2018 TESLA MODEL 3 Complaints

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, a message was displayed alerting the driver to a passenger safety restraint fault. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular failure. The air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V389000 (Seat Belts) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 60,000.

For the past 2-3 weeks, my vehicle has been intermittently displaying an error message that reads “Front left safety restraint system fault,” accompanied by the error code RCM_a021. This error has been appearing nearly every day and seems to indicate a malfunction in the Restraint Control Module, specifically relating to the front left safety restraint system. Importantly, the vehicle has not been in any accidents, and no recent repair work has been done that could explain the onset of this issue. This malfunction poses a significant safety risk. The front left safety restraint system, which includes crucial components like the seat belt latch sensor and the pretensioner system, is designed to protect the driver in the event of an accident. Given the critical nature of these safety features, the issue at hand could compromise the vehicle’s ability to protect its occupants, thereby placing both the driver and passengers at considerable risk. The vehicle has not been inspected or diagnosed by a Tesla dealer, an independent service center, or any other entity such as police or insurance representatives. This absence of professional evaluation further underscores the urgency for a thorough investigation into the root cause of this fault. There were no precursors or warnings prior to the appearance of this error message. The issue spontaneously manifested and has been consistently reoccurring. This lack of predictability elevates the risk associated with the fault, making it vital to investigate and resolve it expediently. The intermittent but consistent fault code RCM_a021 affecting the front left safety restraint system in my 2018 Tesla Model 3 is a significant safety concern. Given the absence of any recent repair work or incidents or recalls that could account for this problem, along with the lack of any professional diagnostic evaluation it’s my hope that NHTSA and Tesla take appropriate action to investigate and resolve this potential safety defect.

I received a warning message that displayed, “Front Left Safety Restraint System Fault.” This is an engineering problem as the cables associated easily detach under the driver’s seat. Tesla has been long aware of this problem. They came out to my home and replaced the wire connection by installing sturdier connectors. I was subsequently was charged $329.40.

The front passenger seat driver occupancy system started sporadically malfunctioning and showing the "air bags disabled" warning even while the seat was occupied. This would put the passenger at risk in the event of a crash. The manufacturer's technician arrived to inspect the vehicle and upon hearing the description of the problem said it was likely that a cable in the seat's wire harness probably wore out from friction and that "it was a common issue in these vehicles". Upon examining the wire harness the technician confirmed that this was the issue, and the harness had to be replaced.

I was turning into a parking spot when I heard a loud clanging sound, and I was unable to complete the turn. When I came out to look, the front driver's side wheel was slanted, as if in a turn, the passenger side wheel was straight. I had returned the steering wheel to center before I came out. I found a bolt behind the car, and through visual inspection saw that the front driver's side wheel was no longer attached to the steering shaft. The tow truck driver found another bolt under the car. Neither nut was recovered despite searching. Tesla support told me to tow it to their service center, where they repaired it for me for free, despite the fact that I was no longer under warranty. 1) Component that failed: Front Driver's Side control assembly 2) Safety at risk: the car was unsteerable at that point, at a higher speed, it would have cause d a crash 3) Confirmed by dealer, repaired by dealer. Invoice attached. 4) Has not been inspected by anyone other than the dealer, and superficially by the tow truck driver. 5) no warnings or symptoms observed before the incident. Attached: a) picture of the steering arm on the ground, disconnected from the steering shaft. b) picture of one of the recovered bolts. c) repair invoice from Tesla.

Car swerved into my lane and horn failed to work to notify them that they were serving. The large push area at the bottom of the horn on my model 3 does not work. Service told me this was the design in the older models, and has been corrected only in newer models. So that means all older model 3's have a horn that does not work properly.

When driving couple of days back an alert "UI_a020 stating steering assist disabled" appeared on screen and the steering became stiff. Luckily I was on local road; so I slowed down and pulled over. This could cause a big safety issue if I am on a highway and unable to steer easily at high speed. I contacted Tesla; they suggested getting the steering rack replaced for ~$3000. This is a basic safety issue; fixing it should be covered by Tesla.

I tried to open the back door (the rear drivers side.) I could not get the handle to pop out as it normally does when I push in. I hand to push it very hard to get the handle out and once I grasped the handle I cut my hand on the handle. It seems the chrome wrap on the handle had started to come off some how, which is what was preventing the handle from opening in the first place. This must be a defect as there is no way a person could possibly damage this chrome wrap, as the handles are always tucked away.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at various highway speeds with the Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control activated, the vehicle experienced phantom braking, causing the vehicle to stop abruptly in the middle of the highway. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on four separate occasions. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 27,000.

Received a Front passenger safety restraint system fault warning on my Tesla that went away but the service tech claims that they don't see that warning when brought to service center. I am concerned that they are not transparent or not seeing something that I clearly saw. Or if there is some software/technical glitch that displayed it. They were not clear on why it showed to me. The other issue is related to A/C compressor failing due to their software for cabin overheating. I had to pay for the A/C compressor to be replaced but feel that their software contributed to the problem.