Service bulletins for the 2018 Tesla Model 3
A bulletin is a manufacturer's communication to its dealers, as NHTSA indexes it. The summary is NHTSA's. The document is the manufacturer's: read it at NHTSA. A bulletin is not a recall, and listing a model year does not mean every vehicle of it is concerned.
161 on file from NHTSA, as of 2026-10-19.
By type
By component
| SB1816013R2 | 2019-11-25. Service bulletin. 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. |
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| SB-19-12-001 R1 | 2019-10-15. Service bulletin. 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. |
| SB-19-12-002 | 2019-10-15. Service bulletin. STRUCTURE. On some Model 3 vehicles, the front and/or mid aero shield panels might be missing. |
| SB-18-16-013 R1 | 2019-10-15. Service bulletin. 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. |
| SB-18-14-001 R1 | 2019-10-15. Service bulletin. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT. 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. |
| SB-19-12-001 R1 | 2019-10-07. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY. 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. |
| SB-19-12-002 | 2019-10-07. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY. On some Model 3 vehicles, the front and/or mid aero shield panels might be missing. |
| SB-18-16-013 R1 | 2019-10-07. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY. 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. |
| SB-19-11-003 | 2019-09-09. Service bulletin. 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. |
| SB-19-13-002 | 2019-08-12. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY; SEATS; EQUIPMENT. 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. |
| SB-19-16-010 | 2019-08-12. Service bulletin. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY. 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. |
| SB-18-16-009 R1 | 2019-07-08. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT. On some Model 3 vehicles, one or two HV battery breather valves might be missing or improperly installed. |
| SB-19-16-009 | 2019-03-11. Service bulletin. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY. 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. |
| SB-19-16-006 | 2019-03-11. Service bulletin. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY. 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. |
| SB-18-44-010 R3 | 2019-03-11. Service bulletin. ELECTRICAL 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. |
| SB-19-16-005 | 2019-03-11. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT. 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. |
| SB-19-44-002 | 2019-03-11. Service bulletin. ELECTRICAL 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. |
| SB-18-16-004 R2 | 2019-03-11. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT; STRUCTURE. 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. |
| SB-18-16-017 | 2019-02-25. Service bulletin. ELECTRICAL 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. |
| SB-18-12-009 | 2019-02-25. Service bulletin. STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS; STRUCTURE:BODY. 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. |
| SB-18-44-010 | 2019-02-25. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY; EQUIPMENT; ELECTRICAL 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 not to fully connect to the vehicle and preventing the High Voltage (HV) battery to charge. |
| SB-18-16-013 | 2019-02-25. Service bulletin. EQUIPMENT; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY. 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. |
| SB-18-11-009 | 2019-02-25. Service bulletin. LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LOCK. For some Model 3 vehicles, the trunk lid might require more effort than expected to fully close. |
| SB-19-40-002 | 2019-02-19. Service bulletin. POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT; POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE. Certain Model 3 vehicles might have been manufactured without a rear drive unit (RDU) breather, and consequently might have contaminated gearbox fluid. |
| SB-18-44-010 R2 | 2019-02-19. Service bulletin. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY. 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. |
The summaries are NHTSA's. Each bulletin's page links NHTSA's copy of the manufacturer's document.