general problems of the 2018 Tesla Model 3 - part 1

I received a safety alert on my car screen: front passenger safety restraint system issue. Service is required. The front passenger safety restraint system fault typically involves a malfunctioning occupant weight sensor in the passenger seat, which controls whether the airbag activates or deactivates evgoer. This is a serious safety concern because the airbag may be disabled at that seat location in the event of a crash. The issue is often caused by loose, broken, or unplugged harnesses or connectors under the seat, particularly related to the occupant classification system (OCS) Tesla owners onlinedigital ev doctor. Many owners report this happens because wires under the seat get crimped over time due to Tesla's "easy entry" feature that automatically moves seats. Since this a widespread Tesla Model 3 problem, I believe this should be a recall.

The rear doors do not have a manual release. If power is lost, you cannot open the rear doors. This is a severe safety concern. With 2 child seats in the rear seats, with a power failure, you cannot get the children out. Newer Model 3 vehicles, have a manual safety release. My 2018 does not.

The "front passenger safety restraint system" is prone to errors because the wiring for it beneath the seat is prone to getting knocked loose and electrical interference.

Mold, mildew and smelly odors are coming through the on-cabin ventilation system. This is the 3rd time since 2020, I had to purchase & replace the two air filters and spray the poorly designed duct & condensation accumulation. I inspected the self-installed air filters and there were no signs of moisture, mildew, mold or stains on the filters, which makes me think the problem was /is from the hvac condenser or coil area. Tesla had issued a 2019 software update to “run” the ventilation system longer after the vehicle was in “park” but the software update has not solved the mildew and bacteria odors that are vented into the cabin, and subsequently changed the hvac design in post 2021tesla models that corrected this problem with many pre-2021 Model 3s. Tesla service centers are still charging for the coil spray cleaning and not covering this mold & bacteria-creating hvac design problem of their earlier year vehicles CA as I had to pay Tesla for a pair of air filters change and now they want me to pay for a separate fee for spraying the condenser coils.

While driving on the 5 freeway, using autopilot, my car suddenly decelerated and came to a complete stop. Fortunately, we were not struck from behind, and I was able to get the car to accelerate again after approximately 10 seconds.

The car's horn only works sometimes and often not at all when steering wheel horn areas are pressed, hard or soft!! Tesla said they couldn't fix it!!.

No warning messages at all, all cameras/sensors stopped working all at once while driving, full self drive stopped working, lane assist, safety features of full self drive was degraded by this. Car software v12 (2024. 44. 25. 2 288ce84bb43e), according to the dealership the computer fried randomly.

Front suspension is making very weird and loud noises. Issue is associated with the front suspension links becoming loose.

Front suspension lateral link fasteners loosened, allowing the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame. I have a 2018 Model 3 and this seems to be the exact same issue that led to a recent recall with the help of the NHTSA. Recall no. 23v235000 sb-23-31-001 an expansion of previous recall number 21v-835. I noticed for months something was slightly off in the front right area of the car. I brought it into the Tesla service center, they drove it and didn't notice anything. About a month later the lateral link separated from the subframe rendering the car undriveable. I had it towed immediately.

I’m not exactly sure what’s wrong, the screen keeps failing on my car. It’s been taken to Tesla to service this issue 4 times. With the most expensive repair costing $2,200. Its poses a safety hazard because when the screen fails. You can’t see anything, speed, gear. You can’t adjust windshield wipers, seat or mirror positions.

Issue: ptc heater failed at 63,617 miles after 6 years of use warning message: "vehicle may not restart" contact: [xxx] [xxx] main contact for owner [xxx] . VIN: [xxx] make: Model 3 year: 2018 repair quoted: $1,104. 18 line items: ptc heater dualzone(1088218-00-I) hvac, ptc serviceassy(1107677-00-a) labor & diagnostics summary: Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle shut down into "asleep mode" and will not respond (turn back on). Locked out. Will not wake up. Will not respond to software nor car keys. All systems turned off. Will not charge. Will not release charger from charge port. Issue suddenly happened after [xxx] software load (deemed to not be the cause of issue). Dealership diagnostic shows ptc heater failure which cuts off the battery. Dealership quoted estimated repair (see below). This could have happened while driving causing the vehicle to be uncontrollable, and a major safety issue. Fortunately, my incident happened after I parked the car in the garage. Overnight there was a software install (supposedly not causing the problem). In the morning the vehicle would not turn on. Precedent: there were several small claims filings in canada for same issue. This was deemed a design flaw, and safety issue. (see [xxx] ) diagnostics: on-line debugging is pointing to resistance issue with 1 of the 5 heating elements in the ptc heater. Ptc heater cuts off supply to pcs which charges the 12v battery when there is an issue with the heater. This allows the 12v battery to drain, and the ev becomes unresponsive. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Front passenger safety restraint system fault error. Tesla is indicating this is out of warranty but seems this is a very pervasive issue with an important safety mechanism on the car.

I have an error on my car, have had this for almost a year now, front left safety restraint system fault. This seems to be a safety issue that Tesla should recall. I have seen thousands of online posts related to this same issue. .

Vehicle started to display error message of "front left safety restraint system fault" intermittently, then would come on after the vehicle runs for about 5 minute and stay on. According to online forums, this is a common issue with Tesla Model 3, primarily related to the frequent movements of the seat (use of easy entry function). There appears to be electrical wires / sensors that can be damaged or pinched from moving the seat. There is no other issues aside from the safety alert. Tesla quoted more than $700, mostly in labor, to evaluate root cause of the issues. This can be a potential safety issue (not sure how this affects seat belt and/or airbag deployment), and it is not due to negligence or misuse of the vehicle; rather, this appears to be related to the design and quality of vehicle and should be covered by Tesla as a recall to fix the issue.

Seems that when brake pedal sensor can trigger a "pressed" reading when not actually being pressed. The only way to turn off the car manually is defeated by, you guessed it, depressing the brake pedal. This causes the vehicle to remain on and unlocked. Even if you are able to leave the vehicle in a locked park state, at any point, the sensor can register a "pressed" reading and essentially unlock and turn on the vehicle. I see this as a extremely serious safety issue. The issue seems to occur randomly at first and then more frequently. It can be confused with a known seat sensor issue which seems to also cause the same symptoms.

Car reports rcm a056 error related to occupant control sensors. This is apparently a common problem for this year and model (related car forums and social media report > 100 such incidents that I can find), but is not covered ($1700 repair). This should be a safety recall.

Tesla has completely changed the user interface on a few occasions. It is now dangerous for me to try to change the danged radio station if the car is in motion because of the amount of attention to the display needed to locate and select something, even stations I regularly listen to. In a prior version the ones I regularly used easily popped up in a small area. It takes multiple touches just to navigate through to the station I last listened to. This is the worst they've done, but they regularly change the user interface for no particularly good reason/benefit. Cars should be easy to use.

My Tesla Model 3 made an accident on [xxx] on [xxx] exit at [xxx] . The Tesla Model 3 is driving under full auto drive. The Model 3 was waiting at traffic light at [xxx] exit at [xxx] . There is an other car stopped in the middle of cross road waiting on traffic. The light goes green, my Tesla start to move trying to make left turn. But the other car still block the way. My car first stop and about 1 second the car suddenly run into the car and driver side mirror and door hit the other car’s tails light and rear bumper. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Drivers door opens at. Random.

Front passenger safety restraint system fault. From invoice: Tesla to replace front passenger airbag and update vehicle configuration passenger airbag error malfunction!!! passenger airbag harness malfunction!!! correction: retrofit sbr in OCS equipped front passenger seat - remove and replace seatbelt issue!!! first row seat harness assembly - right hand first row - seat belt reminder sensor box clip first row occupancy sensor giving an error and now they are charging me to fix this defect in my Tesla Model 3.

The buttons in the interior seem to be degrading much quicker than it should be. The window levers become lose and can break off. This is a safety hazard as in not able to raise the window if it allows to lower it. One has to park in order to raise windows in the mobile application. The plastics are breaking too quickly. There is also an issue with levers for the seat adjusting. Also, when canceling service requests in their application, Tesla deletes or hides them without an ability to see what was written to show proof later of their faults.

I am reporting a safety concern with my Tesla Model 3. The vehicle is equipped with both a high and low horn, and the low horn in my car has failed. After discussing with other early production Model 3 owners, I’ve found that this is a widespread issue affecting many vehicles. A failing horn is highly unusual in modern vehicles, and I believe this issue should be addressed through a recall due to its frequency among Model 3 owners. Tesla has quoted $400 to repair the horn, which seems unreasonable for a critical safety feature. It's important to note that some owners may not report the problem if only one horn (either high or low) is affected. However, the failure of either horn poses a significant safety risk, as the reduced sound output may not be sufficient to alert other drivers in emergency situations. I believe this defect requires further investigation and should be considered for a recall. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

I engaged the vehicle's automatic parking function when prompted by the car. The process initiated as expected, and the car began to back into an open spot. In the process of parking, the automated system steered into a curb, damaging the left front wheel in the process. As an aside, the list of "problem parts" above should include "autonomous driving system".

Following an over-the-air software update, all audio in the vehicle stops working. This includes entertainment services, but more importantly turn signal indicator "clicks", forward collision warnings, parking assist chimes, shift confirmation and warning chimes, and various adas notification sounds. In some instances, the problem corrected itself within 24 hours. In another instance, it persisted for nearly a week before I discovered that unplugging the usb cable for the dashcam fixed the problem. The dashcam hard drive has been installed for over 4 years, per the instructions in the user manual, without problems until early 2024. There were no error notifications or anything else to indicate that there was a problem with the car's safety systems, or what the cause of the problem was, except for the lack of audio. I chatted with Tesla service about the issue. After discovering and sharing that disconnecting the usb drive fixed the issue, they were persistent in wanting to cancel my appointment without gathering any additional information. Here is the transcript of our interaction: unplugging my dascham hard drive from the usb port fixed it. Weird. Tesla: OH interesting. Good to know! do we have permission to cancel this appointment? since it keeps happening I'd like to keep it open. I turned on remote debugging in case that helps you to report the bug or something. Tesla: we have nothing else to diagnose if your vehicle is operating as expected. Ok. If it keeps happening I will still want to bring it in, so let's keep the appointment. And I wouldn't say it's operating as expected. Having to disconnect usb cable to get the turn signal to work properly isn't what I would expect. Tesla: I would hate for you to bring in your car, only for us to tell you that it is because of your third party accessory, and we charge you for the diagnostic time. I appreciate your concern.

Tesla is unable to remediate recall 23v-838; tc2023-657, the over-the-air software update will not install on my car and is asking me to pay at least $200 to diagnosis the issue and then potentially $1000 to fix failed hardware.

Tesla Model 3 autopilot engaged. The car steered itself off the road and into a tree as it was accelerating on a residential street from 8 mph to approx. 30 mph.

Front passenger safety restraint system fault. This is the second time this has happened.

The rear-passenger door handle decorative chrome came detached in a strip from the middle of the underlying stronger material. It was *sharp* and cut my wife's hand. Web searches showed others with the same issue, even one reporting being cut by it. Tesla said it was not a warranty item and cars break but did say it was odd to see it break in the way it did.

I am unable to open my rear passenger car door from the outside or the inside. Also the rear passenger door also lacks a manual release like the front doors have. This, coming off of angela chao's death, and Tesla's service apathy and insistence on first collecting money before solving this problem is incredibly dangerous. So I am now driving a death trap, and this is my only car, and Tesla should have to pay for the fix, yet they are insisting I pay for the full price because my car is now "out of warranty. " but with this kind of life-threatening failure of a door that should honestly just work, is reprehensible.

1. The power conversion system (pcs), still in the vehicle and not available for inspection 2. 2 of the 3 controllers have failed, resulting in limited ac charging (16a out of 48a max). The pcs helps regulate ac and DC electricity and connects the 12v batter to the hv battery. If it fails, it could lead to dangerous situations since the electricity from the hv battery wouldn't be as controlled. I'm worried that if the final controller fails while driving it could lead to a loss of power. 3. Problem throws an error code when charging that the dealer has verified, they will not replace it unless I pay for the part+labor which is roughly $1,800. 4. Vehicle inspected by dealer, they will only fix if I pay for replacement part. 5. Car has warning message when charging.

The front right lower control arm, sub frame, and bolt(s) failed causing unsafe driving conditions while myself and my kids were in the car. There is a recall on this part for many of the exact same year, make, and model as my car: NHTSA campaign 23v235000. Tesla recall sb-23-31-001 (info pulled from ntsb site). My VIN wasn’t on the recall, but there is clearly an issue, so I was forced to pay for this. Please add my VIN so I can be reimbursed and also get the other side repaired for safety reasons.

Ptc heater failed. This is a critical component that helps to maintain the battery's temperature within safe operating range. The only alternative is to replace this ptc heater. Till the replacement is done, evs battery may not maintain safe operating temperature range and could cause the car - not drive able. I consider this a significant safety risk. Cabin temperature cannot be maintained as well. Cause for ptc heater failure is known - "change in temperature" could cause this item to fail per Tesla. I. E. When cold air blows over the heating element. Not sure if enough has been done to fix this from occurring for such a critical component with some hardware or hardware recall for several vehicles on the road. Else these cars must be considered for sales only for few states in the USA which have a stable operating temperature ranges for their ptc heaters to not run into the risk of failure due to big change in temperature.

Horn stopped working. I see other people have this problem with Model 3. Tesla does not cover this after warranty period.

My bluetooth has not been connecting in my car. To preface this, my car was in twice this year alone, with a near $3000 bill, to replace the mcu, on a car with only 26k miles. Now this bluetooth connection issue is still a problem. After opening a service ticket with Tesla, I am told for an additional $180, I would need to replace my seat sensor. This means my seat (while I am driving) does not recognize that someone is on it and driving. My concern is the manufacturer remedy does not replace failed parts with improved design and that this has the potential to cause other safety issues if occupant detection compromised by faulty sensors. What if I am in an accident and the airbags don't deploy?.

On automatic setting, windshield wipers are erratic. Rain can be heavy and wipers don't engage. Requires manually operating wipers that are supposed to engage when windshield becomes wet from atmospheric rain.