Air Bag Problems of Tesla Model 3 - part 2

The contact owns a 2024 telsa Model 3. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph and making a right turn, due to being a blind spot, another vehicle came at full speed, almost crashing into their vehicle. The contact quickly steered the vehicle away, avoiding a collision with the other vehicle. When moving their vehicle out of the way, they ended up crashing into the other vehicle. The contact ultimately crashed into a nearby light post. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed and totaled. The light post had fallen to the ground. There were no injuries or medical attention needed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to a local Tesla dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed with a cause for failure. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 19,571.

See all problems of the 2024 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

Rcm2_a636 front passenger safety restraint system fault service is required passenger airbag turns off when a passenger is sitting in it. Error is intermittent and while occasionally turn off and on. Seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen should someone get in a car accident.

See all problems of the 2021 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

This is a large scale problem with Tesla due to their "easy entry" which automatically moves the front seats to fit the drivers saved positions. Due to Tesla not properly securing the wires under the seat, they get crimped over time causing an error of "safety restraint system issue. " there have been thousands of reported Teslas with a simple google search. The service center also stated to me this is a large scale issue but a recall has not been issued. This is very dangerous as this disables the airbags due to a seat belt or wire crimp under the seat issue. Please investigate and issue a mandatory recall for the safety issue as Tesla wants $1000 to rectify the issue. Many have reported this issue to be fixed by the service center multiple times only to come back months later.

See all problems of the 2018 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

On June 7, 2025, I was a passenger in a 2025 Tesla 3. Driver of Tesla made an unsafe lane change coming off an interstate and my side was struck almost t-bone style by an oncoming vehicle going between 45-55mph. Our seatbelts did not lock us in place causing the driver to hit his head on steering wheel and then on driver side window causing lacerations and possible concussion. My side tool the impact and no side curtain airbags deployed and neither did the dash airbags. I am concerned that the location and speed with which we were hit could have been much worse up to and including death as the airbags did not deploy nor seatbelts firmly lock us in place. The car was deemed a total loss and all 4 panels on passengers side were impacted in the collision. I have pictures, Tesla video, police report I can provide. I want this looked into for defect of the Tesla sensors. All public data indicates that at a minimum the side curtain airbags should have deployed as there isnt much of a wrinkle zone and the speed of impact should have deployed them. I was unable to get out passenger side door and had to crawl across driver seat to get to ems assistance. I was then transported along w Tesla driver to local hospital.

See all problems of the 2025 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

Tesla has just informed me about a safety concern on the 2019 m3 they explained that despite of the car not giving me a notification, it is showing on their end that my car has an airbag safety concern and by law they have to tell me. So I asked why this recall is not being addressed and fixed by Tesla. They told me that is my choice and if I choose to be safe I have to pay. This is not acceptable. Recalls that fail the NHTSA standards need to be accounted and addressed by the manufacturer. Please assist I find interesting that I didn’t receive a notification but they have and we all know that notifications can be manipulated by Tesla.

See all problems of the 2019 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

We have recently incurred an alert that comes on as it pleases and has no rhyme or reason for popping up with passenger airbag restraint issue. Tesla is wanting to charge us over $900 to fix this issue yet this isn’t an us issue it’s a them issue. They installed a faulty airbag sensor which now requires the replacement of sensor, airbag, and harness as well as a software update. I have seen thousands of complaints online in regards to the same error code. This is something Tesla needs to take ownership for. This isn’t a wear and tear item, these airbags have never been deployed, so why are we being punished! recall these cars they are a hazard.

Vehicle is displaying an error message "front passenger safety restraint system fault" and "front passenger safety restraint system fault. Service is required. " this has the result of "the restraint system may not function as designed. " according to an internet search, this is a very common fault, caused by "interference" and necessitates an occupancy sensor, wiring harness and airbag module exchange.

Vehicle is displaying an error message "front passenger safety restraint system fault" and "front passenger safety restraint system fault. Service is required. " this has the result of "the restraint system may not function as designed. " according to an internet search, this is a very common fault, caused by "interference" and necessitates an occupancy sensor, wiring harness and airbag module exchange.

Started getting intermittent rcm_a056 faults stating "front passenger safety restraint system fault". Apparently this can be a safety issue as the airbag may not deploy and seems to be a common issue reported by owners. Tesla is charging owners to fix this safety issue, which in some cases is completely replacing the full seat and airbags. Instead, this should be covered under recall or bulletin fix.

Around February or March of 2025, my Tesla Model 3 (year 2019) began to flag an electronic warning for a passenger occupancy sear sensor and recommended immediate service. The sensor and warning did not stay on and would only appear intermittently. I still decided to service the vehicle and took the car to the manufacturer service center closest to me in may 2025. I was quoted for $500-$600 to repair the sensors. Later the quote was updated to over $1,200 because the new sensor was “not compatible” with the old air bag. It seems like Tesla intentionally or knowing used an updated sensor either because the old sensor was known to have issues or because of refreshed models but then did not ensure they used a part that worked with their existing model cars. This seems like a major safety issue and requires customers to pay twice their expected repair cost in order to ensure basic required safety functions work on a 6 year old car. I clarified with the service advisor that if I did not replace the airbag that they would not deploy in a collision and they affirmed my understanding which forces me to have to replace the airbags on a 6 year old vehicle for no reason other than Tesla’s poor safety planning.

Passenger safety restraint system fault error appears on and off without any correlation to driving conditions or passenger presence. This error is potentially deadly since it will cause the passenger airbag not to deploy in an accident.

See all problems of the 2022 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

I have to pay over $1444 to Tesla to change the airbag because it is not working properly. Tesla will: update front passenger airbag to maintain compatibility with front passenger seat. Replace occupant classification system (OCS) of front passenger seat. Install OCS filter module.

See all problems of the 2020 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

The front passenger seat’s OCS required a service bulletin application, involving a retrofit of the seat belt reminder sensor and component replacement, confirmed by a Tesla technician. The repair likely falls under TSB sb-19-20-003 (2017-2019 Model 3), addressing OCS electrical interference causing airbag indicator issues, which can affect seat belt reminder functionality. The TSB involves retrofitting parts my 2019 Model 3 (39,140 miles) needs an OCS repair per sb-19-20-003, a known safety issue from 2019 affecting airbags and seat belts (fmvss 208). Since it’s a manufacturing defect and a safety risk this should be under a recall.

Hello. I am following up with the previous safety report I submitted for my vehicle. I just received an updated repair estimate citing the parts that will need replaced (pdf attached). I also confirmed with the service advisor that the functionality of the safety restraint system may be impacted by this issue, however, Tesla still wants to charge drivers $1,300 for this repair.

See all problems of the 2017 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

There is a warning on my car saying “front passenger safety restraint system fault”. The Tesla service center says the fix requires an air bag replacement and to replace the seat sensor. Does this not impact the safety of the passenger? this is the second Model 3 I’ve owned that continuously has this fault. I feel like this model should be recalled since it is such a widespread issue. I dealt with this warning light for 2-3 years because Tesla wants to charge >$1,000 for the replacement of these parts. I’m definitely not the only one. There are plenty of complaints online and most people never get it fixed if the vehicle is out of warranty. On the other hand, some people try to fix the problem themselves which could create a worse problem for the safety restraints system.

Tesla is aware of a common regarding an occupancy sensor in the passenger seat of their vehicles that impacts functionality of airbags and the restraint system. The error code is rcm_a056. A simple search of the code will show a myriad of ongoing issues with their vehicles.

Airbags did not deploy when vehicle hit 75 ft highway guardrail driving over 70 mph. The car was totaled, the driver's head hit the steering wheel, requiring stitches. Ems and police at the scene were surprised to find airbags not deployed. Vehicle has been inspected by insurance. Manufacturer has not yet been informed, to my knowledge. There were no warning lights or messages indicating a problem with airbags or anything else for that matter. Driver was wearing seatbelt.

I just traded in my vehicle for a Tesla from 3rd party dealership on [xxx] a light came on once I reached my home. I called right away before the dealership closed but no one answered. So I took it upon myself to make a service call to Tesla to get my vehicle checked come to find out my vehicle has extensive damages from my unit drive, my subframe and the battery pack is severe punctures and needs to be replaced. Choice automotive llc in honolulu hawaii didn’t disclose anything to me before purchasing this vehicle. Also they didn’t disclose that this vehicle was in a car accident, but they carried on with the sale. I have pictures of what needs to be repaired. Tesla said, I will need $20,000 to repair these damages. So I’m trying to take legal action against choice automotive llc for selling me a vehicle that needs a lot of repair to drive normal again. I need them to pay for these repairs immediately. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Rcm_a021 alert: front left safety restraint system fault. Seems like an issue caused by seat movement back & forth.

Front leftsaftey restraint system fault/service is required Tesla want to charge $351 to start for the service.

See all problems of the 2023 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

I received and indicator noting that my front passenger safty system has a fault. They indicated that they will have to replace the seat sensor and the airbag. I believe this to be an innate fault of the cars construction. It is dangerous and should be fixed by Tesla and not charged to the customer.

A warning alert message popped up stating “rcm_a056 front passenger safety restraint system fault”. I contacted Tesla dealer and they said at is out of warranty after 5 years and my car is 6 years old. On searching internet I noticed several people have same issue. Tesla said there is no recall at this time. Since this is a safety critical system which affects the air bag deployment, can NHTSA investigate and see if this can become a mandatory recall. Tesla are quoting $1130 for repair!.

This is a widespread safety issue that requires a recall! this is not isolated. Model 3 passenger airbags are at risk of not deploying. Car alert: update front passenger airbag to maintain compatibility with front passenger seat remedy: “replace front passenger airbag and update vehicle configuration”.

I sent following to Tesla I had an accident at around 6:30 pm on Sunday, March 2nd with my Tesla Model 3 and asking to see if you can conduct a diagnostic check into this incident. I was coming home at that time with the Tesla and about 100 yards from my house, I experienced a sudden acceleration with the car going from about 20mph to, I think, over 40 mph and crashed into the garage area of my house. Around the time I started experiencing that unwanted acceleration, I heard a whining sound. As it started that sudden acceleration, I checked below to make sure my right foot was pressing on the brake pedal and it was. Since I have the regenerative braking with my Tesla, the car should have decelerated but, instead, it sped up. I continued to press the brake pedal but I could not mitigate my car’s continual acceleration. It eventually crashed through the lowered garage door and went through the right side of the garage wall about half way out and came to the stop. I was driving myself and not engaged in self-driving feature. I like to see if the Tesla has any resources available to retrace last few seconds and be able to glean more information of why that sudden acceleration might have happened. The car is still located in my garage but currently the car is disabled and powered off. The car’s power was on and it automatically turned on emergency light for about 30 minutes after the accident before it eventually powering off. I am also curious to know why none of the airbags were deployed in this accident. I have many photos available of the accident. The fire department and police came and assisted. I do not know if this matters but the couple of nights before the car had one of those over the air updates by Tesla and also about couple of minutes before the accident I drove through about a minute of hard rain in otherwise light rainy drive. I also wonder why auto-braking did not engage against the house.

The driver side seatbelt/presence sensor intermittently fails due to faulty wiring. This causes a warning stating 'front left safety restraint system fault' and the driver side airbag to turn off when the warning is present causing a severe safety issue. This is a well documented common safety failure of these vehicles.

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.

I was involved in an accident due to what I believe was a malfunction in my Tesla’s steering system. While driving, the car unexpectedly turned the wheel to the left on its own and collided with a parked car. Despite my efforts to regain control by turning the wheel to the right and applying the brakes, the vehicle did not respond, and I was unable to prevent the crash. Given the lack of control and failure of the braking system, I strongly believe there was a serious issue with the car that led to the accident.

Unknown moving collision resulted in insurance company describing damage as a total loss. It was inspected by an auto collision expert; his description, photos and estimate were forwarded to a claims specialist at the insurance company. The side of my head hit the window on the driver's side, but no airbags inflated. I feel this was a risk to my overall safety. There were no warning messages.

The rear camera on my Tesla intermittently fails when shifting into reverse. Additionally, the rear trunk will not open using the in-car release button, mobile app, or key fob. A warning appears stating the function will return on the next drive, but I am often forced to use the emergency release to access the trunk. I believe this may be related to a prior recall involving the rear trunk harness, but when checking my VIN, no active recalls appear. Tesla service also reports no recalls on file. I am also receiving an intermittent fault message regarding the front passenger safety restraint system, stating that service is required. This is a serious concern, as a malfunctioning restraint system may fail to protect occupants in the event of a crash. Tesla has given me an estimate of $225. 00 to address the safety restraint fault and $495. 27 to repair the trunk/rear camera issues, with a total cost of $739. 60 including taxes. I believe that safety-related repairs, especially those involving airbag and restraint systems, should be covered by the manufacturer and not passed on to the vehicle owner when not due to misuse or damage. The passenger restraint fault poses a direct safety hazard in a crash. The rear camera issue, while less severe, still impacts safety, as the camera provides a wider and clearer view than mirrors alone. I am asking NHTSA to review whether these issues are safety defects and whether they may be connected to known problems or recalls not applied to my vehicle.

I keep receiving an alert: “front passenger safety restraint system fault”. I contacted Tesla and they informed me that my airbag sensor needs to be recalibrated and may jeopardize a child sitting in the seat if the airbag is deployed. I understand that this is a common problem with the model of Tesla.

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.

During a hydroplaning incident on a ramp, the Tesla refused to budge or give any steer. Major issue was no air bags deployed during collision.

I was driving my vehicle. It said there was an issue with code "rcm_a056 front passenger safety restraint system fault. " many older Model 3's are having this issue and with the quote from Tesla, they would need to perform a retrofit for the electrical wiring system.

Passenger safety restraint system fault. Faulty wiring under the seat. Cost of repair is $1000. Passenger airbag requires replacement.

The error popped up randomly and states "front left safety restraint system fault. " this has been a common problem with Tesla and should be a recall as it's a manufacture defect with a safety system.