Seats Problems of Tesla Model 3 - part 1

The front passenger safety restraint system is triggering an on-screen warning error that says service is required. This puts my front passenger at risk of death in the event of an accident. I have sent the manufacturer (Tesla) a request for service and received a confirmation of the errors with a list of parts to be replaced for a sum of $1200. 65. I understand there is a service bulletin for this issue (bulletin sb-19-20-003), but Tesla still will not fix it for free even though it is a safety issue. In the estimate, Tesla listed the following components as failure points that need to be replaced: 1) first row occupancy sensor(1099592-00-f) 2) first row - seat belt reminder sensor box clip(1130363-00-b) 3) first row seat harness assembly - right hand(1489060-03-g) 4) airbag harness retaining clip(1028053-00-a) 5) bolt,ehs,m6x19,[88],zn,smat,adh. - knee and passenger airbag bolt(1116594-00-b) 6) bolt rc m6-1. 25x26(1036655-00-a) 7) passenger airbag(1077823-00-g) 8) bolt,hf,m6x7,stl[88],zn,shldr[8x18]. (1105061-00-e).

See all problems of the 2018 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

My Tesla repeatedly displayed a “passenger safety restraint” warning related to the front passenger restraint/airbag system. Tesla service center in los gatos, California attempted multiple repairs over several visits. The first repair identified a pinched and improperly routed passenger seat harness associated with the restraint system. Tesla stated the issue was repaired and tested. The warning later returned. Tesla then replaced the front right seat harness assembly and lap pretensioner. The warning later returned again. Tesla subsequently proposed and/or performed additional repairs involving the passenger airbag, occupant classification system (OCS), occupancy sensor components, and additional seat harness components at significant customer expense. Despite multiple repair attempts and approximately $2,100 in repair costs, the same safety restraint warning still exists today. Because this issue involves the supplemental restraint system (srs), airbags, seatbelt pretensioners, and occupant classification systems, I am concerned the passenger restraint system may not function properly during a collision.

See all problems of the 2017 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

I received a notice onscreen (photo attached) that says "front passenger safety restraint system issue, service is required. " I did some research online and a number of other owners of 2019 Tesla Model 3 vehicles have received this warning, which involves a malfunction that is a combination of the front passenger seat belt, air bag, and seat sensor for the air bag. A number of people with this year and make have gone to Tesla, and Tesla service workers have said "this a known issue" for this year and make. Since this issue involves a number of safety components, and is a known issue, Tesla should be required to fix this as a product defect recall. Instead, they quoted multiple owners, including myself, approximately $2,000 to fix.

See all problems of the 2019 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

An error message appears every time my husband drives. Whenever he moves the driver seat backwards, “front left safety restraint system issue” message appears on the display screen.

System error code rcm_a021 "front left safety restraint system issue" the wiring under the front seat may be damaged due to the "easy entry" function which raises, lowers and moves the seat backward and forwards for easier entry and exit of the car. Safety restraint system or airbags may be compromised in the event of a collision if wiring or controls are damaged. Warning code rcm_a021 appeared every time the easy entry function was automatically started.

2020 Tesla Model 3 standard range plus, VIN [xxx] restraint control module fault codes rcm_a056 and rcm_a058. Passenger front seat occupancy sensor failure triggering "service required" airbag system alert. September 2024: fault code rcm a056: Tesla repaired this issue under the supplemental restraint system limited warranty (5 years, 60,000 miles) at Tesla service latham NY (326 old niskayuna rd, latham NY 12110). January 10, 2026: fault code rcm_a058. Reported in writing through the Tesla app. Tesla scheduled a service visit for January 13, 2026. Technician assessed the vehicle in person and declined to repair, verbally stating the fault may be a one-time occurrence and to monitor and return if it continued. April 2026: fault continues recurring. Tesla service latham issued estimate #xxx dated April 18, 2026 for $1,076. 32 customer pay. Repairs include resistive occupancy sensor replacement and seat back trim cover replacement. This is a safety-critical system governing airbag deployment. Tesla has documented this failure mode in internal service bulletins citing electrical interference in the seat harness as a design issue. Tesla repaired this under warranty, dismissed a related restraint fault for the same seat when reported within months of the repair, and is now billing the owner for a safety system that failed due to a known design defect. A recall is warranted. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6) information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2020 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

Warranty alignment: this failure occurred at 47. 7k miles, well under the 60,000-mile threshold of the supplemental restraint system limited warranty. Known defect: this repair is the subject of a specific service bulletin (rcm_a078), confirming it is a known manufacturing issue and not standard wear-and-tear. Safety criticality: the srs is a primary safety system. Forcing a customer to pay for a known defect on a life-saving system at such low mileage is inconsistent with Tesla’s safety mission. I have already paid the high invoice to ensure the vehicle was safe to drive. Tesla did not consider the goodwill repair request for known manufacturing defect that puts passenger at risk. Such safety related repair should be part of safety recalls.

The car has message saying "safety restraint system issue" . There has been no event to cause this. No recent mva or any stress or damaging incident to the seat belt or seat in general. Reviewing this on the internet, this is a common defect on Tesla's. The company won't fix it unless you pay them to do so which is crazy considering it is a defect in their safety system. And a well known one to them from my communication with their Tesla service centers which have a monopoly on fixing Tesla's. He said there would have to be a recall. So that is exactly what needs to happen from the NHTSA.

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

Front passenger safety restraint system fault - this seems to be very common issue on Tesla Model 3 where I'm told some wires or sensor is pinched on the seat when the seat is reclined too far back or forward. It could cause an issue with the airbag misfiring or not firing at all during an accident, leading to death. I think this needs to be investigated immediately - this is a common issue and Tesla is not repairing for free. They're quoting people with a "filter" fix which is a band-aid fix only for about 300$ (Tesla says there is 50% change this will fix it) or they want us to replace the whole seat with the sensors that cost close to 1500$. Even with the new seat, the issue has come back few times for many people.

Driving a 2018 Tesla Model 3, driver seat shows message "front left safety restraint system issue. Service is required". This occurs when the driver is in the seat with the seat belt fastened and the vehicle is in motion. This issue refers to the possible seat belt, seats and/or air bags failure. This is a threat for drivers as these are the front line of defence in case of any collisions or accidents. This issue has been reported by multiple Tesla car drivers and their posts are available on online forums. Message appears on the Tesla screen driven. Tesla does not cover this out of warranty. My appeal to nhsta is this is hazardous to drivers and cars should be recalled and repairs should be covered.

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.

Driving as normal when an alert for a front passenger safety restraint system fault appeared. It went away on its own. I thought it was a software glitch. It would periodically reappear, then go away after a driving session. Last week it persisted between sessions. I learned that if the seat was moved slightly forward or back, then the alert would go away. I scheduled a service with Tesla. Tesla advised that the entire car seat and airbag would have to be replaced for $1800. This is a ~50,000 mile car with no collision history. It's just out of warranty. Tesla refuses to tell me if the car will safety function in an accident or not. The alert is gone, but I have a service estimate that says the car has all of these problems. Major safety concern.

This message has been intermittent and looking online has happened a lot for this model. The front passenger restraint system is critical for passenger safety, this should be a recall. Concern: customer states:alerts - seats - front passenger safety restraint system issue/service is required detected August 16, 2025.

A sensor for the driver side safety restraint system was displayed from the vehicles screen. Potentially loose wires under the seat when manufactured.

Passenger restraint system fault causing the system not to sense the presence of front passengers. This could possibly lead to safety systems for the passenger to not work in the event of a crash.

I received a proactive service alert from Tesla car stating: front passenger safety restraint system issue. Tesla wants to charge me to fix this and said there may be issues with the restraint system, such as seats belts or airbags if I don’t pay out of pocket to fix it. This seems ridiculous I have to pay to fix this safety concern. . Please issue a recall for this… seems a lot of people are getting this after researching on google and reddit. Thanks.

Rcm_a021 front left safety restraint system fault error.

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 🔎.

Resistive occupancy sensor consistently failing causing: -bluetooth to not automatically connect anytime the vehicle is entered - vehicle puts itself in park to prevent rollback if seatbelt is not applied - car does not recognize when driver is in seat these are serious safety concerns as it could cause a domino effect in safety features if not applied when needed.

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 🔎.

My pant leg got caught on the plastic seat trim under the seat. Kept my leg trapped so I fell out of the car on the ground in the parking lot. Happened again the same day, but I caught myself before I fell. The incident caused a hole and rip in my clothing, but the rest of my body went to the ground leaving my knee and other leg caught until the end. Had a different outfit on today and it caught again! I did not fall this time either. The time I did fall I hyperextended my wrist and landed on my hip and leg, creating bruising and a sore pelvis, knee and back. Went to massage therapist soon after. Currently, following up with doctor.

See all problems of the 2023 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while opening the doors of the vehicle, the driver's side seat back unintendedly reclined and pressed down on the rear seat, causing the cushion to become deformed. The contact manually used the seat controls to return the seat to an upright position. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent and only occurred while the doors were opened. A Tesla service center was contacted; however, an appointment was not scheduled for diagnostic test. The contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

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.

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.

Passenger safety restraint system fault is occurring and Tesla service has noted this is a very common issue on the vehicles. It poses a risk to whoever is sitting in the seat since safety systems may not work or deploy airbags.

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.

Back and buttocks area suffered electrical burns and pain from Tesla seat heaters (in heated seats) twice 1. Happened in 2024 on temperature level 3 2 although I turned it down it happened again in 2025 on temperature level 2.

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 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.

Rear seat safety restraint system fault.