bottomed out - plastic cover under rocker panels cracked on both sides - any experiences?

[texas_star_TM3]

drove through a residential area in Plano/ TX near Legacy West and upon making a left turn onto a side street I bottomed out *hard* while going over a reverse V shape connection between two concrete road segments. I wasn't going faster than 10-15mph as it was a turn but there was a loud "clong" and the plastic trim piece on both sides just under the rocker panel is cracked and the enforced metal lip around the battery assemble is scratched quite well for 2-3 inched. Underside of battery looks pristine and not even the middle protective rail under the battery is touched.

has anyone gone through this repair before and how much was it? I set up an appointment in the app for "exterior trim piece" and put a description in - but it defaulted to mobile service - I assume this will be changed later by Tesla to a Service Center visit or can Mobile service replace the trim piece / seal the pinch weld as needed ?

 

[Misterbee]

I had a very similar accident, scraped along a high curb late at night. Turned out to be very expensive. I not only damaged the plastic trim piece, I also scraped up the rocker panel. Thact’s the really expensive part. The body shop told me that the Model 3 is unique, in that the rocker panel is not a separate piece, so it has to be cut out of the body, and fresh aluminum welded in place. If you did.t dam,age the rocker panel, you will probably get away with an insurance claim of less than $8000. But Tesla is very careful about damage to the battery assembly. You might want to shop around a bit.

 

[texas_star_TM3]

I had a very similar accident, scraped along a high curb late at night. Turned out to be very expensive. I not only damaged the plastic trim piece, I also scraped up the rocker panel. Thact’s the really expensive part. The body shop told me that the Model 3 is unique, in that the rocker panel is not a separate piece, so it has to be cut out of the body, and fresh aluminum welded in place. If you did.t dam,age the rocker panel, you will probably get away with an insurance claim of less than $8000. But Tesla is very careful about damage to the battery assembly. You might want to shop around a bit.

yeah. rocker panel itself is untouched ... not bend or touched at all. I read somewhere that each plastic cover is ~$400 incl. install at Tesla so I assume you mean ~$800 (which i would probably pay out of pocket with a $500 deductible not to raise my premiums later) ?

 

[BigNick]

Lowered or stock?

It's kind of hard to tell how steep that is from the Street View screenshot there. I assume that's a raised pedestrian crosswalk?

 

[texas_star_TM3]

Lowered or stock?

It's kind of hard to tell how steep that is from the Street View screenshot there. I assume that's a raised pedestrian crosswalk?

all stock ... 2019 Model 3 AWD with 18" ... it wasn't steep at all and not a raised pedestrian crosswalk. just really crappy Texas roads with buckling concrete elements due to the heat and poor construction. ironically i never bottomed out over a speed bump or likewise... i assume the angle in/out of the speed bump isn't as aggressive as to reverse v shaped concrete plates. plus speed bumps are usually clearly marked. There's also a big parking garage where i bottomed out going from a very steep ramp to "flat" on the second floor. In that case i was very very slow and all it does scrape the plastic lower rockel panel skirt cover trim piece (official name a bit. My problem with the last incident was the hidden nature of the bump and me going over it 10mph+.

good news - I got a Service Center appointment for Fort Worth next week and the cost estimate for both lower rocker panel trim pieces is ~$630 incl. labor/taxes.

Going forward I will be even more careful - judging by the condition of the trim pieces... they can only take so much abuse before cracking/splitting and exposing the pinch weld construction.

 

[texas_star_TM3]

good news: it didn't take long for the parts to come in and I had my Service Center (Fort Worth / TX) appointment today and they installed both "Base Rocker Lower Cover Assembly - left/right" this morning and I could pick it up just a few hours after dropping it off. Super easy. Total bill $625 incl. taxes and fees

bad news: the drivers side trim piece looks pretty awful with a noticeable bulge under the drivers door. it's very losey/wiggle as well but it doesn't seem to be the case of something not clipped it ... more like a deformed trim piece or they bend a clip and that's why it's bulging out. super frustrating having to go again through the Service Center or Mobile Service to get this corrected. Not what I would expect for $625 and their hourly work rates of $205 to be honest...

 

[texas_star_TM3]

update... not a *single* bolt is installed where the new trim pieces went... just about had it. Hoping the Plano SC does a better job correctly installing the trim pieces.

 

[Kachi]

update... not a *single* bolt is installed where the new trim pieces went... just about had it. Hoping the Plano SC does a better job correctly installing the trim pieces.

That looks correct if that is the center piece, the front and rear will have the bolt and washer but my center hole looks like that when I pop mine off as well. Never been touch.