2019 Tesla Model 3: seat belt won't latch or retract

Filed Aug 25, 2026 · Airbags, Seat belts · NC

Alert RCM_a021pretenLapFrontLeft. Caused by the seat harness wires being pinched and stretched when moving the seat back/forward/up/down. Eventually the wires are damaged by the seat movement. Tesla has touted a feature called "Easy Entry" which moves the seat to a preset position to allow the driver to get in and out of the car more easily. This moves the seat lower and farther back and then moves the seat back up to the driver's position when ready to drive. This increased seat movement, every time the driver gets in and out of the car, causes the wires to wear prematurely and the above fault to trigger. In the event of an accident the driver side airbag may not deploy and/or the seat belt pretensioner may fail to lock the seat belt in place, leaving the driver exposed to serious potential injury risk. This issue can be seen in 2019 Tesla Model 3s and I believe an investigation by the federal safety agency is warranted, at the very least.

Filed Jul 31, 2026 · Suspension · WA

Between 2023 and 2026, I have had several clunking and creaking sounds from the suspension. These were then found isolated to "lateral and compliance link detachments" and Tesla noted these were "serious safety issues" and fixed them out of warranty at a cost of roughly $2500. When I pointed out that vehicles within this model range (manufactured April 2019 at the Fremont, CA plant) were flagged for a recall, they mentioned my vehicle was outside that range and insisted on an out-of-pocket repair. Further, I have similarly had to have the front left driver's side seat belt harness replaced because of a restraint control module failure. I have owned 3 other vehicles and have never had a restraint control module/seatbelt fail over just 82000 miles of use.

Filed Jan 15, 2025 · Seat belts · KY

The rear driver side passenger seat belt buckle abruptly stopped latching, there is no debris in the the latch mechanism.

Filed Aug 30, 2024 · Seat belts · CA

The week of July 29, 2024, I received a report on my computer screen that the driver's side seat belt was malfunctioning. I checked and it moved freely--there was no restraint. I drove to Rocklin Tesla and they did a diagnostic test ($235) and found there was a low voltage circuit integrity issue. This problem was not from physical damage to the seat belt, but a problem during manufacturing. They required the left front row seat harness assembly be replaced. As the driver, I was at risk because if I was in an accident, my seat belt would fail to stop forward motion. Online Tesla forums explain this has been occurring, but Tesla does not have a recall. The problem was confirmed by the dealer. I was advised to send a report to the federal safety agency.

Filed May 7, 2024 · Seat belts · GA

I bought a used 2019 Tesla model 3 and just got a system warning that says “Front passenger safety restraint system fault”. I was researching this and it seems to be a common enough issue that a recall should be issued for it. If the seat belt system fails, someone could be very seriously injured if they’re in an accident

Filed Mar 18, 2024 · Seat belts · VA

UNKNOWN The seatbelt just wouldn't latch any more.

Filed Sep 29, 2023 · IL

Car seat is able to tip onto it's side during turns in the direction of the seat belt latch by sliding down the seat belt. My child's legs are caught between the seat belt and the back of the seat causing her injury. This occurs when installing as per manufacturer instructions without base using seat belt only. It only occurs in our vehicle where the handle does not touch either front seat and the seat material is low friction, both of which I believe contribute to the seat being able to tip. I have tried to contact Britax regarding this issue however their website contact form is non-functional. We have 2 of this model car seat and they both exhibit the same behavior.

Filed May 24, 2023 · Driver assistance · 50,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while utilizing the ADAS features including the Adaptive Cruise Control, the vehicle unexpectedly braked. The contact stated that on another occasion while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. Due to the failure, the vehicle abruptly stopped and caused the contacts wife’s seat belt to retract very tight. The contact stated that he disengaged the features including the Adaptive Cruise Control to operate the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it remained. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

Filed Mar 5, 2023 · Driver assistance · OK

My car restarted itself and wiped out the entirety of my saved settings. I’m very upset because I had to set up everything all over again. Additionally, the full self driving brakes randomly while driving and causing my body to slam and pushed back from the seat belt. The autopilot feature also failed to recognize yellow lights where it will cross it, which had to be disengaged by the driver in order to avoid accident. The fsd also failed to recognize merging lane when merging onto the freeway.

Filed Jan 18, 2023 · Driver assistance · CA

Vehicle came to abrupt stop so hard the seatbelt locked and my head hit the seat rest once fully stopped in highway traffic. I was traveling in the middle lane of a 3 lane highway at night, with clear skies, and dry road. There nearest car ahead of me was about 40 feet, and I was traveling with the flow of traffic at around 20 mph. “Autopilot” was enabled and set to 35mph. I believe the ADAS camera system of my vehicle momentarily determined a nearby car in the left or right lane had suddenly moved into my lane when in reality none had crossed the white line and the road ahead was clear.