Tesla Model 3 Seat Belts Problems
Owners have filed 228 complaints with NHTSA about seat belts problems on the Tesla Model 3 across 10 model years. The 2018 model year has the most (105). The words owners use most often: “safety restraint” (58% of reports).
- 228seat belts complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 6mention a crash
- 5mention an injury
- 4related recalls
- $520typical repair cost reported by owners
- 19%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 132 of 228 complaints (58%)
- Front passenger: mentioned in 64 of 228 complaints (28%)
- Seat belt: mentioned in 54 of 228 complaints (24%)
- Rcm A021: mentioned in 21 of 228 complaints (9%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical seat belts repair on the Tesla Model 3 at $520, and half of them between $440 and $730.
Based on 15 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2019–2026), 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 seat belts problems happen?
Based on 14 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 228 complaints, 6 mention a crash, 5 an 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
Model years: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
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
Model years: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
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
Model years: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
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
Model years: 2018, 2019, 2020
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.
- 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…
Driving tghe 2018 Model 3 with around 75K miles, the warning "FRONT LEFT SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM ISSUE" keeps popping up and staying on the center console. Tesla said car is out of warranty and have to pay upto $2000 to fix it.
Safety restraint system tsb technical service bulletin, a known problem with my 2019 Tesla model three
Frequently asked questions
Do all Tesla Model 3s have seat belts problems?
No. NHTSA has 228 owner complaints about seat belts for the Tesla Model 3. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 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.
How much does it cost to fix seat belts problems on the Tesla Model 3?
Owners report a typical cost of $520 (half paid between $440 and $730), from 15 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about seat belts problems on the Tesla Model 3?
The most frequent phrase is “safety restraint”, in 132 of 228 complaints, followed by “front passenger” (64).
Other Tesla Model 3 problems
- Forward Collision Avoidance problems (1,741)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (633)
- Electrical System problems (562)
- Service Brakes problems (561)
- Steering problems (402)
- Suspension problems (376)
- Air Bags problems (316)
- Lane Departure problems (303)
See all Tesla Model 3 problems.