Tesla Model 3 seat belt problems, 2017–2027
111 of the 4,336 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Tesla Model 3 2017–2027 name the seat belts (NHTSA’s “Seat Belts” heading — as ODI groups the complaints it receives). The loudest years: 2018 (105), 2017 (6). Filed under the same heading across these years: 3 recall campaigns. Every figure is a linked federal record; none is a failure rate, none a repair cost, and none a verdict on one car.
Tesla Model 3 seat belt problems by model year
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsOne row per model year on file, newest first. A year marked in depth has its own page: the complaints, the owners’ words and every document under this heading for that year.
| Model year | Complaints naming the seat belts | Share of the year’s | Typically at | On file under the heading | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 0 | — | — | — | the year → |
| 2026 | 0 | — | — | — | the year → |
| 2025 | 0 | — | — | — | the year → |
| 2024 | 0 | — | — | — | the year → |
| 2023 | 0 | — | — | 1 recall | the year → |
| 2022 | 0 | — | — | 2 recalls | the year → |
| 2021 | 0 | — | — | 2 recalls | the year → |
| 2020 | 0 | — | — | 3 recalls | the year → |
| 2019 | 0 | — | — | 3 recalls | the year → |
| 2018 in depth | 105 | 10% | — | 3 recalls | the record → |
| 2017 | 6 | 23% | — | 2 recalls | the year → |
Two things the counts carry that are not the car: how many of each year were sold, and how long each has been on the road — an older year out-counts a newer one before anything is wrong with it. The share column is the honest comparison across years: what part of that year’s complaints named the seat belts. Nothing here is a rate.
When the seat belt complaints were filed, and at what mileage
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled per calendar year, every model year together: 2019: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 8 · 2023: 28 · 2024: 43 · 2025: 20 · 2026: 8
Across the model years, half of the 14 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the seat belt problem between 35,000 and 80,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the seat belts, from the model years with the most to say. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Rear passenger side seat belt, when used for the first time since new car purchase in 2019, had an issue where it kept getting stuck and the retractor made a clicking noise majority of the time. This seatbelt is unable to be used as expected due to it getting stuck and not retracting fully and making noise.
The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention), 22V702000 (Visibility), and 22V798000 (Seat Belts) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable.
What is on file about the seat belts, across the years
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall campaigns filed under this heading, any model year
- 24V376000 MinorMay 28, 2024 · 125,233 vehicles
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2024 Model S, 2015-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. In the event of an unbelted driver, the seat belt warning light and audible chime may not activate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- 22V798000 HighOct 21, 2022 · 24,064 vehicles
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The second-row left seat belt buckle and second-row center seat belt anchor may have been incorrectly reassembled during vehicle service.
- 21V389000 HighMay 25, 2021 · 5,530 vehicles
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Model 3 and 2019-2021 Model Y vehicles. One or both fasteners that secure the front seat shoulder belt to the b-pillar may not be properly attached.
Other systems with a record on the Tesla Model 3
Source: the same files- automatic emergency braking problems
- steering problems
- cruise control problems
- electrical problems
- brake problems
- airbag problems
- suspension problems
Every system, every model year: Tesla Model 3 problems by year →
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsWhich Tesla Model 3 years have the most seat belt complaints?
2018, 105; 2017, 6. Raw counts, and an older year has had longer to collect them; by share of each year's own complaints the loudest is the 2017 (23%).
Is there a recall for the seat belts on the Tesla Model 3?
Yes — 3 campaigns are filed under this heading across these model years: 24V376000 (2023), 22V798000 (2022), 21V389000 (2020). A recall is matched by VIN, and applies to specific years; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do seat belt problems show up on the Tesla Model 3?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 50,000 miles across the model years; half of them between 35,000 and 80,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Seat Belts" heading cover?
The area of the vehicle ODI files the complaint under. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.