2021 Rear license plate bracket (not frame) installation

[Marty3SR+]

Today, the whole rear license plate assembly (bracket with attached plate and frame) fell off when my wife opened the rear trunk. Nothing left except the bare car with two square holes for the bracket. Apparently, Tesla has made changes over the years to the mounting, and I don't see anything in my searches that addresses the method of attachment. It came with the car, so all I ever did was install the plate when it came.

The mounting method is two screws that each screw into a square nylon anchor that pops into the square holes. I wasn't sure if simply pressing them back into the holes would be secure, so here's what I did. I'm only working on assumptions, since I can't find anyone who knows how to mount it.

I removed the nylon anchors from the screws (I actually just partially inserted them into the square holes to hole them, and unscrewed the screws most of the way, using an Allen wrench). I then pressed the anchors into the holes, and they snapped in. I then screwed the bracket back into the anchors, tightening them as much as I could with the small Allen wrench. My assumption here, which I wish I could confirm, is that the anchors expand a little upon tightening, like a hollow wall anchor. It seems pretty tight using moderate pressure to pull on the bracket.

So, if anyone knows anything about this, I'd be interested in your thoughts about whether my assumptions are valid. And if nobody knows, then maybe this post will help someone less mechanically inclined to fix their own mount.

 

[Watts_Up]

Maybe providing some pictures and the year of your car could be helpful, especially since
the license plate assembly was changed when the Model 3 started to be exported oversea.

 

[Marty3SR+]

Maybe providing some pictures and the year of your car could be helpful, especially since
the license plate assembly was changed when the Model 3 started to be exportedI thought the title of the post might give a clue about the year of the car.

I thought the title of the post would have made it clear what year the car was.

I'm not going to disassemble it to take a picture, though. If you know anything helpful, you'd understand from the description exactly what the problem is. I'm not interested in wild guesses, as I'm pretty confident of my ability to make guesses as good as anyone else.

Have you ever installed one of these frames on any of the models?

 

[Perscitus]

OP - we did have some discussion on this here and over at the other forum a few good years ago... long before the rear license plate frame (which coincidentally doesnt fit vintage Model 3s) and long before even the EU rear plate frame and front plastic bracket... since the cars were yet to be offered, let alone manufactured for non US markets back then.

There are posts on how to retireve the nylon inserts if they fall into the trunk hatch and others for which replacement inserts to use to prevent issues, be able to use better, longer screws etc.

I also personally recommend a foam license plate cushion and a set of silicone frames - combined with new nylon inserts, some security screws, they make quick work of the rear license plate frame on a vintage Model 3.

You can easily find the nylon inserts you need if you search the forum. Quirkparts, RockAuto, Amazon, even HomeDepo, Lowes etc.

 

[Marty3SR+]

OP - we did have some discussion on this here and over at the other forum a few good years ago... long before the rear license plate frame (which coincidentally doesnt fit vintage Model 3s) and long before even the EU rear plate frame and front plastic bracket... since the cars were yet to be offered, let alone manufactured for non US markets back then.

There are posts on how to retireve the nylon inserts if they fall into the trunk hatch and others for which replacement inserts to use to prevent issues, be able to use better, longer screws etc.

I also personally recommend a foam license plate cushion and a set of silicone frames - combined with new nylon inserts, some security screws, they make quick work of the rear license plate frame on a vintage Model 3.

You can easily find the nylon inserts you need if you search the forum. Quirkparts, RockAuto, Amazon, even HomeDepo, Lowes etc.

I don't find anything useful here or elsewhere on my question. I did a lot of searching before posting, and did find one post with this same problem posted a few years ago, but there were no answers, and the post seemed too old to reopen. I also found something on Reddit from a year ago, and I posted a response, but it too was old.

I don't need to buy the nylon inserts. I am asking about how they are supposed to work to keep from falling out, so I don't lose my license tag. The ones on my car are not worn or damaged, so I can only assume the screws either loosened a bit, or they were not installed very well to start with.

I'm pretty handy, and good at fixing things, so if necessary, I can come up with a way to mount the thing securely. I can always use duct tape, the universal solution.

 

[Watts_Up]

Have you ever installed one of these frames on any of the models?

I have a 2018 M3 and the rear panel has been replaced with the new version after been damaged.
My old frame was not fitting and the body shop didn't install my license plate because they didn't order the new bolts.
I could have waited for another week for getting my car but I think it was simple to DIY and get the correct Metric bolts at a hardware store.

If I remember, the older way to attach the license plate was to bolt directly the license plate to the rear panel.
While for the new version, the license plate get bolted to a small plate, and this plate get bolted to the rear panel.
Honestly, I didn't remember encountering any problem, except that finding the correct length for the four license bolts was critical.

I will look at my car to try understanding the problem that you have. I fact I am currently evaluating a mechanism to easily
move my rear license to my bike carrier, maybe using some magnets, because my license is not visible when transporting a bike.

 

[Perscitus]

Yes, the OEM nylon inserts are close-ended so its fairly easy for them to be popped in or worn just from repeated use engagement with the screws that hold the plate on vintage Model 3s.

As an alternative, you use slightly different nylon inserts that are open ended or expand better when the screws are inserted AND a foam washer to help keep them in plate and stabilize against the bare metal.

Ace Hardware
License Plate Fasteners Section:
Insert Nut No 59700
$0.55 each

License plate bolts; size, thread pitch, and length?

This seems like a silly question, but does anyone know the size of bolts for the 2020 Tesla Model 3 license plate? I could size my existing bolt but I want to get the thread pitch correct too without too many trips to Home Depot. I tried the M6, 5mm long, but that was too large a diameter. I'm...

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[Marty3SR+]

I have a 2018 M3 and the rear panel has been replaced with the new version after been damaged.
My old frame was not fitting and the body shop didn't install my license plate because they didn't order the new bolts.
I could have waited for another week for getting my car but I think it was simple to DIY and get the correct Metric bolts at a hardware store.

If I remember, the older way to attach the license plate was to bolt directly the license plate to the rear panel.
While for the new version, the license plate get bolted to a small plate, and this plate get bolted to the rear panel.
Honestly, I didn't remember encountering any problem, except that finding the correct length for the four license bolts was critical.

I will look at my car to try understanding the problem that you have. I fact I am currently evaluating a mechanism to easily
move my rear license to my bike carrier, maybe using some magnets, because my license is not visible when transporting a bike.

On my '21 model, it came with a bracket attached to the car by two screws screwed into two square nylon fasteners that were popped into two square holes in the car body. This bracket holds the plate with 4 screws.

When the bracket came off, the nylon fasteners were attached to the screws holding the assembly together, so the car had only the 2 bare metal square holes. It may be that the (white) nylon fasteners come already inserted with the rear panel, so if the customer needs to attach the plate bracket, it's just a matter of screwing it into the inserts. Mine came with everything including the license plate frame all assembled, so I only needed to remove the frame to insert the plate when I got it.

All the cars I've owned have had the threaded holes welded to the car, so the license plate screws directly into the frame of the car. Easy for me. But my newest car before the Tesla was a 2005 model, and perhaps newer cars are different. Apparently, various inserts are common, and the ones used by Tesla might be the same as what is used by other cars now. I'll check mine to see if it comes loose, and if so, I'll look into getting something else.

Unfortunately for you, the way mine is attached isn't that easy to remove, because there are two parts that need to come off. My old cars would have been easier, with only two screws. If I were you, I might look into using the heavy-duty Velcro to hold the plate to a carrier. I had gotten some Velcro brand "Industrial Strength" strong stick on strips that is very strong. It's advertised to hold up to 10 lbs, and if that isn't enough, you can use more than one and it would probably be a workout to remove.