Clean Title but was declared a total loss by insurance. Tesla rep says no supercharging. Are they wrong?

[zlindy]

Hey everyone, first post, and proud owner of my first Tesla as of two weeks ago. Found tons of valuable info here as I was researching, thanks to everyone.

Q: Recently purchased a used 2020 Model 3 SR+ with ~14,000 miles. It has a clean title but Carfax history shows it had a "minor to moderate" collision in late 2021 at the front driver side fender and was claimed "total loss" by insurance at the time. However, it has since been repaired and somehow(?) still has a clean title.

The original owner purchased and drove the car in TX (actually, I think it may have been leased). Best I can tell from the Carfax, after the accident it was sold, fixed, and resold to a second owner in CA. The second owner then traded it into a dealer in CA, which is where I bought it. I've wanted a Model 3 for years now and finally decided to pull the trigger.

We take semi-frequent longer roadtrips (300-500 miles) and so Supercharging is fairly important to us. I did a ton of research before buying a used Model 3 and thought I was safe with this car because despite it having a previous accident, it still has a clean title. We have a roadtrip coming up in about 2 weeks, so I went to test out the Supercharging a few days ago and when I plugged it in, the screen gave me a message "Supercharging Not Enabled. Try AC Charging." Thought it was maybe because I hadn't set up a payment method yet, so I did that, and still received the same message. So I call Tesla and they tell me the vehicle has a salvage title. I explain that I'm aware it had a prior accident but it actually has a clean title. This seemed to shock the rep I was speaking with, and he said he had to talk to his manager and would get back to me. A few days later I get an email from who I assume was his manager and it just said "Our records are not wrong. We cannot clear the title. Call the person you bought the vehicle from."

So now I'm concerned that I may have missed a nuance during my research and that it's not just salvage title vehicles that can't supercharge, but any vehicle that has had an accident or that Tesla deems unfit.
Does anyone know any more detail about being able to supercharge a car with clean title that has had an accident?
Is the Tesla rep I spoke to wrong?
Can they in fact update the title in their system to be clean and re-enable supercharging?
Or is there any sort of inspection I can have them do to clear it for supercharging? If so, any idea on cost?
There are no other public non-Tesla "superchargers" we can use are there?
This would be a huge bummer for us if we couldn't supercharge, hoping I didn't fail in my research and buy a car that can't supercharge :/.

Thank you!

Z

 

[glide]

Hey everyone, first post, and proud owner of my first Tesla as of two weeks ago. Found tons of valuable info here as I was researching, thanks to everyone.

Q: Recently purchased a used 2020 Model 3 SR+ with ~14,000 miles. It has a clean title but Carfax history shows it had a "minor to moderate" collision in late 2021 at the front driver side fender and was claimed "total loss" by insurance at the time. However, it has since been repaired and somehow(?) still has a clean title.

The original owner purchased and drove the car in TX (actually, I think it may have been leased). Best I can tell from the Carfax, after the accident it was sold, fixed, and resold to a second owner in CA. The second owner then traded it into a dealer in CA, which is where I bought it. I've wanted a Model 3 for years now and finally decided to pull the trigger.

We take semi-frequent longer roadtrips (300-500 miles) and so Supercharging is fairly important to us. I did a ton of research before buying a used Model 3 and thought I was safe with this car because despite it having a previous accident, it still has a clean title. We have a roadtrip coming up in about 2 weeks, so I went to test out the Supercharging a few days ago and when I plugged it in, the screen gave me a message "Supercharging Not Enabled. Try AC Charging." Thought it was maybe because I hadn't set up a payment method yet, so I did that, and still received the same message. So I call Tesla and they tell me the vehicle has a salvage title. I explain that I'm aware it had a prior accident but it actually has a clean title. This seemed to shock the rep I was speaking with, and he said he had to talk to his manager and would get back to me. A few days later I get an email from who I assume was his manager and it just said "Our records are not wrong. We cannot clear the title. Call the person you bought the vehicle from."

So now I'm concerned that I may have missed a nuance during my research and that it's not just salvage title vehicles that can't supercharge, but any vehicle that has had an accident or that Tesla deems unfit.
Does anyone know any more detail about being able to supercharge a car with clean title that has had an accident?
Is the Tesla rep I spoke to wrong?
Can they in fact update the title in their system to be clean and re-enable supercharging?
Or is there any sort of inspection I can have them do to clear it for supercharging? If so, any idea on cost?
There are no other public non-Tesla "superchargers" we can use are there?
This would be a huge bummer for us if we couldn't supercharge, hoping I didn't fail in my research and buy a car that can't supercharge :/.

Thank you!

Z

A vehicle that is totaled isn’t going to have a clean title. That’s your problem.

 

[el-guapin]

If it deemed a total loss it gets recorded as such on various data bases. Tesla most definitely has access to those which is why their system shows it as salvaged title. Unfortunately you will not be able to change this. Now, The real issue is how you were sold a salvaged titled vehicle with a clean title?!!. I think you gonna have to get an attorney involved o this one and after the selling party.

 

[zlindy]

Thanks glide. That’s what I assumed also. However, it does indeed have a clean title. I already bought the vehicle and received the clean title from the dealer and have now registered it in my name with a new clean title. I’m not familiar enough with insurance claims and titling to understand exactly how that is possible, but that’s what I’ve got. And now I’m trying to figure out if I need to / how to communicate that to Tesla and how to get supercharging enabled…

 

[zlindy]

Thanks el-guapin! I may need to dig more into this. I was under the impression that in some states a total loss doesn’t necessarily mean it will always get a salvage title? Perhaps that was the case in TX where the accident occurred? I’m pretty confident the title was clean and legit because we financed the car through our credit union, and they told me they won’t finance anything with a salvage or a branded title. And this went through their underwriting just fine. On the off chance anyone is familiar with the dealer I bought it from they are called ZJ’s Autos in Cost Mesa, CA. They were great to work with, I didn’t get any shady vibes, but who knows?

 

[jjrandorin]

Thanks glide. That’s what I assumed also. However, it does indeed have a clean title. I already bought the vehicle and received the clean title from the dealer and have now registered it in my name with a new clean title. I’m not familiar enough with insurance claims and titling to understand exactly how that is possible, but that’s what I’ve got. And now I’m trying to figure out if I need to / how to communicate that to Tesla and how to get supercharging enabled…

Your title may be "washed" but there is no such thing as a vehicle that was declared a total loss by insurance having a clean title, full stop, do not pass go.

I would be going back to that dealer to unwind that deal, because there Is no such thing at all as a legitimate "clean title" for a vehicle that was declared a total loss.

What Is Title Washing?

Title washing can hide important information about a vehicle's history, including flood damage, liens, and more. Find out how.

www.carfax.com

===================
(moderator note)

I also changed your thread title to be more descriptive to what you are saying, because there is a HUUUGGGGEEE difference in "vehicle had an accident" and "vehicle was declared a total loss by insurance".

 

[jjrandorin]

And now I’m trying to figure out if I need to / how to communicate that to Tesla and how to get supercharging enabled…

You arent going to (get supercharging enabled if they have already told you its disabled).

 

[zlindy]

Your title may be "washed" but there is no such thing as a vehicle that was declared a total loss by insurance having a clean title, full stop, do not pass go.

I would be going back to that dealer to unwind that deal, because there Is no such thing at all as a legitimate "clean title" for a vehicle that was declared a total loss.

What Is Title Washing?

Title washing can hide important information about a vehicle's history, including flood damage, liens, and more. Find out how.

www.carfax.com

===================
(moderator note)

I also changed your thread title to be more descriptive to what you are saying, because there is a HUUUGGGGEEE difference in "vehicle had an accident" and "vehicle was declared a total loss by insurance".

Thanks

Your title may be "washed" but there is no such thing as a vehicle that was declared a total loss by insurance having a clean title, full stop, do not pass go.

I would be going back to that dealer to unwind that deal, because there Is no such thing at all as a legitimate "clean title" for a vehicle that was declared a total loss.

What Is Title Washing?

Title washing can hide important information about a vehicle's history, including flood damage, liens, and more. Find out how.

www.carfax.com

===================
(moderator note)

I also changed your thread title to be more descriptive to what you are saying, because there is a HUUUGGGGEEE difference in "vehicle had an accident" and "vehicle was declared a total loss by insurance".

Thanks jjrandorin. Alright sweet, starting to sound like we’ve got some possible legal action on our hands. Oh man! Not what I bargained for. Hopefully the dealer will accept responsibility and not get difficult. What type of lawyer would I go to for something like this? FYI I live in WA, and the car was purchased from a dealer in CA.

Also, could you explain what a “washed” title is?

Thanks again.

 

[VT_EE]

Yep, go back to dealer and tell them they sold you a salvage vehicle and you want to unwind the deal. If they balk, let them know you will be getting a lawyer.

 

[zlindy]

I’m not familiar with “unwinding”. Is that a formal term, or just a phrase meaning you want your money back?

FYI I did sign paperwork acknowledging the vehicle was being sold as-is with no warranty and did have previous damage. We were all on the same page about that and the previous accident during purchase. However, they did say it had a clean title, and I did double check and confirm that with them before singing anything. Nothing I signed said it had a salvage title.

The purchase is already complete and financed with my credit union. I’m sure this will be a process…

 

[zlindy]

I just saw it looks like another forum member here is selling a model 3 in a similar situation. They said carfax shows total loss but it still has clean title and actually still supercharges.

Sold - 2021 Tesla Model 3 Standard for sale (WA)

It's a white 2021 Tesla Model 3 with white seats 2.3k mi. Looking for $54k Specs Tesla Model 3 SR+ Oct 2021 Full Self Driving (FSD) 18" Wheels (Rimetrix Covers) Matrix Headlights Euro Foglights 3M Window Tint Rear Heated Seats 1 fender bender by previous owner. No airbags deployed but has...

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[jjrandorin]

I’m not familiar with “unwinding”. Is that a formal term, or just a phrase meaning you want your money back?

FYI I did sign paperwork acknowledging the vehicle was being sold as-is with no warranty and did have previous damage. We were all on the same page about that and the previous accident during purchase. However, they did say it had a clean title, and I did double check and confirm that with them before singing anything. Nothing I signed said it had a salvage title.

The purchase is already complete and financed with my credit union. I’m sure this will be a process…

I put a link in the post above to a quick google search for title washing. its hard to prove, but you have a car that you say went from texas to Ca to wa. "unwind" a deal means return the car as if it never happened, and its not very easy to do.

 

[3sr+buyer]

Also, could you explain what a “washed” title is?

Means that a car that should have a salvage or other branded title is given a clean title. Moving a car to a different state is often a way to do it, since the scammer can try to conceal the old state's branded title when applying for a new title and hope that the new state DMV does not notice.

Title Washing in America | VinCheck.info lists Texas, California, and Washington as three of the states where a lot of title washing goes on, probably due to weak fraud checks at the DMV.

 

[gaswalla]

OP, in your description the second owner is the person who washed the title by bringing the car from Texas to California. The sad thing is Carfax should’ve had some mention of the total loss. This is going to be a mess for you unfortunately. The dealer you bought the car from probably has no knowledge or no fraudulent activity, they were sold a fraudulent clean titled car by that owner that brought the car from Texas to California.

 

[father_of_6]

I wouldn't want a Tesla that can't use the SuperChargers, but I think it worth mentioning that you can still use third-party chargers, and obviously home charging.

If you got a super good deal on it, perhaps it's worth it. Or perhaps easier to sell it than paying a lawyer and getting it refunded.

 

[father_of_6]

Also... if you are planning to approach the dealership about getting a refund, it may be worth contacting them first on your own to save legal fees. I'm not a lawyer though, so perhaps there's a good legal reason for having representation right out of the gate.

Sorry you had to go through this and that your first Tesla experience was marred this way.

 

[gaswalla]

To the above poster regarding third-party chargers, Based on other threads, when supercharging is disabled, all DC fast charging is also disabled. So one would not be able to use third-party fast chargers either.

 

[Watts_Up]

I suppose that: << was claimed "total loss" by insurance at the time. >> you are not making reference to your own car insurance?

Does your own car insurance know that the car is a salvage car?

I think that you should talk to your insurance and told them that because the car is a salvage car, you don't feel any longer secure driving it.

- I wonder if (1) the insurrance would then cancel your policy because they do not want to be liable in case of an accident.

- or (2) the insurrance don't think that there is any problem, so in this case request getting a printed note mentioning that
your car insurance know that the car is a salvage car and that the insurrance would not decline liability in case of an accident.

You have to be very thorough with car insurrances. I got rear ended and the other party insurance wanted to decline responsibility
because the driver was driving his wife's car but he was not listed as driver. The wife was a passenger at the time of the accident.
So my own insurance wanted that I use my own uninsured driver insurance something that I completely denied since there was also
some medical expanses.

 

[Watts_Up]

I searched for: "can a salvage car be repaired and get a clean title?" and found some interesting results:

Rebuilt vs. Salvage Title: What are the Differences?​

​

What is a rebuilt title vs. a salvage title?​

 

[zlindy]

I did get a pretty good deal on it. Or so I thought before all of this! We paid $41k. 2020 SR+ w/ 14k miles and FSD package included. Overall I think still a pretty good price, and probably a fair price given the title. Definitely a big bummer on the title and supercharging, but we still love it. It runs and drives like new. We will probably just keep it as our daily driver, with plans to upgrade to a legit clean title LR model down the road. Thanks for all the input and knowledge everyone. I had no idea a title could be washed. A good lesson!