general problems of the 2019 Tesla Model 3 - part 1

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the indicator, self-driving feature, and music sounds were inaudible. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

Tesla remotely disabled supercharging access on my vehicle without any warning, safety errors, or mechanical problems. The vehicle charged normally for months, including recent supercharging sessions, and still operates safely. Tesla stated supercharging was disabled due to a “salvage” title and now demands a $1,900-$2,400 “inspection” to restore access, with no diagnostic evidence of any issue. This appears to be a remote software lockout of a critical charging feature without a safety justification. It limits safe operation and access to public charging infrastructure. I request NHTSA investigate this policy as an unfair and potentially unsafe manufacturer action.

Safety restraint defect.

Front left safety restraint. Airbags won’t deploy due to this issue.

There is an error with my car's occupant classification system (OCS) which is giving me an alarm of "front passenger safety restraint system fault". Tesla only "fix" is to replace the OCS with what seems to be a newer version. You can tell it is a new version because they are also telling me I need to replace my airbag as my current airbag is not compatible with the new OCS.

See attached document for complaint.

I am reaching out to report a high voltage isolation issue with my 2019 Tesla Model 3. Tesla determined the issue was caused by external factors such as grime and road salt corroding the battery seals, leading to an internal isolation fault with the high voltage battery. They deemed it out of warranty, with an estimated repair cost of $13,155. 30. When I asked what preventative maintenance could have avoided this, Tesla only referred me to the owner’s manual, which simply instructs users to clean the car’s exterior. No specific maintenance regarding battery seal inspection or corrosion prevention was provided. Records from our local car wash subscription show the car has been washed regularly (at least 66 times since January 2024). The previous owner also had brake lines replaced due to corrosion under warranty, during which Tesla removed the battery in March 2023. In October 2024, the rear drive unit was replaced under warranty, yet no mention was made of battery seal corrosion during any of these service visits. At no point has Tesla’s maintenance guidance or service process addressed checking the seals for corrosion in regions where road salt is heavily used. I believe this omission creates a potential safety concern, as seal corrosion in a high voltage battery could lead to failures or hazards without prior warning. The vermont ag consumer assistance program recommended I contact your office for further assistance. This issue appears to be part of a broader pattern where Tesla attributes failures to “environmental factors” without advising owners of any specific preventative maintenance, effectively avoiding warranty responsibility while leaving potential safety issues unaddressed.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Steering rack failed due to water intrusion connector integrity failed.

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.

My vehicle displays a persistent warning: “front left safety restraint system fault. ” a technician told me this fault relates to the driver seat sensor and is the same defect addressed by a previous NHTSA recall. However, I’ve confirmed that my VIN was not included in that recall. Despite the recall fix being implemented for some vehicles, my car still has this safety restraint fault with no resolution offered. This ongoing problem concerns me because it affects the proper functioning of the vehicle’s safety system, and I fear that my vehicle’s defect remains unaddressed. I request that NHTSA investigate this issue, as it appears the recall did not cover all affected vehicles and that Tesla’s recall scope may be insufficient.

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.

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.

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.

I was driving my Model 3 when this alert occurred: alerts drivability - vehicle may not restart/service is required additionally the screen stated pull over the vehicle immediately safely. I was in the middle of the road driving so it became dangerous. I could not steer the vehicle and the brakes were barely working. I could not immediately stop because I was in the middle of traffic. I pulled right over as soon as I could and shut down the vehicle. I believe this is a defect. When I spoke to Tesla repair personnel I was told they know about this and it is happening when the Model 3 reaches 40k. How can they not address this - why would someone wait until someone is in a serious accident? I called to set up an appointment for this emergency and was told I cannot get an appointment for 1 month and I should not drive my car. When an electric vehicle just shuts down you cannot control the vehicle - this is very very dangerous.

Received a system fault for seat belt srs airbag safety restraint system for front left passenger. Code rcm_a021_pretenlapfrontleft causes the pretensioner and restraint system to not function as designed. Has not been in an accident and verified problem was persistent with hard system reset and software update. Did not do modification or touch the seat belt components at all during ownership period. Worried that the pretensioner and srs airbags will not go off if involved in a crash. First appeared last year intermittently and then starting June 1st, 2024 the airbag lamp is on inside the warning panel of screen.

Tesla Model 3 battery pack coolant connector design flaw. It is made by plastic and covered with very thin cheap plastic cover which can very easily create impact and break the battery pack connector when any small objects hit front wheels(both side) while driving that leads the following safety and hazard issues to driver and passengers. 1. When there is hit in the coolant connector while driving the coolant start leaking which put safety of car,driver,passengers and others in very high risk 2. When it happens the dashboard shows the car is running reduced power and not giving enough info to take immediate action 3. This issue can be easily reproducible just driving the car in freeway where the road has debris or due to work zone 4. This issue reported to geico insurance 5. There is no warning before it first appears 6. It leads to change the entire battery pack which cost ~ $20,000 7. Since this is very critical component it should be well protected which is not the case currently.

The car has a feature which adjust the seats for easy entry and for a driver based on driver profile. This results in the drivers seat to automatically adjust per profile. It seems overtime this damages a cable or connection under the seat, resulting in a fault in the sensor which recognizes a driver being present in the seat in case of emergency, ie determines if it should deploy airbag. Right now our car is showing this error and it’s only present when the seat adjust for my partner who is a shorter driver. Tesla has stated previously that this would be around $250 to repair, could only do it in person at the repair center. Online I’ve seen reports of onsite techs making the repair in less that 5 minutes with no or minimal charge for a replacement sensor or cable.

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v838000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available.   the local Tesla service center was contacted and informed the contact stated that the recall repair could not be performed on the vehicle due to the vehicle hardware. The dealer informed the contact that the recall repair required hardware 3. 0; however, the vehicle hardware was 2. 5. The dealer charged a fee to update the hardware. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and made the same assessment. The contact had not experienced a failure. Unable to confirm parts distribution disconnect.

Power steering and regenerative braking was intermittently work. Steering fully locked up while driving 70 m/hr on a freeway when I was on my way to service appointment. Very scary!! service detected full steering rack replacement. When they took off the cable connectors water came pouring out. Water ingress caused corrosion to the body harness connector where it connects to the steering rack module. This seems to be an issue on online forums. Clearly this is a design flaw. How is water getting in and destroying all the electrical? very unsafe and how is this issue going to be fixed so water doesn’t continue to get in.

Vehicles cabin heater high current failure after software update. Software version: 2023. 44. 30. 14 vehicles cabin heater was functioning properly the morning of the software update. Over-the-air update was made and an electrical smell filled the cabin after update and heater no longer functioned. Alert codes indicate resistive heater fault. I reported issue to Tesla and the repair cost is $1,055. 80 and not covered. I have checked Tesla message boards and this update has caused other similar malfunctions.

The rear view camera has not functioned properly for several months. We did have the rear harness recall work completed, but the camera was working fine at that time and stopped working in Nov sometime after a software update. This is very similar to 24v-035, except that is on 2023 year models only. Why I that campaign limited to 2023 only? there are a lot of complaints on the internet about this issue, and in some cases Tesla charging $3500 to replace a computer in the car. We also have the full automatic driving, same as in the 2023 models recalled. This issue seems to be related to this update, or one about that time period: 2023. 44. 30. 6. . Read more...

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v838000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The VIN was not available.

Error comes up replace auxiliary battery low voltage. And then it says vehicle may not start. I was told by the dealer where I bought the car that their a recall and I wanted to see if my vehicle is qualified. Which the dealer said it is. I can't drive my car and I do ride share with it please can you help me.

Twice in a span of six weeks my 2019 Tesla Model 3 simply stopped operating - dead stop. First incident was on a road trip over the christmas holidays ([xxx]). We had stopped in suburban chicago before continuing our trip home. The vehicle control screen went black and the vehicle ceased almost all operations. The vehicle could not be started nor put into a gear for towing. All functions accessed through the screen (virtually every function) was rendered inoperable. I called Tesla who told me that according to their computer systems the vehicle was active. The mercifully nearby service center said no fault was recorded by the computer log. They were able to get the screen reactivated and we continued our trip with no further incident and they weren't able to explain what happened. On Friday [xxx] the same thing happened in our garage. The vehicle was towed to Tesla. They diagnosed the issue to an electrical fault in the steering column which shuts the vehicle down. The remedy is a replacement of the entire steering column at a cost of $2100 plus labor. I don't know if this is a typical remedy for other manufacturers but this is quite a expensive solution for an issue unrelated to the steering function. From a safety perspective this was an astounding occurrence. If this winter was colder or we were in a more remote place we would have been in pretty big trouble not being able to activate the heat or any other function of the vehicle. I believe the totality of the shutdown makes this fault an extraordinary concern with an extraordinary price tag for Tesla drivers. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The car is showing a system failure of the passenger restraining system, including the airbag. Car is only five years old with 67,000 miles. This condition should be repaired by Tesla at no cost to the consumer for this early failure. Also, the air conditioning compressor has failed, it is part of the battery cooling system which may create hazard of overheating the battery. This repair should also be covered by Tesla since it is a safety feature. These two failures seem to be very common among Tesla owners as evidence by the multiple social media post on these failures, a safety recall should be implemented to provide these repairs, and no cost to the consumer. Thank you so much.

I am writing to express my serious concern and to file a formal complaint regarding a critical issue with my Tesla vehicle, specifically related to the power conversion system (pcs). I have recently been informed by Tesla’s diagnostic team that the pcs in my vehicle has malfunctioned and requires replacement. This is particularly alarming given the vehicle's relatively low mileage and my previous history of reporting charging issues. For your reference, the key details are as follows: vehicle and issue identification: the vehicle in question, which I took delivery of in may 2019, is now experiencing a significant reduction in charging capability, only charging at 16a instead of the expected 32a. This issue has persisted despite earlier assurances that the problem was with the wall charger, a claim which now seems inaccurate. Mileage and usage: my vehicle has only covered approximately 29,000 miles, which casts doubt on the wear-and-tear argument for such a critical component failure. Safety and recurrence concerns: while I am currently not aware of any direct safety issues, the recurrence of this problem among other Tesla owners is worrying and suggests a potential pattern of technical shortcomings. Cost of repair: I have been quoted a repair cost of $1,808/- by Tesla, which is a substantial amount, especially considering the vehicle's age and mileage. Given these points, I request a thorough re-evaluation of this matter. I strongly believe that this issue should be covered under warranty, or as a goodwill gesture, considering the vehicle's low mileage and the history of charging issues reported shortly after purchase. Furthermore, I urge Tesla to investigate if this is a wider issue affecting more vehicles, as it raises concerns about the reliability and durability of critical components in Tesla vehicles. The vehicle is available for inspection at your convenience. I expect a prompt response to this complaint, and I hope for a swift and satisfactory resolution.

Climate control unavailable. Unable to heat cabin. Ran test and received a ptc heater faulty. Vehicle is over 50k miles and no longer under warranty. Through research online. Many heating issues become available. Software and numerous ptc failures especially older vehicles that had similar issues with 30k, 40k, and 50k miles.

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v838000 (electrical system). The contact stated that the recall to be performed would not disable the "auto-steer" function, however the over the air software update had disabled the auto steer. The contact stated that the manufacturer advised that to restore the auto steer feature the contact had to pay to do so. The contact stated that the manufacturer was not following the recall as stated. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced a failure of the auto steer function on the vehicle. The failure mileage was 71,817. Parts distribution disconnect.

Loss of steering power while driving on the highway. Came out of nowhere.

Front right safety restraint system fault. Rear right safety restraint system fault.