2024 Tesla Model 3 deliveries resume in Australia, recall issued for child-seat compliance issue

February 1: 2024 Tesla Model 3 deliveries resume, recall issued

Deliveries of the 2024 Tesla Model 3 electric sedan have resumed in Australia with a fix for a child-seat compliance issue.

As detailed below, the delivery pause was due to the Model 3's lack of an accessible top-tether point in the rear-centre position without tools or modification, which is required under the Australian Design Rule (ADR) 34/03.

To resolve the issue, Tesla will replace the parcel shelf in the affected Model 3 units with a version that has an accessible slot for the centre top-tether anchor point.

A recall has been issued to rectify the 505 affected Model 3 units, including some examples that were delivered to customers in Australia between late December 2023 and 17 January 2024.

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"Tesla will contact affected vehicle owners to schedule a service appointment to carry out a part replacement to provide access to the rear-centre seat top-tether restraint anchorage," the recall notice states.

"Until this is completed, consumers should not secure an infant or child car seat on the rear-centre seat or otherwise attach an infant or child car seat restraint to the top-tether anchorage."

A VIN list for the affected vehicles can be found here (.csv file) [↗].

Tesla Australia's customer support can be contacted directly by calling
1800 646 952 or emailing csau@tesla.com [↗].

Our earlier story, below, continues unchanged.

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January 24: Tesla Model 3 deliveries set to resume in Australia soon

The 2024 Tesla Model 3 will resume deliveries in Australia “in the coming week” after the electric-car brand was forced to pause customer handovers from January 18 due to a compliance issue.

The delivery pause is due to the updated Model 3’s lack of an accessible top-tether point in the rear-centre position without tools or modification, which is required under the Australian Design Rule (ADR) 34/03. The previous Model 3 had access to all three top-tether points in Australia.

ADR 34/03 states: "Clearance shall be provided around each ‘Upper Anchor Fitting’ to allow latching and unlatching, without the use of tools, of the ‘Attaching Clip’ to the ‘Upper Anchor Fitting’ when it is installed in the vehicle."

“Thank you for your patience as we navigate the technical compliance matter that caused the cancellation of your Model 3 delivery appointment,” said Tesla Australia in a communication sent to affected customers.

“We are pleased to advise that we are finalising this matter by ensuring access to the vehicle's rear-centre seat top-tether restraint anchorage point.

“At this time, we expect to recommence deliveries in the coming week where your order will be prioritised for delivery. Once again, we sincerely apologise for this inconvenience, and we look forward to getting you behind the wheel of your new Model 3 as soon as possible.”

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Tesla Australia has not officially confirmed how it plans to make the top-tether point accessible for vehicles that have already been produced, including Model 3’s delivered prior to January 18. A safety recall is likely for vehicles that have already been delivered to customers.

However, a recent update posted to the Model 3’s Australian owner’s manual reveals a flap to access the rear-centre top-tether point on the vehicle’s parcel shelf, which was previously absent from the documentation.

While ANCAP has announced the five-star safety rating for the Model 3, achieved in 2019, "cannot be applied to facelifted vehicles at this time" with the latest model currently 'unrated', it is unclear if this is related to the child-seat compliance issue.

The latest compliance issue regarding top-tether points for the rear-centre seat position follows similar situations for the BYD Atto 3 and Honda HR-V small SUV models in 2022.

In the BYD Atto 3’s case, the brand was required to temporarily pause sales and perform a ‘voluntary safety recall’ after it was found the model had failed to comply with the Australian Design Rule requiring a top-tether to attach a child seat in the rear-centre seat.

Meanwhile, Honda decided to instead comply the HR-V as a four-seater in Australia, rather than invest in a top-tether point for the rear-centre position to legally sell it with five seats.