Backed into post below eye level

[Redkorak]

Please help! I backed into a low pillar below eye level creating a fist sized dent on the passenger side of the liftgate. No warning, no bells going off!

Did the camera miss this? Can I go to Tesla and claim that I got absolutely no warning that I was close to contacting the post?

Tesla repair shop says the entire lift gate must be replaced, paint matched, etc. minimum 10 days downtime. This was a 3 mile an hour dent that is going to charge my insurance thousands of dollars, and more than likely raise my rates.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[DanDi58]

Not sure why you think it's Tesla's fault, you were driving. Bummer for sure.

 

[Redkorak]

Not sure why you think it's Tesla's fault, you were driving. Bummer for sure.

I'M asking why, with all the tech and cameras surrounding the vehicle and warning lights on the screen and sounds beeping, I got no warning at all I was even close to the object. Yes, it is my fault, but even when I back into my garage I get warnings and displays telling me how many feet and inches I am away from my bicycles and other equipment on the side of the car as well as the back!

 

[jmaddr]

Super bummer. Sorry. This is from someone who has backed into rocks and even my own house (with other vehicles).

I don’t trust the ultrasonics on the TM3. The notifications just don’t sound fast enough to be used as a warning when backing up. If you stop or seriously slow, they will register and show distance, so I only use them to judge distance after stopped and the creep, not avoidance. My experience leads me to believe if you would have stopped, it would have registered. I’ve never had it miss something, just fail to notify in timely matter.
Not meant to be a consolation by any means, but others do experience similar.

 

[MY-user]

Please help! I backed into a low pillar below eye level creating a fist sized dent on the passenger side of the liftgate. No warning, no bells going off!

Did the camera miss this? Can I go to Tesla and claim that I got absolutely no warning that I was close to contacting the post?

Tesla repair shop says the entire lift gate must be replaced, paint matched, etc. minimum 10 days downtime. This was a 3 mile an hour dent that is going to charge my insurance thousands of dollars, and more than likely raise my rates.

Any advice would be appreciated.

I doubt Tesla will fix it for free. Even if you go through the manual and find a paragraph that will describe your situation and how the car was supposed to react.

 

[Need]

That's EXACTLY what my coworker did except it was on a red Model 3 few years ago when he backed into a parking space. For Model 3, it was $2000 to replace the trunk lid without having to repaint other parts to match the paint. He just paid out of pocket so his insurance rate does not go up.

 

[C-Bus Y]

Unless a local PDR shop is willing to give it a shot, you are looking at an insurance claim. It was an accident and it happens to the best of us. The bumper being flush with the hatch looks nice but offers no protection.

Mine 3 MPH bump involved light bumper & hatch damage and parts were slightly bent behind bumper. All said and done it is WAY, WAY over my $1,000 deductible. Parts take a couple weeks to arrive and you have to wait for body shop to have time. It might be $15K to fix mine…serious!

Frustrating for sure and I am going on nearly 45 days without vehicle. Check out a local PDR shop and if they can’t do it then call your insurance company. Sorry.

 

[Kaisoku(Fast)]

This a well know issue, mentioned even before the Model Y was in production.

The Tesla Model Y's Rear End Design Might Make It Extremely Expensive to Repair

Since the hatch is incorporated into the rear bumper, it's far more likely to get damaged in a fender bender.

www.thedrive.com

Tesla Model Y Rear Hatch Design Flaw Confirmed By These Cases

The third-generation Honda Fit/Jazz, the first Fiat Palio, and the new Chevy Tracker show what awaits the Tesla Model Y rear hatch due to a design flaw.

insideevs.com

If you park in the street, I would recommend adding some kind of rear bumper modling protection (See in Amazon for BumpTEK),



I would not be surprised if there was some covers with matching color on AliExpress.

 

[jjrandorin]

Please help! I backed into a low pillar below eye level creating a fist sized dent on the passenger side of the liftgate. No warning, no bells going off!

Did the camera miss this? Can I go to Tesla and claim that I got absolutely no warning that I was close to contacting the post?

Tesla repair shop says the entire lift gate must be replaced, paint matched, etc. minimum 10 days downtime. This was a 3 mile an hour dent that is going to charge my insurance thousands of dollars, and more than likely raise my rates.

Any advice would be appreciated.

I saw this thread title, and even before clicking on the thread was thinking to myself "I bet the person posting this is asking "can I get tesla to pay for this because <insert reason>".

 

[CheezyNachos]

I saw this thread title, and even before clicking on the thread was thinking to myself "I bet the person posting this is asking "can I get tesla to pay for this because <insert reason>".

Man, how did we survive before all this technology and nannies that are included with cars these days?

Had nobody to blame back then for stuff like this. Of course the OP shouldn't really be blaming anyone else either.

 

[GHammer]

Please help! I backed into a low pillar below eye level creating a fist sized dent on the passenger side of the liftgate. No warning, no bells going off!

Did the camera miss this? Can I go to Tesla and claim that I got absolutely no warning that I was close to contacting the post?

The camera is your responsibility to monitor, the car does not automatically uses it in this type of maneuver. The ultrasonics have limitations, from the owners manual: (my boldiing)

The parking sensors may not function correctly in these situations:

• One or more of the ultrasonic sensors is damaged, dirty, or obstructed (such as by mud, ice, or snow, or by a vehicle bra, excessive paint, or adhesive products such as wraps, stickers, rubber coating, etc.).
• The object is located below approximately 8 inches (20 cm) (such as a curb or low barrier).
  CAUTION
  Shorter objects that are detected (such as curbs or low barriers) can move into the blind spot of the sensors. Model Y cannot alert you about an object while it is in the blind spot of the sensors.
• Weather conditions (heavy rain, snow, or fog) are interfering with sensor operation.
• The object is thin (such as a sign post).
• A sensor’s operating range has been exceeded.
• The object is sound-absorbing or soft (such as powder snow).
• The object is sloped (such as a sloped embankment).
• Model Y has been parked in, or being driven in, extremely hot or cold temperatures.
• The sensors are affected by other electrical equipment or devices that generate ultrasonic waves.
• You are driving in a location where the sensors' ultrasonic waves are deflected away from the vehicle (such as driving next to a wall or pillar).
• The object is located too close to the bumper.
• A bumper is misaligned or damaged.
• An object that is mounted to Model Y is interfering with and/or obstructing the sensor (such as a bike rack or bumper sticker).
• Model Y rolls freely in the opposite direction you selected (for example, Park Assist does not display an alert if Model Y rolls backwards down a hill while in Drive).

 

[jjrandorin]

Man, how did we survive before all this technology and nannies that are included with cars these days?

Had nobody to blame back then for stuff like this. Of course the OP shouldn't really be blaming anyone else either.

This type of post is fairly common (maybe more than you would think). People run into their garage doors, then blame the car for not stopping them and want to get someone to fix it for free (the car and garage door) because the car has "object aware acceleration, but didnt stop me from running into my garage door".

The OP had an accident in their car, and should just proceed forward with getting it fixed. Tesla is not going to pay for anything (nor should they) regardless of what warnings the OP thinks the car should have generated. The driver is always responsible, full stop, period, end of sentence.

The OP is simply doing what some others do and trying to shift responsibility somewhere else other than themselves, even when they were the one driving in a 1 car accident.

This OP isnt the first, and absolutely wont be the last, to post about attemping to do that, or getting help to do that.

 

[Wolfhausen]

Don't blame Tesla. Back up sensors are not a substitution for looking where you are going. Even if the sensors missed it, It would have been clearly visible in the camera were you looking at the screen. Accidents happen. If you refuse to learn from your mistakes, they will happen repeatedly.

 

[MikeR99]

Ouch! That sucks, to say the least. I don't think anything would be damaged below the bumper cover, and the reflector can be replaced easily. Someone above mentioned paintless dent repair and I'd second that idea. They can do a really good job and it's worth a shot before turning it in for an insurance claim. I also kinda doubt that it would have caused misalignment of the hatch. It looks like it's low enough to have only caused the dent. If it did, you should see that misalignment right now.

 

[DanDi58]

I'M asking why, with all the tech and cameras surrounding the vehicle and warning lights on the screen and sounds beeping, I got no warning at all I was even close to the object. Yes, it is my fault, but even when I back into my garage I get warnings and displays telling me how many feet and inches I am away from my bicycles and other equipment on the side of the car as well as the back!

So you were actually watching the camera and you didn't see that post? I find that hard to believe. The top of the dent is only a foot or so below the level of the camera. When I pull my car into my garage, I use the back-up camera to determine when I've pulled in far enough. I can see the floor of my garage through it.

 

[Aikidoka]

Ask one of the dent puller companies to look at it. They've done wonders on even Teslas. I did something similar and it was a pain dealing with the Tesla approved body shop because of delays in getting parts. I showed pictures to a dent puller company and they would have charged me $200 and been done in about 1.5 hours.

 

[Seminole]

This guy is in Orlando. You could drive to him:

 

[C-Bus Y]

Yes, you are ultimately responsible for watching your surroundings and the vehicle does not help in all cases. Driving 101. We should also not expect Tesla to cover damage from driver error.

That being said there is some frustration that a small bump that would result in little to no damage in another vehicle results in $15K damage in the Tesla. It would be nice if the bumper stuck out a few more inches to reduce damage when this happens. People make mistakes, no need to kick them when they are down. I bet this is $10K+ to fix if the hatch has to be replaced. It includes blending paint into the rear fenders which means the quarter panel window moldings come out as well. Is 1/5th the value of the vehicle.

 

[C-Bus Y]

This guy is in Orlando. You could drive to him:

Amazing work!

 

[roblab]

In my experience, body shops will fix this kind of damage, making it look about new, for a lot less than replacing the hatch. I currently have a ding in my hatch from backing into a rail that sits under some Acanthus (elephant ear). Bummer. So far, I'm living with it, though I should just go ahead and pay for fixing it. Maybe I will. My local body shop now is "qualified" to work on my car, so I ought to do it. Bite the bullet, as they say.