This is what a $6,100 dent looks like...

[SSonnentag]

She's back! Three weeks for all the repairs. Good as new, maybe even better.

 

[BPeter]

Three weeks isn't too bad. Looks like part availability is getting better.

 

[SSonnentag]

Three weeks isn't too bad. Looks like part availability is getting better.

Nope, parts took 2-3 months. Repairs took 3 weeks.

 

[hacer]

On virtually all cars on sale, the rear corner body work is part of the rear bumper or a small separate piece.
...
Hopefully this is something that will be fixed eventually, but it is unusual to change metal body panels even in a facelift. It shows Tesla's lack of experience when the S and X were designed, allthough I have never build a car in my life, but I know that this is a sensible piece of design.
...

Yes and none of those "sensible" designs have the crash safety of the Model S. Like you say, you've never built a car so you don't know whether Tesla decided to trade off lower repair cost for vehicle safety (for a hatchback).

 

[mmccord]

This was back in 2015. Guy in a Silverado bumped it while parking. Total cost to repair: $17,912.58

 

[AMPd]

View attachment 437913 View attachment 437914

This was back in 2015. Guy in a Silverado bumped it while parking. Total cost to repair: $17,912.58

Wow.
I’m glad prices are coming down some.

 

[BPeter]

Nope, parts took 2-3 months. Repairs took 3 weeks.

Oh. Ouch.

Yes and none of those "sensible" designs have the crash safety of the Model S. Like you say, you've never built a car so you don't know whether Tesla decided to trade off lower repair cost for vehicle safety (for a hatchback).

Do you really think moving that seam to a more sensible spot would impact the safety of the Model S? It would have no effect on the safety.

 

[MrAliG]

Yes and none of those "sensible" designs have the crash safety of the Model S. Like you say, you've never built a car so you don't know whether Tesla decided to trade off lower repair cost for vehicle safety (for a hatchback).

The position of the seam on the bodywork clearly has no impact on crash safety.

The body panels of a car play little part in crash safety which comes from the underlying structure.

The Model 3 which even safer than the Model S has bumpers which go all the way up to the rear lights. This suggests that Tesla have learned from their earlier mistake.

 

[SSonnentag]

It's pretty amazing how much disassembly and reassembly has to be done for what seems like a minor repair.

Grand Total: $6,024

Seems pretty reasonable to me.

 

[hacer]

...
Do you really think moving that seam to a more sensible spot would impact the safety of the Model S? It would have no effect on the safety.

The position of the seam on the bodywork clearly has no impact on crash safety.

The body panels of a car play little part in crash safety which comes from the underlying structure.

The Model 3 which even safer than the Model S has bumpers which go all the way up to the rear lights. This suggests that Tesla have learned from their earlier mistake.

Have a look at this video

at the 1:47 mark you can see once the exterior quarter panel has been removed that the internal unibody structure has seems in the very same place as the external parts do. Both the internal and external panels are part of the unified structure and have significant influence on the strength and crumpling behavior of the unibody. Thus replacing the exterior quarter panel is a structural repair even when there is no damage to the internal metal. It is certain that this design was iterated (in finite element analysis at least) many times with crash safety in mind during the design phase of the model S.

Comparison to the model 3 is irrelevant as the model 3 constraints are different because it does not have a hatchback. The trunk design allows for strong cross-bracing between the left and right sides of the vehicle which greatly improves offset impact strength compared to not having such a member because there is an opening (hatchback) that prevents having the side-to-side bracing present on the 3. The model S's upper cross strength has to come principally from the quarter panel/interior body panel design alone.

 

[TripleTrucker]

It's pretty amazing how much disassembly and reassembly has to be done for what seems like a minor repair.

Grand Total: $6,024

Seems pretty reasonable to me.

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I love the individual rivet charges!