| Issue ID | 1527602 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 11164977 |
| Manufacurer | Tesla, Inc. |
| Brand | TESLA |
| Model | MODEL 3 |
| Model Year | 2018 |
| File date | 24/12/18 |
| Component | SEAT BELTS |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | 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 therapy). I noticed a burning smell inside the cabin, similar to the smell after firing a pistol. I figured it was the airbag, however, there was no deployment of an airbag. I was able to unbuckle the seat belt, but also noticed that it was not retracting and was stuck. The mechanism where it comes out of looked like it was dislocated as well. I noticed that the tesla's screen/display indicated "front left safety restraint system fault." the vehicle was purchased brand new 9 days prior (december 15) and had never been in any accident prior. I'm concerned that it could've been a worse crash that could have resulted in major injury if the seat belt did not act as it was designed to. I'm also concerned of the smell of the airbag (or what i believed to be an airbag post-deployment odor) when there was no actual deployment. Is this common? The vehicle has been at a body shop and it was determined that the entire seat belt needed replacing. My insurance is covering the front, rear, and safety system replacement costs. However, i have hesitation about trusting the vehicle's safety system, even after replacement parts have bee installed. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 300 |
| Number of Occurences | |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | CHINO HILLS, CA |
| VIN pattern | 5YJ3E1EA1JFXXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | Y |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | Y |
| Was medical attention required? | N |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | 1 |
| No. of fatalities | 0 |
| Date of purchase | 06/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | |
| Drive train type | |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 0 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | |
| Dealer's telephone number | |
| Dealer's city | |
| Dealer's state code | |
| Dealer's ZIP code |