access to a child-seat anchor point needed to gain approval for use on the road was removed by the manufacturer.
Interesting choice to be made by Tesla: recall and change the parcel shelf or remove the middle seatbelt in the back.
Another option available to Tesla is removing the rear-centre seatbelt and re-certifying the Model 3 as a four-seater.
The latest Honda HR-V small SUV introduced in 2022 was certified in Australia as a four-seater as the Japanese car giant chose not to invest in engineering a top-tether point for the middle rear seat – and instead elected to remove the middle rear seatbelt.
“Another option available to Tesla is removing the rear-centre seatbelt and re-certifying the Model 3 as a four-seater.”
Which, if you purchased the vehicle needing or wanting a 5 seater, should make it not fit for purpose under Australian law and require a refund.