How bad is this damage to the rocker panel?

[happycarowner]

Hello, my car has some damage to one of the rocker panels due to highway debris. The body shop estimated that the full repair cost would be around 10k but offered to try fixing it cosmetically for much cheaper as the car is still safe to drive.

I asked if this was structural damage and they said it might be considered so by future buyers due to the way this part is attached to the vehicle. I am a bit concerned about resale value and was looking to hear thoughts from folks here on the best way to proceed with this situation.

 

[blackT3$!@]

Don't worry about resale value if you plan on driving it for years. I have a 21 3LR AWD with 65k miles on it. I plan on driving it to 500k miles. At that point the resale value will be low. If you plan on flipping your car soon with low miles, pay out of pocket and have it fixed. If you aren't flipping it, just have it fixed enough that the plastic and wires don't flap in the wind or catch on anything.

 

[ATPMSD]

fixing it cosmetically for much cheaper as the car is still safe to drive.

This seems like a reasonable option, just keep in mind you will likely not be able to file an insurance claim later.

I asked if this was structural damage and they said it might be considered so by future buyers

Dumb thing for a shop to say as this has nothing to do with a future buyer. Either it is structural damage or it isn‘t.

 

[happycarowner]

Don't worry about resale value if you plan on driving it for years. I have a 21 3LR AWD with 65k miles on it. I plan on driving it to 500k miles. At that point the resale value will be low. If you plan on flipping your car soon with low miles, pay out of pocket and have it fixed. If you aren't flipping it, just have it fixed enough that the plastic and wires don't flap in the wind or catch on anything.

That matches my gut feeling too, I was planning to hold on to it for a few more years at least so can leave it as is and deal with it afterwards if I have to. If it counts as frame damage, any cost I spend on repairs may not matter much anyways compared to the diminished value.

My other worry is battery damage but didn’t see any signs of it yet and the body shop says the car is safe.

 

[happycarowner]

This seems like a reasonable option, just keep in mind you will likely not be able to file an insurance claim later.



Dumb thing for a shop to say as this has nothing to do with a future buyer. Either it is structural damage or it isn‘t.

Thanks for the tip about the insurance claim! I'll probably just pay out of pocket if this becomes a problem later and if it adds enough to the resale value at that point.

TBH I wouldn't blame the body shop as this seems like a pretty fuzzy area and they were just answering my question on resale value impact. It sounded like it's technically damage to the structure because of the way these rocker panels are attached (I will confirm this with them afterwards), but not all buyers may care because the damage is mostly cosmetic and doesn't impact safety. Even the smaller Tesla center near my home said the car was safe to drive and I could just pull of the dangling part if it looked bad, and I have been driving it for a few months without any issues.

 

[Sukhshanti]

Just get some cheap side skirts and live with it

I had a similar damage on my last car, but mine was from being an idiot and jacking it up wrong

 

[afadeev]

Hello, my car has some damage to one of the rocker panels due to highway debris. The body shop estimated that the full repair cost would be around 10k but offered to try fixing it cosmetically for much cheaper as the car is still safe to drive.

That's not highway debris damage.
That is what happens when you (or someone to whom you loaned the car) drives onto and over a parking curb, or a pedestrian island.

I asked if this was structural damage and they said it might be considered so by future buyers due to the way this part is attached to the vehicle. I am a bit concerned about resale value and was looking to hear thoughts from folks here on the best way to proceed with this situation.

The rocket panel is made out of steel - tough, yet relatively easy to work with and bend back into shape. Most half-competent body shops should be able to work with metal to restore its shape (if yours doesn't - shop around), and install a new plastic trip over it. The whole job shouldn't cost more than $1K, not including Tesla plastic trip piece.
On the flip side, if you punctured the panel and water gets into it, that will lead to rust and bigger issues down the road. THEN it will become a structural issue!

I would fix that if it was my car.
For both cosmetic as well as future structural reasons.

YMMV,
a

 

[happycarowner]

That's not highway debris damage.
That is what happens when you (or someone to whom you loaned the car) drives onto and over a parking curb, or a pedestrian island.

This was at highway speed and the debris was heavy enough to blow out the wheel in front of it and require roadside assistance to come swap it out, so I'm pretty sure that's what caused it.

The rocket panel is made out of steel - tough, yet relatively easy to work with and bend back into shape. Most half-competent body shops should be able to work with metal to restore its shape (if yours doesn't - shop around), and install a new plastic trip over it. The whole job shouldn't cost more than $1K, not including Tesla plastic trip piece.
On the flip side, if you punctured the panel and water gets into it, that will lead to rust and bigger issues down the road. THEN it will become a structural issue!

I would fix that if it was my car.
For both cosmetic as well as future structural reasons.

This is very helpful to know, thanks! I'll try asking around to see if someone can fix the panel.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Hello, my car has some damage to one of the rocker panels due to highway debris. The body shop estimated that the full repair cost would be around 10k but offered to try fixing it cosmetically for much cheaper as the car is still safe to drive.

I asked if this was structural damage and they said it might be considered so by future buyers due to the way this part is attached to the vehicle. I am a bit concerned about resale value and was looking to hear thoughts from folks here on the best way to proceed with this situation.

If you look at the parts catalog, you will see the painted metal part of the rocker panel is structural (part of the side body panel). Replacing it as part of an official fix requires cutting out the original panel, and welding in a new one, which would be very expensive and likely affect your resale value a lot.
Parts Catalog

The plastic part is called rocker panel trim, and easily replaceable:
Parts Catalog

A cosmetic fix would hammer out the metal back into shape as best as possible. PDR (paintless dent repair) professionals will be the best at doing this, sometimes that is all that is needed.

If PDR can't fix it fully, body filler may be used as necessary, and then painting. Something similar to below (from a quick google):

Then depending on how damaged the rocker plastic is, you may be able to either glue it back or may have to replace it.

Note the Tesla service manual is free, in case you need to look up instructions on how to replace that rocker plastic:
Tesla Service

At minimum in the meantime, I would tape any holes/gaps with strong tape like gorilla tape, so no water and debris gets into it.

 

[happycarowner]

If you look at the parts catalog, you will see the painted metal part of the rocker panel is structural (part of the side body panel). Replacing it as part of an official fix requires cutting out the original panel, and welding in a new one, which would be very expensive and likely affect your resale value a lot.
Parts Catalog

The plastic part is called rocker panel trim, and easily replaceable:
Parts Catalog

A cosmetic fix would hammer out the metal back into shape as best as possible. PDR (paintless dent repair) professionals will be the best at doing this, sometimes that is all that is needed.

If PDR can't fix it fully, body filler may be used as necessary, and then painting. Something similar to below (from a quick google):

Then depending on how damaged the rocker plastic is, you may be able to either glue it back or may have to replace it.

Note the Tesla service manual is free, in case you need to look up instructions on how to replace that rocker plastic:
Tesla Service

At minimum in the meantime, I would tape any holes/gaps with strong tape like gorilla tape, so no water and debris gets into it.

The gorilla tape is a very nice idea, thank you! I'll make sure to do that if the body shop or PDR place doesn't already seal the gaps.