malfunction. When I contacted the service center, they quoted me at $1500 to repair this critical safety issue (involves replacing the seat sensor and reconfiguring airbags so that they will properly deploy). I believe this should be a recall and not something customers have to pay out of pocket to drive their car safely.

NHTSA ODI 11608623

My 2018 Tesla Model 3 is experiencing an intermittent "Front Left Safety Restraint System Fault". This error message, appearing on the main display, suggests an issue with the driver-side airbag, seatbelt pretensioner, or related components. The fault seems unrelated to seat occupancy or weight, as it occurs both with and without a passenger. While the error message eventually disappears after restarting the vehicle, its recurring nature is concerning and raises safety concerns about the airbag deploying unnecessarily or failing to deploy in an actual collision. This problem appears similar to those reported by other Tesla Model 3 owners, suggesting a potential systemic defect in the safety restraint system that warrants further investigation by the NHTSA. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11605363

Car reports RCM a056 error related to Occupant Control sensors. This is apparently a common problem for this year and model (related car forums and social media report > 100 such incidents that I can find), but is not covered ($1700 repair). This should be a safety recall.

NHTSA ODI 11604814

Seat occupancy system failure received. June 27, 2022 Mobile service inspected for wiring damage, as common cause. recommended appt at service center. Sep 2, 2022, could not fix issue, had to replace entire passenger seat. July 23, 2024 took car to service center for seat occupancy system failure received. Tesla stated I needed to pay for lumbar seat occupancy system sensor as it was failing. This was the same part (seat that was replaced in Sep of 2022). This part was 22 months old. Parts and labor for this part was $955. In addition, they stated this new part is not compatible with the existing seat occupancy system sensor in the seat portion of the seat and also not compatible with the passenger air bag. These parts including labor were an additional $1,500. These parts were not defective. Tesla has developed a new part of the safety system which is not backward compatible with other parts of the safety airbag system. This is improper practice and the cost for upgrading their defective manufacturing practices of safety systems should not be passed on to the customer.

NHTSA ODI 11604592

Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault continually chimes and then goes away again. Appears to have loose or faulty wiring. This is directly related to the passenger airbag system, so very concerning. -Tesla inspected this back in March 2020, with no repair, -Inspected it again in August 2020 and found an error related to the left curtain airbag connector and repaired under warranty using a Wire harness Repair Kit. -Same fault started again in 2023. Tesla recommended bringing into the shop for inspection and is quoting $800 to repair, so I have not taken it in yet as I believe this is a manufacturing defect that I should not have to pay for.

NHTSA ODI 11600846

Starting Jun 15 2024 an error came up saying "Left Restraint System fault" after a remote software update for Model 3 2018 Tesla The Alert comes up intermittently & Tesla requires $359.50 to change First Row Seat Harness Assembly - Left

NHTSA ODI 11598434