2018 Tesla Model 3 Owner Complaints

- When I start my car, I see the following error message appear: Front Left Safety Restraint System Fault. Also, the air bag disabled alert is displayed. Since the air bag is disabled, it puts me at grave risk if I were to get into an accident. - Many other Tesla owners have reported the same exact issue (RCM_a021 Front Left Safety Restraint System Fault). - Today, I took the car into the Tesla Service Center, they had to replace the entire harness. - No other symptoms were apparent...just all of a sudden the alert appeared.

NHTSA ID

11766272

Incident

Sep 22, 2026

Clunking noise when in reverse and turning.

NHTSA ID

11765961

Incident

May 1, 2026

AMENDMENT / SUPPLEMENT TO VOQ #11763975 regarding PE26006. Following my initial report of a catastrophic lower lateral link detachment, Tesla Service Center Santa Rosa has provided a highly sanitized and misleading repair report. The official invoice completely omits the physical structural detachment and missing subframe nut, recharacterizing a severe mechanical failure as a simple 'steering alignment adjustment.' Furthermore, the technician took misleading photographs (omitting the damaged side of the vehicle or using obscuring angles). I possess dated photographic evidence of the complete link separation prior to tow-in on a flatbed, which directly contradicts Tesla's service records. This is submitted to alert investigators that field incidents for PE26006 are actively being mislabeled and obscured in Tesla's internal repair databases.

NHTSA ID

11765657

Incident

Sep 15, 2026

On August 6, 2026, my spouse was driving our 2018 Model 3 at low speed while making a U-turn out of The Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch when she heard a clunk from the front of the car and the car felt as though it had dropped down. Steering was not affected. The car began to slow, and she drove it at low speed into a nearby parking lot, where it stopped and would not move forward even with the accelerator pressed. It had to be towed. She did not strike a curb, pothole, debris, or any other object, and there was no impact of any kind. Inspection at the scene showed that the driver's side front lower lateral link had separated at its inboard, subframe end. The link was hanging down and resting on the pavement, still attached at the wheel end. A close-up photo shows the bushing inner core with two bolt ears and empty bolt holes: no fastener present and no broken fastener remnant. The link is not bent, gouged, or scraped. The left front wheel was pushed rearward in the wheel arch and was pressed against the rear edge of the fender, which damaged the fender and a brake line. The tire and wheel have no curb rash or impact marks. The vehicle was not included in recall 23V-235, and Tesla's VIN recall lookup shows all recalls issued for it as completed. Mileage at the time was approximately 108,043 miles. The vehicle was declared a total loss and has since gone to salvage. This failure appears to match Preliminary Evaluation PE26006.

NHTSA ID

11765550

Incident

Aug 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while reversing approximately 5 MPH, there was a loud screeching sound coming from the vehicle without warning. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that a bolt had detached from the subframe. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure by telephone. The approximate failure mileage was 82,678.

NHTSA ID

11764800

Incident

Sep 12, 2026

Mileage

82,678 mi

Vehicle Information: Year/Make/Model: 2018 Tesla Model 3 Mileage at Incident: 45,000 miles Description of Safety Defect: A sudden and persistent "Safety Restraint System Fault" / "Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault" warning illuminated on the vehicle's primary touchscreen interface, indicating a complete compromise of the supplemental restraint and airbag system. Upon inspection by Tesla Service, the root cause was identified as physically broken/severed internal copper wiring within the first-row passenger seat harness assemblies. This breakage occurred purely due to the mechanical wear-and-tear of normal fore-and-aft seat tracking (including the standard vehicle "Easy Entry" setting). Because the electrical line cleanly severed, communication to the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor was totally cut off, preventing the vehicle from accurately detecting passenger occupancy or correctly configuring front passenger airbag deployment logic in a collision. Tesla has addressed this known design vulnerability internally via Service Bulletin SB-23-20-002, replacing the weak early-production parts with ruggedized components. However, because the vehicle was past its calendar warranty period despite having only 45,000 miles, I was forced to pay $1,322.00 out of pocket to restore critical safety systems. Because a severed seat harness disables essential airbag safety constraints through normal everyday use, this represents a systemic manufacturing defect that should be escalated from a Technical Service Bulletin to a mandatory Safety Recall to protect all owners. Specific Component Part Numbers Replaced: First Row Seat Harness Assemblies: P/N 1489060-02-G & 1489060-03-G Passenger Airbag Assembly Module: P/N 1077323-00-G Seat Position / Occupancy Sensor Module: P/N 1099592-00-F

NHTSA ID

11764720

Incident

Sep 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving 4 MPH, the front sway bar detached from the vehicle, and the contact lost steering control. The vehicle was towed, and a service center was contacted but informed the contact that the repair was not covered because the VIN was not included in a recall associated with the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

NHTSA ID

11764522

Incident

Sep 14, 2026

Mileage

81,000 mi

Vehicle: 2018 Tesla Model 3 Safety Issue: The rearview camera display has failed and shows a black screen when the vehicle is shifted into reverse. This reduces rearward visibility and creates a safety concern while backing up. Recall History: My vehicle was previously repaired under the Tesla Model 3 trunk lid harness recall on March 31, 2023. The recall addressed wear and damage to the trunk harness wiring that could result in loss of the rearview camera display. Tesla installed recall retrofit components during that repair. The current failure presents the same symptom that the recall was intended to correct: loss of the backup camera image. Current Problem: In September 2026, the rearview camera again began displaying a black screen. Tesla Service has diagnosed the vehicle and quoted approximately $439 for repair. Tesla advised that the recall was completed in 2023 and that the repair warranty has expired, therefore the current repair is not covered. Reason for Complaint: I believe this may be a recurrence of the same safety-related defect addressed by the original recall. Although the recall repair was completed, the same safety condition has reoccurred. I am requesting that NHTSA review whether the recall remedy adequately resolved the defect and whether owners should be responsible for subsequent repairs involving the same failure mode.

NHTSA ID

11764371

Incident

Aug 29, 2026

My 2018 Tesla Model 3 suffered a catastrophic detachment of the right front lower lateral link from the subframe, while merging on the freeway, causing an immediate risk of a collision or injury. My VIN is not listed under the Recall 23V235000, but this failure matches the exact safety risk currently being investigated by the Office of Defects Investigation under Active Investigation PE26006. The manufacturer must extend the recall coverage to this VIN block.

NHTSA ID

11763975

Incident

Aug 21, 2026

Driving tghe 2018 Model 3 with around 75K miles, the warning "FRONT LEFT SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM ISSUE" keeps popping up and staying on the center console. Tesla said car is out of warranty and have to pay upto $2000 to fix it.

NHTSA ID

11763805

Incident

Aug 1, 2026

Tesla Full Self Driving (FSD) failed us, resulting in a side swipe with a tractor trailer and the likely total loss of our Model 3. We were under FSD for much of our trip from [XXX] to [XXX]. We were in [XXX], traveling north on [XXX] in the right lane with a tractor trailer in the center lane. The car made a sudden, violent turn to the right. The startled driver grabbed the wheel to bring the car back to the lane center, which resulted in a major grinding noise. The driver then brought the car to a safe stop on the shoulder. It became clear the left side of our vehicle had contacted the trucks right front wheel. The truck left the scene. I believe the truck either came close to its lane right line or actually was changing lanes. The car took evasive action. However, the car failed to communicate the situation to the driver, which is the reason for filing this report. It is possible that had FSD activated the horn, both driers would have acted more appropriately and the loss of our car might have been avoided. Other possibilities are for FSD to have some method to communicate what was happening or had refused to permit the driver to bring the car into contact with the truck. It may be beneficial for NHTSA to request a copy of the car’s data before it is deleted after the car is declared a total loss; especially since there isn’t any Dash Cam video of the incident. The dash cam’s most recent video was several weeks previous and includes GB of video taken in our garage. But nothing from the trip. I believe Tesla will record this as driver fault rather than FSD’s fault. Technically, at the time of contact, the driver was in control because, from the drivers point of view, FSD acted randomly. The real cause, in my opinion, was a failure of communication and poor handoff of control. There is a Pennsylvanian State Police report and we have filed with our insurance company, but I don’t expect either to investigate FSDing’s role in this incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOI

NHTSA ID

11763503

Incident

Sep 5, 2026

The exterior door handles are made of a thin metal top cover over a plastic door handle. The exterior door handle metal begins to peel, and does so in a manner that isn't clear to see. This has resulted in me cutting my hand on the door handle. I had to remove the metal from the door handles to prevent my family from also being injured. I asked Tesla to fix it, and they quoted $1,275 to fix the issue on all four doors.

NHTSA ID

11763160

Incident

Jun 1, 2023

During a routine inspection by an independent mechanic, it was discovered that the front lower compliance link (control arm) bushings are severely cracked on both the left and right sides of my 2018 Tesla Model 3. Both the compliance links and the lateral links require immediate replacement to prevent a catastrophic structural failure. Tesla Service has provided a repair estimate of $2,012.00 to fix the issue, which they are refusing to cover under warranty or past recalls. Safety Consequence: Cracked and failing compliance link bushings compromise the structural integrity of the front suspension. If these suspension links completely separate or fail while driving at highway speeds, it could cause an immediate loss of steering control, severe wheel misalignment, or a wheel detachment, creating an extreme risk of a high-speed crash. Relevance to Active Investigations: I am filing this complaint specifically to be included in the NHTSA's active Preliminary Evaluation (PE26006) regarding front lower suspension link detachments on 2018–2020 Model 3 vehicles. The failure of my vehicle's compliance links demonstrates that the front suspension components on early Model 3 production units are experiencing premature structural degradation and wear that goes well beyond the scope of Tesla's previously limited lateral link recalls (23V-235 and 21V-835).

NHTSA ID

11762903

Incident

Sep 8, 2026

While my wife was driving, the high-voltage battery failed and the car went into reduced power/limp mode. Tesla later determined that coolant had gotten into the high-voltage battery and caused it to fail. My main concern is that we had no warning that there was a coolant leak or that coolant was getting into the battery. There was no low-coolant warning or anything telling my wife that there was a serious problem developing. By the time the car started giving high-voltage and reduced-power warnings, the damage had already occurred and Tesla said the battery needed to be replaced. What concerns me even more was what happened after Tesla received the car. Tesla removed the battery and quarantined it in the parking lot. They told us in writing that it was removed because of coolant ingress as a safety precaution and that a specialized technician had to determine whether the battery was safe to discharge. During a phone call, a Tesla employee also told me they quarantined it because there was a possibility the battery could explode and they did not want anyone injured or anything damaged if that happened. That was alarming because my wife had just been driving this car, and afterward it sat in our driveway while we waited for it to be taken to Tesla. At no point were we told that the battery could be dangerous or that the vehicle should be kept away from people or property. We had no idea Tesla would consider the condition serious enough to quarantine the battery once they received it. Tesla later confirmed in writing that coolant ingress was the root cause of the battery failure. I would like NHTSA to look into why this condition was able to get this far without warning the driver and whether other vehicles could have the same issue.

NHTSA ID

11762441

Incident

Jul 20, 2026

The break line ruptured causing loss of hydraulic pressure. The root cause was corrosion of the break line. This caused a major safety risk as I was unable to stop/slow the car down and had to coast to a stop. This is a known problem as addressed in Tesla's service bulletin SB-26-33-001. Tesla chose not to do a recall nor inform it's customers to get it inspected. The cost to replace the break line with corrosion resistant parts (as should have been done in the original design given that these cars as sold in the north east) is significant.

NHTSA ID

11761910

Incident

Aug 25, 2026

This is a follow-up to a previously submitted complaint regarding the same issue. I am submitting this update to reference NHTSA's recently opened investigation into 2018-2019 Tesla Model 3 suspension failures. Previous complaint ID is 11732882.

NHTSA ID

11761140

Incident

Jan 12, 2026

2018 Tesla Model 3, VIN [XXX], approximately 58,736 miles. Front lower suspension lateral link (fore link) separated from the subframe on the right (passenger) front. The fastener that attaches the link to the subframe backed out and is missing. The link is hanging down and the right front wheel sits at a visibly different angle compared to the left, indicating the alignment has shifted. I discovered the hanging component while the vehicle was parked; there was no impact or off-road use. The vehicle is not being driven and is being towed to service. This is the same failure mode addressed in NHTSA recalls [XXX] and [XXX] (Tesla [XXX]) and currently under investigation in [XXX]. My VIN is not included in either recall per the NHTSA VIN lookup. Photos of the separated link and wheel angle are attached. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11759927

Incident

Aug 23, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. While a passenger was attempting to enter the vehicle, the contact sustained a cut to the hand, which was caused by the exterior door handle. The contact stated that over time, the edges of the flush door handles had degraded and become progressively sharper and posed a threat to anyone attempting to open the doors. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 64,402.

NHTSA ID

11759555

Incident

Aug 22, 2026

Mileage

64,402 mi

I was driving normally and drove in a dip in the road. The vehicle went completely into auto drive, leaving me helpless behind the wheel. It spun and swerved wildly for 30-45 seconds on a neighborhood street resulting in the left rear tire and the rim being mangled. When it was spinning out of control, the left rear tire was seemingly stuck, dragging in whichever direction it chose. Thankfully, no one, pedestrians or other vehicles were injured or damaged. This was a truly terrifying experience.

NHTSA ID

11758873

Incident

Aug 21, 2026

My 2018 Tesla Model 3 displayed alert RCM_a056, “Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault.” The warning may affect correct detection of a passenger and operation of the passenger restraint/airbag system. Tesla quoted approximately $705 but has not identified the failed component or explained whether the condition is related to known front-seat wiring or occupant-classification failures. Tesla Repair Bulletin SB-21-17-005 recognizes that electrical harnesses in 2017–2019 Model 3 front seats can be damaged through repeated seat movement and trigger restraint-system alerts, although that bulletin specifically lists codes RCM_a021 and RCM_a022. I am reporting RCM_a056 because it affects the same general front-passenger safety-restraint system and appears to be reported by other early Model 3 owners. I am concerned that an occupant may not be properly classified or protected in a collision.

NHTSA ID

11758611

Incident

Jul 30, 2026

Incident / Safety Defect Summary: A certified Tesla mobile service technician improperly calibrated the low-beam headlights on my 2018 Tesla Model 3, causing a severe reduction in forward night visibility and creating an immediate roadway crash hazard in direct violation of FMVSS 108 illumination standards. Detailed Description of the Safety Failure: Improper Calibration Environment: The technician attempted to perform the headlight alignment procedure inside a closed residential garage with approximately 12 inches of clearance between the front bumper and the garage door. Standard automotive and manufacturer procedures require either a level 25-foot standoff from an aiming target or a dedicated optical aiming tool. At 12 inches, optical beam geometry and cutoff steps cannot be evaluated. Extreme Downward Misadjustment: The technician bypassed standard cutoff alignment and manually adjusted both headlights down to their absolute lowest mechanical limit using the vehicle interface. Safety Impact: The usable beam throw is now restricted to only a few feet in front of the vehicle's bumper. At standard driving speeds, especially during early morning and nighttime commutes, the vehicle completely overdrives the low beams, rendering road hazards, lane markings, and pedestrians invisible until impact is imminent. Manufacturer Failure to Triage Safety Rework: When reported to Tesla Service as an urgent safety-critical failure caused directly by their technician, the service center refused immediate safety triage/rework and scheduled resolution days out, leaving an unsafe vehicle in service.

NHTSA ID

11758477

Incident

Aug 18, 2026

My Tesla Model 3 has a persistent RCM_a056 alert indicating a problem with the front passenger occupancy detection system. The unresolved fault affects the operation of the front passenger airbag system. I paid Tesla approximately $1,000 for a repair intended to resolve this problem. Tesla replaced multiple components associated with the passenger seat/occupancy detection system, including the sensor, wiring, and other safety-system components. The repair did not resolve the problem. The RCM_a056 alert remained unchanged after the repair. I returned the vehicle to Tesla for further diagnosis. Tesla tested the individual components and documented that they found “no issues present,” but the RCM_a056 alert remained. Tesla then recommended replacing the entire passenger seat assembly at a cost of approximately $3,000. When I asked what diagnostic evidence indicated that the seat assembly was defective, I was told that they had no specific evidence that replacing the seat would resolve the problem. They were unable to identify a failed component and indicated that replacing the entire seat was the only remaining repair they could suggest. I am concerned that this represents an unresolved safety-system defect. I have already paid approximately $1,000 for a repair that did not resolve the fault, and Tesla is now recommending another $3,000 repair without identifying the cause of the failure. The vehicle remains unavailable for normal use because of the unresolved passenger restraint/airbag-system fault. I am requesting that NHTSA document and investigate this potential safety defect, particularly if other Tesla Model 3 vehicles are experiencing the same persistent occupancy-detection failure.

NHTSA ID

11758370

Incident

Aug 20, 2026

Adaptive cruise control was on, i was driving on the highway, traffic was speeding up and slowing down, and the tesla was braking accordingly. I was paying attention to the road and noticed, all of a sudden, that the tesla was not braking as traffic in front of us slowed. I immediately slammed my foot on the brake as hard as i could, yet there wasn't enough time or distance, and my car collided with the one in front of me. I wasn't injured, but there's a chance someone in the other car was. The emergency brake did not kick in whatsoever, and the adaptive cruise control completely failed, leading to an accident.

NHTSA ID

11758301

Incident

Jun 22, 2026

On July 10, 2026, while driving, I started to hear a rattling metal noise coming from under the right front side of the car. When making turns, the noise gets louder, less when driving straight. When I got home, I looked under the car and found a large metal piece hanging down adjacent to the right front tire. When the Tow Truck came to pick up the car, the right front tire started to get loose aiming to the right. Took the car to a Tesla Service Center and a new Correction Links - Lateral - Lower Front - Pair (Remove & Replace) Remove and Replace.

NHTSA ID

11758101

Incident

Jul 10, 2026

After Tesla pushed software update 2026.20.6.11 or “FSD 14 lite” the self driving feature stopped functioning. Also all of the driver assistance safety features stopped working at the same time, forward collision warning, emergency braking, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection have all stopped working as well. It appears one of the two “self Driving” ECU was damaged or disabled by the update. Without these features the drive is not notified in advance of a collision and the emergency braking does not function to stop the car. The car is awaiting inspection and repair by the manufacturer.

NHTSA ID

11757269

Incident

Aug 16, 2026