Advice on dent repair

[saltgirl16]

I backed into another car and I'm looking for some advice. I've gotten 4 quotes from body shops and they are all over the place. One shop said they needed to replace the whole panel for 10k, one said that there's a plastic frame under the bumper that is likely damaged and needs to be repaired for 6k, and two others said they can just pull out the dents without new parts (2.5-4k). The cheapest estimate is not a certified Tesla shop.

Would love thoughts on whether I should be concerned about going to a non-certified shop (there are 2 Yelp reviews mentioning Teslas fortunately) and whether I need to worry about issues with that frame under the bumper, if only one shop mentioned that?

Thank you!!!

 

[SumOne]

Welp theres the right way to do things and theres the way that I would do things.

The right way would be to have the whole quarter panel replaced cause it looks pinched. I'm not a body shop guy, but I bet that would be harder to straighten out.

The way I would probly do it is to look over all the yelp and google photos of previous repairs of the cheaper shops, and yeah if they can get the Tesla plastic bits to hold the panel and bumper in place, why not let them fix it. Its not structural so it wouldn't bother me none.

 

[Shelburne]

Someone backed into the front of my M3 in October. Because it was her fault, I opted to take it to a Tesla authorized collision center. It sounds like it was your fault in this case. Anyway, I got an estimate of about $6200 from the collision center. My insurance company's estimator came to my house to get his own estimate. It was only $3100. He even told me that his would be a "low-ball estimate" and not to worry about the difference in the amount. Ultimately, the repairs came to $9206. But every replacement piece came from Tesla & the collision center had plenty of previous experience with Tesla. So, if you can afford it, go to a Tesla authorized collision center and get it done right, or at least go with someone who can prove to you via receipts that they have previous experience with Tesla body repairs.

 

[SteelClouds]

The reason two quoted new parts is that you creased the body line at the bottom and that can be a royal PIA to fix well. You need that body line to be metal or the filler will be hit and just chip off. Not too mention is far easier and faster for the shop to replace the fender than to pay the resident artist metal man to pull, pound, stretch, shrink and work the old fender back into shape.

I would be very suspect of the cheaper quotes because of this. I doubt they will get that body line done well.. even if it looks good, I bet a quick check with a magnet will show a fair bit of filler right to the very edge. Your second picture shows the challenge with both the crease and that it bows inward on the body line.

 

[Nichki]

Just fixed a similar dent (not as big) on my M3 today. Took it to a good PDR shop. Took him 3 hours and cost me $300. Car looks great. My advice, search for PDR shops in your area. That repair should cost $500-800.

 

[heavyD]

Not sure that pdr will be able to properly fix that.

 

[PhantomBraking]

PDR shop is what I would try first as well.

 

[Bill42]

Just fixed a similar dent (not as big) on my M3 today. Took it to a good PDR shop. Took him 3 hours and cost me $300. Car looks great. My advice, search for PDR shops in your area. That repair should cost $500-800.

As a retail PDR shop owner who owns a Model 3, if that dent was on my car I'd go through insurance and it would likely be 7-9 grand. This is not a job for PDR. Also, I am glad I don't have your dent guy living next to me. For a 3 hour dent I want to make $450 or I am underselling my skills.

 

[Bill42]

Curious to hear what you did and how much it cost you, OP? As a PDR guy who works on Tesla cars frequently, I would not even waste my time attempting this dent because of the stretched and damaged edge of your quarter panel. This dent will need new paint no matter how it is fixed.

 

[ODWms]

I’d go the PDR route if at all possible.

 

[BigNick]

I don't think PDR will get 100% of it out due to the crease - there will always be at least a wonky-looking reflection from that panel.

 

[yerEVan]

Curious to hear what you did and how much it cost you, OP? As a PDR guy who works on Tesla cars frequently, I would not even waste my time attempting this dent because of the stretched and damaged edge of your quarter panel. This dent will need new paint no matter how it is fixed.

i’m curious what you think the odds are in pulling this out.

 

[SteelClouds]

Paintless dent removal in the right hands could fix most if not all of that. 80% would pop out from the middle.. you need the talent for the edges

 

[yerEVan]

apparently tesla doesn’t allow for this type of fix as the industrial adhesive is compromised behind it and they are calling for a replacement of the entire 1/4 panel. i find that so sad. but the body shop said they would consider popping out first.

 

[SteelClouds]

I call bogus on that statement from Tesla. I've had to deal with that industrial adhesive and even with seriously crumpled fenders, the stuff grips like nobody's business. Its tenacious.. I've done pulls where the glue is stronger than the spot welds on a seam. So unless they are using something that is unlike what everybody is using for body panel bonding, thats a BS statement.

 

[yerEVan]

the tesla approved and well respected body shop said tesla doesn’t allow it and i’m sitting there think, dude! just pull the f’ing thing out and we’re done!

 

[saltgirl16]

Curious to hear what you did and how much it cost you, OP? As a PDR guy who works on Tesla cars frequently, I would not even waste my time attempting this dent because of the stretched and damaged edge of your quarter panel. This dent will need new paint no matter how it is fixed.

I ended up going with a certified body shop for a little under $4K (I did ask a PDR guy but he said it was too big). They were able to repair fully without replacing the whole panel but they repainted.

 

[saltgirl16]

the tesla approved and well respected body shop said tesla doesn’t allow it and i’m sitting there think, dude! just pull the f’ing thing out and we’re done!

can you get some other quotes? I had 2 certified body shops tell me I had to replace the whole panel for 10K, but 1 certified shop just pulled it out. It was still 4K but saved a lot and didn't have to deal with getting new parts

 

[yerEVan]

i should do that. i will show your pics as well. thanks for updating.