diff --git a/rest_framework/serializers.py b/rest_framework/serializers.py
index 31825ac96..e353beb5f 100644
--- a/rest_framework/serializers.py
+++ b/rest_framework/serializers.py
@@ -937,15 +937,14 @@ class ModelSerializer(Serializer):
                 many_to_many[field_name] = validated_data.pop(field_name)
 
         try:
-            instance = ModelClass(**validated_data)
-            instance.save(force_insert=True)
+            instance = ModelClass._default_manager.create(**validated_data)
         except TypeError:
             tb = traceback.format_exc()
             msg = (
-                'Got a `TypeError` when calling `%s()`. '
+                'Got a `TypeError` when calling `%s._default_manager.create()`. '
                 'This may be because you have a writable field on the '
                 'serializer class that is not a valid argument to '
-                '`%s()`. You may need to make the field '
+                '`%s._default_manager.create()`. You may need to make the field '
                 'read-only, or override the %s.create() method to handle '
                 'this correctly.\nOriginal exception was:\n %s' %
                 (
diff --git a/tests/test_model_serializer.py b/tests/test_model_serializer.py
index 7cdf69cce..b1532e164 100644
--- a/tests/test_model_serializer.py
+++ b/tests/test_model_serializer.py
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ class TestModelSerializer(TestCase):
         })
         serializer.is_valid()
 
-        msginitial = 'Got a `TypeError` when calling `OneFieldModel()`.'
+        msginitial = 'Got a `TypeError` when calling `OneFieldModel._default_manager.create()`.'
         with self.assertRaisesMessage(TypeError, msginitial):
             serializer.save()