2018 Tesla Model 3 Complaint Log

Live in Atlanta that seldom we get frost. We had an event in December and noticed my rear defroster would not defrost killing rear visibility. Got Tesla to check if connected which it is but doesn't work. They blamed the ceramic tint that was recently installed. Took car to film installer and he showed me how my car's rear window never had any embedded wire, just painted lines that do not heat up. Showed me newer tesla model 3's and showed how Tesla seems to have changed the design and you could feel the defroster wiring so seems I never got defroster wires. Going back to Tesla. All documented in you tube from statement from Tesla glass installer and film installer. Search for xpel vs Tesla defroster in youtube. My glass was recently replaced by tesla ln December 2022. Noticed the problem the first day we had frost in Atlanta

I got into my car and turned on the climate control as normal. The vehicle is always parked in the garage. It was blowing cold air, no matter the temperature setting, or vent selection. There is a message on screen that reads “climate keeper unavailable due to system fault.” It’s not just that the cabin has no heat, which is uncomfortable, but terrible in much colder climates than mine. The heat not functioning means the defrost feature is useless. Water sprayed onto my windshield while driving this morning and froze! It stayed frozen because I didn’t have a functioning defroster or a warm enough cabin to melt it off that way either. It’s a known issue for Tesla’s, particularly with Model 3s. Tesla has never done anything to rectify it. My car has a resistive heat system, and this is the first time this has happened to me. There was no warning or indication this would happen. Non working in cabin heat may not be a direct safety flaw, but not being able to defrost my windshield for proper visibility while driving is!

There is an ongoing issue with Tesla's seat sensors that give an error screen while driving. Tesla seems to be systematically charging a standard $1.5K repair to replace a $100 sensor harness, but they're charging so much because they claim an airbag replacement is required (for an extra $1.2K) as part of the new sensor/wire harness installation. From a quick google search, it seems this is a pretty widespread issue that MANY Model 3/Y owners are encountering as their car ages-- with many noting that they were able to self-service the issue with buying the required harness and replacing it themselves. I wanted to bring awareness that to this issue and Tesla's poor and systematic way of overcharging customers to fix a widespread defect in their car seat design.

The steering wheel horn stopped working about a month or so ago. I can use the Tesla app to make the horn sound but not by pressing the steering wheel. Fortunately, no safety of others or myself have been experienced. No one else has inspected it yet, though I am due to have my state inspection tomorrow and I don't think that it will pass. There were no warning lamps for messages prior to the failure. I think I first noticed that it wasn't working about a month or so ago. I reported the bug on the car texting service but have not heard from Tesla nor received a software update to fix the problem.

There are two issues. 1) The adaptive cruise control brakes for no reason. If someone was behind me they could've rear ended me. 2) At night the blind spot camera is flooded by the turn signal and it's hard to see the blind spot warning. When the turn signal is on the blind spot camera shows on the screen and blind spot warning shows up as a red shaded area. It's hard to see the warning itself because the turn signal light floods the screen.

We intermittantly received alerts on the screen showing "Front safety restraint system fault (service is required)." After many hours of research, we found that other owners also have the same issue and they found that a wire from a electrical connector that connected to the seatbelt pretentension was broken from the seat being moved up and down.

Front suspension components need to be replaced due to loud creaking noise, vehicle is out of warranty and has only 42687 miles. There are several bulletins on related suspension issues, [XXX] Testa did replace the controls arms in this car on 09/09/2021 but it seems like the same defective parts were used. They replaced defective parts under warranty with the same type of defective parts but are refusing to warranty the repair since their parts only have a 1 year warranty. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I have three potential safety hazards to report. Tesla has advised that there is no recall for any of these. 1) The car issued an alert that says "Front Passenger Safety System Fault." This seems like the most serious. 2) The horn malfunctions and does not work at safe level 3) The driver's side mirror does not consistently extend out preventing the driver from adequately using the mirror for driving.

My Model 3 began giving an RCM_a056 error indicating a fault with the front passenger safety restraint system. When I scheduled service for this fault at Tesla, they advised that the front passenger airbag and occupant sensor for the right/front seat needed to be replaced. Research into this issue revealed at it is a common issue. Other owners reported Tesla covering the cost of this repair (indicating they know this is a manufacturer defect in a major safety system and not a one-off issue.) Unfortunately, Tesla refused to repair this issue without payment, insisting that my SRS warranty had expired. I believe this is a manufacturer defect in a critical safety system that should be investigated for a possible recall.

My car went out of warranty for seat related issues in December of this past year 2023. I don't even have 26K miles on my car therefore not a heavy driver. This week I experienced an error RCM_a021, front left safety restraint system fault, which I've researched has affected many others and appears to clearly be a safety flaw. The service team mentioned this isn't covered. My airbag light doesn't go off and is constantly on, my seats no longer save the seat setting (which occurred a couple of months ago but I didn't think about it).This is a safety hazard should I get into an accident. There were no previous warning issues prior to this warning error which occurred this week. According to Tesla, if the airbag light remains lit, schedule a service appointment immediately and do not drive. The service team mentioned the seat harness is faulty remotely and according to what they can see. I have not had them look visually yet though. They do not cover the repair for this as it's out of warranty. There's even a bulletin posted on this issue/repair by NHTSA therefore is known problem. [XXX] I'm unable to upload any files. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

When driver seat adjusted to end positions (e.g all the way up/down/forward/backward), it causes an error message stating “Front left safety restraint system fault” & and airbag failure icon would appear. This usually cause by the wire harness being pinched or stretched. The error message may come and go based on the position of the seat, and occurs more frequently as time goes by. I am concern that the airbag or other safety restraint system may fail to engage when the message pops up. Tesla community has reported similar failure.

Touchscreen went entirely blank. A few days prior to this, radio cut on and out. Rebooting procedures did not work. Tesla repaired, stating it was the cars computer. I asked for the old computer board but was told it was proprietary. The symptoms are very similar to those of the older memory issues.

At just over 50,000 miles, my Model 3 experienced a failure of its upper control arm on the drivers front wheel; the suspension was exhibiting loud creaking noises over bumps and road imperfections. While Tesla refers to this issue as "noise, vibration and harshness" and has previously applied a service bulletin to my vehicle where sealant was applied to prevent water ingress into the joint, continued driving on a failing component as critical as the suspension could cause an accident. Furthermore, they consider the repair something the customer has to pay for. My vehicle is currently sitting at Tesla service with no feedback as to the final cost of repair or even when they will complete the repair.

The NHTSA recently forced Tesla to perform a "recall" including an over the air update that made changes to the Tesla Full Self Driving features. Before the recall I felt very safe driving my Tesla on FSD mode. After the update my car feels much less safe with an almost exponential increase in the number of on screen warnings that distract me and do not increase the safety of the vehicle. We do not need these unnecessary notifications that cause constant distraction from the driver's ability to pay attention to the road. These need to be immediately removed as I feel they will directly cause me to become distracted enough to lose control of my vehicle. We need less distractions so we can maintain focus on the road. Any on screen warnings forces the driver to look away from the road to look at the warning, then we get an additional warning for looking at the previous warning. This causes an endless loop of micro distractions that on long drives lead to increasing frustration and increased sensitivity to them. This is a serious safety concern that that was implemented without Tesla vehicle owner feedback and needs to be immediately rescinded. We actually need to force Tesla to provide less on screen warnings and distractions instead of more to increase safety and driver attention to the road. Thank you for reading my concerns.

Got into car after update, screen blacked out, could not to hard reboots. App could no longer see car. Tech support couldn't remote into vehicle or get in touch with it. Had to have it towed to service center. It's been sitting there for 6 days with no diagnosis just an estimate for $530 to troubleshoot the car. This update caused my car to completely be unresponsive and undrivable. I also had a carseat in the car.

I AM WRITING TO REPORT URGENT SAFETY CONCERNS WITH MY 2018 TESLA MODEL 3, SOFTWARE VERSION 2023.44.30.5.1, AFTER THE NHTSA RECALL ON AUTOPILOT FUNCTIONALITY. I HAVE OWNED MY VEHICLE FOR OVER 4 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD CONCERNS WITH THE ADAS / AUTO-PILOT / AUTO-STEERING FUNCTIONALITY UNTIL THE NHTSA REQUIRED CHANGES IN DECEMBER 2024. WHILE DRIVING ON I-405 IN GARDEN GROVE, CA, MY VEHICLE WHILE IN ADAS / AUTO-STEERING / AUTOPILOT MADE REPEATED AND UNUSUALLY PERSISTENT ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE FROM LANE 4 TO LANE 3. I HAD TO MANUALLY CANCEL EACH ATTEMPT, DESPITE MY SPEED BEING SET TO MATCH TRAFFIC FLOW. THIS ISSUE NEVER AROSE BEFORE THE SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR THE NHTSA RECALL. MOREOVER, THE VEHICLE CONSISTENTLY SIGNALED FOR DRIVER ATTENTION, DESPITE MY FULL ATTENTION TO THE ROAD, A CONCERNING NEW BEHAVIOR POST-UPDATE. THE NEED TO FREQUENTLY OVERRIDE THESE UNDESIRED MANEUVERS FORCED ME TO DISABLE THE ADAS AUTOPILOT/AUTO-STEERING. THIS PUTS ME AND MY VEHICLE OCCUPANTS AT RISK, AS I BELIEVE THE ADAS SYSTEM, FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY PRE-RECALL UPDATE, SAFELY MAINTAINED DISTANCE FROM VEHICLES AHEAD AND DID NOT MAKE UNINTENDED MANEUVERS TO CHANGE LANES. THESE ISSUES SUGGEST THE RECALL MODIFICATIONS ADVERSELY AFFECT AUTOPILOT FUNCTIONALITY, CREATING SAFETY HAZARDS. THIS IS ESPECIALLY ALARMING GIVEN THE POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS ACCIDENTS DUE TO UNEXPECTED LANE CHANGES AND FALSE DRIVER ATTENTION ALERTS. I URGE THE NHTSA TO RECONSIDER THE RECALL MODIFICATIONS TO TESLA'S AUTO-STEER/AUTOPILOT ADAS FEATURES. IT'S CRUCIAL THAT RECALL ADJUSTMENTS DO NOT JEOPARDIZE VEHICLE AND VEHICLE OCCUPANTS SAFETY. A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE RECALL'S IMPACT IS NEEDED, POTENTIALLY LEADING TO AN AMENDMENT OR REVERSAL, TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF TESLA USERS AND OTHER ROAD USERS.

Dear NHTSA Representative, I am writing to express my deep concerns and seek resolution regarding the latest version of autopilot enforced in the recent Tesla recall, identified under Campaign ID #23V-838. I am a Tesla owner that’s deeply invested in the safety and functionality of my vehicle. Recent reports indicate that the mandated autopilot update has rendered the car unsafe and nearly undrivable with autopilot engaged. Disturbingly, users have reported false warnings, causing drivers to divert their attention from the road and react to incorrect information. This poses a significant safety risk to drivers, passengers, and others on the road. I wish to bring to your attention that the autopilot feature in my vehicle is currently usable, and I am hesitant to compromise its functionality based on the reported issues with the mandated update. It is disconcerting that a safety recall mandated by the NHTSA could potentially make my vehicle less safe for me and my family. I urge the NHTSA to conduct a thorough investigation into the safety implications of the autopilot update and to consider the concerns raised by Tesla owners seriously. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. I look forward to a swift resolution that prioritizes the safety and satisfaction of Tesla owners. Sincerely, A Tesla Owner

Cabin facing camera required for using Autopilot stopped working after software update requiring cabing camera usage. Technician has stated that many cameras have had to be replaced since the update requiring the use of the cameras

I received the recall update for recall #23V-838 and am currently running version 2023.44.30.5.1 with the added Autosteer alerts. I am finding the alerts to be too frequent when I am just looking forward at the road. I have used this system for five years and never have I had so many alerts that I feel like the car is making me take my eyes off the road just to see what it is complaining about. Then it just says keeps eyes on the road. Well, I already was so now I'm being distracted by these added notifications. This NHTSA recall has created a safety problem as the new alerts are very distracting.

While in FSD the car swerved to the left and hit a Tree. Youtube of the Crash.. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Since NHTSA forced Tesla to update their driver attention monitoring, I can no longer change the radio station without the car screaming at me. This is jarring and unsafe as it surprises me when there is no danger present! NHTSA’s requirement for Tesla change this behavior for “safety” is unsafe! Allow Tesla to roll back this change now!

My Tesla has been in need of repair for a "System Restraint Fault" 5 times since the car was purchased and 4 times in the past year. The Tesla service center has replaced multiple components including the seat harness, seat sensor, airbag, low voltage circuits over the span of the service appointments. It is unknown what would happen if an accident were to occur with the sensor fault activated or if it would cause an accident. I bring this issue up because it is a known issue to Tesla but I have not seen any recall information, nor does it seem like the service centers know how to fix the issues, especially since I have taken the car in so many times during the life of the car.

Recently I noticed that the automatic windshield wipers are completely non-functional on my vehicle. Windshield wipers can still be turned on manually and work normally as expected in all speeds in manual control mode. But in auto control mode, they simply don't turn on at all, even in very heavy rain. This is critical because when driving the vehicle in Autopilot mode or Full-Self-Driving mode, the vehicle automatically puts the windshield wipers in auto control mode and the driver cannot change them to manual mode. So when driving using Autopilot in the rain, the windshield wipers just stay completely off all the time, even when Autopilot is displaying warning messages about severe weather. I contacted Tesla support about this and Tesla support immediately responded that this is a known issue and should be corrected via over-the-air update soon, but no ETA available.

Airbag failed at 60k miles requiring a replacement. This is a known- safety issue, Tesla has corrected this problem in later cars, and Tesla should issue a recall to correct. I have error codes RCM_a015 and RCM_a014

Received safety restaurant system warning on my Tesla. This is a safety issue with the seat belts. This was repaired already on November 4, 2021. Same issue occurring again and but Tesla now wants to charge $400 to repair.

I had a seat weight sensor error. Took into repair and the replaced sensor and then informed me they need to replace airbag because it’s not compatible with the new sensor. Then was told that it would cost $1100 more than estimate to replace an airbag that is in working condition. Tesla purposely replaced sensor that was not compatible with the way they built the car and expect consumer to pay for it.

I had come to a complete stop at the red light for about 1-2 minutes when, unexpectedly, my car surged forward and collided with the vehicle in front of me. Initially, I believed someone had rear-ended me and caused the accident, but that turned out not to be the case. Although I attempted to apply the brakes to prevent the collision, it was unfortunately too late.

During the middle of a low speed turn i heard a loud thump and a metallic sound like a coin hitting the pavement. After completing the turn another strange noise followed by a dramatic change to steering of the vehicle - i would steel center but the car wanted to go left into oncoming traffic. I was able to steer hard right into the shoulder before any cars caused a collision and stop the vehicle. Upon inspection it was clear there was a major failure - the lower control arm for the left front wheel was on the asphalt and one of the bolts was missing, the other completely detached from the vehicle but still in the arm. The wheel had shifted considerably from its normal spot. If this had been at any higher speed or on a freeway this could have been a critical issue causing a life threatening accident and at this time my 5 year old daughter was in the car with me. I took photos and had the vehicle towed to the Tesla (maker) service center in Austin for evaluation. I noted later that there was a recall for this exact issue and this model year however they did not apply it to this vin, only a few hundred cars. I suspect there are many other vehicles with the same issue as the tow truck driver stated that he sees this problem all the time, several in the past few weeks which was troubling. I strongly urge a deeper look into this issue that causes the unexpected and sudden failure of the steering system and loss of control of the vehicle.

Many Tesla owners are experiencing this issue: "Front left (or right) safety restraint system fault. Service is required" message on screen Tesla service quoted $430 for a repair of a problem that shouldn't exit on a privately owned, non commercial low mileage (<50k in 5 years) vehicle. Tesla service refuses to do a recall or warranty repair. Comparison; we have a family Volvo with ~250k miles and it has never had a seat belt issue!

After taking in my Tesla Model 3 for a loud creaking noise coming from the front right suspension, the Tesla service specialist said the suspension control arms are cracked and the car is dangerous to drive. I asked how this is possible. The Tesla specialist said the suspension is made of aluminum and cannot support the weight of the car. He said this is a known issue. However I was told I need to pay $2,300 for the repair because the car is out of warranty by 1 year. Since my car has under 29,000 miles, and this is a known flaw that is not the fault of the driver, I feel Tesla should pay for the repair. At this point I cannot afford to pay for the full repair (I paid for only the creaking fix which cost $400), so I am forced to ground my car until I earn enough money to pay for the repair. In my view this is wrong, and ask for NHTSA to investigate why such a dangerous flaw is allowed to persist, with consumers forced to pay for its repair - even on a car with less than 30,000 miles. Thank you for your attention. PS, this webpage does not allow me to load any files (I am using Safari). I would like to upload the detailed Tesla service estimate.

Low coolant alert while in the hidden service mode only. Happens to all my 3 cars. Went to service to fill up the coolant and the warning didn’t go off. They said is a sensor gone bad and it’s $1000 to repair. What are the chances that all my 3 cars have that issue and all not actually having low coolant

Seat restrain system detected a fault with the back row seat buckle. This appears to be a repeated issue based on other drivers reporting same safety issue. Happy to provide photos.

Car issued a message on screen: "Front left safety restraint system fault. Service is required". From what we found online, others are experiencing this same problem with this make/model and have also received this message recently. Appears that there is a bad connector under the seat. This sure seems to be a safety issue so wanted to make you aware. At this point, it is reported that Tesla has been charging people to fix the safety issue. We plan to make a service appointment to get this fault addressed and hope that they will fix it at no cost to us.

The issue I am having is already documented in this TSB: [XXX] I feel this should be a recall, not just a TSB as it is a safety issue which can cause the seatbelt pre-tensioners to fail. If may fail at the time of a collision with no previous notice and cause the pre-tensioner to not work in the event of a collision. This should be repaired free of cost by Tesla. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

began receiving fault alert 'RCM_a021 - Front Left Safet Restraint System Fault' in December 2023. Web query indicates this has become a common problem, with the source being a loose connection of the seat wiring harness under the front driver's seat. No other observed malfunction of the vehicle. alert occurs whenever car is entered and powered on (seat adjusts for specified driver). Alert seems to be based on loose wire that is either loose or severed at the wire harness connection.

The only cabin heating and defrosting mechanism in early model 3s, a PTC heater, is prone to failure leaving the vehicle without the ability to maintain clear vision through the front and side windows. This occurred on my model 3 in November of 2023 and Tesla was unable to source parts for several weeks, with a cost of $900. This failure is extremely common among model 3 in cold weather environments and is well documented online.

Driver side compliance link bushing and lateral link bushing were both torn and required replacement of entire lateral and compliance links. Major suspension components failing when the vehicle has only 27k miles is unacceptable and unsafe, potentially effecting drivability. Obviously poor quality parts were used during manufacturing and replacements should be covered by recall or goodwill regardless of whether the vehicle is under warranty or not. I found several online articles describing this problem and it is a known issue. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] The Tesla service manager admitted the problem, stating he sees a lot of control arm and bushing problems. Yet Tesla refused to stand behind their product, and charged nearly $1500 for the repairs. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The Power conversion system (PCS) failed during driving, disabling the rear motor and regenerative braking. This severely affected the driving characteristics of the vehicle, including top speed, braking profile and handling.

Intermittently over the past two months, the vehicle has been showing error code RCM_a056 with the accompanying message: Front passenger safety restraint system fault Service is required I reached out to Tesla and the service estimate was nearly $1500 to replace the Airbag "to maintain compatibility with Front Passenger Seat" for $942 and $414 to replace the Occupant Classification System (OCS) of Front Passenger Seat plus taxes. Basically, they want to replace the airbag and the seat sensor system. Many people on the forums have reported the same issue, which is sometimes fixed by replacing both components, just the sensor, or reseating the sensor cable. This is clearly a safety issue caused by a defect and these critical components should not fail this catastrophically in just 5+ years.

Vehicle touch screen will shut off while driving and take 5 minutes to reboot. I have taken it to Tesla multiple times since November and they said it’s a firmware issue and nothing is being done to resolve.

The steering wheel assistance reduced. Couldn’t turn steering wheel while driving. Happened two times. Last time happened today 11/18/2023 at about 1:30pm

The front suspension lateral link fasteners on the driver side wheel came loose and fell off the car in my driveway when I was backing up the car. There is an active recall for this issue - 23V235000, but my VIN wasn't included in that recall.

I kept getting notifications indicating that there was a Front passenger safety restraint system fault - RCM_a056. On reaching out to Tesla service, I received an estimate for more than $2000 to fix and they appear to be replacing the seat, occupant classification system or sensor, and also Front passenger airbag. I found many instances of this issue on online forums(with different error codes) and I am worried that this may be a widespread safety issue related to the seat belts or corresponding components which may prevent them from detecting occupants or failing to prevent injury in case of a crash.

I have been receiving an error message that there is a safety restraint system failure. I reached out for service and have been advised it will cost $195 minimum just for them to tell me if my safety is at risk. I don’t understand how if there is a safety issue regardless of being out of warranty why I should be responsible for their systems failing in a 5 year old car

The adaptive cruise control (Autopilot) suddenly applied the brakes while I was traveling about 70 MPH on a major interstate highway. There was no reason for the sudden and rapid braking. No obstacles of any kind. I suspect the Autopilot was confused with the shade of the road from asphalt to concrete as I approached a small bridge. Software version on the vehicle is 2023.38.6.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention). The contact attempted to schedule an appointment for a recall repair on the Tesla App however, the app displayed an error “Unnecessary to schedule an appointment; You will be notified when parts are available" since June of 2023. The local dealer was contacted but confirmed that the recall repair needed to be scheduled via the Tesla App. The contact attempted to reach out to the manufacturer but was unable to reach a representative. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

"Self-Driving System" turned into a one-way road, going the wrong way when the road was well labeled. I have had similar problems every time I have activated self-driving over the past 6 years. It is easy to reproduce the issue at any time.

Vehicle displays alert "Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault." Tesla repaired my vehicle last year for this same alert and now it has returned. Tesla claims the Occupant Classification System and passenger airbag must now be replaced. These critical safety components should not fail only 5 years after I purchased this vehicle. Many other Tesla owners report this same issue indicating it is a safety-related defect.

Lost power steering. It started working again, but the dealership recommended a replacement due to corrosion which amounted to around 4k. Comprehensive insurance would not cover since the damage was gradual and not immediate.

I was traveling about 10-15 mph and my car unexpectedly activating the automatic emergency braking system. It was very scary and dangerous