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Considering Model S With Accident From 3rd Party Dealer
- Thread starter Tassimo
- Start date
kev1n
Active Member
run like the wind unless you know what you're getting yourself into
Check to see if it has a clean title. Tesla has refused to sell parts or service to cars with salvage titles, and required an expensive re-certification procedure for them. Their policies may be changing, but you still should find out exactly what you are getting into before buying a Tesla with a salvage title.
Good Luck,
GSP
Good Luck,
GSP
That year of warranty isn’t going to cover any damage from that accident. It will cover things that cannot be blamed on that accident. If there is something bent or cracked as a result of the accident, that’ll be yours to fix.
20K might just be a couple of body panels. These cars are expensive to fix. Will the dealer allow inspection by an expert or two? If so I might be inclined to take it in to Tesla and pay them for their opinion. I’d also get a body man to check the repair site. It may have been repaired with body filler rather than having had panels replaced. Whoever took it to auction wanted to minimize the repair costs then wanted to unload the car. Your dealer wanted to get the car as cheaply as possible at the auction, then mark it up as much as possible and get a nice big profit. That’s where you come in. That means possibly a “cheapest fix” to get it ready to sell. It may have been repaired by a non Tesla approved repair shop. They cannot get the panels from Tesla, as far as I know (which isn’t far). A nonapproved shop can get parts from people who part out wrecks, so there might be salvaged parts used in the repair. I don’t know where the $20K came from. If it’s a Tesla repair shop, then it might not have had much damage, it may be a wonderful car. If it came from another shop, $20K could indicate much more damage especially if they used salvage parts and tubs of body filler.
Personally I’d shy away from this unless it’s something you just can’t see not buying. I’d make absolutely sure you know as much as you can about this car. I might also try to find the former owner.
Keep in mind that the history stays with the car so when it’s time to sell it, you’ll take a big hit on the sales price from this repair. That next potential owner is going to be thinking he’d like one that hasn’t been wrecked, so you’ll need to price it low enough that he feels it’s worth the purchase despite the history. That’s going to be fairly big money. You want to make sure you save that big money on your purchase.
If you buy it cheaper and sell it cheaper, then the cost of ownership may not be that high, it’ll probably be similar to cost of ownership of a car that hasn’t been wrecked. If you buy it expensive and sell it cheap, you’ll take a beating.
It could be a great buy. Are you a gambler? It’s a big bet.
As for me I tend not to buy things from people who know more than I do about things. I wouldn't buy a horse without knowing a lot and hiring my own expert. I wasn’t always this cautious. I did buy a horse once, the idea was that a fertility expert would get a foal out of this purchase. Turned out the horse was nearly blind with cataracts and was post menopausal. We didn’t get our foal. I think the horse went to a family as a pet, a gift. It’s been a long time. But now I don’t buy horses. Ever.
This Tesla could be your horse.
20K might just be a couple of body panels. These cars are expensive to fix. Will the dealer allow inspection by an expert or two? If so I might be inclined to take it in to Tesla and pay them for their opinion. I’d also get a body man to check the repair site. It may have been repaired with body filler rather than having had panels replaced. Whoever took it to auction wanted to minimize the repair costs then wanted to unload the car. Your dealer wanted to get the car as cheaply as possible at the auction, then mark it up as much as possible and get a nice big profit. That’s where you come in. That means possibly a “cheapest fix” to get it ready to sell. It may have been repaired by a non Tesla approved repair shop. They cannot get the panels from Tesla, as far as I know (which isn’t far). A nonapproved shop can get parts from people who part out wrecks, so there might be salvaged parts used in the repair. I don’t know where the $20K came from. If it’s a Tesla repair shop, then it might not have had much damage, it may be a wonderful car. If it came from another shop, $20K could indicate much more damage especially if they used salvage parts and tubs of body filler.
Personally I’d shy away from this unless it’s something you just can’t see not buying. I’d make absolutely sure you know as much as you can about this car. I might also try to find the former owner.
Keep in mind that the history stays with the car so when it’s time to sell it, you’ll take a big hit on the sales price from this repair. That next potential owner is going to be thinking he’d like one that hasn’t been wrecked, so you’ll need to price it low enough that he feels it’s worth the purchase despite the history. That’s going to be fairly big money. You want to make sure you save that big money on your purchase.
If you buy it cheaper and sell it cheaper, then the cost of ownership may not be that high, it’ll probably be similar to cost of ownership of a car that hasn’t been wrecked. If you buy it expensive and sell it cheap, you’ll take a beating.
It could be a great buy. Are you a gambler? It’s a big bet.
As for me I tend not to buy things from people who know more than I do about things. I wouldn't buy a horse without knowing a lot and hiring my own expert. I wasn’t always this cautious. I did buy a horse once, the idea was that a fertility expert would get a foal out of this purchase. Turned out the horse was nearly blind with cataracts and was post menopausal. We didn’t get our foal. I think the horse went to a family as a pet, a gift. It’s been a long time. But now I don’t buy horses. Ever.
This Tesla could be your horse.
OrbiterTI4
Member
For comparison, I had a front collision last summer resulting in 18k of repairs, and that involved replacement of airbags; even so, the most expensive part was the headlight! So its entirely possible that it was a case of "replacing multiple expensive parts and paying a lot of labor to recalibrate the AP/parking sensor hardware but no frame damage".
I second the notion of seeing if Tesla Service Center will perform an inspection (assuming you'll have to pay for this) or if you can get owner/vehicle history based on the VIN. It's certainly possible Tesla performed some of the vehicle repairs!
Good luck and proceed cautiously.
I second the notion of seeing if Tesla Service Center will perform an inspection (assuming you'll have to pay for this) or if you can get owner/vehicle history based on the VIN. It's certainly possible Tesla performed some of the vehicle repairs!
Good luck and proceed cautiously.
PWlakewood
Active Member
Get a copy of the insurance claim and damage estimate from the body shop that repaired the damage. Definitely have Tesla look at it if you can but and this is a big butt.....the parts and labor add up really quickly with a Tesla that has been damaged. It really could be a minor accident that has been professionally repaired. Also If it's a reputable dealership they most likely wont sell a vehicle that has not been repaired properly. Take a look at your states attorney general website and see if the dealership has been fined for violations.
I think Carfax uses generic terms, I’m not sure I’d get hung up on that. They don’t seem too picky about getting things right.
I had a BMW. It was hit by an idiot that pulled in beside my car in his old truck. He went inside for a minute to punch in, then went out to move his truck into a legal parking spot for him, 20 feet away. The BMW was white, a convertible, black top. I’d ordered it from Germany, just like I wanted it. It was pristeen. Manual transmission, I’d put a short shift kit in it. The car was perfect. It was early morning so still dark. In the 60 seconds or so he was inside, this cretin “forgot” my car was there, didn’t see my car, cranked his wheel to the left, and backed up deeply creasing my car all the way down the left side, front wheel well to back bumper. I don’t know why he didn’t stop when he first started the scrape. He didn’t, though. He backed all the way out. It was an expensive to repair. Anyway there was a Carfax report, of course.
The Carfax listed it as a “Collision left side” despite the fact mine was parked. I suppose it was sort of a collision, but not the type of collision one usually thinks about with two vehicles colliding. Carfax didn’t mention it was a parking lot accident, didn’t mention mine was parked, didn’t really mention anything except the “collision”.
When I sold it, I learned about “diminished value”. Just the fact there is a Carfax report impacts the value of the car. Mine was fixed absolutely expertly, paint, trim, body, all of it. It was perfect. Anyway, that minute of inattention by that man too lazy to walk 20 feet cost me thousands and thousands when I sold that car.
So Carfax reports indicate insurance claims. Beyond that I don’t think they don’t bother with much in the way of details.
I had a BMW. It was hit by an idiot that pulled in beside my car in his old truck. He went inside for a minute to punch in, then went out to move his truck into a legal parking spot for him, 20 feet away. The BMW was white, a convertible, black top. I’d ordered it from Germany, just like I wanted it. It was pristeen. Manual transmission, I’d put a short shift kit in it. The car was perfect. It was early morning so still dark. In the 60 seconds or so he was inside, this cretin “forgot” my car was there, didn’t see my car, cranked his wheel to the left, and backed up deeply creasing my car all the way down the left side, front wheel well to back bumper. I don’t know why he didn’t stop when he first started the scrape. He didn’t, though. He backed all the way out. It was an expensive to repair. Anyway there was a Carfax report, of course.
The Carfax listed it as a “Collision left side” despite the fact mine was parked. I suppose it was sort of a collision, but not the type of collision one usually thinks about with two vehicles colliding. Carfax didn’t mention it was a parking lot accident, didn’t mention mine was parked, didn’t really mention anything except the “collision”.
When I sold it, I learned about “diminished value”. Just the fact there is a Carfax report impacts the value of the car. Mine was fixed absolutely expertly, paint, trim, body, all of it. It was perfect. Anyway, that minute of inattention by that man too lazy to walk 20 feet cost me thousands and thousands when I sold that car.
So Carfax reports indicate insurance claims. Beyond that I don’t think they don’t bother with much in the way of details.
Dpc131
Member
Just bought a MS that has an accident on the Carfax. I looked and looked at the car and can’t find ANYTHING that seems like it was fixed or reworked. I took the gamble because (I assume) that it was a lease and it probably was repaired at Tesla. Tesla wouldn’t release records without me owning it, so waiting for it to be turned over to me in their system and I’ll see.
Anyway, it seems like I got a good deal (which is probably because of diminished value, but 2015 P85D, 48k and almost every option for $42k. I’ve been ecstatic driving it.
Anyway, it seems like I got a good deal (which is probably because of diminished value, but 2015 P85D, 48k and almost every option for $42k. I’ve been ecstatic driving it.
"No pictures" -- what a GIANT red warning flag!!
Also, just because carfax doesn't show salvage title yet, doesn't mean it won't show up that way later. Sometimes it can take a while for the paperwork to process through their system, government agencies, etc. If the dealer does not advertise it as a clean title, then you can bet it is not.
"Salvage title" or "restored salvage title" extinguishes manufacturer's warranties.
Dealership "horrible reviews" on top of all that -- why are you deluding yourself into thinking that this could possibly be a good deal?
Also, just because carfax doesn't show salvage title yet, doesn't mean it won't show up that way later. Sometimes it can take a while for the paperwork to process through their system, government agencies, etc. If the dealer does not advertise it as a clean title, then you can bet it is not.
"Salvage title" or "restored salvage title" extinguishes manufacturer's warranties.
Dealership "horrible reviews" on top of all that -- why are you deluding yourself into thinking that this could possibly be a good deal?
exactly what i was thinking all day. ultimately im going to continue my search and skip these ones
2012MS85
Member
What price was this "horrible review" dealer asking for the S? Tesla has recently sold vehicles with warranties for low $30k. So unless this S was like $15k, I just can't comprehend why anyone would deal with any seller known to be horrible? 
What price was this "horrible review" dealer asking for the S? Tesla has recently sold vehicles with warranties for low $30k. So unless this S was like $15k, I just can't comprehend why anyone would deal with any seller known to be horrible?
it was 60k CAD for a low mileage 85D, canadians pay considerably more even after conversion. if only there was a way for a normal person to import one in from the states.
2012MS85
Member
Sounds like you’re moving on from this horrible deal, which is awesome for you. Let this also be a lesson to others that if it doesn’t feel right, it likely isn’t. Run away. Fast.
Uncle Paul
Well-Known Member
Prior accident/repair devalues the car.
No pictures of the accident and repair report devalues the car.
Just being at an auction devalues the car.
Going for a low price also is a red flag.
You would need to be extremely lucky to come out ahead on this deal.
No pictures of the accident and repair report devalues the car.
Just being at an auction devalues the car.
Going for a low price also is a red flag.
You would need to be extremely lucky to come out ahead on this deal.
