1 month before turning in lease, someone hit my car. options?

[Ryanflynn]

Hey friends,

I have a 2018 model s to be turned into Tesla on dec 4th as its lease is up and my new car has arrived. While parked, someone hit the car without leaving a note. The damage isn't major, but its going to require the bumper to be replaced and some minor work on the trunk. Its my understanding that it could take months to get fixed due to a parts shortage.

Anyone have experience with this? I wonder if I can just turn it into Tesla and claim what they charge me against my insurance? Obviously, Tesla isn't returning my calls. haha

Thanks!
Ryan

 

[DerbyDave]

That is really bad luck! Since you don't mind your insurance handling this. I would report the incident immediately to your insurance company, explaining your timing concerns. They will then be responsible for your losses, including any issues with the lease turn in. Follow their directions and you won't be liable for anything other than your deductible. They can work out any potential issues with Tesla, as they have then taken over the liability for the damages and repair timing.

 

[AMPd]

Put a bumper sticker over it and hope for the best!

Jk. Do what derbydave said

 

[emailforbrett]

Just had this happen to me this summer. My Maserati lease ended in April. I had a Plaid on order since January with no delivery date in sight. So I extended the lease thru October. A guy hit my car in June causing $18,000 in damage. Maserati parts take as long as Tesla parts to get in. My car was in the shop until mid September. You can’t turn the car in damaged. You have to continue making the lease payment for a car you can’t drive. I had to buy another car while waiting for the Plaid to be delivered or the Maserati to be fixed. The other guy’s insurance had a max of $10,000 in coverage (legal in FL). He hit two other cars besides mine. He had zero money. My insurance paid for the fix and is going after him for what I don’t know. His car was a 15 year old Kia and he was only a few years older than that. I didn‘t want to pay for a crappy rental car, and with used car prices holding their value, I bought a new M3P to drive until the Plaid came. I sold it a few months later for a few grand less than what I paid for it new.

Bottom line, it sucks, but you have to continue making lease payments as long as the car is not turned in and you can’t turn it in busted up. I talked to Maserati finance, State Farm, and a lawyer. One of the risks to leasing. Of course, even if you owned it and were making payments, you’d still be paying on it until it was fixed so you could sell it or trade it in.

Hopefully the guy that hit you has deeper pockets than the dirt bag that smashed into me.

 

[DerbyDave]

Just had this happen to me this summer. My Maserati lease ended in April. I had a Plaid on order since January with no delivery date in sight. So I extended the lease thru October. A guy hit my car in June causing $18,000 in damage. Maserati parts take as long as Tesla parts to get in. My car was in the shop until mid September. You can’t turn the car in damaged. You have to continue making the lease payment for a car you can’t drive. I had to buy another car while waiting for the Plaid to be delivered or the Maserati to be fixed. The other guy’s insurance had a max of $10,000 in coverage (legal in FL). He hit two other cars besides mine. He had zero money. My insurance paid for the fix and is going after him for what I don’t know. His car was a 15 year old Kia and he was only a few years older than that. I didn‘t want to pay for a crappy rental car, and with used car prices holding their value, I bought a new M3P to drive until the Plaid came. I sold it a few months later for a few grand less than what I paid for it new.

Bottom line, it sucks, but you have to continue making lease payments as long as the car is not turned in and you can’t turn it in busted up. I talked to Maserati finance, State Farm, and a lawyer. One of the risks to leasing. Of course, even if you owned it and were making payments, you’d still be paying on it until it was fixed so you could sell it or trade it in.

Hopefully the guy that hit you has deeper pockets than the dirt bag that smashed into me.

If you let your insurance company handle the claim, they are responsible for you damages as a result, including any added lease payments if they decided to proceed with repairs knowing of the lease turn in date. These added costs are damages directly resulting from the insurance incident. The insurance company can either settle with you for the amount of the car, tell you to turn the car in on time allowing Tesla to fix it and paying for their charges, or try to repair the car before the lease turn in date. In any event, you are off the hook if you notify them if all the issues involved. You then subrogate all liability resulting from the incident to them. They can handle it.

 

[Rice&Curry]

If you let your insurance company handle the claim, they are responsible for you damages as a result, including any added lease payments if they decided to proceed with repairs knowing of the lease turn in date. These added costs are damages directly resulting from the insurance incident. The insurance company can either settle with you for the amount of the car, tell you to turn the car in on time allowing Tesla to fix it and paying for their charges, or try to repair the car before the lease turn in date. In any event, you are off the hook if you notify them if all the issues involved. You then subrogate all liability resulting from the incident to them. They can handle it.

Interesting, I am not a lawyer or insurance agent so my knowledge is limited. If the car was purchased through a loan, would the same logic apply? can one stop paying the instalment till the insurance company finds a way to repair the car in a timely manner? I don't think so, I am sure there is fine print in the lease documents to protect the interest of the leasing company, my guess is the individual is responsible till the car is returned, but it will be good to know if and whether the insurance company assumes the liability after the accident is reported.

 

[DerbyDave]

Return the car in damaged condition. Have it towed in, if necessary. Insurance company responsible for claim damages. Best to let the insurance company figure out what they want to do. Why would you want to pay for extra lease or loan payments?

 

[emailforbrett]

Return the car in damaged condition. Have it towed in, if necessary. Insurance company responsible for claim damages. Best to let the insurance company figure out what they want to do. Why would you want to pay for extra lease or loan payments?

I tried this. Both State Farm and Maserati Finance said not a good idea. What would happen had I done this is Maserati Capital would have the car repaired. They could use any shop they want who charges anything they want and State Farm may not cover it. The car has to be repaired through State Farm (or the other guy’s insurance had he had ample insurance). State Farm is subrogating the loss and trying to recoup at least my deductible. They said his insurance company is a little company and is hard to work with and that his coverage is so small compared to the loss he caused that it will be an uphill battle to recoup much beyond my deductible. I suppose I could have saved on the lease payments by doing this, but the bank and insurance company both advised against this due to repair cost not being paid by State Farm.

Ideally the guy who hit me should have had ample coverage to pay for my rental car for three months while it was in the shop. That would have partly made up for making payments on a car I couldn’t drive.

 

[DerbyDave]

You have insurance to cover your losses as a result of a valid claim. You should not lose any money as a result of a valid claim. The insurance is "to make you whole" as if the claim had never happened. Let the insurance company deal with the issues resulting from the loss. That is why we pay insurance.

 

[Soul Surfer]

Hey friends,

I have a 2018 model s to be turned into Tesla on dec 4th as its lease is up and my new car has arrived. While parked, someone hit the car without leaving a note. The damage isn't major, but its going to require the bumper to be replaced and some minor work on the trunk. Its my understanding that it could take months to get fixed due to a parts shortage.

Anyone have experience with this? I wonder if I can just turn it into Tesla and claim what they charge me against my insurance? Obviously, Tesla isn't returning my calls. haha

Thanks!
Ryan

Dumb question but, did you have sentinel mode running?