2019 Tesla Model 3 Problems, complaints & recalls

2019 Tesla Model 3. In September 2022, Tesla Service Jacksonville replaced the entire front passenger seat assembly after a front passenger restraint fault alert; invoice 3000S0005274914. In October 2026, the same front passenger restraint fault returned. Tesla's estimate is $1,608.94 for diagnostics, airbag compatibility update, and occupant classification sensor replacement. Goodwill was denied on October 26, 2026, and on November 4, 2026, customer support said the goodwill decision is automated and cannot be overridden. No crash or injury related to this fault. The front passenger seat is not being used until repaired because the restraint/airbag system may not function correctly.

I have two Michelin Pilot Sport 4S Tesla-specific tires, size 275/35ZR20, that have developed nearly identical extensive splitting and separation along the inner shoulder where the tread meets the sidewall. (I believe I had the same issue with the other 2 on the front since they were leaking and were replaced about 4 weeks ago. The tires were disposed of by the tire shop) Both tires were manufactured in 2021 (DOT date code 4221, and 3321) and have under 15,000 miles of use. The separation follows the circumference...

Sold a lemon vehicle from dealer and contract fraud, Total loss accident left emergency life threatening surgery Tesla lost control driver side driving fsd package FAiled tire steering front control battery failed hardware updates seatbelt lossed, lost control, hit medium and another total vehicle, this is one of a few complaints to several cyclists a Including Tesla can't get a lawyer no matter hard I try, no one is helping, car is sitting in my backyard until someone helps us. Lives ruined and no one is helping

Every time I press, my horn and error pops up that my cameras are unavailable, and that features may be restored on the next drive also it sends an error that my regenerative brakes are also out and will be restored on the next drive. It does this consistently every day which causes a safety hazard when driving my vehicle.

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the service controller warning light illuminated and the vehicle was taken to the local dealer service center and was diagnosed with steering rack, wiring harness, and control module failure caused by corrosion from water. The steering rack, control module, and wiring harness were replaced and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 13,721.

1. Component/System Failed: Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) - Front Passenger Seat Occupant Classification System (OCS) / Occupant Sensor. Component intact and available for inspection upon request. 2. Safety Risk: Failure disables or compromises front passenger airbag deployment and seat belt pretensioner logic. In a crash, the vehicle may fail to deploy the airbag/pretensioner for an adult passenger or deploy improperly, creating severe risk of serious injury or fatality. The passenger seat cannot be safely...

I've been seeing lots of similar front safety restraint issues from other Tesla owners on different sites. This safety restraint issue is regarding the wiring under the seat that get Pinched or Loose Wires: Movement of the front seat can pinch wires or dislodge connectors underneath, triggering errors like RCM_A028 or RCM_a033. If you're out of warranty, Tesla charges a lot of money to have them fixed but I would say it is a safety issue that they should recall and fix without charge.

My 2019 Tesla Model 3 (approx. 95,000 miles) displays a persistent 'Front passenger safety restraint system' alert. The car drives normally and there has been no crash, fire, or injury. Tesla Service's estimate lists $631.60 for the alert diagnosis, $458.50 to replace the front passenger seat Occupant Classification System (OCS), and $699.44 to update the front passenger airbag for compatibility, an update Tesla's own service bulletin SB-23-20-001 requires alongside the OCS repair. The total is about $1,790 before...

There's a faulty connector for the drivers seatbelt pretensioner. The car is reporting RCM_a021_pretenLabFrontLeft and internet searches show this is a somewhat common error for a faulty connector that fails under normal usage.

On September 22, 2026, my 2019 Tesla Model 3 was involved in a very low-speed front collision. The Tesla Vehicle Data Report records the front collision event at approximately 23:21:26.933 and shows vehicle speed of approximately 2-3 mph at the time of the recorded collision. Despite the extremely low recorded vehicle speed, the vehicle's airbags deployed. The airbag deployment caused an eyebrow/facial laceration that required six stitches and medical treatment. The Tesla vehicle data also shows an accelerator...

The vehicle reported an error with steering. I brought the vehicle into tesla service. Upon inspection the connector to the steering rack was heavily corroded from water intrusion and had broken clean off upon removal. Confirmed with dealer that corrosion had caused the issue. If the connector had failed while driving the vehicle would have lost all power steering immediately and placed myself and others on the road in danger. The connector was corroded enough that the spade connector detached completely upon inspection. The steering rack is not easily accessible by the consumer and could not have been impacted by circumstances outside of normal driving.

On September 12, 2026, at approximately 2:05 PM, while operating on Full Self-Driving (FSD v14.1 Lite) on Hardware 3 (HW3), the vehicle experienced a critical, unprompted loss of path control. While traveling on the highway, the vehicle sharply veered off the left side of the roadway, caught air, and violently impacted an emergency barrier, resulting in the destruction of 9 steel poles and causing physical injuries to both the driver and front passenger. Despite the severe frontal impact and structural collision,...

Tesla FSD made Left Turn on Red Left-Turn arrow: On August 12, 2026, at approximately 4:30 PM, my 2019 Tesla Model 3 was operating in Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode at the intersection of US-71 West and Pedernales Summit Parkway in Austin, Texas, 78738. The vehicle proceeded to make a left turn while the left-turn traffic signal was displaying a red arrow. This was an unsafe traffic-control violation and created a potential collision risk. I had to monitor the vehicle and be prepared to intervene. I am reporting...

The Restraint Control Module (RCM) fault code RCM_a056 intermittently appears and disappears on the vehicle's display. This code indicates a fault in the front passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) - the sensor responsible for detecting passenger presence and weight to determine whether and how the passenger airbag deploys in a crash. Because the OCS sensor is malfunctioning, the passenger airbag may fail to deploy, deploy incorrectly, or deploy with wrong force in a collision, putting any front passenger...

Safety restraint system tsb technical service bulletin, a known problem with my 2019 Tesla model three

Front passenger safety restraint system issue requiring replacement of Occupant Classification System and updating front passenger airbag to maintain compatibility with front passenger seat. Costing almost $2000. Many others have reported of multiple repairs

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...

To Whom It May Concern, I am logging a safety defect complaint regarding my 2019 Tesla Model 3, which displays active fault code RCM_a056 - Front passenger safety restraint system fault. This error deactivates the front passenger airbag and seatbelt pretensioners, creating an immediate, severe safety hazard. The Defect: The failure involves the Occupant Classification System (OCS) seat sensor and affects passengers in two ways: 1. Children (Current Stage): The fault triggers primarily when a child sits in the front...

Tesla recently introduced auto parking as part of its FSD technology (Software 2026.20.6.11). Whenever we set the car destination to "home", the auto parking has been able to gradually maneuver the car and self park in our garage. On 8/11, around 8:30pm, the car made a mistake during the auto parking. During the auto reverse into garage, the car came too close to the side of the garage and the driver side mirror hit the wall and partially broke. The driver was monitoring the car. If the car has kept its angle, it...

Noise came from front left wheel while driving around a turn. Later the same day another noise when turning the wheel when leaving a parking spot. Steering felt strange. It was late at night, so left the vehicle until the morning. In the morning, discovered a large bolt in front of the vehicle. The front left wheel was turned differently than the right front wheel. Had to spend almost $400 to get the vehicle towed to a Tesla service center. They later confirmed, "The cause was detached links from the...

Over a period of several weeks, the front suspension increasingly made noise (squeaking and groaning) and felt loose when turning and going over bumps. The front control arms were replaced 10/31/24. The problem has begun recurring over the last few months, with the same noise occurring and progressively worsening.

I am writing to report a serious safety incident involving my 2019 Tesla Model 3. My goal is not to assign blame, but to make Tesla aware of an incident that I believe warrants review from a safety perspective. While the vehicle was parked, my children were sitting inside watching TV, we were standing 5 ft from the vehicle. My younger son was seated in the front passenger seat, and my older son, not realizing his brother had leaned over the top of the seat, adjusted the passenger seat upward. As the seat moved up,...

The vehicle has quite a bit of noise coming from the suspension during normal driving. Creaks and groans.

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...

Honestly since I took delivery the vehicle I did notice a clunking sound every time I would turn into a steep driveway. I reported the problem to Tesla on multiple occasions and they either could not replicate the sound or find the problem when they inspected the vehicle. So I lived with the on and off clunking sound. Years later while driving on the freeway I heard a really hard clunk and I began to lose control of the car luckily I was close to home and I was able to make it to my street. Upon arrival my tires...