2018 Tesla Model 3 Air Bags
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the message "Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault" was displayed. The local Tesla Service center was notified of the failure and informed the contact the front passenger's side seat and air bag needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.
the airbag light shows
I was involved in a rear-end collision where I was completely stopped at a green light due to traffic congestion and the person driving behind me hit my car from behind that caused me to hit the car in front of me. The impact was hard that the Tesla model 3 immediately turned on the hazard lights and called 911. The screen of my Tesla model 3 stated "airbag deployed;" however, no airbags deployed. The Tesla immediately became inoperable and did not let me drive the car to the side of the road out of traffic. Also, the Tesla did not let me change to towing mode (since the screen eventually went black); which made it more difficult to tow the vehicle out of the way of traffic.
I received an alert that there’s a problem with my airbag. I reported it to tesla and since my car is out of warranty, it will cost over $1300. Since it’s only an alert, I decided to not pay the $1300 but now I’m wondering how unsafe is it does it mean the passenger airbag will not work in the event of a collision?
We had a warning light that says "“front passenger safety restraint system fault”. The Tesla dealership said that the airbag needs to be replaced. There were no incidences that led to this warning. It just appeared on its own.
Car no under warranty anymore. Front left safety restraint system failed (It looks like the cable is a little too short to accommodate the full range of the seat and ends up getting damaged) . It looks like a widespread issue on online forums.
on 8/26/2023 @10:44AM, received a message on the vehicles display that stated, "Front Passenger Safety Restraint Fault, service is required". This fault is intermittent. Set up a service appointment and after diagnosing the problem remotely, received this response: there are currently no faults/alerts, so it is at your discretion as to when you would like to address this. When the alert is present, the front airbag deployment will not be optimized for the passenger weight. Airbag replacement is necessary to be compatible with the seat sensor update and will ensure better serviceability for the future if it becomes necessary. Let me know if you have any further questions about the repair. Estimate of repairs, $1760.00. I have another tesla model 3, 2017 model year with the same fault. First of all, I drive the vehicle as a commuter car, and 99% of the time I drive alone. Secondly, I am concerned that in the event of an accident, the passenger airbag either won't be deployed at all, or may not be deployed correctly and may injure a passenger by deploying too little or too much.
Side airbags did not deploy in a major side impact.
I have been receiving the following message: Front Left safety restraint system fault. (Error notice: Notice: RCM_a021) Proposed repair: 1ST ROW SEAT HARNESS ASSEMBLY - RIGHT HAND - SBR(1489060-05-D) 1ST ROW SEAT HARNESS ASSEMBLY - LEFT HAND - SBR(1489060-02-F) It seems that this is the same problem that they repaired under warranty. Now they are repairing again at a very high price (quote. Work pending). If this problem is repeating, it seems likely other cars would be encountering this defect.
screen shows "Front passenger restraint system fault Service is required" Tesla technician confirmed that "Occupant Classification System(OCS) Filter Module" needed to be replaced and the technician replaced it. Please see attached files.
There was a seatbelt failure warning that came out on the screen. For obvious reasons, this ranks pretty high for safety concerns. I scheduled a service for it and was charged because apparently my car is out of warranty. Considering this is a manufacturer failure and not a wear and tear issue, a reasonable person would not lay cause on the owner but rather a quality issue, or the lack of it. I did a little research and found out that this is not an isolated case but rather an ongoing issue with other owners as well. A few instances would indicate an isolated issue but multiple occasions would suggest a systemic failure. Please consider reviewing the matter and resolve appropriately. If it is not Tesla’s responsibility so be it, just have it reviewed because so many other lives may be in danger without accountability. Thank you.
Had an alert show up: Front Passenger safety restraint system fault | Contact Tesla Service First time was in July 20, 2020; Tesla service added a part under warranty: SERVICE KIT - OCS REWORK(1479982-00-C) Second time was on August 10, 2021; Tesla service wanted to replace the whole seat out of warranty: NA-M3 PASS SEAT ASSY LHD RH PRM PUR BLK No Lumbar(7654324-01-D)
The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while entering and starting the vehicle, the front driver side safety retrains fault message was displayed on the screen. The air bag warning light was illuminated on with error code: RCM-A021. The contact reached out to a local dealer who sent out a mobile mechanic to the residence to inspect the vehicle. The contact stated that the front driver’s side wiring harness was defective. The wiring harness was replaced and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 58,000.
MY WIFE IS 5 FEET TALL AND WEIGHS 90 POUNDS. WHEN SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG INDICATOR DISPLAYS OFF. THIS MEANS THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG SAFETY SYSTEM IS NOT AVAILABLE TO HER. THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM IS FAILING AT ALL TIMES WHEN SHE IS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT..
RECENTLY WE SEE A WARNING 'FRONT PASSENGER SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAULT/CONTACT TESLA SERVICE' I.E THE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY INITIALLY THOUGHT THIS COULD BE A BUG. TRIED RESETTING THE SYSTEM BUT NOT GOING AWAY. THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.
FREQUENT ERROR STATING "FRONT PASSENGER SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAULT", WITH A RED INDICATOR FOR THE AIRBAG ON DISPLAY. ERROR OCCURS AT ANY TIME, STATIONARY, IN MOTION, ON A CITY STREET AND A HIGHWAY. SEE ATTACHED PHOTO
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Quick Summary
The 2018 Tesla Model 3 has 41 Air Bags complaints on file. 3 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.