2018 TESLA MODEL 3 Seat Belts Problems

Tesla refuses to fix recall NHTSA No: 22V798.

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

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.

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

Getting a notification for "Front left safety restraint system fault" which disengages the airbags. Seems like a very common fault with Teslas but no recall has been made.

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.

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.

When seat is moved up for my [XXX] daughter, who is learning to drive, it now triggers an error an indicates the air bags will not work. The error code is RCM_a021. It seems the vehicle has a defect that over time the connections for the front seat harnesses will fail. This is a known issue with a Service Bulletin - SB-21-17-005 on your website from December 8, 2021. [XXX] Manufacturer has confirmed the issue, but refuses to replace it unless they are paid more than $800 (although, online people report that when they were under warranty the cost for parts and labor was in the $300 range). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I believe this is a safety issue that warrants a recall notice since the seat restraint system may not work correctly due to an electrical connection issue. I get an error message "Front left safety restraint system fault" that comes comes and goes depending on the position of the driver seat - if I raise the seat I get the fault message, if I lower the seat the message goes away. This is clearly due to a loose electrical connection in the seat restraint system. I removed the cover at the side of the seat and have identified a loose yellow/orange plastic connector to the left of the seat (see picture). When you jiggle that connector the error message goes on and off. Tesla will fix the issue for $650, but I believe this is a faulty design issue that causes the connector to get worn every time you adjust...

Got an alert on the Tesla screen on 4/21/2025 indicating "Front left safety restraint system fault". Took to Tesla Svc Center and they replaced seat belt lap pretensioner, seat belt reminder vent, seat belt reminder sensor box and first row occupancy sensor. Cost $650. Alert goes away if I raise the seat and comes back if I lower the seat. I asked Tesla while scheduling an appointment whether it was a safety issue and they said "Yes". Vehicle has only 43,500 miles on it.

Alert message on car "safety restraint system issue"

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

RCM_a021 alert: Front left safety restraint system fault. Seems like an issue caused by seat movement back & forth.

Vehicle displays Front Left safety restraint system fault/Service is required

Vehicle displays Front Left safety restraint system fault/Service is required

Warning message appeared on center screen stating: "Front left safety restraint system fault". This appears to be a safety related problem , Tesla dealer wants $500 to repair because the vehicle is "out of warreanty" . This is the second Model 3 we have had. Previous version also experienced this fault. Is this a safety problem and if so should the car manufacturer be responsible to repair at no cost to owner? I have receoved a notice from NHTSA dated 5-31-2024 stating recall 24V376 may affect my vehicle - Seat Belt warning Sustem. I have not receoved a specific recall from tesla for this recall. Is it the same as the fault referenced above?

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.

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.

Safety restraint system issue if this is an on-going issue with many Tesla users, shouldn't this covered under a warranty being it is a safety issue?

1. I had my car for only 6 years, and the main monitor would randomly go black. I have to do multiple hard resets to get it to work again. 2. I'm getting a Front left safety restrain system fault, on a car that I had only for 6 years. Compared to my Prius that I had more than 10 years, which I had no problems AT ALL, Tesla is junk. 3. Front suspension is squeaking when making turns at slow speeds. Review of YouTube indicates that this is a very common problem. Tesla should fix this for free instead of charging $800.

"Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault​" a safety concern that puts passenger in danger with a faulty restraint system. Problem constantly reproduced every time get into car. It is available for inspection upon request. Car has not been physically inspected, but has been remotely accessed by manufacture and is charging owners $436.06 to repair. There has been no warning messages nor other symptoms prior to failure. Problem 1st appeared about a month ago.

On August 2020, Error showed on dash: Front passenger safety restraint system fault/Contact Tesla Service. Took to Tesla to investigate, and they perform service based on bulletin [XXX] ). The error message then returned exactly a year later August 2021, but Tesla denied that it was the same issue and had to charge for this repair since car was out of warranty. Since then I have met with other owners that had expressed the same situation and I wanted to officially document this in case in need to become an actual recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Got warning about front drivers safety restraint failure on screen. Airbag warning began to display on the side showing if an accident occurred, they would not deploy. Talked with Tesla representatives and was told this is a known issue but would not be covered. Seems to be faulty wiring from chair moving over time based on what I was able to read. Error code was rcm_a021.

Concern: I See the error message on my screen like restraint system fault require service. when I contacted Tesla for Sevice Repair I got an estimate which includes following fixes for a charge of 1,804.02. They are not covering for this saying the car is out of warranty. Seems like Tesla is aware of this issue and impacting many other Tesla's for 1) FIRST ROW SEAT HARNESS ASSEMBLY - RIGHT HAND(1489060- 03-G) 2) FIRST ROW - SEAT BELT REMINDER SENSOR BOX CLIP(1130363-00-B) 3)Correction: Replace Front Passenger Airbag And Update Vehicle Configuration - Remove and Replace

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? “Front left safety restraint system fault” error code “RCM_a021” How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? It appears as though the seatbelt or airbag may not function properly when needed. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No but it has been on every time I drive. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No, upon requesting inspection, I was quoted 400$ Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No, it appeared periodically before but now it’s constant as of 9/29/2024

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "Front Driver’s Side Safety Restraint Fault" remained displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the "Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault" message remained displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the failure had occurred previously with the front driver’s seat, the rear middle seat, and the rear passenger’s side seat. The vehicle was repaired at the local service center. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 80,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that there was an abnormal sound underneath the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The front passenger restraint message was displayed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V376000 (Seat Belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front lower link was tearing. The vehicle was not repaired. 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. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

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. .

Error code: RCM_a021 Front left safety restraint system fault. It appears this is a very common safety problem for many Tesla 3 owners and I believe it’s due to faulty design - shall be a recall paid by Tesla ! Please search on google.com, enter the error code above and you will see many complaints for the same issue…

Front passenger safety restraint system fault error. They tried fixing and it started the next day again. Now they want to replace this along with my airbag. This seems to be a consistent issue reading forums online. This is a manufacturing defect and major safety issue.

I randomly received an alert indicating “Front passenger safety restraint system fault” on my Tesla’s display. When I look this up, it indicates that the airbag may not deploy correctly in the event of an accident due to a seat sensor malfunction. When I contacted the service center, they quoted me at $1500 to repair this critical safety issue (involves replacing the seat sensor and reconfiguring airbags so that they will properly deploy). I believe this should be a recall and not something customers have to pay out of pocket to drive their car safely.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the seat belt warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the seat belt was inoperable, and the front seat restraint system failure message was displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 99,508.

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...

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.

Seat occupancy system failure received. June 27, 2022 Mobile service inspected for wiring damage, as common cause. recommended appt at service center. Sep 2, 2022, could not fix issue, had to replace entire passenger seat. July 23, 2024 took car to service center for seat occupancy system failure received. Tesla stated I needed to pay for lumbar seat occupancy system sensor as it was failing. This was the same part (seat that was replaced in Sep of 2022). This part was 22 months old. Parts and labor for this part was $955. In addition, they stated this new part is not compatible with the existing seat occupancy system sensor in the seat portion of the seat and also not compatible with the passenger air bag. These parts including labor were an additional $1,500. These parts were not defective. Tesla has developed a new part of the safety system which is...

getting a "front left safety restraint fault" warning when moving the driver seat...is a known issue in tesla forums where the seat wiring harness is not secured properly and either a wire is crimped by the seat mechanicals or a wiring harness is pulled loose...

Starting Jun 15 2024 an error came up saying "Left Restraint System fault" after a remote software update for Model 3 2018 Tesla The Alert comes up intermittently & Tesla requires $359.50 to change First Row Seat Harness Assembly - Left

Apparently faulty sensor that then needs to replace airgbag and now it’s costing $1833!

Started receiving Error RCM_a056 Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault. The vehicle shows that the passenger airbags are DISABLED after the alert is issued. I am working under the assumption that all passenger airbags (front, side, overhead) are currently disabled at all times. This puts my family at risk if there were to be a collision. Tesla seems to know exactly what the problem is because the estimate came back shortly with a list of fixes required at a cost of $1,768.35 to 1) Correction: install an Occupant Classification System (OCS) filter Module, 2) Correction: Retrofit SBR in OCS Equipped Front Passenger Seat - Remove and Replace, and 3) Correction: Replace Front Passenger Airbag and Update Vehicle Configuration - Remove and Replace. Quick internet search shows this is a SYSTEMIC problem with a bad part (Tesla forums and search your own databases for the past year or so... these are...

My 2018 Model 3 started giving me the error "RCM_a056_passengerFrontOCS" today. This is caused by a faulty passenger occupancy weight sensor. This has been an ongoing issue in these models evidenced by SB-23-20-002 being revised 6 times. Tesla has resisted fixing this safety issue because the air bag also needs to be replaced to maintain compatibility with the redesigned Occupant Classification System (OCS) weight sensor evidenced in Tesla SB-23-20-001. Tesla has redesigned the known bad sensor part no. part 1121234-70-B with an updated part no. 099592-00-F which is only compatible with an updated airbag. The OCS weight sensor was defective from the point of manufacture. The RCM_a056 error only appeared after applying the latest firmware update that addresses NHTSA recall 24V-376. The firmware update made the firmware more sensitive to analog sensor readings which revealed the originally defective OCS weight sensor triggering the error message. Nearly half of the recent...

My car started giving me an alert for a "Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault". There has been no accident to cause an issue. I'm being told by the service center that it is a known occurrence and certain models/years, require a new safety vent type front passenger airbag to maintain compatibility between the front passenger seat and the front passenger airbag.

Keep getting a safety restraint system fault error displayed and the estimate is more than $2000.This error just came out of the blue and I am not sure if the vehicle is safe to operate.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Front left safety restraint system fault, must replace first row seat harness assembly for seat belt. It is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Potential Seat Belt Malfunction, Tesla states "Service Required"   Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, common issue all over Tesla forums covering both Model 3 and Model Y. The problem/warning is reproducible on personal vehicle. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Tesla diagnostics showed service is required to replace front row seat belt assembly due to fault. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes, warning on display "Front...

This is a follow up to issue 11584898. Tesla Service states that due to the seat belt fault, the vehicle is not safe to drive until repair is complete. Tesla is also not providing a loaner vehicle until the vehicle is repaired. This puts many Model 3 and Model Y Drivers at risk due to limited Tesla and 3rd party service centers, limited service center schedule availability, and high cost of repair.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, a message displayed reading "Left from passenger safety restraint system fault". The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: SB-21-17-005. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 105,000.

Car displayed safety restraint system fault RCM_a094. Tesla diagnosed as rear seat buckle sensor failure. Additionally, car displays an intermittent fault RCM_a056. Tesla diagnosed this as a front passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor fault. Tesla stated the front passenger airbag would need to be replaced as the new sensor is not compatible with the older airbag. This renders the entire airbag system inoperable due to this component failure. The critical safety issue is extremely expensive as the incompatible sensor requires expensive airbag replacement. Furthermore, the safety system is prone to failure with 2 safety system faults occurring at <80k miles. Service rep stated that the 2018 model year has had issues with the airbag system that is why they updated the module. I asked for recall or replacement at Tesla cost but was denied. Facebook group discussions and search indicate others have intermittent OCS sensor failure and this is...

Error message displays confirming: “Front left safety restraint system default” Error code displayed: RCM_a021 Service is required but Tesla is charging for this safety issue. Researched this and other drivers are reporting same issue.

I'm getting an error for "Safety restraint system fault" on my Tesla Model 3. When I booked a service appointment it turns out they are wanting to charge $1,955.11 for replacing the Occupant Classification System (OCS) of the front passenger, updating the front passenger airbag, and installing a OCS filter module. This seems to be safety related and should be part of a recall. I have seen similar reports from other drivers on Reddit.

On Feb 12 2024 the error code RCM_a021 appeared. “Front left safety restraint system fault Service is required.” The service center confirmed that it was an issue related to seatbelt safety during a crash. They said “The specific part that would fail in this case would be the seatbelt pretensioner. When in an impact this deploys and pulls the seatbelt tightly against the driver. This will likely not deploy in an accident if not repaired as the wires going to this component are broken. We are replacing it with a new updated part that will not wear and have this same issue.” Although a known safety issue, it was NOT a repair under warranty. I am putting in this claim and appeal that it should be an under warranty repair. Parts and Labor for 1 seatbelt assembly replacement would have been $450. As it is a known safety issue, I...