Damage on my Model 3. What to do next?

[Ritu2605]

Hello to all,

Recently my Tesla Model 3 Highland met a sad fate. A rock was found on the road and sadly there was no way to avoid the collision. I want to ask you guys before I quote it with insurance to see what might happen or what will be fixed. Here are some photos, all help and suggestions will be much appreciated!

 

[mrplt]

Ouch, sorry.
Assuming you'll have to pay some sort of deductible (and that your premiums will go up) you might be better off not going through insurance. That bumper can be repaired, and I would personally keep the splash shield as-is.
This is coming from someone who foolishly went through insurance for a single-vehicle parking mishap. Insurance paid around $2500 for the repairs and I paid around $3k in extra premiums ever since.

 

[Ritu2605]

Ouch, sorry.
Assuming you'll have to pay some sort of deductible (and that your premiums will go up) you might be better off not going through insurance. That bumper can be repaired, and I would personally keep the splash shield as-is.
This is coming from someone who foolishly went through insurance for a single-vehicle parking mishap. Insurance paid around $2500 for the repairs and I paid around $3k in extra premiums ever since.

Yep, I was thinking not to go through insurance to avoid a significant rate increase. I reached out to my detailer, who also does repairs, and I'll be taking the car to him for an assessment. I'm concerned that the entire front end might need to be replaced since the damage appears to be more severe than just a dent; it looks like part of the body is coming apart. Any suggestions or concerns?

 

[shingles]

What do you mean part of the body is coming apart?
How big was the "rock"?
Doesn't look that severe. Probably $2-3k if have to get your bumper replaced, painted, blended, etc.

 

[Tronguy]

There’s a term: Road Hazard. Usually covered under comprehensive, not collision. Probably a deductible, but maybe not an increase in your policy costs.

FWIW, a near relative ran over a hunk of metal on a freeway in Cali with his M3; hadn’t seen the object in the dark. Busted up the front bumper some and killed one of the ultrasonic sensors. No problem getting it fixed.. and am not sure if it raised his rates. Depends upon the insurance company.

 

[Ritu2605]

What do you mean part of the body is coming apart?
How big was the "rock"?
Doesn't look that severe. Probably $2-3k if have to get your bumper replaced, painted, blended, etc.

I’m not entirely sure what it is, but wherever the collision occurred, there are rugged, slightly protruding pieces. It looks like it broke off from a median or similar structure because I noticed a missing piece in the nearby median. The fragment was large enough to potentially blow off the bumper or cause major damage if I hadn’t swerved. I’d estimate its size to be roughly 10-15 inches.

 

[Ritu2605]

There’s a term: Road Hazard. Usually covered under comprehensive, not collision. Probably a deductible, but maybe not an increase in your policy costs.

FWIW, a near relative ran over a hunk of metal on a freeway in Cali with his M3; hadn’t seen the object in the dark. Busted up the front bumper some and killed one of the ultrasonic sensors. No problem getting it fixed.. and am not sure if it raised his rates. Depends upon the insurance company.

I’m worried about the increased premium that my insurance will provide after they cover this, I live in Texas and it seems the premium rates are increasing

 

[Tronguy]

I’m worried about the increased premium that my insurance will provide after they cover this, I live in Texas and it seems the premium rates are increasing

May sound silly, but you may as well call them up and ask. Yeah, I know, call the devil and you may wish you hadn’t, but in my experience people and companies tend to be honest. And, really, this wasn’t your fault.

An at-fault accident where a driver ran a red light is one thing; it’s another where crumbling infrastructure dinged a car and it would have taken super human abilities to avoid the hazard.

Thing is, while insurance companies have an interest in charging reckless drivers more money than non-reckless drivers, they make even less money if their practices in that regard are seen as unfair and customers flee elsewhere.

 

[Ritu2605]

May sound silly, but you may as well call them up and ask. Yeah, I know, call the devil and you may wish you hadn’t, but in my experience people and companies tend to be honest. And, really, this wasn’t your fault.

An at-fault accident where a driver ran a red light is one thing; it’s another where crumbling infrastructure dinged a car and it would have taken super human abilities to avoid the hazard.

Thing is, while insurance companies have an interest in charging reckless drivers more money than non-reckless drivers, they make even less money if their practices in that regard are seen as unfair and customers flee elsewhere.

I see, I’ll take that into consideration! I plan to call Tesla and my detailer today. Additionally, I’ll follow up with my insurance company.