2018 Tesla Model 3 Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 143 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2018 Tesla Model 3, 14% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 19,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “safety restraint” (59% of reports).
- 143air bags complaints
- 19,500median miles at failure
- 15mention a crash
- 8mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,950typical repair cost reported by owners
- 29%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Safety restraint: mentioned in 84 of 143 complaints (59%)
- Front passenger: mentioned in 69 of 143 complaints (48%)
- Occupant classification: mentioned in 22 of 143 complaints (15%)
- Rcm A056: mentioned in 19 of 143 complaints (13%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical air bags repair on the 2018 Tesla Model 3 at $1,950, and half of them between $1,350 and $2,150.
Based on 10 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2023–2026), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 20 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 143 complaints, 15 mention a crash, 8 an injury.
Tesla Model 3 air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Model 3 | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2025 Model 3 | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2024 Model 3 | 8 | 4% | 14,591 |
| 2023 Model 3 | 18 | 4% | 10,447 |
| 2022 Model 3 | 13 | 2% | 38,000 |
| 2021 Model 3 | 8 | 1% | — |
| 2020 Model 3 | 30 | 7% | 38,500 |
| 2019 Model 3 | 86 | 14% | 8,572 |
| 2018 Model 3 | 143 | 14% | 19,500 |
| 2017 Model 3 | 7 | 27% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists air bags for the 2018 Tesla Model 3. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The passenger seat back Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor (Part #1920673-01-A) failed 3 times in under 22 months (Dec 2024, Dec 2025, Sep 2026), disabling the front passenger safety restraint system and airbag deployment logic
- When I start my car, I see the following error message appear: Front Left Safety Restraint System Fault. Also, the air bag disabled alert is displayed. Since the air bag is disabled, it puts me at grave risk if I were to get into an accident. - Many other Tesla owners have reported the same exact…
Vehicle Information: Year/Make/Model:Â 2018 Tesla Model 3 Mileage at Incident:Â 45,000 miles Description of Safety Defect: A sudden and persistent "Safety Restraint System Fault" / "Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault" warning illuminated on the vehicle's primary touchscreen interface…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2018 Tesla Model 3s have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 143 owner complaints about air bags for the 2018 Tesla Model 3 (14% of the 1,031 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Tesla Model 3 air bags?
No recall currently lists air bags for this vehicle.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 19,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix air bags problems on the 2018 Tesla Model 3?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,950 (half paid between $1,350 and $2,150), from 10 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2018 Tesla Model 3?
The most frequent phrase is “safety restraint”, in 84 of 143 complaints, followed by “front passenger” (69).
Other 2018 Tesla Model 3 problems
See all 2018 Tesla Model 3 problems or air bags problems across all Model 3 years.