Hit a kangaroo, need a repairer

[gcgp]

It has finally happened, I have hit a kangaroo. First time ever. It was a glancing blow hitting the front left bumper and the kangaroo hopped away.

The bumper itself doesn't look damaged and paint seemed to have survived pretty well but it was pushed in and up a bit so it is not really flush, plus a couple of sensors have been pushed in. Park assist is currently not available.

Does anyone know of an Tesla accredited repairer here on the Gold Coast? I wanted to get a quote to see if the repair cost will be close enough to my excess so that I don't have to involve my insurance company.

 

[Homer]

I'm sorry to hear about this. There is only one Tesla certified repairer in all of Sydney so I would doubt that you'll find one on the Gold Coast and perhaps not in Brisbane. A quick call to the Tesla Service Centre should clarify this.

I don't know much about vehicle repairs but, for what it's worth, Marge's Lexus was just in the body shop (she's a frequent visitor there) for a minor nose-to-tail and her front bumper didn't have any obvious paint damage either. However the repair bill was a lot more than her excess because they needed to order a new bumper (they're just plastic and not really repairable) and there is the issue of underlying damage that they said they can't be certain about until they get the bumper off.

 

[eclectricdave]

Welcome to the RHC (roo hitters club). Your the 5th owner enrolled that I know of. I think its something to with the car being so quiet. If anyone else wants to join pl have a holiday on Kangaroo Island and drive after sunset. Guaranteed membership. Cant help you with repair people but I advise my car collided at less than 30ks & was hit only by the tail but was enough to set off the explosive struts that lift the bonnet. Am not getting it fixed will wait for the next RHC this time with Oak leaf.

 

[raynewman]

It has finally happened, I have hit a kangaroo. First time ever. It was a glancing blow hitting the front left bumper and the kangaroo hopped away.

The bumper itself doesn't look damaged and paint seemed to have survived pretty well but it was pushed in and up a bit so it is not really flush, plus a couple of sensors have been pushed in. Park assist is currently not available.

Does anyone know of an Tesla accredited repairer here on the Gold Coast? I wanted to get a quote to see if the repair cost will be close enough to my excess so that I don't have to involve my insurance company.

See Kassulke Smash Repairs at Everton Park. I've had the bumper resprayed twice now; typically $300.

 

[SSD420]

Wow! Hitting a kangaroo. I'm in Canada and I've been worried about hitting deer when I go up north.

Last week, I experienced a deer walk up to my car and not move. I think it couldn't hear me at all. I kept honking to scare it away. I suspect I scared the home owner of the house I was near, rather than the deer.

Do people hit kangaroos often in ICE vehicles?

 

[eclectricdave]

They are unpredictable creatures sometimes crossing in front of you and then changing direction. No road sense at all, worse than sheep. I hit one with my ICE this year too.

 

[SSD420]

They are unpredictable creatures sometimes crossing in front of you and then changing direction. No road sense at all, worse than sheep. I hit one with my ICE this year too.

Are kangaroos as bad as deer? Usually resulting in loss of life (both animal and human)? Or if not, major car damage?

I hit a deer last November, at 140km/h. I think had I been going slower or closer to the 90 or 100km speed limit, I probably would have died. Instead, I destroyed my car and even after it was fixed, it smelled like venison for some weeks afterwards

 

[Bullet1]

It has finally happened, I have hit a kangaroo. First time ever. It was a glancing blow hitting the front left bumper and the kangaroo hopped away.

The bumper itself doesn't look damaged and paint seemed to have survived pretty well but it was pushed in and up a bit so it is not really flush, plus a couple of sensors have been pushed in. Park assist is currently not available.

Does anyone know of an Tesla accredited repairer here on the Gold Coast? I wanted to get a quote to see if the repair cost will be close enough to my excess so that I don't have to involve my insurance company.

Sounds like you got out of it lightly! Probably a Wallaby?

I've hit many over the years, used to live within the Kosciusko National Park had to drive through protected areas along the lakes.......had to dodge the Roos at night constantly as they were in troops/mobs (herds)? Had one jump off a cutting in the road and land on the bonnet taking out the windscreen and front end ................wombats are way worse......seen 4wds totalled.

The best way to avoid them was to turn off the headlights so they weren't stunned by the lights and they could avoid you. Can't do this in the Tesla without going into controls......and too late by then?.............have wondered whether I could turn off the lights in a hurry but haven't found a way yet. (not that turning your headlights off while driving is recommended but if you're in the bush and no one is around it does work.)

On repairers on the GC.......my Tesla came with a scratch new so is getting repaired by Tesla but the recommended repairer is in Brissy. Don't know who they are yet.

 

[Mark E]

Are kangaroos as bad as deer? Usually resulting in loss of life (both animal and human)? Or if not, major car damage?

I hit a deer last November, at 140km/h. I think had I been going slower or closer to the 90 or 100km speed limit, I probably would have died. Instead, I destroyed my car and even after it was fixed, it smelled like venison for some weeks afterwards

Roos vary in size quite considerably. A large red can be 90kg+ but that is deceptive. They do enormous damage if you hit one. Wallabies are much smaller but also do a heap of damage. Worst is if they come through the windscreen only to wake up inside the car and panic...

ICE cars hit them often, I don't think that the noise has much effect on them as I've come very close to hitting them when driving big old V8s with noisy exhausts. As mentioned above, we also have wombats which are solid little balls of muscle that destroy the undercarriage if you hit one.

Driving at night can be interesting, the roos love to eat the fresh grass on the roadside that is nice and juicy because the water runs off the road - especially if its been dry weather.

 

[garyjac]

If you travel Roo country frequently, it might be worth investing in Shoo Roo: ShuRoo

 

[*KT*]

The brisbane tesla repairer is BMW at eagle farm. An owner got reversed into recently and had a fabulous repair experience. Plus the bmw serviceman said the parts were quite reasonable compared to the bmw parts prices.

A friend was killed by roo in his ICE years ago. 1990s. North of bundaberg and it came through the windscreen, still alive and panicked and kicked him to death. So the pop up function i think is wonderful if it helps the driver and the pedestrian (human or animal)

 

[Jimat]

If you travel Roo country frequently, it might be worth investing in Shoo Roo: ShuRoo

I have fitted a Shu-Roo to all my cars, including my Model S, for the last 20 years as I live in the bush near Canberra. I see Roos every night on the trip home and since fitting them have hit many fewer than I did in the years before. And non with the MS.
I thought I might have the only Model S in the world with a Shu-roo.
Was a slightly difficult fitting as I didn't want to touch any of the electrics apart from the 12V auxiliary outlet.

 

[raynewman]

Live and learn - ya know, I've never before heard of a ShuRoo.

 

[Keiron]

I'd be very skeptical about an acoustic repellent. Happy to be wrong having hit 10+ roos over the years with varying degrees of vehicle damage. I agree with Bullet1 that wombats pose a much grater damage threat. Having hit one at at about 160 up near Khancoban it tore the entire passengers side front Wheel assembly/Axle and mudguard off my Monaro. Car was a complete right off between the impact damage and the subsequent departure into a national forest the hard way. I was very glad of the 7 point harness and roll cage I'd fitted months before... Yes I know young dumb and lead footed.

 

[garyjac]

Skepticism is fair enough when it is well placed and justified. Did you have, by any chance, such a device on any of the vehicles involved in these faunal collisions? There seems to be a degree of evidence in the field that these devices do work. While I have not had one on the car, I have had a "domestic" version in the front yard to keep cats/dogs away from the pond. It works. I pointed it directly at a dog once and it flicked its head and moved in the opposite direction, so I think they find it very annoying at least.

 

[gcgp]

Sounds like you got out of it lightly! Probably a Wallaby?

I think it was a kangaroo, it was big. By my estimate its head would have been above the roof of the S. Luckily it was skidding to a stop while I was swerving so the impact was glancing. It didn't even get stunned enough to stop hopping and was gone before I knew it.

Tesla Service called and recommended HHarvey Prestige here in Upper Coomera. But he made it clear that there are no officially recommended ones in the Gold Coast yet. I've had another car fixed by them before and they did a good job.

My father-in-law did tell me about the ShuRoo. I'll look into it as I live close enough to bush land and may even move well into bush land in the near future.

Still very drivable but the warning that parking assist is unavailable with its tone is starting to get annoying though.

 

[gcgp]

Wow! Hitting a kangaroo. I'm in Canada and I've been worried about hitting deer when I go up north.
Do people hit kangaroos often in ICE vehicles?

I do see a lot of road kill along the highway near me, mostly smaller ones, wallabys.

 

[gcgp]

Welcome to the RHC (roo hitters club). Your the 5th owner enrolled that I know of. I think its something to with the car being so quiet. If anyone else wants to join pl have a holiday on Kangaroo Island and drive after sunset. Guaranteed membership. Cant help you with repair people but I advise my car collided at less than 30ks & was hit only by the tail but was enough to set off the explosive struts that lift the bonnet. Am not getting it fixed will wait for the next RHC this time with Oak leaf.

Do I get a membership card or something? Ha ha