Auto body repair with a Tesla? Who does them?

[cdub]

So I'm currently going through auto body repair hell with our last ever ICE car we'll own. (a Honda Oddesy which I'll replace with a Model X as soon as feasible - our other car is a Leaf)

Long story short a car seriously backed into our car when it was parked. Bumper came partially off and it started leaking some fluid and smoking seriously from the engine when running. Thankfully they left a note with some real information on it.

Got it "repaired" and picked it up on Friday and over the weekend guess what happened? You guessed it... it started leaking and smoking tremendously. And now there's a nice disturbing CLANK when you first start the engine that seems to go away when the engine actually starts. So they're sending a tow truck over now to fix the problem for real this time. The replaced the radiator apparently but something is still seriously messed up.

And I started thinking - how nice it would be to have a Tesla and I wouldn't be dealing with all this ICE crap. But then I started thinking - and it's something that I worried about when I had to have my Leaf's bumper repaired... are there body shops that are Tesla approved? Are there body shops that will fix the car and not F it up in the process by screwing the battery or something else?

What is the process for fixing an auto body problem on a Tesla?

 

[JMG]

Going through this exact same problem. See http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/46750-One-week-old-today-and-then-backed-into

Tesla has certified body shops around the country. The Dallas area has two. Mine is at one right now (two weeks today).

I hate to scare you but, if you are "lucky" enough to have it happen to you...it will be a pain in the neck. It took Tesla one month to get the parts to the body shop. So I drove around my brand new Model S, showing it to friends and family for the first time, with a busted in rear quarter panel and bumper. I got some strange looks on the interstate when someone was pulling up, looking at my car and then seeing the huge dent.

I've been monitoring the location of the car on my Tesla app, and several days it will go without being touched (it will get pulled into a front parking spot and left there all day). All in all, the repairs are just under $10k and now I'll have to start the negotiations for diminished value since my brand new Model S now has $10k of "structural" damage.

So yes, it will get repaired. The certified shops are usually packed with Teslas because they all get funneled to those certified shops. So I'm just crossing my fingers that they've done a good job.

 

[cdub]

Yeah I guess it's never any better. Oh well. When will this freaking tow truck get here?

My insurance company said that they won't approve the rental car until the shop gets it and they verifying that the problem is happening and it's related to the accident. YES IT'S RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT.

Now I'm late for work. I can't stand auto repair shops. They all suck.

 

[gillben]

Has anyone used john Eagle in Dallas? That's what Tesla recommended to me and I was towed there, but have not made a commitment to use them.

 

[gillben]

Same question but not getting any replies. Has no one had body work on a Tesla in the Dallas area? Any information on where and would you recommend would be appreciated.