2019 Tesla Model 3 Seat Belts Problems
Owners have filed 55 complaints with NHTSA about seat belts problems on the 2019 Tesla Model 3, 9% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 8,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “safety restraint” (65% of reports).
- 55seat belts complaints
- 8,500median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 4related recalls
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Safety restraint: mentioned in 36 of 55 complaints (65%)
- Front passenger: mentioned in 18 of 55 complaints (33%)
- Seat belt: mentioned in 13 of 55 complaints (24%)
- Rcm A021: mentioned in 10 of 55 complaints (18%)
At what mileage do seat belts problems happen?
Based on 1 complaint that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
None of the 55 complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Tesla Model 3 seat belts complaints by model year
| Model year | Seat Belts complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Model 3 | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2025 Model 3 | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2024 Model 3 | 3 | 1% | — |
| 2023 Model 3 | 10 | 2% | — |
| 2022 Model 3 | 12 | 2% | 35,400 |
| 2021 Model 3 | 15 | 2% | 65,000 |
| 2020 Model 3 | 19 | 4% | — |
| 2019 Model 3 | 55 | 9% | 8,500 |
| 2018 Model 3 | 105 | 10% | 60,000 |
| 2017 Model 3 | 6 | 23% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (4)
Seat belts:front:warning light/devices
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2024 Model S, 2015-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. In the event of an unbelted driver, the seat belt warning light and audible chime may not activate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: A seat belt warning system that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-008.
Seat belts:rear/other:anchorage
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The second-row left seat belt buckle and second-row center seat belt anchor may have been incorrectly reassembled during vehicle service.
Risk: An incorrectly reassembled seat belt anchor can impair the performance of the seat belt during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Tesla Service will inspect and reassemble the seat belt anchors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 20, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-20-004.
Seat belts:front; electrical system:software
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. The audible chime may not activate when the vehicle starts and the driver has not buckled their seat belt. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: The driver may be unaware that their seat belt is not fastened, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 1, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-002.
Seat belts:critical fasteners
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Model 3 and 2019-2021 Model Y vehicles. One or both fasteners that secure the front seat shoulder belt to the b-pillar may not be properly attached.
Risk: An improperly attached fastener may prevent the seat belt system from performing as designed, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Tesla Service will inspect and repair both fasteners if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 23, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service online by visiting www.tesla.com/support/contact or by calling 1-877-79-TESLA (or 1-877-798-3752). Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-20-001.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
There's a faulty connector for the drivers seatbelt pretensioner. The car is reporting RCM_a021_pretenLabFrontLeft and internet searches show this is a somewhat common error for a faulty connector that fails under normal usage.
Safety restraint system tsb technical service bulletin, a known problem with my 2019 Tesla model three
Front passenger safety restraint system issue requiring replacement of Occupant Classification System and updating front passenger airbag to maintain compatibility with front passenger seat. Costing almost $2000. Many others have reported of multiple repairs
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2019 Tesla Model 3s have seat belts problems?
No. NHTSA has 55 owner complaints about seat belts for the 2019 Tesla Model 3 (9% of the 617 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 2019 Tesla Model 3 seat belts?
Yes: 4 safety recalls list seat belts. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do seat belts problems start?
The median reported mileage is 8,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about seat belts problems on the 2019 Tesla Model 3?
The most frequent phrase is “safety restraint”, in 36 of 55 complaints, followed by “front passenger” (18).
Other 2019 Tesla Model 3 problems
See all 2019 Tesla Model 3 problems or seat belts problems across all Model 3 years.