2019 Tesla Model 3 complaints

When cruise control or self-driving systems are engaged, there have been numerous times when the automatic emergency braking system mistakenly slowed the car suddenly. At 70+ mph, this is incredibly dangerous. The AEBS apparently sees shadows as dangers. Fortunately, there has never been an instance when another vehicle has been close behind.

Passenger safety restraint system fault warning keeps alerting on the display screen. I contacted Tesla about the situation and they want to charge me for the fix. This is a safety issue and not a mechanical issue

Passenger safety restraint system light came on, Tesla says to fix needs to install OCS filter module and replace existing OCS sensor because its not compatible with existing OCS sensor...cost is $806....there are no broken parts in my car. according to Teslas service bulletin Sep 21, 2020 this problem is caused by electrical interference in the seat harness causing the airbag restrain system message on screen due to faulty design.....Tesla says i need to pay for it because car is out of warranty, i say its a faulty design and they have to fix free. this should be a recall because Tesla is aware of many of same problems that make the airbag inoperable. from the bulletin "On some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, the Occupant Classification System (OCS) signal might be affected by electrical interference in the seat harness, causing the airbag indicator to display on the touchscreen." Tesla has been aware of the problem for 4 years at least.

Some 2019 Tesla model 3’s recalled due to lateral and control link issues. Problem seems to be more wide spread. Exactly same problem is apparently happening with my car - also a 2019 Tesla model 3, but not covered for some reason.

My 2019 Tesla Model 3 (RWD) began alerting error messages on the primary dashboard screen saying "Steering assist reduced. Steering may require increased effort." and "Lane Departure Avoidance features unavailable", followed by the power steering going out completely. Steering required significant effort, which was dangerous while turning through intersections or navigating parking lots, and almost caused a collision with other cars. The error goes away after parking the car and powering it off and on again, but reappears after driving short distances (anywhere from 5 to 30 miles). With the error on the screen, sometimes the power steering appears to work without increased effort (but with Lane Departure Avoidance unavailable), but other times the power steering is completely disabled. I received no warnings or alerts prior to the error messages and behavior I described above. I scheduled an appointment with Tesla Service (Plano-Lexington Drive-Service 300 Lexington Dr Plano, TX 75075) through the Tesla app, and after it was accepted, the app asked me to approve a repair estimate of almost $3000 to "remove and replace the steering rack". The replacement item is listed as "STEERING GEAR - LEFT HAND DRIVE (1188832-00-B)" with a unit price of 2,260.00. I contacted Tesla Service and asked if they would just do a diagnosis first to inspect the car, and they agreed and reduced the estimate to just a $215 diagnosis. The morning of my appointment (Jan 17th, 2025), Tesla Service sent

The rear driver side passenger seat belt buckle abruptly stopped latching, there is no debris in the the latch mechanism.

Sep 2022 Tesla Model 3 brought in for noise when steering wheel is turned. Was told it was the control arm. Left and right arms both replaced. Mileage - 53247 Jan 2025 Tesla Model 3 brought in for heating issue and for similar noise when steering wheel is turned. Service rep said lateral links needed replacing. Mileage - 85321 Control arms and lateral link replacement at 53K and 85K, respectively, seems highly irregular. I have checked several online forums and found many other Tesla Model 3 owners having similar complaints. I have now replaced a significant portion of this vehicle's front suspension. We have owned 7 other vehicles, all purchased new, over the last 20 years. We have kept those cars between 150k - 200k miles and only 1 of those cars required this type of work, which was performed on a 2011 Jaguar XF at 160k+ miles

Two major safety issues need to be reported: 1) The left front lower control arm falling off in the middle of driving, caused car wheel stuck on a traffic street (luckily it was off the freeway 5 minutes ago). The long bolts connected the lower control arms were loss due to the defective design (the bolts are screwed upward vertically, falling off is definitely just a matter of time). I found there was a class action against Tesla due to this problem (it is referred to Model X and S) 2) The other major safety issue I encountered as I turned on the “advanced autopilot “ feature, the car could break suddenly without warning on the freeway. There were no cars or obstacles in the front. I researched online and found many Tesla owners have experienced this so called “phantom breaking” problem as I had (I had experienced this unsafe auto breaking randomly since I have driven this car)

The airbag and seat belt system on the driver's side is faulty, which may result in an unsuccessful deployment of the airbag should I get into an accident. This is an immediate safety concern, yet Tesla would like to charge me over $400 to remedy the situation. That's why I'm reporting this as a safety recall so that no other owner/ leasee faces this risk or financial burden.

We own a 2019 Tesla model 3 which had a left front headlight stop working (headlight, turn signal, and daytime running light). As soon as the headlight went out the windshield wipers stopped working. The vehicle does not have fuses but the headlight and wipers share a wiring circuit. I thought it might be a coincidence but found several of the same issues on a google search. It is beyond ridiculous that lowing a headlight at night would cause your wipers to stop working. Its bad enough to have a reduction in visibility due to a light going out but to have the windshield wipers tied to the headlight causing them to stop working is nothing short of reckless. The warning stating the turn signal needed to be serviced and to make an appointment came on when the light stopped working. I own an automotive repair shop so I ordered the headlight assembly and installed it, the lights then worked and not surprisingly so did the windshield wipers.

The accident happened in a parking lot. There was a tap of the bumpers going really slow. The passenger in the Tesla is claiming whiplash. The car is not safe if it cannot take a slight bump on the fender in a parking lot.

Hello. A recall was issued in 2022 on my vehicle. There was an issue with the wiring harness that would sometimes cause the rear camera feed to be dropped when opening and closing the trunk. According to Tesla, this issue was fixed in 2022 is therefore no longer subject to being fixed again. This issue is occurring again and Tesla is refusing to fix the issue without me paying for it. As this was a recall item, that is reoccurring. I feel that as a safety component that can drop out the rear camera/cross traffic detection system. This is a serious safety concern. NHTSA campaign number: 21VO0DO00. Tesla's own number for this recall is SB-21-17-008.

I along with many people online have reported the occupant safety restraint system having an issue and setting off a fault. I took it back several times on a warranty to Tesla. However, they were unable to replicate the air. Now the air is started again. the car is out of warranty and Tesla wants $2000 now to put in a new airbag new occupant sensor and clip. This is absolute ridiculous, and has really undermined my faith in Tesla. They should not be having occupant faults.and not fixing it.

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal squeaking sound coming from the front suspension. The sound was heard while making a turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed upper control arm. The contact was informed that the upper control arm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that five days later the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for a scheduled service appointment in May 2024, the vehicle was diagnosed with a failed suspension lateral link needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the suspension lateral link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of two recalls, NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V235000 (Suspension) and NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V835000 (Suspension); however, the VIN was not included in the recalls. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 40,775.

Driving on Hwy 8 (Houston Beltway), going west, dog came out from left side, Tesla auto pilot was engaged and did not detect collision with the dog. Car did not stop, did not alarm, dog was hit, my front bumper was damaged, and car kept on going.

It brakes at highway speeds of 70 without reasons on cruise control and FSD. Happened three times on highway 46. It can be very bad if there was a car behind me. This happened to me through all these years since 2019.

I’m at the Tesla service center and Tesla is refusing to perform recall work without payment/diagnostic time. Even though Tesla’s website and notices states that they will perform recall work free of charge they are in fact refusing to perform recall work free of charge. They are mandating that I be charged diagnostic fees for them to determine whether they will perform the recall work as of 11/13 at 7:15am per Marc the service advisor at Tesla Service Center Kearny Mesa.

I was driving with food donations from my local shop to deliver them. I was about to turn left to go onto a different street when the car showed a notification that read "Steering Assist Reduced. Steering may require increased effort". It was incredibly hard to turn the steering wheel, left of right. If the car is moving very slowly is becomes increasingly harder to turn it, making it almost impossible to park.

The OCS filter (occupant classification sensor) failed causing a “passenger restraint system fault”. This is simply a poorly designed component that fails. It is extremely common. The repair was quoted at nearly $2000 because the airbag and module have to be upgraded alongside it. Tesla sold a bunch of cars with a faulty $15 sensor, and is forcing $2000 worth of repairs just to get the passenger safety system to work.

I am submitting a complaint regarding an unresolved safety issue with the front passenger restraint system in my 2019 Tesla Model 3 (VIN: [XXX] ). Since February 2024, I have encountered recurring alerts for this system, despite multiple service visits to address it. Service History and Concerns: The initial repair attempt on February 27, 2024, involved Tesla replacing the Occupant Classification System (OCS) filter module. However, the alert returned shortly after, showing the issue was not resolved. On October 14, 2024, I returned to Tesla, where they quoted $1,800 for further repairs, claiming my general warranty was expired. Their records indicate that this failure directly impacts the front passenger’s safety restraint, making it a serious defect. During a follow-up visit on October 23, 2024, the issue was confirmed but left unaddressed unless I paid out-of-pocket. This recurring fault poses a critical safety risk, as a defective restraint system compromises passenger protection in a crash. Tesla’s refusal to provide coverage, despite prior similar recalls for restraint systems, suggests a pattern of shifting safety costs onto consumers. I request the NHTSA to investigate this fault’s prevalence and require Tesla to provide a remedy that upholds passenger safety. Thank you for your attention to this serious issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Upper control arm unit is defective on most model 3's. This has been reported by thousands of Tesla owners. After 50,000 miles the upper control arm will fail due to being assembled incorrectly, which causes a hard time driving the car and causing a strange sound in the suspension which can cause a risk in driving and increase the likelihood of an accident.

I see in today's news that the NHTSA is investigating Tesla's FSD due to accidents in poor visibility, but the articles I've read are not discussing another visibility issue that may actually be more widespread. I already reported concerns with Telsa's FSD in incident 11618812, but I forgot to mention another issue I believe is crucial to the success or failure of Tesla's FSD, and I am surprised to find that nobody is talking about this serious flaw. Because Tesla's FSD relies on camera video only, the vehicle is blind in the dark. I live in a rural area, and on some roads without streetlights or other vehicles nearby illuminating the areas around the vehicle, Tesla's FSD falsely assumes that the side and rear facing cameras are obstructed because they cannot see in the dark. This was also an issue when my son and I drove home through the night from South Carolina. When we hit North Carolina on [XXX] in the middle of the night between cities and no streetlights, traffic was sparse so there was nobody behind or to the sides of the vehicle. Every few minutes, FSD falsely warned us that the cameras were obstructed, and alerted us that FSD's capabilities were limited. One point of view is that there was nobody there so my car was clear, and FSD could assume that everything is okay and suppress the warning, but what if the driver of the other vehicle at night failed to have their lights on? And how will FSD ever know that the camera is obstructed, or is in pitch dark? Take an aver

I have been an owner and fan of Tesla’s FSD for 5 and 1/2 years. Even though Tesla has repeatedly missed Elon’s promised delivery dates, I’ve remained an advocate. I am a Sr. Enterprise Architect and have a Masters in Software Engineering. I know how difficult a problem like an AI-based FSD is to solve, so I’ve been cutting Elon some slack on his constant over-promising and under-delivering. My daughter goes to school over 800 miles from home, and I’ve used FSD to do over 90% of the driving taking her to and from school, and it’s done pretty darn well, but the latest two versions I’ve received over the last few weeks have been so bad, they are dangerous in my opinion. Issues like panic braking for no visible reason, and today my car made an unexpected lane change across two lanes, cutting off a rapidly moving truck in the fast lane, all requiring me to take control. I now have interventions every few minutes, sometimes only a few minutes from engagement. With Tesla’s focus on “Robotaxi Day,” I am concerned that the demo may be more smoke and mirrors, because the latest version of FSD on my car is nowhere near ready for prime time. Can Tesla fix this? I’m sure they can, but this software version was definitely rushed out too soon, probably because Elon put heavy pressure prior to their big Robotaxi event. My wife has a Model Y with FSD behaving the same way, so it is not isolated to just my car. If Robotaxi Day is a smash success, they are either running a hardware or software

Front left safety restraint system fault alert which requires service from Tesla service center. Tesla is charging $360 before taxes to fix this issue which seems to be an ongoing issue for many Tesla owners. The cost should be on the company since it’s a safety concern.

Front left safety restraint system fault/Service is required

Steering rack failed due to water intrusion connector integrity failed

Lateral links failed. It was exactly what was described in this recall. However my car was not part of the recall because it was manufactured outside the date range. Recall affected until Mar 2019. My car was produced maybe a month or two afterwards. [XXX] The fastener became loose and the entire lateral link popped off. This happened in the parking lot and the entire car dropped 3 inches. Had this happened on the freeway it would have been much more dangerous. Problem was inspected by Tesla and Tesla said they were not at fault. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Driver Seat belt system(Front left safety restraint system fault) Error code: RCM_a021 with this error, there is a message/symbol showing as no air bag available on driver side. error message has been showing for a week now.

There is a common warning message on Tesla Model 3 and Y that states “Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault” I just received it on mine. Tesla service advised that the passenger airbag and safety system may not function in the event of a crash. I searched online and can see in forums that many people receive this warning. Tesla also confirmed that if someone receives this message while driving and then they get into an accident during that same drive, the airbag may not work. This is a HUGE safety issue, and Tesla should be held accountable.

Tesla Model 3 with FSD (Full Self Driving) package. Engaged FSD to drive home today but vehicle failed to recognize ALL traffic control signals (stop signs, red & green stoplights. The first time this occurred, I had to brake emergently to avoid collision with cross traffic that had a ‘green’ light. Subsequently reactivated FSD to check the issue and vehicle attempted to run several more red lights and stop signs.It did, however recognize and stop for stopped traffic ahead and performed fairly well with autosteer. This is the first time we have had this potentially-fatal issue. We have, for several months had an issue where some or all of the Tesla cameras fail intermittently. This usually happens at the beginning of a drive and the vehicle alerts us ‘Automatic braking temporarily unavailable.’ Sometimes it recovers on a subsequent drive the same day and rarely recovers on same drive. When cameras are out, ALL the ADAS features are inoperative as they require camera input. Also, the standard feature of ‘speed control’ does not function because Tesla has only adaptive cruise control. Today’s drive was the first time cameras seemed functional on drive home & vehicle allowed me to engage FSD when there was apparently a major safety issue.

The suspension front control arm and lower links were all bad and had to be replaced. One day, our car started making this terrible clunking sound, so we brought it in. They charged us $1,800 to replace the whole control arm/link system. I have seen that this is a common problem. I have heard that the issue is known by Tesla as a defect because they put in bad control arms in the early models of Tesla that are known to go bad. We were told that if we did not get them replaced, they could go out while driving and cause us to lose control of our vehicle.

Over the last few days, an alert has come and gone numerous times indicating a fault of the front left safety restraint system. As of today, the alert persists and does not go away. The computer reports an error code of “RCM_a021 Front left safety restraint system fault. Service is required.” Additionally the airbag indicator is illuminated, which I believe means that it is disabled because of this error.

There have been a number of Tesla’s coming back to the dealership due to a left or right pseat restraint error, which is the seat restraint module failure or even pinched wires that have not been secured properly during manufacturing. This is a safety issue that Tesla needs to correct as they are charging customers between $460 and $1500 to be repaired and these faults end up coming back time after time. Any other car manufacturer would replace on a recall.

Front control arms have zero to very little grease, this causing components to friction and cause loud squeaking sound. Tesla is charing nearly $300 to change out the control arms which are the same as what's currently in my vehicle. This incident will occur again and Tesla will benefit from it.

Driving on the freeway and steering completely locked up. Luckily on a straight away so the car could go to side of road. Restarted the system and it was functional again. Has happened again. Very concern over the safety of these vehicles.

This morning the Tesla mobile technician informed me that the defrost is disabled. He explained that is something that only Tesla can fix. When talking to Tesla service they quote me over 1k to fix. After reading about this particular issue, Tesla has been recalling the model 3 ( 2021 -2023 ) for the exact same issue. Can someone look into this since it appears to be defective from Tesla Sincerely

The week of July 29, 2024, I received a report on my computer screen that the driver's side seat belt was malfunctioning. I checked and it moved freely--there was no restraint. I drove to Rocklin Tesla and they did a diagnostic test ($235) and found there was a low voltage circuit integrity issue. This problem was not from physical damage to the seat belt, but a problem during manufacturing. They required the left front row seat harness assembly be replaced. As the driver, I was at risk because if I was in an accident, my seat belt would fail to stop forward motion. Online Tesla forums explain this has been occurring, but Tesla does not have a recall. The problem was confirmed by the dealer. I was advised to send a report to NHTSA.

The component is a software update by Tesla, the change is in the climate control screen, the problem is that the recirculating air icon was large and easy to change status while driving but is now microscopic and not able to safely check status or touch to change the air recirculation. There is no way to revert or customize the size or placement of this control

Car intermittently gives me a "reduced power steering" error making it impossible to steer and had to stop in the fast lane on the freeway and reset the car just to get the error to to away I could have been killed and Tesla refuses to have a recall on my year and model and I must pay out of pocket for a new steering rack this is not fair that other models is covered for a recall but not a 2019 model 3

Seat sensor error. "Front left safety restraint system fault" Car was still under warranty when the right seat fault happened. Clearly an issue with Tesla since there are many reports out "restraint system fault"

While driving I received an error on the screen stating “front passenger safety restraint fail -service needed”. This would go on and off randomly. It took over a month to get into Tesla. By the time I got into service the error was gone but Tesla replaced a sensor and airbag to be complaint with the sensor costing over $1300. I have seen a lot of posts of other Tesla owners experiencing the same error.

On at least 3 occasions, the glass (windshield, roof and rear window) on my car has been shattered by a small nut (beechnut) falling from a tree. The cost of the damage has totaled thousands of dollars. The latest incidents were on July 31 and August 15, 2024. A previous incident occurred a few years ago.

Safety issue: Got a "Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault" (code RCM_a056) out of a sudden. Apparently, the passenger's occupied-seat sensor is not communicating with the system, leading to potential hazard in airbag deployment scenario. Upon reaching out to the Tesla Service Center, got a quote for $1600, which includes a replacement not only of the passenger's seat sensor, but there's also a need to replace the airbag - to maintain compatibility with the new sensor. Upon additional research, I've discovered that this is not merely wear and tear; some owners reported that this error appears on brand new cars. In short, Tesla is requiring customers to pay $1600 to cover a design failure that could result in a safety / injury. The company should be held liable to its errors, not customers.

Nothing happened my cameras just stop working I was told it was a defective sensor.

Safety features on my car are currently unavailable. I called the dealership and was told it was due to a defected sensor in the back windshield. And I would have to pay to replace the entire windshield. Even tho the sensor is defective.

I continuously receive a notification on my car that the there is a fault with the passenger restraint system and includes a red income with the airbag. I have found hundreds of Tesla drivers that have reported the same issue. Tesla is claiming that my airbag needs replaced as well as other safety components with the seat that need retrofitted in order for the airbag to work properly. They quoted me over $2.4k for the repair and are holding me responsible for all costs since the vehicle is out of warranty. They told me that the airbag may not work properly. This is a common problem among Tesla’s and should be assessed.

Error message from tesla: front passenger safety restraint system fault. Potentially impaired airbag deployment for passenger. Tesla fixed it under warranty in 2021. The issue is appearing again and I am out of warranty. The car will warn me once every 15 minutes (very annoying).

An error has displayed on the screen stating: "Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault RCM_a056 Service is Required" and reaching out to the local Tesla service center, I discovered the prescribed repair costs $1600. After searching online for other owner's experience with the error, I discovered that this is a common issue caused by a wire connection to the seat control model coming loose due to a poorly tensioned connector. Those other owners have reported that Tesla knows about this issue in their manufacturing and is refusing to fix the issue or issue a recall even though it is a safety issue.

Seat weight sensor does not always work. This results in the car putting itself into park while reversing / driving at low speeds. This also results in the car both not booting up / shitting down correctly depending on if it thinks someone is in the car.

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while charging the vehicle at a supercharging station, the vehicle shut off once the battery charge reached 250 miles. The contact attempted to move the vehicle to another charging station, and the vehicle failed to shift to drive(D). Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a Tesla Service Center where the contact was informed that the pyro fuse used to regulate the battery voltage had failed to operate as needed. The contact was also informed that the pyro fuse inside the vehicle was an aftermarket part; therefore, the contact would be responsible for the repair of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.