2018 Tesla Model 3 Seat Belts

Tesla refuses to fix recall NHTSA No: 22V798.

When seat is moved up for my [XXX] daughter, who is learning to drive, it now triggers an error an indicates the air bags will not work. The error code is RCM_a021. It seems the vehicle has a defect that over time the connections for the front seat harnesses will fail. This is a known issue with a Service Bulletin - SB-21-17-005 on your website from December 8, 2021. [XXX] Manufacturer has confirmed the issue, but refuses to replace it unless they are paid more than $800 (although, online people report that when they were under warranty the cost for parts and labor was in the $300 range). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I believe this is a safety issue that warrants a recall notice since the seat restraint system may not work correctly due to an electrical connection issue. I get an error message "Front left safety restraint system fault" that comes comes and goes depending on the position of the driver seat - if I raise the seat I get the fault message, if I lower the seat the message goes away. This is clearly due to a loose electrical connection in the seat restraint system. I removed the cover at the side of the seat and have identified a loose yellow/orange plastic connector to the left of the seat (see picture). When you jiggle that connector the error message goes on and off. Tesla will fix the issue for $650, but I believe this is a faulty design issue that causes the connector to get worn every time you adjust the seat, and it should be fixed by Tesla at no charge.

Got an alert on the Tesla screen on 4/21/2025 indicating "Front left safety restraint system fault". Took to Tesla Svc Center and they replaced seat belt lap pretensioner, seat belt reminder vent, seat belt reminder sensor box and first row occupancy sensor. Cost $650. Alert goes away if I raise the seat and comes back if I lower the seat. I asked Tesla while scheduling an appointment whether it was a safety issue and they said "Yes". Vehicle has only 43,500 miles on it.

Alert message on car "safety restraint system issue"

Vehicle displays Front Left safety restraint system fault/Service is required

Vehicle displays Front Left safety restraint system fault/Service is required

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the seat belt warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the seat belt was inoperable, and the front seat restraint system failure message was displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 99,508.

"Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault​" a safety concern that puts passenger in danger with a faulty restraint system. Problem constantly reproduced every time get into car. It is available for inspection upon request. Car has not been physically inspected, but has been remotely accessed by manufacture and is charging owners $436.06 to repair. There has been no warning messages nor other symptoms prior to failure. Problem 1st appeared about a month ago.

Error code: RCM_a021 Front left safety restraint system fault. It appears this is a very common safety problem for many Tesla 3 owners and I believe it’s due to faulty design - shall be a recall paid by Tesla ! Please search on google.com, enter the error code above and you will see many complaints for the same issue…

I was driving when I received a service prompt on my Tesla Model 3 stating that there was a fault with my front passenger safety restraint. When I looked around the area, I noticed that the cable securing my seat belt to the vehicle was sticking out of the enclosure by about 6 inches. The car has not been involved in any violent collisions and the seatbelt has not otherwise been abused in any way. The car only has 23,163 miles on it.

This is a follow up to issue 11584898. Tesla Service states that due to the seat belt fault, the vehicle is not safe to drive until repair is complete. Tesla is also not providing a loaner vehicle until the vehicle is repaired. This puts many Model 3 and Model Y Drivers at risk due to limited Tesla and 3rd party service centers, limited service center schedule availability, and high cost of repair.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Front left safety restraint system fault, must replace first row seat harness assembly for seat belt. It is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Potential Seat Belt Malfunction, Tesla states "Service Required"   Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, common issue all over Tesla forums covering both Model 3 and Model Y. The problem/warning is reproducible on personal vehicle. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Tesla diagnostics showed service is required to replace front row seat belt assembly due to fault. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes, warning on display "Front left safety restraint system fault/Service is required" first appeared on personal vehicle 1 year ago intermittently, but online forums show this issue on similar vehicles dating back to 2019

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, a message displayed reading "Left from passenger safety restraint system fault". 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 Technical Service Bulletin: SB-21-17-005. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 105,000.

Received safety restaurant system warning on my Tesla. This is a safety issue with the seat belts. This was repaired already on November 4, 2021. Same issue occurring again and but Tesla now wants to charge $400 to repair.

Error message displays confirming: “Front left safety restraint system default” Error code displayed: RCM_a021 Service is required but Tesla is charging for this safety issue. Researched this and other drivers are reporting same issue.

On Feb 12 2024 the error code RCM_a021 appeared. “Front left safety restraint system fault Service is required.” The service center confirmed that it was an issue related to seatbelt safety during a crash. They said “The specific part that would fail in this case would be the seatbelt pretensioner. When in an impact this deploys and pulls the seatbelt tightly against the driver. This will likely not deploy in an accident if not repaired as the wires going to this component are broken. We are replacing it with a new updated part that will not wear and have this same issue.” Although a known safety issue, it was NOT a repair under warranty. I am putting in this claim and appeal that it should be an under warranty repair. Parts and Labor for 1 seatbelt assembly replacement would have been $450. As it is a known safety issue, I opted to proactively repair both front seat seatbelt assemblies so the cost increased to $650. The cost estimate is attached. Also attached is the text communications with Tesla service center.

Safety restraint system issue if this is an on-going issue with many Tesla users, shouldn't this covered under a warranty being it is a safety issue?

SERVICE ADVISORY FOR FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT SYSTEM APPEARS ON CENTRAL SCREEN AFTER SEATBELT IS UNLATCHED AND RETRACTED. FRONT RIGHT SIDE ALSO HAD THIS WARNING BUT IT NO LONGER DOES. WARNING READS AS FOLLOWS : "! FRONT LEFT SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAULT. SERVICE IS REQUIRED. NOTE: THIS WARNING REAPPEARS EVEN WHEN THE SEAT BELT IS HELD LOOSELY AND ALLOWED TO FULLY SNAP BACK INTO THE RETRACTOR. THE WARNING PERSISTS EVEN AFTER REBOOTING THE MAIN SCREEN (DOUBLE SCROLL WHEEL PRESS REBOOT)

Many Tesla owners are experiencing this issue: "Front left (or right) safety restraint system fault. Service is required" message on screen Tesla service quoted $430 for a repair of a problem that shouldn't exit on a privately owned, non commercial low mileage (<50k in 5 years) vehicle. Tesla service refuses to do a recall or warranty repair. Comparison; we have a family Volvo with ~250k miles and it has never had a seat belt issue!

began receiving fault alert 'RCM_a021 - Front Left Safet Restraint System Fault' in December 2023. Web query indicates this has become a common problem, with the source being a loose connection of the seat wiring harness under the front driver's seat. No other observed malfunction of the vehicle. alert occurs whenever car is entered and powered on (seat adjusts for specified driver). Alert seems to be based on loose wire that is either loose or severed at the wire harness connection.

Seat restrain system detected a fault with the back row seat buckle. This appears to be a repeated issue based on other drivers reporting same safety issue. Happy to provide photos.

Seat belt sensor went off. Took vehicle to Tesla and was charged for a replacement of the seat buckle that you place the seat belt in. This should be a safety hazard and should not be a charge to replace a safety seat buckle. I have an invoice of the work done and what I paid to fix.

Car issued a message on screen: "Front left safety restraint system fault. Service is required". From what we found online, others are experiencing this same problem with this make/model and have also received this message recently. Appears that there is a bad connector under the seat. This sure seems to be a safety issue so wanted to make you aware. At this point, it is reported that Tesla has been charging people to fix the safety issue. We plan to make a service appointment to get this fault addressed and hope that they will fix it at no cost to us.

I am getting an error on the screen which states, "Front left safety restraint system fault, service is required". Then while driving the car is not able to detect if the driver is sitting on the seat. The seat belt icon pops up. Tesla has remotely diagnosed the issue and are charging $450 to replace safety restraint wiring. This should be covered under a safety recall. The airbags are disabled.