TSB SB1816004R3 — Tesla Service bulletin

SB1816004R3 is a service bulletin on file with NHTSA for the Tesla Model 3, 2017–2018 model years. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

What the bulletin says. On certain Model 3 vehicles, the one-time use bolts that attach the high voltage controller to the ancillary cover were not torqued to Tesla?s internal specification.

NHTSA's own summary of the document, quoted from the public manufacturer-communications file.

1Document filed
1Vehicle named
2Model years

Vehicles and model years SB1816004R3 names

VehicleModel years
Tesla Model 3 2017, 2018

Every document filed under SB1816004R3

Document IDFiledType
SB1816004R3 December 28, 2023 Service bulletin

What SB1816004R3 covers

Wheels & tires — the component vocabulary NHTSA files this communication under.

← All Tesla Model 3 TSB years TSB lookup by model

Questions buyers ask

What is TSB SB1816004R3?

SB1816004R3 is a service bulletin filed with NHTSA by Tesla, covering the Tesla Model 3 across the 2017–2018 model years. NHTSA's summary reads: On certain Model 3 vehicles, the one-time use bolts that attach the high voltage controller to the ancillary cover were not torqued to Tesla?s internal specification.

Which vehicles does SB1816004R3 cover?

NHTSA's file names Tesla Model 3 (2017–2018). A bulletin number can be re-issued against more vehicles later, so check the model-year list on this page against your own.

Is TSB SB1816004R3 a recall, and is the repair free?

No. SB1816004R3 is repair guidance the manufacturer sent its dealers, not a safety defect finding. You pay for the work unless the vehicle is still under warranty. Recall repairs, by contrast, are always free.

How do I get the full text of SB1816004R3?

Take the document ID to a dealer's service desk, or search NHTSA's manufacturer-communications records. This page carries every document ID filed under SB1816004R3, its date, and NHTSA's own summary from the public file.

Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. This page lists only what NHTSA's manufacturer-communications file records under SB1816004R3. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.