Hit&Run. Totaled or Repairable? A bad day for my P85D

[robby]

The door skins are $950 and $975 so they are not bad. The BIG his is doing a quarter panel which typically runs over $20K. Hopefully the passenger side is only doors or a front fender and NOT the rear quarter panel. If it is, you may want to try what I did which was selling "as is" thus allowing someone to get creative with the repair (non-certified shop) allowing them to get into the car much cheaper than normal while allowing you to recover as much as possible from the car.

BTW
Sorry to see that..... It makes me sad.

sthatche: On the more optimistic side, Holis Auto Body in Ashland (Tesla approved) is repairing my driver's side quarter panel, tail light and rear bumper for an estimated $10k. There are a few miscellaneous parts in there too. I know your visual damage is much more expansive than mine, but as lolchampcar implies, the labor on the quarter panel is enormous - they have to remove everything around it, spot weld a new one on, then paint it in place and blend everything around it.

Holis is highly reviewed on Yelp and the closest Tesla approved shop to Boston. I'm not an expert but based on what I've learned in this episode, I would wager it is fully repairable if there is no frame damage.

Very sorry to hear about your mishap. Hope you get it dealt with quickly.

 

[Kandiru]

We installed dual cameras in our Tesla for this very reason....oh, and for people who lie to police when they cause an accident!!

That is not lying, it is called having an accident in the USA, insurance companies give you the sticker with the "STAY CALM AND DO NOT ADMIT FAULT!", a segment of society lives off this
scam, and the ATLA of course pours tons of money in DC to make sure it is perpetuated to infinity.

OP sorry for your loss, I hope you somehow manage to keep your faith in mankind as a whole.

 

[ERP]

Very sorry to hear this. I'm surprised the white BMW was able to drive away after causing so much damage.

I would recommend posting the pictures and video in some of the larger BMW forums. Something like, "BMW 325 ci, Tesla and Mercedes damaged in hit and run by a white BMW - looking for help". Getting this information into the BMW crowd may lead to identification of the perpetrating vechicle.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

After watching that I am ordering another Blackvue Camera for our other Tesla. Can't believe they guy just drove away...

 

[dsm363]

Are there other stores or traffic cameras in the area maybe? Sorry to hear about this.

 

[Electricfan]

After watching that I am ordering another Blackvue Camera for our other Tesla. Can't believe they guy just drove away...

I'm getting a dashcam for mine also, but I doubt it will do any good, really. Does anybody have anecdotal evidence from personal history where a dashcam helped catch a bad guy? From the total lack of interest the cops showed the two times my home has been burglarized, I feel like if something like this happened to my car and I tried to give the cops the video, they'd just laugh at me. I want the video, just in case it helps. If nothing else I can post it everywhere and maybe somebody will identify the perp, but its a long shot.

I have dropcams in my house and one videoing the street in front of my house, so now if I'm burglarized again I should have video of the perps and their vehicle. It will be interesting to see if the cops use it.

 

[JohnSnowNW]

I'm getting a dashcam for mine also, but I doubt it will do any good, really. Does anybody have anecdotal evidence from personal history where a dashcam helped catch a bad guy? From the total lack of interest the cops showed the two times my home has been burglarized, I feel like if something like this happened to my car and I tried to give the cops the video, they'd just laugh at me. I want the video, just in case it helps. If nothing else I can post it everywhere and maybe somebody will identify the perp, but its a long shot.

I have dropcams in my house and one videoing the street in front of my house, so now if I'm burglarized again I should have video of the perps and their vehicle. It will be interesting to see if the cops use it.

A quick question about your burglaries. Did these occur before you had a Model S? I suppose one of your previous vehicles may have been similarly priced, of course.

This is something I've been a bit concerned about with reserving the Model X...that we may be opening ourselves up to some unwanted attention. I have a Samsung SmartCam at the moment, and will probably be installing another one before we take ownership of the X.

Anyway, just curious.



As to the OP, sorry to hear about this. I've, fortunately, only had one run-in with a hit and run driver so far in my driving career, and the damage was no where near as extensive as yours.

Assuming the vehicle wasn't stolen, or something, I'd have to think the perp will be found...that car is going to need some extensive repair work.

 

[Electricfan]

A quick question about your burglaries. Did these occur before you had a Model S? I suppose one of your previous vehicles may have been similarly priced, of course.

This is something I've been a bit concerned about with reserving the Model X...that we may be opening ourselves up to some unwanted attention. I have a Samsung SmartCam at the moment, and will probably be installing another one before we take ownership of the X.

Anyway, just curious.



As to the OP, sorry to hear about this. I've, fortunately, only had one run-in with a hit and run driver so far in my driving career, and the damage was no where near as extensive as yours.

Assuming the vehicle wasn't stolen, or something, I'd have to think the perp will be found...that car is going to need some extensive repair work.

The first one occurred in 2000 when I first moved in - was driving a 1985 Monte Carlo then. The second was a year ago and I did have a Model S then.

 

[yobigd20]

lots of damage along the entire side plus the axle looks snapped. i'd be very surprised if they attempt repair. looks totaled to me. i've seen tesla's declared "total loss" for much, much less.

 

[lolachampcar]

robby,
$10K for a quarter is a DEAL!!

 

[JPP]

I'm getting a dashcam for mine also, but I doubt it will do any good, really. Does anybody have anecdotal evidence from personal history where a dashcam helped catch a bad guy? From the total lack of interest the cops showed the two times my home has been burglarized, I feel like if something like this happened to my car and I tried to give the cops the video, they'd just laugh at me. I want the video, just in case it helps. If nothing else I can post it everywhere and maybe somebody will identify the perp, but its a long shot.

I have dropcams in my house and one videoing the street in front of my house, so now if I'm burglarized again I should have video of the perps and their vehicle. It will be interesting to see if the cops use it.

I have a dual front-rear dash cam in my S85. Hope I never need the data.

At home I have a DVR and several cameras (some outside). One outside camera is pointing to the street. A month ago an uphill neighbor had a burglary. We had a time window of about 90 minutes. Police in town have a few battery operated cameras on poles (basically used to shoot photos of wild game). They could ID a few vehicles that seemed out of place, and had license plate numbers. My system recorded a matching vehicle (make/model) driving up and then down our dead end street. Perps located and arrested.

 

[sthatche]

Robby - thanks for your feedback on your repair - it looks like such a small amount of damage to be 10k - but seems like rear parts are very expensive. I will see the appraisal process tomorrow and hopefully will know more in a few days.

- - - Updated - - -

I really have mixed feelings about whether I would want it totaled or not - but I believe a control arm for the passenger rear tire was definitely broken - not sure about the axle.

lots of damage along the entire side plus the axle looks snapped. i'd be very surprised if they attempt repair. looks totaled to me. i've seen tesla's declared "total loss" for much, much less.

I had also considered a dash cam although it seems as though the video demonstrates as much about it as a dash cam would have (but from a different angle).

 

[HankLloydRight]

The only thing a dashcam might have covered in addition would have been identifying a front plate (if the car had one) and maybe some limited info on the driver (gender, age, race, etc).

 

[sthatche]

update

I got a little more information from the accident as some left over BMW parts were left at the scene by the car that hit mine. I reached out to a contact and received the following:
"I heard back from my contact regarding the parts you recovered from the scene.
-The lower bumper grilles are from a 5-Series BMW, Model Years 2012-2015.
-The reflector came back as left rear and from the bumper of an older 3-Series BMW. I went back and reviewed the CBS video and that is one of the other vehicles damaged where you were parked. The convertible is missing the left rear reflector and bumper is hanging off some.
There are some other markings on the back of those two grilles which should indicate the date they were manufactured (looks like a clock pointing to a month with the year on either side of the arrow). I reattached those two images. The right side was manufactured in 7/14 and the left in 1/14. You may be able to use this to narrow your search a little more to either a 2014 assembled and sold after July or a 2015.
There could be one exception to this logic if one or both of these are replacement parts. For example if the OV is a 2012, 2013 where both lower grilles were replaced after the manufacturing dates or an older 2014 which had the right side replaced in 7/14 or later. However, I think this scenario is more unlikely and would focus first on 2014 and 2015 models.
I hope this helps you find the OV."

First, really shocking to watch the video: sorry to see such significant damage to your car.

Is there a way for the local/state police to review ALL registered BMW 4 door models, and have it checked it out that way.
Also, if you forward this video to all local BMW and higher level repair shops, they should be able to assist in identifying the model/year of the car, then the owner and then the driver.
They will be needing parts in order to repair the car at the very least (from BMW dealer).

It would also be good to show the video to your insurance company.
They have a huge vested interest in going after the responsible party(ies) and then identifying them to the police.

I don't know what the action that the state/local police can take (ticket?/impound the vehicle?) AFTER the perp is located.
Certainly, the driver of the white BMW knows someone will be out looking for them.

 

[CSFTN]

From that video - is that actual footage btw? -I can reliably say that is a 2013 or 2014 BMW 5 gran coupe, white, m-sport package. Unusual and very expensive car. Shouldn't be all that difficult to find every one registered in or near Boston.

 

[sthatche]

Yes that is the actual video of the event from a security camera. That is encouraging that you know the model details that well - what about it suggests the m-sport package?

From that video - is that actual footage btw? -I can reliably say that is a 2013 or 2014 BMW 5 gran coupe, white, m-sport package. Unusual and very expensive car. Shouldn't be all that difficult to find every one registered in or near Boston.

 

[LetsGoFast]

The M sport has several exterior differences. The most prominent is a ground effects skirt under the doors that I also think I see when it crosses behind the black car although I'm not nearly as good at recognizing them as CSFTN. I believe it also has different appearing tailpipes and air inlets. I'm confused about the "gran coupe" which I thought only applied to the 4 and 6 and that the 5 series was either the regular or the "gran turismo". If that is a gran turismo with the m sport package, it should indeed be a pretty rare car.

 

[Vexar]

Well, I agree that it was a white M series BMW. I have been traveling to Bedford weekly for work and saw a brown Model S in the area, probably near Concord. Browns are quite rare, and so I'm going to pretend I saw you and share that I feel the loss. I sincerely hope you can get it repaired.

 

[electrish]

It's terrible that they did this to your car!
I hope you catch the perp.
However, I don't think you are looking for an M5, I think it is a regular 5-series BMW:

The piece of front spoiler you found at the scene and the video footage matches a 5-series BMW, not the M5:

The video footage shows evidence of the signaling light in the front fender found in the 5-series, but not of the air intake in the M5.

Good luck!

 

[cgiGuy]

Zoom…. enhance!