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Here we go. They're not the exact angle, but you can kinda tell the difference in curvature. First pic is post-damage. Second Pic is "before." ... I kind of don't want this car anymore.

I don't have the numbers - I just know that they're off compared to normal tesla model 3 specs. Yeah, too bad these things cannot be adjusted. I honestly don't know what would improve if I ever got them fixed. Most likely, I'll just wait until my vehicle needs a suspension replacement and then...

The first one would have been the exact same experience with other insurers, and the last ones from 2019-2020 aren't really relevant, since they sound like they're from when Tesla Insurance was starting to establish presence in the state. If you own a Tesla, you *need* great rental vehicle...

I've had my car aligned multiple times at several different shops (Tesla, Firestone in TX and VA, and a specialty alignment shop in the DMV area). The first time, the Firestone tech from TX asked me if I was in a collision, since my car's measurements were really strange. Tesla and the VA...

You sound like someone who worries about warranty and repairs, so, yeah, definitely don't buy a 100k+ miles model 3, especially not a former rental.

This is really weird. Hopefully it gets resolved in future model years.

Yup, like little shadows over the paint. I have a bunch on my front bumper. It was weird not knowing what they were, so I kept trying to clean them off until I realized that was just etched paint, lol

Leave it garaged. I would only leave the vehicle street parked with sentry on, but you can't do that long term. Reason is that you don't want to come back to a side-swiped vehicle and have no dashcam/sentry footage.

Idk if the clear coat is gone. Etched bugs look like this: https://www.reddit.com/r/Detailing/s/uSMVpSSY96

It works, but it would take longer than your method

OP has a 2022 model 3, so chances are high this vehicle is already covered in rock chips and etched bugs. Detailers could try to paint correct, but the result won't be OEM.

Bug removal products strip off protective wax, so you have to reapply *something*

Yeah, etched paint isn't terrible. It is what it is. Next time we'll be better prepared with PPF the next time we buy a new Tesla :)

5 weeks is fine as long as you keep sentry off. If you ever need to take your car to a body shop for repairs (after a collision, or simply to do a paint job), this is more or less how long your car would remain unplugged.

That is a new car checklist. Your car will be used, so it will inevitably have cosmetic imperfections and other wear and tear. I would assume this vehicle has some curb rash and other things you normally wouldn't see in a new car. Like, if we were talking about a new car, I would honestly even...

Also, you have to reapply wax. So you're basically washing your entire bumper... every day. For me, that would look like: rinse -> spray bug remover -> pick off bugs -> apply ONR -> dry

Dryer sheets for bug removal is... interesting. I use one of those microfiber mesh towels that kind of folds like a glove. The mesh picks up the bugs pretty easily. Pair it up with a bucket with dirt guards, and you're golden...

What makes more sense to me is spray the bumper with bug and tar remover. Let the bug remover sit for 5-10 mins. Then, with a specialized bug mesh sponge, pick off the bugs one by one. You're not supposed to scrub the bugs off, since that will just scratch your paint. You kind of want the bond...

Those bugs are probably already etched on the clear coat. I have a bunch like that on my car's front bumper. One way is to try with conpound and polish, but that might not work. Really, the only permanent solution is a respray. I'd say just let it be and live with it if you couldn't remove the...

No sudden loss of pressure in the tire

Tight parking garage, heard a thunk while trying to turn. Anything I should worry about? Rim is mostly OK, just two little scratches, but the tire got this weird spot I don't notice anything off with the alignment/suspension - car drives exactly the same as before I hit the curb

You're probably the ideal candidate for this trade-in/end of quarter promotion. Bought when the vehicle qualified for the tax credit and had a bunch of inventory discounts. I would heavily discourage anyone from using this trade in promo for a new model 3 highland, since your car's resale value...

There's something wrong with the 2024 model 3s. Owners in Spain and Germany have reported similar issues. Nobody really knows knows why this is happening.

Holy *sugar*. They really should have totaled that vehicle. I was getting offered $24k for my 2023 SR by KBB, and that was a couple months ago.

That's insane value. Honestly, that car has way less miles than my 2023 rwd, which I bought new and now has 20k miles... There isn't much that can go wrong in these vehicles. If you really want to nitpick, check the plastic cover of the rocker panels. Sometimes, the clips of that plastic cover...

I'm very excited to put some MPP sport coilovers on my model 3 RWD once I finally need to replace the stock suspension around 80-100k miles Edit: still got like 60k miles to go

Dude, if I said my honest thoughts about you, I'd probably get banned from this forum Idk how tight the mods are here, but you sound like the kind of guy that people hate interacting with

I've driven the 4 cyl mustang V6 challenger, and even a kia stinger base model. My model 3 SR is more "fun" to drive than those. Now, you could make the argument that we need to compare, say a Mustang GT, Challenger Scat Pack, or Stinger GT2. Then you'd also want to compare to a Tesla Model 3...

It's not that - there's no point in engaging with whatever you're saying.

Just as pointless as your original comment:

And you can argue all that you want about the moose test not being official/legit, at the end of the day it's a very practical way to figure out how well the vehicle handles under an extremely plausible real world scenario.

The Ford MachE messes up pretty badly in the moose tests. Also, isn't magnaride only available in the top of the line trim? I'll agree that the pre-highland model 3 suspension isn't the greatest, but let's not pretend that the MachE is a particularly good handling EV. It really isn't.

I wonder if the performance trim (I refuse to call it plaid/ludicruous) will fix this with a tighter suspension. "Donuts" mode to disable the front motor and disable traction/stability control could also be pretty fun.

I just had this happen to me last night. I was trying to switch lanes, iirc even had my blinker on, and the car freaked out. Fortunately, this didn't register as FCW for Tesla Insurance. (That also surprised me!) For those curious, it sounds exactly like two FCWs in a row.

When homie wants to make money off of gullible petrolheads:

Post-PDR result: Overall, pretty satisfied. Previously, the crease was visible to me every time I opened my driver's side door, but now I really have to be like a few inches away from the door to view the damaged area. They really couldn't fix parts of it, though, due to how dangerous it is...

Ugh I don't know why my photos are not uploading...

Is there anything these tires do *worse* than the OEM Continental Pro Contact Rx? Just wondering why the Hankook Ion Evos are cheaper than the OEM tires. Are the OEM tires just hilariously overpriced?

And here is another one from days after I took delivery of my car:

Here is what my vehicle looks from the side, in the area where it would have been damaged. It's not visible at all from the side, since the issue is more about depth and fullness/curvature (if that makes sense). For comparison, this is what the exact same area of my car looked like...

Thanks for the numbers on door replacement and repaint. I'll have to do something similar on my 3 a few years from now once I finally finish paying it off. I can't use insurance, so I'll just have to pay for the door replacement out of pocket.

At 6.5 years, I would expect part of the suspension to be worn out. At least a good chunk of that quote would definitely be replacement of suspension parts. Iirc, one control arm (upper or lower) in a model 3 is already $400. So that would already be $1600 to replace all four front control arms...

Unpopular opinion, but $7-8k in repairs for an almost 7-year old $100k luxury vehicle is not outrageous. The alternative is to get a whole new car payment... which will be way more expensive than the money quoted to keep your car running. If you want a reliable American car with cheap repair...

Hey OP, did you ever get quotes for door replacements?

While we're at it... Anyone know the cost of replacing LH rear door? I'm thinking, brand new OEM door, R&I to get rid of old door and install new one, and blend paint with the LH front door and rear fender. I'd imagine around $4-5k all in all?

Nah, the doors were OK when I took delivery. I definitely hit the door with something.

I feel like I wouldn't want to get that unless the car has hundreds of rock chips or if it's at risk of getting rusted out Even then, on the first high pressure wash, that paint will likely peel off lol

Yup, looks like the smartest thing to do is to just get a newer vehicle and put some kind of ppf on it. I'll do that instead and live with the rock chips etc. on my car

Never noticed this. I'll keep this in mind while driving.

Damn, was just reading on reddit that a full paint job for project cars (not even Tesla) with all that you mentioned would cost $15-20k. I think it would be more prudent to just trade in the vehicle for a newer car, lol And then do a full body ppf on that...