I ran over a hard solid object on a winding road. Preliminary repair estimates are already $21k to have the high voltage battery replaced. Tesla service is telling me that they dont know if there are other yet-to-be discovered issues with the car, such as suspension, wheel alignment, etc. I would like to have the car declared a total loss as i wont trust that the car will ever be fully repaired. Any thoughts as to how i can work with the insurance company on this matter? What are other considerations i should know about?
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How can I encourage insurance to declare a total loss on my Model 3?
- Thread starter maryfibkins@gm
- Start date
Thats up to the insurance, not you. You have to hope that the body shop finds additional damage.
techzelle
Member
You would work with the repair shop, not the insurance company.
Total loss is determined by insurance company based on repair cost estimate vs car value.
Your goal is to get the quotes as high as possible by asking lots of questions about probable damage and get them to include that in quote.
Total loss is determined by insurance company based on repair cost estimate vs car value.
Your goal is to get the quotes as high as possible by asking lots of questions about probable damage and get them to include that in quote.
Thank you! Aside from wheel alignment, suspension, and body work, is there anything else i should ask of Tesla service?
HeatproofGenie
Member
Also consider you would be filing for diminished value after repair.
rpiotro
Active Member
This^^. But it might be tough when you are the cause of the damage. In other words, yes it was an accident but there is no one else to blame.
TomT
Technical Maven
By tough, I believe you mean “impossible.”
It’s not gonna happen. I took a bath on a deer accident; there’s nobody to blame and file the diminished value claim against.
TomT
Technical Maven
That's very much state by state dependent. Here in NJ, it's not an option. Your home state (Georgia) happens to have a strong diminished value law which permits it. This is not terribly common, unfortunately. I just had to take the loss. I suppose I could file a tax claim for unreimbursed casualty loss, as I sold the vehicle for much less than its value immediately prior to the accident, but that sure sounds like a nice way to have a discussion with the IRS ... and avoiding talking to the IRS is a personal goal of mine.
Another factor is how much they can get if they total your car and auction it off. I hit some road debris in my Alfa Romeo which tore up the underside causing $16K damage. The insurance company totaled it and I got over $30k. With no damage to the body panels or interior it was worth a lot for salvage.
Well, exactly. Each state has their own threshold for totaling a vehicle. I can say that my state (and many others) use a TLF - Total Loss Formula.
Here, in pseudo-code, it's:
if (Salvage_Value + Repair_Cost) > Book_Value; then
Write_Vehicle_Owner_A_Check(Book_Value);
else
Repair_Vehicle();
endif
In other words - if the salvage value and repair cost combined are worth more than the book value, they just pay you the book value, and sell the vehicle at auction to recoup expenses. Otherwise, they fix the thing.
With salvage values high, and repair costs high on a Tesla, it doesn't take a whole lot to total out a Model 3.
jrmt23
he/him/his
If they don't total it, you could go and sell it to Carvana, Vroom, Carmax, or etc. as soon as you get it back. Used prices even on high mileage Model 3s are still insane.
None of these companies will buy cars with damage records. It's one of the first things the AI looks at in coming up with a value. Carmax does a close physical inspection, and will knock you greatly for any paintwork, much less a whole replaced battery. The OP here doesn't trust it can be repaired, these companies aren't dumb and don't trust body shops more than the OP.
It's hard to have the dual goals of maximizing damage estimates while also keeping any of the damage off of a VIN report.
I will say that $21K in a battery on the car due to a hard solid object doesn't really worry me. The reason it's $21K is because the battery is one big item, professionally made and replaced by Tesla, which they do all the time. This is not like $21K in body/suspension damage, or having an engine out on a modern super complex ICE car. This is the kind of damage that would be $1K on another car, but just happens to be unlucky on a Tesla.
Given when the OP registered, there is a good chance this car is only 2 months old. No way an insurance company is totaling a $50K+ car over $21K in damage, even if that becomes $25K with some suspension parts.
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RED MDL3
Member
Perhaps it's regional. I sold my Tesla, nearly identical to yours, in Nor Cal last week and Carmax paid me $42k. Car did have FSD option...
Steve
Carmax != Carvana.
Carvana's AI valuation tool is very real time and dynamic, and can change hour over hour as this journalist found:
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23233283/shollister_211214_4989_0007_2.jpg)
www.theverge.com
Carvana's AI valuation tool is very real time and dynamic, and can change hour over hour as this journalist found:
A robot bought my seven-year-old car for more than I paid brand-new
At Carvana, the algorithm is king.
www.theverge.com
