2018 Tesla Model 3 seat belt problems

SEAT BELTS

My 2018 Tesla Model 3 displayed alert RCM_a056, “Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault.” The warning may affect correct detection of a passenger and operation of the passenger restraint/airbag system. Tesla quoted approximately $705 but has not identified the failed component or explained whether the condition is related to known front-seat wiring or occupant-classification failures. Tesla Repair Bulletin SB-21-17-005 recognizes that electrical harnesses in 2017–2019 Model 3 front seats can be damaged through repeated seat movement and trigger restraint-system alerts, although that bulletin specifically lists codes RCM_a021 and RCM_a022. I am reporting RCM_a056 because it affects the same general front-passenger safety-restraint system and appears to be reported by other early Model 3 owners. I am concerned that an occupant may not be properly classified or protected in a collision.

NHTSA complaint #11758611 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on multiple occasions, the message "Front Left Safety Restraint System Issue RCM_a021" was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

NHTSA complaint #11748877 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

Tesla notification that front left safety restraint system has an issue. Service is required. Who isn't going to take their car in when there is an alert saying the safety restraint system has an issue. Then $232 in parts and $484. in labor. After taking in it was diagnosed that seat harness being pinched against the outboard shield causing the pretensioner to fault. Need to replace the seat harness and the pretensioner. Ended up being $232 in parts and $484 in labor. My safety was at risk because this system affects the seatbelt and airbags. Problem was diagnosed, confirmed, and repaired at my cost. Tesla dealership inspected. Thousands of tesla owners repairing at their own cost- maybe should be recall.

NHTSA complaint #11746908 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

The front passenger safety restraint system is triggering an on-screen warning error that says service is required. This puts my front passenger at risk of death in the event of an accident. I have sent the manufacturer (Tesla) a request for service and received a confirmation of the errors with a list of parts to be replaced for a sum of $1200.65. I understand there is a service bulletin for this issue (Bulletin SB-19-20-003), but Tesla still will not fix it for free even though it is a safety issue. In the estimate, Tesla listed the following components as failure points that need to be replaced: 1) FIRST ROW OCCUPANCY SENSOR(1099592-00-F) 2) FIRST ROW - SEAT BELT REMINDER SENSOR BOX CLIP(1130363-00-B) 3) FIRST ROW SEAT HARNESS ASSEMBLY - RIGHT HAND(1489060-03-G) 4) AIRBAG HARNESS RETAINING CLIP(1028053-00-A) 5) BOLT,EHS,M6X19,[88],ZN,SMAT,ADH. - KNEE AND PASSENGER AIRBAG BOLT(1116594-00-B) 6) BOLT RC M6-1.25x26(1036655-00-A) 7) PASSENGER AIRBAG(1077823-00-G) 8) BOLT,HF,M6X7,STL[88],ZN,SHLDR[8X18]. (1105061-00-E)

NHTSA complaint #11741704 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

Tesla refuses to fix recall NHTSA No: 22V798.

NHTSA complaint #11706382 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

The "Front passenger safety restraint system" is prone to errors because the wiring for it beneath the seat is prone to getting knocked loose and electrical interference

NHTSA complaint #11694419 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

Driving a 2018 Tesla Model 3, driver seat shows message "Front left safety restraint system issue. Service is required". This occurs when the driver is in the seat with the seat belt fastened and the vehicle is in motion. This issue refers to the possible seat belt, seats and/or air bags failure. This is a threat for drivers as these are the front line of defence in case of any collisions or accidents. This issue has been reported by multiple Tesla car drivers and their posts are available on online forums. Message appears on the Tesla screen driven. Tesla does not cover this out of warranty. My appeal to NHSTA is this is hazardous to drivers and cars should be recalled and repairs should be covered.

NHTSA complaint #11691197 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

A sensor for the driver side safety restraint system was displayed from the vehicles screen. Potentially loose wires under the seat when manufactured.

NHTSA complaint #11681745 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

Getting a notification for "Front left safety restraint system fault" which disengages the airbags. Seems like a very common fault with Teslas but no recall has been made.

NHTSA complaint #11680554 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS:FRONT

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the front passenger's side restraint warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a seat belt restraint failure. The contact was informed that the front passenger's side wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that a year prior to the failure, the front driver's side restraint failed, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that at that time, the front passenger's side restraint failure was intermittent; however, the repair for the front passenger's side restraint was not completed because the failure was not duplicated. The contact stated that only the driver's side wiring harness was replaced under warranty. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA complaint #11674221 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

This is a large scale problem with Tesla due to their "easy entry" which automatically moves the front seats to fit the drivers saved positions. Due to Tesla not properly securing the wires under the seat, they get crimped over time causing an error of "safety restraint system issue." There have been thousands of reported Teslas with a simple Google search. The service center also stated to me this is a large scale issue but a recall has not been issued. This is very dangerous as this disables the airbags due to a seat belt or wire crimp under the seat issue. Please investigate and issue a mandatory recall for the safety issue as Tesla wants $1000 to rectify the issue. Many have reported this issue to be fixed by the service center multiple times only to come back months later.

NHTSA complaint #11666623 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

Vehicle is displaying an error message "Front passenger safety restraint system fault" and "front passenger safety restraint system fault. Service is required." This has the result of "The restraint system may not function as designed." According to an Internet search, this is a very common fault, caused by "interference" and necessitates an occupancy sensor, wiring harness and airbag module exchange.

NHTSA complaint #11663977 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

When seat is moved up for my [XXX] daughter, who is learning to drive, it now triggers an error an indicates the air bags will not work. The error code is RCM_a021. It seems the vehicle has a defect that over time the connections for the front seat harnesses will fail. This is a known issue with a Service Bulletin - SB-21-17-005 on your website from December 8, 2021. [XXX] Manufacturer has confirmed the issue, but refuses to replace it unless they are paid more than $800 (although, online people report that when they were under warranty the cost for parts and labor was in the $300 range). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11660349 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

I believe this is a safety issue that warrants a recall notice since the seat restraint system may not work correctly due to an electrical connection issue. I get an error message "Front left safety restraint system fault" that comes comes and goes depending on the position of the driver seat - if I raise the seat I get the fault message, if I lower the seat the message goes away. This is clearly due to a loose electrical connection in the seat restraint system. I removed the cover at the side of the seat and have identified a loose yellow/orange plastic connector to the left of the seat (see picture). When you jiggle that connector the error message goes on and off. Tesla will fix the issue for $650, but I believe this is a faulty design issue that causes the connector to get worn every time you adjust the seat, and it should be fixed by Tesla at no charge.

NHTSA complaint #11657426 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

Got an alert on the Tesla screen on 4/21/2025 indicating "Front left safety restraint system fault". Took to Tesla Svc Center and they replaced seat belt lap pretensioner, seat belt reminder vent, seat belt reminder sensor box and first row occupancy sensor. Cost $650. Alert goes away if I raise the seat and comes back if I lower the seat. I asked Tesla while scheduling an appointment whether it was a safety issue and they said "Yes". Vehicle has only 43,500 miles on it.

NHTSA complaint #11656595 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

Alert message on car "safety restraint system issue"

NHTSA complaint #11652466 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

The driver side seatbelt/presence sensor intermittently fails due to faulty wiring. This causes a warning stating 'front left safety restraint system fault' and the driver side airbag to turn off when the warning is present causing a severe safety issue. This is a well documented common safety failure of these vehicles

NHTSA complaint #11652022 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

RCM_a021 alert: Front left safety restraint system fault. Seems like an issue caused by seat movement back & forth.

NHTSA complaint #11651400 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

Vehicle displays Front Left safety restraint system fault/Service is required

NHTSA complaint #11645028 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

Vehicle displays Front Left safety restraint system fault/Service is required

NHTSA complaint #11645030 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

Warning message appeared on center screen stating: "Front left safety restraint system fault". This appears to be a safety related problem , Tesla dealer wants $500 to repair because the vehicle is "out of warreanty" . This is the second Model 3 we have had. Previous version also experienced this fault. Is this a safety problem and if so should the car manufacturer be responsible to repair at no cost to owner? I have receoved a notice from NHTSA dated 5-31-2024 stating recall 24V376 may affect my vehicle - Seat Belt warning Sustem. I have not receoved a specific recall from tesla for this recall. Is it the same as the fault referenced above?

NHTSA complaint #11637161 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

Received safety restaurant system warning on my Tesla. This is a safety issue with the seat belts. This was repaired already on November 4, 2021. Same issue occurring again and but Tesla now wants to charge $400 to repair.

NHTSA complaint #11628754 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

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 complaint #11628551 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

Safety restraint system issue if this is an on-going issue with many Tesla users, shouldn't this covered under a warranty being it is a safety issue?

NHTSA complaint #11628337 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

1. I had my car for only 6 years, and the main monitor would randomly go black. I have to do multiple hard resets to get it to work again. 2. I'm getting a Front left safety restrain system fault, on a car that I had only for 6 years. Compared to my Prius that I had more than 10 years, which I had no problems AT ALL, Tesla is junk. 3. Front suspension is squeaking when making turns at slow speeds. Review of YouTube indicates that this is a very common problem. Tesla should fix this for free instead of charging $800.

NHTSA complaint #11627290 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

"Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault​" a safety concern that puts passenger in danger with a faulty restraint system. Problem constantly reproduced every time get into car. It is available for inspection upon request. Car has not been physically inspected, but has been remotely accessed by manufacture and is charging owners $436.06 to repair. There has been no warning messages nor other symptoms prior to failure. Problem 1st appeared about a month ago.

NHTSA complaint #11625721 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

On August 2020, Error showed on dash: Front passenger safety restraint system fault/Contact Tesla Service. Took to Tesla to investigate, and they perform service based on bulletin [XXX] ). The error message then returned exactly a year later August 2021, but Tesla denied that it was the same issue and had to charge for this repair since car was out of warranty. Since then I have met with other owners that had expressed the same situation and I wanted to officially document this in case in need to become an actual recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11620988 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

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 complaint #11620367 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

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 complaint #11618804 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

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 complaint #11618185 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.