2018 Tesla Model 3 Technical Service Bulletins

161 technical service bulletins (TSBs) are on record for the 2018 Tesla Model 3. TSBs are notes manufacturers send to dealers about repair procedures for issues seen in the field. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault.

• 10168252Oct 22, 2019Electrical system. Certain Model 3 vehicles might have too few HV battery positive contactor mounting nuts installed, which can allow movement that might affect the conductivity of the contactor terminals.
• 10166054Sep 25, 2019Body and structure. On some Model 3 vehicles, the front and/or mid aero shield panels might be susceptible to damage when driving through standing water. This can result in damaged or missing panels. Updated panels are available which have a more robust design than the original panels.
• 10166053Sep 25, 2019Body and structure. On some Model 3 vehicles, the front and/or mid aero shield panels might be missing.
• 10166052Sep 25, 2019Electrical system. Certain Model 3 vehicles might have too few HV battery positive contactor mounting nuts installed, which can allow movement that might affect the conductivity of the contactor terminals.
• 10165741Sep 25, 2019Equipment. On some Model 3 vehicles, the front and/or mid aero shield panels might be susceptible to damage when driving through standing water. This can result in damaged or missing panels. Updated panels are available which have a more robust design than the original panels.
• 10165740Sep 25, 2019Equipment. On some Model 3 vehicles, the front and/or mid aero shield panels might be missing.
• 10165739Sep 25, 2019Equipment, Electrical system. Certain Model 3 vehicles might have too few HV battery positive contactor mounting nuts installed, which can allow movement that might affect the conductivity of the contactor terminals.
• 10166047Sep 23, 2019Equipment, Electrical system. On some Model 3 vehicles, the top surface of the Instrument Panel (IP) carrier is prone to premature outlines or stains, such as an object left on the IP carrier in the sunlight. These outlines or stains can be temporarily removed, but can return, making it difficult to remove permanently. In addition, the surface of the IP carrier might be overly susceptible to scratches when attempting to clean it.
• 10164595Aug 22, 2019Body and structure. Some rear door striker plates were manufactured from material that might have allowed striker plate fasteners to be over-torqued during manufacture, potentially causing the striker plate to deform over time and resulting in a clunking noise in the mid C-pillar area when the door closes.
• 10163738Jul 24, 2019Equipment, Seats. The design tolerance of some 1st row seat lift link pivot bolts might be such that the seat slightly rocks while in use. The rocking does not affect vehicle drivability or safety.
• 10163736Jul 17, 2019Electrical system. The HV battery on some Model 3 vehicles might produce a subtle "thunk" noise when ascending or descending a mountain, or during Supercharging in colder climates. The "thunk" noise occurs when the air pressure outside the battery is different than the air pressure inside battery. The "thunk" noise does not indicate a fault or affect the performance of the HV battery.
• 10162294Jun 24, 2019Equipment. On some Model 3 vehicles, one or two HV battery breather valves might be missing or improperly installed.
• 10154513Feb 13, 2019Electrical system. On some Model 3 vehicles with the Long Range HV battery, a few cell interconnects within the HV battery are missing. This condition might result in a reduction of vehicle driving range.
• 10154510Feb 8, 2019Electrical system. Certain Model 3 vehicles might have a displaced fastener within the penthouse cavity, which might prevent the vehicle from starting, or charging the HV battery or 12V battery.
• 10154509Feb 7, 2019Electrical system. On certain Model 3 vehicles, the charge port power terminals have pin deadfronts that might become dislodged from the terminals, causing the charge handle to not fully connect to the vehicle and therefore preventing the High Voltage (HV) battery from charging.
• 10154508Feb 7, 2019Equipment, Electrical system. On certain Model 3 vehicles, a screw that secures the 12V DCDC positive terminal within the power conversion system (PCS) might have become loose. A loose terminal might present alerts on the touchscreen, or cause the PCS to shut down.
• 10154506Feb 5, 2019Electrical system, Equipment. On certain Model 3 vehicles, water might enter the inductive sensor in the charge port door assembly, causing the charge port door to be inoperative.
• 10154505Feb 4, 2019Body and structure, Equipment. On certain Model 3 vehicles, the one-time use bolts that attach the high voltage controller to the penthouse cover were not torqued to Tesla?s internal specification.
• 10153436Jan 26, 2019Transmission and drivetrain. Certain Model 3 vehicles might have been manufactured without a rear drive unit (RDU) breather, and consequently might have contaminated gearbox fluid.
• 10153433Jan 25, 2019Electrical system. On certain Model 3 vehicles, the charge port power terminals have pin deadfronts that might become dislodged from the terminals, causing the charge handle to not fully connect to the vehicle and therefore preventing the High Voltage (HV) battery from charging.
• 10153432Jan 23, 2019Engine cooling. On certain Model 3 vehicles, coolant might leak from the rear drive unit inverter 55 degree fluid coupling. This could result in a low coolant alert in the vehicle.
• 10153431Jan 23, 2019Electrical system. On certain Model 3 vehicles, the charge port power terminals have insulator pins that might become dislodged from the terminals, causing the charge handle to not fully connect to the vehicle and therefore preventing the High Voltage (HV) battery from charging.
• 10153430Jan 19, 2019Equipment. On some Model 3 vehicles, the front and/or mid aero shield panels might be susceptible to damage when driving through standing water. Updated panels are available which have a more robust design than the original panels.
• 10153428Jan 16, 2019Electrical system. The clamshell graft inside the HV battery was not fastened to Tesla?s internal specifications. This condition might result in a reduction of vehicle driving range.
• 10153427Jan 15, 2019Electrical system. On certain Model 3 vehicles with Dual Motor, some wire bonds that connect the cells within the HV battery are not bonded to Tesla?s internal specifications. This condition might result in a reduction of vehicle driving range.
• 10153426Jan 15, 2019Electrical system. Certain Model 3 vehicles with the Long Range HV battery might have fasteners within the HV battery platter that are not torqued to Tesla?s internal specifications, which might affect HV battery reliability.
• 10153420Jan 3, 2019Latches, locks and linkages. On certain Model 3 vehicles, the hood latch might be out of alignment, causing a possible interference with the underhood storage unit.
• 10153850Dec 19, 2018Electrical system. The cooling tubes inside the HV battery were not brazed to Tesla?s internal standards. This condition might result in a reduction of vehicle driving range.
• 10153849Dec 19, 2018Body and structure. On some Model 3 vehicles, the push rivets, nuts, and bolts that attach the underbody aero panels might have been improperly installed. Consequently, fasteners might be missing, and underbody panels might be damaged or missing.
• 10153805Dec 7, 2018Electrical system, Equipment. On certain Model 3 vehicles, the charge port power terminals have insulator pins that might become dislodged from the terminals, causing the charge handle not to fully connect to the vehicle and preventing the High Voltage (HV) battery to charge.
• 10153804Dec 7, 2018Electrical system, Equipment. Certain Model 3 vehicles might have too few HV battery positive contactor mounting nuts installed. Too few mounting nuts allow movement that might affect the conductivity of the contactor terminals.
• 10153803Dec 6, 2018Latches, locks and linkages. For some Model 3 vehicles, the trunk lid might require more effort than expected to fully close.
• 10151649Nov 30, 2018Electrical system. On some Model 3 vehicles, the Occupant Classification System (OCS) frequency might be out of range because of electrical interference on the front passenger seat harness, causing the airbag indicator to display on the touchscreen.
• 10151607Nov 19, 2018Brakes. Some Model 3 vehicles are equipped with rear brake dust shields that can trap road debris between the dust shield and brake rotor, causing loud grinding noises.
• 10151606Nov 19, 2018Electrical system. On certain Model 3 vehicles with the Long Range HV battery, the Battery Monitor Boards (BMBs) were attached to the battery modules with insufficient adhesive, which might affect HV battery reliability.
• 10151605Nov 8, 2018Equipment. On some Model 3 vehicles, customers might be unable to remove the rear license plate mounting screws because the grommet threads might be stripped.
• 10148850Oct 23, 2018Electrical system. For certain Model 3 vehicles, the power conversion system needs replacement.
• 10148849Oct 20, 2018Electrical system. Some Model 3 vehicles might have been manufactured with the C-pillar electrical harness(es) routed incorrectly, causing a gap between the upper C-pillar trim and side rail trim.
• 10148848Oct 10, 2018Electrical system. On certain Model 3 vehicles with the Long Range HV battery, some wire bonds that connect the cells within the HV battery are missing. This condition might result in a reduction of vehicle driving range.
• 10148827Oct 9, 2018Electrical system. On some Model 3 vehicles, one or two HV battery breather valves might be missing or improperly installed.
• 10145812Sep 13, 2018Equipment, Electrical system. On certain Model 3 vehicles, the rear drive unit HV header bolts and the positive contactor bolt within the High Voltage (HV) battery penthouse were insufficiently torqued to internal specifications during manufacturing.
• 10145811Sep 13, 2018Electrical system, Equipment. On certain Model 3 vehicles, some bolts within the high voltage (HV) battery penthouse were insufficiently torqued to internal specifications during manufacturing.
• 10145810Sep 13, 2018Equipment, Electrical system. On certain Model 3 vehicles, the positive busbar nut under the power conversion system and additional bolts within the High Voltage (HV) battery penthouse were insufficiently torqued during manufacturing.
• 10144254Aug 14, 2018Latches, locks and linkages. On some Model 3 vehicles, the glove box solenoid might have been lubricated with incorrect grease, and might require excessive force to unlatch the glove box.
• 10144253Aug 9, 2018Wheels. Certain Model 3 vehicles were delivered with 18 inch pinwheel caps (aero wheel covers) that have minor discoloration.
• 10144252Aug 1, 2018Electrical system. On certain Model 3 vehicles, an issue in the CAN transceiver internal to the drive unit might result in intermittent communication errors, causing the vehicle to go into limp mode or not start.
• 10143589Jul 13, 2018Steering, Equipment. On some Model 3 vehicles, the steering column control module connector retaining clip may have been reused following repairs. This clip is one-time-use.
• 10143018Jun 18, 2018Electrical system. On some Model 3 vehicles, the top surface of the Instrument Panel (IP) carrier is prone to premature outlines or stains, such as an object left on the IP carrier in the sunlight. These outlines or stains can be temporarily removed, but can return, making it difficult to remove permanently. In addition, wiping the surface of the IP carrier might result in scratches.
• 10143017Jun 12, 2018Electrical system. On certain Model 3 vehicles, the one-time use bolts that attach the high voltage controller to the penthouse cover were not torqued to Tesla?s internal specification.
• 10143015May 17, 2018Electrical system. Some Model 3 vehicles might have been manufactured without one or both HV battery breathers.

← All problems reported for the 2018 Tesla Model 3