Accident Tonight

[cwave1]

Unfortunately a pickup truck trying to avoid another car hit my driver side behind the rear door tonight.

It doesn't look all that bad (see picture) but I've read enough stories on TMC to know it will be expensive and more than it seems on the surface.

I'm looking for any advice from folks local to the GTA (I'm in Mississauga) on process, the best shop to deal with, anything special I should tell the insurance company, should I call Tesla first, etc.

I'm also interested in whether anyone has been successful with a Diminished Value claim. This is my second Tesla - a CPO in mint condition that I've only had 2 months. I know the repairs will be covered and I won't be out of pocket but I cringe at the reduced value now that an accident will be registered against the car.

 

[mrElbe]

In one way you are lucky that it was just a minor brush. As they say: "It will buff out".
But, the only place I trust to do the job right is the Tesla certified repair shop, Excellence Auto.

 

[Jaff]

In one way you are lucky that it was just a minor brush. As they say: "It will buff out".
But, the only place I trust to do the job right is the Tesla certified repair shop, Excellence Auto.

This^^^..I wouldn't even consider taking my Tesla anywhere else.

Give Mark or Peter a call, they've both been great to work with!

P.S. There is no such thing as a diminished value claim in Ontario.

 

[TrevTremaine]

Unfortunately a pickup truck trying to avoid another car hit my driver side behind the rear door tonight.

It doesn't look all that bad (see picture) but I've read enough stories on TMC to know it will be expensive and more than it seems on the surface.

I'm looking for any advice from folks local to the GTA (I'm in Mississauga) on process, the best shop to deal with, anything special I should tell the insurance company, should I call Tesla first, etc.

I'm also interested in whether anyone has been successful with a Diminished Value claim. This is my second Tesla - a CPO in mint condition that I've only had 2 months. I know the repairs will be covered and I won't be out of pocket but I cringe at the reduced value now that an accident will be registered against the car.

Sorry that I didn't see this sooner.

Mine was written off due to an accident at the beginning of March. Tesla had recommended Excellence Auto, located at 216 Rivermede Rd, Concord, ON L4K 3M6 (416) 626-1888.

In my case, the accident was completely due to the other person who was charged with careless driving. If there's a dispute over fault, or you've got no supporting witnesses who can validate what happened, it may hit you when you make a claim. I'd suggest that you document everything in detail that you can about the accident, as that will help dealing with the insurance company, as well keep it clear as to what happened during the accident for your own sake. I believe diminished value would be processed if it can be proven who is at fault, but fight for it nonetheless. Tesla doesn't need to be advised, although I did find them helpful because my car was written off in the end.

 

[Jaff]

No, there is no mechanism to recover "diminished value" in Ontario...claims against 3rd parties for damage to your vehicle are not actionable.

 

[sataponw]

Have you guys have any issues with the delay and having the rental from the insurance run out. The rental on my insurance run out today and no one seems to want to help. Excellence Auto said its not their fault since the delays are from Tesla and local Tesla said they can't give me a loaner since I don't deal with them directly.

 

[TrevTremaine]

Have you guys have any issues with the delay and having the rental from the insurance run out. The rental on my insurance run out today and no one seems to want to help. Excellence Auto said its not their fault since the delays are from Tesla and local Tesla said they can't give me a loaner since I don't deal with them directly.

Unfortunately, that's normal with insurance. I was told the amount was about $700 - use it up and that's it. In fact, because mine was a payout, they terminated it once they did pay out - plus a couple of days. Thankfully, we've got a second car for the interim. You can try to escalate with Tesla, but I doubt you're going to get very far.

 

[TrevTremaine]

No, there is no mechanism to recover "diminished value" in Ontario...claims against 3rd parties for damage to your vehicle are not actionable.

Well, that sucks!

Thanks for clarifying that.

 

[cwave1]

My car went into Excellence today. They must be having this happen a lot because they prepared me for possibly receiving my car back if it needed parts from Tesla.

 

[cwave1]

No, there is no mechanism to recover "diminished value" in Ontario...claims against 3rd parties for damage to your vehicle are not actionable.

What about the Globe & Mail article that was linked to a while back? Do you mean that there is no mechanism other than a lawsuit or do you include that as well?

 

[Destiny1701]

Have you guys have any issues with the delay and having the rental from the insurance run out. The rental on my insurance run out today and no one seems to want to help. Excellence Auto said its not their fault since the delays are from Tesla and local Tesla said they can't give me a loaner since I don't deal with them directly.

Was your car hit by someone else or was the accident caused by you or someone on your policy? It makes all the difference with a rental car. If the claim is an 'at fault' claim, most likely your rental max could be anywhere from $900 to $1500 maximum. (Some policies ie. Monnex offer a 3k maximum even on an at fault claim). If regarded as a 'not at fault' claim (fault was other 3rd party), in most cases your rental will not have a maximum dollar amount or period. Most standard cars (Camry/accord) are around $50/day and luxury around $100-$200 a day. So on a $1500 max, the difference can be a month of coverage vs 8-15 days!

I am a partner/owner in a rental car company (www.corporaterentacar.com) which specializes in non luxury and luxury insurance replacement for accidented vehicles in the GTA so we deal with all insurance companies and see all types of policy claims. To avoid what occurred to you we usually try to recommend which vehicle would work based on repair time estimates from the body shop, rental rate, type of car, policy maximum etc so we can avoid having to charge a hefty daily rate and exhaust the customers rental coverage. All our customers never end up paying out of pocket! Were you with one of the standard Enterprise/Discount rental companies?

We've had a few Tesla owners ask if we have a tesla replacement and at times I've thought of adding my 90D to the fleet lol. We have ordered 10 model 3's once they become available. For now we carry everything from corolla's, hybrids, suv's to 5 series/merc/Audi.

Advice for anyone who recently had an accident: Check your policy first before accepting any rental from a company, ask what the daily rate is and get an estimate from the body shop as to repair time! We all want a replacement which is equal or better than our current car lol but always keep in mind insurance is seldom unlimited!

Hopefully none of you need this information and stay safe.

Sataponw...send me a Private Mess...maybe we can help.

 

[cwave1]

I received the damage estimates today and duration to fix by Excellence Auto.

I'm quite surprised that it is only $2900 and since they do not need parts from Tesla, only 9 days to fix.

I guess I was lucky that it was only cosmetic. I'll report back with how they do.

 

[Jaff]

What about the Globe & Mail article that was linked to a while back? Do you mean that there is no mechanism other than a lawsuit or do you include that as well?

No, you can't even launch an action...we have no fault insurance here in Ontario...your insurance company looks after your damage, the 3rd party's insurance coverage looks after their damages...you cannot sue a 3rd party for damages to your vehicle if the accident falls under the rules of Ontario's no fault insurance plan.