I had a car crash and freaking out regarding the next steps

[cerealzealot]

Hi everyone,

So the last few days have been hard for me because I'm looking for answers and the people from Tesla are not helping me at all.

On Sept 17th I had a car accident on the freeway (I hit a car in the rear, and not because I wasn't paying attention or speeding or not maintaining distance). Airbags went off, car started catching on fire. Me I'm fine. But the car is most probably totaled.

It was a Model 3 on a lease that I just got in June. I have the Tesla Insurance (as they force you to take it, full coverage). I called them as soon as I could, and they are on the case (but extremely unresponsive to my emails or questions, and they never pick up the phone).

Can anyone reassures me and tell me how does it work when you total a car you have on a lease? Tesla insurance is gonna give back money to Tesla directly? Will I get back my down payment or will Tesla just give me a new car directly? Or for whatever reason is there a case where I'm not going to get back anything, neither my down payment or a new car? (I'm freaking out thinking of this possibility).

This is my first car accident and I'm lost, please if someone can help me and reassures me a little bit.

 

[Booga]

Yes - they'll send the money owed to Tesla directly to them. I don't know about your deposit so I can't comment on that.

Have they assigned you a rental until this all sorted out? I would focus on the rental aspect and let other items occur at their own pace.

I'm very sorry about this and am glad you're okay. Out of curiosity... did your car catch fire, or the other? If the Tesla caught fire... did it look like it was the battery pack?

 

[UncertainTimes]

You won’t get down payment back, which is why it’s a bad idea to put a big down payment on a lease. A big down payment doesn’t change the amount you owe over the life of the lease and you lose it if you total the car soon after taking delivery.

 

[Daniel in SD]

Pictures!
All the fires that I've seen reported are from extreme collisions (like 70mph into a concrete wall).

 

[iwannam3]

Not quite understanding how you rear ended some one. (I hit a car in the rear, and not because I wasn't paying attention or speeding or not maintaining distance). Obviously you didn't maintain distance because you ended up an less than zero distance. How did the accident happen?

 

[bedoig]

I think the OP posted a different thread about this already. The car in front suddenly swerved revealing a stopped car that he/she couldn't avoid.

 

[fseir]

I think the OP posted a different thread about this already. The car in front suddenly swerved revealing a stopped car that he/she couldn't avoid.

Too bad, it sounds like radar didn’t save him in this case. Wonder if automatic emergency braking slowed the car before collision?

Glad you’re safe, OP. Sorry about the car.

 

[cerealzealot]

Pictures!
All the fires that I've seen reported are from extreme collisions (like 70mph into a concrete wall).

It was 70mph into a concrete wall. On the freeway at ~65, very fluid traffic, the pickup truck in front of me makes a sharp left to change lanes, I'm now in front of a completely stopped car. Autopilot braked as soon as it saw it, I braked even more, but 3 full white lines is not enough (plus my Tesla was heavy, we were 3 inside it with both trunk and frunk full of luggages).

I had a backpack with an external battery in it, in the frunk. Probably why it started catching fire.

 

[captanzuelo]

I think the OP posted a different thread about this already. The car in front suddenly swerved revealing a stopped car that he/she couldn't avoid.

Exactly how my first big scare happened when I was a new driver. Was cresting a hill and the car in front suddenly swerved to reveal a line of cars that were stopped downhill. Slammed on the brakes(no time to react with steering) and am very fortunate to have had ABS brakes that stopped me mere inches from the car in front. Learned never to follow too closely when I can't see whats two cars ahead. This is also when I learned that the emergency blinkers will self activate during an aggressive panic stopping event.

 

[cerealzealot]

You won’t get down payment back, which is why it’s a bad idea to put a big down payment on a lease. A big down payment doesn’t change the amount you owe over the life of the lease and you lose it if you total the car soon after taking delivery.

You are kidding

It doesn't make sense to me. The total amount I owe to Tesla for the lease was $16K. With the down payment it's $16K - down payment.

What will the insurance reimburse? How much the car is worth today, right? They will give this money back to Tesla, right? Tesla still has my down payment, I still have the lease contract, why wouldn't they give me a new car?

 

[cerealzealot]

Yes - they'll send the money owed to Tesla directly to them. I don't know about your deposit so I can't comment on that.

Have they assigned you a rental until this all sorted out? I would focus on the rental aspect and let other items occur at their own pace.

I'm very sorry about this and am glad you're okay. Out of curiosity... did your car catch fire, or the other? If the Tesla caught fire... did it look like it was the battery pack?

They offer me a rental but I'm honestly too concerned about this all thing I don't even want or care to drive until this is sorted out. Plus I'm just astonished by how bad the service is, it took them 4 days to call me back to actually hear my claim. They respond to me once every 48h by email, every time I call I fall into voicemail. It is infuriating.

I responded to your question about the fire just two posts above.

 

[MP3Mike]

What will the insurance reimburse? How much the car is worth today, right? They will give this money back to Tesla, right? Tesla still has my down payment, I still have the lease contract, why wouldn't they give me a new car?

Yes, the insurance will pay out how much the car is currently worth, most if not all of that to the leasing company. (Is Tesla your lease company?) That will end your lease, and unless you had gap insurance you may end up owing money to the leasing company as well.

What Do I Do if My Leased Car Is Totaled?
Your Leased Car is Totaled | KFG&H Law

 

[Daniel in SD]

It was 70mph into a concrete wall.

This is 70.8mph into a concrete barrier in a Model X. Anyway, glad everyone in your car is safe, that's the most important thing. The car looks totaled.

 

[cerealzealot]

Yes, the insurance will pay out how much the car is currently worth, most if not all of that to the leasing company. (Is Tesla your lease company?) That will end your lease, and unless you had gap insurance you may end up owing money to the leasing company as well.

Yes I leased it directly to Tesla. I didn't have the choice to add auto loan/lease gap on the Tesla Insurance (they pre-set it for you and I couldn't modify anything). But so, my down payment is really gone?

 

[cerealzealot]

This is 70.8mph into a concrete barrier in a Model X. Anyway, glad everyone in your car is safe, that's the most important thing. The car looks totaled.View attachment 593093

Yeah when I say concrete wall it's more like a metaphore, it was just a stopped car. Of course not as hard as a wall (plus it moves). And I started braking before too so I don't know I maybe hit it at 45 or something.

 

[AxlxA]

Yeah when I say concrete wall it's more like a metaphore, it was just a stopped car. Of course not as hard as a wall (plus it moves). And I started braking before too so I don't know I maybe hit it at 45 or something.

Was this in the first lane? I often experience these sudden stopped vehicles on lane #1. California.

 

[cgiGuy]

Glad you're ok. That's the main part.

I feel like this forum is going to only make you freak out more with its speculation. You need to go through (or have a lawyer go through) your lease contract and insurance policy with a fine tooth comb.

 

[cerealzealot]

Was this in the first lane? I often experience these sudden stopped vehicles on lane #1. California.

The lane just next to the car pool.

Glad you're ok. That's the main part.

I feel like this forum is going to only make you freak out more with its speculation. You need to go through (or have a lawyer go through) your lease contract and insurance policy with a fine tooth comb.

Problem is absolutely no one is responding, neither the person who is in charge of my case nor Tesla themselves.

 

[SlimJim]

You are kidding

It doesn't make sense to me. The total amount I owe to Tesla for the lease was $16K. With the down payment it's $16K - down payment.

What will the insurance reimburse? How much the car is worth today, right? They will give this money back to Tesla, right? Tesla still has my down payment, I still have the lease contract, why wouldn't they give me a new car?

Suppose Person A leased the same car with $16K down and the monthly payment x remaining lease term = $5000.
If the car was totaled and the person is entitled to the down payment of $16K, Tesla insurance will give Tesla $5000 and totaled car.

Suppose Person B leased the same car with $100 down and the monthly payment x remaining lease term = $20000.
If the person is entitled to $100, Tesla insurance will give Tesla $20000 and the totaled car.

If what you are saying is what should happen, what Tesla receives in case of totaled accident will depend on the amount of down payment.
And I would put the entire amount in down payment just in case I total the car, which I will make sure I total it before the lease ends because I will get all the money back.

That's not how it works.

Leasing will cost Person A and Person B the same amount over the lease term.
If you put a large down payment, it will only decrease the monthly payment.

 

[mongo]

This is 70.8mph into a concrete barrier in a Model X. Anyway, glad everyone in your car is safe, that's the most important thing. The car looks totaled.View attachment 593093

Into a previously collapsed attenuator, you mean...