Tesla bulletin SB-19-20-003 R3
What it saysOn some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, the Occupant Classification System (OCS) signal might be affected by electrical interference in the seat electrical harness, causing the airbag indicator to display… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Tesla filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 26, 2023, received Nov 27, 2023, about the air bags. It names 5 model years (2017–2020). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationOn some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, the Occupant Classification System (OCS) signal might be affected by electrical interference in the seat electrical harness, causing the airbag indicator to display on the touchscreen.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SB-19-20-003 R3 | Service bulletin | Oct 26, 2023 | 10245515 | not found |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
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Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 5 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,422 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 242 of them name Air Bags — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
On the 2018 Tesla Model 3, the 20 owners who gave an odometer reading for Air Bags reported it at a median of 20,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
I was at a stop at a red light and was rear-ended christmas eve night, causing my car to be pushed into the vehicle in front of me at the red light. I remember my abdomen hitting the steering wheel and complaining of stomach discomfort immediately following the accident (i've since gotten x-rays and will need 12+ months of chiropractor…
2018 Tesla Model 3 · Air Bags · filed with NHTSA Jan 7, 2019 · ODI 11164977
My wife was trying to park the car in our garage when the car suddenly sped up and hit our inner garage wall. It then reversed back and hit the wall a second time. Then it automatically reversed and parked on the neighbor's driveway. Both the sterling air bag and airbag near the feet deployed. The car's front was smashed.
2019 Tesla Model 3 · Air Bags · filed with NHTSA Oct 8, 2019 · ODI 11267131
I received an error about the occupant classification system and a safety restraint fault. These are due to known manufacturing defects. Addressing these concerns was expensive and also required a replacement of the front passenger airbag
2017 Tesla Model 3 · Air Bags · filed with NHTSA Dec 16, 2025 · ODI 11705330
In depth: 2019 Tesla Model 3 airbag problems → · 2018 Tesla Model 3 airbag problems →
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the air bags
Source: same model, same component group1 other manufacturer communication filed against these Tesla models under the same component group (air bags), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SB2320001 | Service bulletin | Mar 22, 2024 | When certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles receive a different Occupant Classification System (OCS) in their front passenger seats during veh… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Tesla, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Tesla SB-19-20-003 R3 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the SB-19-20-003 R3 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way.
Which vehicles does SB-19-20-003 R3 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 5 model years: 2020 Tesla Model 3, 2019 Tesla Model 3, 2018 Tesla Model 3, 2017 Tesla Model 3, 2020 Tesla Model Y. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.