There are 15 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 2021 Tesla Model 3in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The components involved are the automatic emergency braking (AEB) system and the airbag system. During the collision, the AEB system did not activate, and the airbags did not deploy. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I was driving on a main roadway with no stop signs or traffic controls in my direction when another driver entered from a side street with a stop sign and pulled directly in front of me. I was unable to avoid the collision, and my vehicle was struck the other vehicle. The failure of the AEB system to engage and the airbags not deploying increased the risk of injury to myself and could have posed a risk to others involved. The issue has not been reproduced, and it has not yet been confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. The vehicle has been inspected by police and insurance representatives. The other driver was determined to be at fault. I am in the process of addressing the incident with the manufacturer. There were no warning lights, messages, or prior symptoms indicating any issue with the braking or airbag systems before the collision.
- The rear middle seatbelt became locked and will not unwind or extend. The seatbelt remained stuck in the retracted position, making it unusable. The vehicle and seatbelt assembly are available for inspection upon request. However, Tesla has already fixed the issue, but I feel we were wrongly charged because I believe this should be a recall. I searched this issue online, and others have reported the same issue. Because we rarely have the need to use our rear seats, it wasn't until years later we discovered this issue. - Because the rear middle seatbelt cannot be extended, that seating position cannot safely be used. Any passenger sitting in that position would not have a functioning restraint system in the event of a collision, creating a safety risk. - Yes, Tesla service inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the rear middle seatbelt was locked and not functioning properly. - The vehicle has been inspected by Tesla service. It has not been inspected by police, insurance representatives, or other third parties. - No warning lights, alerts, or messages appeared prior to discovering the issue. The seatbelt was found to be locked when we attempted to use it, and it would not extend.
The driver’s side belt makes a “click” sound when latch is inserted into the locking component but at times does NOT remain lock and the belt is released shortly after. The issue is sporadic. The belt is released with a low amount of force i.e. adjusting the body in the seat or twisting body to look over the shoulder
Driver belt latch failed while driving
Correction: Retrofit SBR in OCS Equipped Front Passenger Seat - Remove and Replace. FIRST ROW - SEAT BELT REMINDER SENSOR BOX CLIP (1130363-00-B), FIRST ROW OCCUPANCY SENSOR(1099592-00-F) FIRST ROW SEAT HARNESS ASSEMBLY - RIGHT HAND (1489060- 03-G). This car has 69k miles and I'm informed this is out of warranty and has a cost of $696.75 to repair on a car that is less than 4 years old. Saying the sensor failed is not accurate as the error does not exist unless there is someone in the passenger seat which tells me the sensor is working somewhat. Tesla will not inform me of what will and will not work in the event of a collision but that these items need to be replaced to ensure safety of occupant's. I am skeptical since safety is your number one concern and should be the concern of every auto manufacturer. Unless damage by the owner specifically, how and why is this not covered for the life of the vehicle?
RCM2_a636 Front passenger safety restraint system fault Service is required Passenger airbag turns OFF when a passenger is sitting in it. Error is intermittent and while occasionally turn off and on. Seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen should someone get in a car accident.
I am writing to report a serious safety concern regarding the non-deployment of airbags during a recent traffic accident. The incident involved a collision where I was struck on the driver’s side front. Despite the severity of the impact, the airbags did not deploy, which raises significant concerns about the effectiveness and reliability of the airbag system in such scenarios. Incident Overview •Accident Type: Collision with impact on the driver’s side front •Airbag Response: No airbag deployment Safety Concerns The non-deployment of the airbags during this incident is alarming, as airbags are a critical safety feature designed to protect occupants during a collision. In this case, the failure of the airbags to activate could have resulted in serious injury or even death, depending on the circumstances. The lack of deployment suggests a potential defect in the airbag system that may compromise the safety of other vehicles of the same make or model.
Rear left seatbelt randomly stopped latching properly. Seat belt buckle goes into the latch but doesn't stick inside and just slides right out.
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while a family member was attempting to use the rear middle seat belt, the seat belt failed to extend and was unusable. The vehicle was taken to a Tesla Service Center, where the seat belt was replaced. The vehicle was repaired as an out-of-pocket expense. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Front passenger safety restraint system fault in sensor, sensors won’t stop going off and giving me warnings while driving.
Front passenger safety restraint system fault alert popping up every few minutes while driving. It is the most irritating thing and there is no way for me to fix it without spending over $500 dollars. This is seemingly a common problem for this make and model through reddit posts and car forums. I was also told by a employee at the tesla service center that they see this very often. It is shocking that Tesla hasn’t taken responsibility in fixing this, when there is nothing any of us could’ve done to have this happen. I’ve seen people get quoted anywhere from $500-2,000 for this exact problem. It is so beyond distracting while driving.
Passenger SRS system fault. Initial error is due to a fault with the occupancy sensor. Presumably disabling or degrading seatbelt pre accident tensioning and proper airbag deployment. Also causes repeated & distracting beeps throughout drive.
The rear middle seatbelt has permanently locked and is unusable. It occurred after having the rear seats folded down and was observed when replacing the seat-backs to their normal position. Tesla has refused to repair due to vehicle being out of warranty despite the vehicle not having been involved in any collision.
When trying to seat belt on, under normal conditions, seat belt fails to engage. The belt is stuck in full locked mode. Issue happens intermittently. Failure of seat belt forces no occupancy of front passenger seat, as the only alternative would be to not wear a belt. This raises the following concern: 1. Will the belt fail to work properly in case of a crash event? 2. Will the belt disengage when normal driving. TESLA did NOT replace the belt under warranty and out of concern for my passengers, I replaced it under my own cost
Car accident , car failed to deploy airbags .
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026