Insurance question--need advice

[rj07]

Hi all, I do warn you, this is super minor.

In 15years of driving I've never gotten hit or had any citations/violations.. first time for everything I guess. I need advice on what to do. I'm a total newbie. I have insurance through tesla. My deductible is pretty high ($1000). I guess its the price I pay for being in the Bay Area and my monthly is $105 (I cheaped out). All other insurance companies quoted >$275/month.

I was parked in a parking lot. The guy behind me decided to back up all the way and hit my bumper. There is now a small, but deep scratch to the bumper. The guy left without leaving a note. I have the whole video on sentry.

I need advice/guidance on next steps.

Is it worth pursuing a claim with my own insurance? It is minor, but I hate knowing that scratch is there. There is a divot--you can run your finger in it and it is deeper than the surrounding paint. I assume my premiums would increase. Is the back bumper plastic? Has anyone had their rear bumper replaced totally by Tesla? Any costs associated? What can I expect?

Thanks all!

 

[RayK]

If you are relatively sure that it's only cosmetic damage, or in other words, nothing that has harmed the structure of your car, I'd skip going the insurance route and find a tube of touch up paint and apply it yourself. Unless you are super-anal about how your car looks, then the other option is to find a Tesla certified body shop and get a quote on what it would cost to professionally repaint the bumper. Actually, get at least two quotes. If it's more than your deductible and your policy has collision coverage, consider filing an insurance claim. You have video that proves it's not your fault that you can show to your insurance agent but that still might not be enough to keep your premiums from increasing. That's the chance you'll have to consider.

I don't have Tesla insurance so I don't know what they might do. I've had Allstate since I started driving (1973) and I pay $1012 for 6 months, or $169/month with a $500 collision deductible. I have three vehicles on my policy so I get a discount. Over the many years I've had them, I've probably filed 5 or 6 claims (collision - both my fault and not my fault and thefts) and have had several speeding tickets, some of which I've kept off my record with traffic school and others that have not.

Do you have the license plate of the car that hit yours? If so, and you file a claim with Tesla, you can give them a copy of the video and they might be able to go after the other driver's insurance to recoup some of the cost of the claim.

As far as what others have paid for repairing a Model 3 rear bumper, try looking through this:

site:teslamotorsclub.com rear bumper repair model 3 - Google Search

 

[rpiotro]

If you make a claim on your insurance it will show up on CarFux. Probably as totaled. Yeah, I'm bitter. Ask me why.

You need to weight the consequences versus your out of pocket costs to just pay for the repair.

 

[beachsideev]

if it is truly cosmetic, any decent body shop will be able to repair the bumper cover with a plastic welder and respray. It doesn't need to be a tesla certified shop. I had this done on my last m3 and the bumper ended up looking better than new.

edit:

I forgot to mention cost was about $1k.

 

[MikeRTX]

Horrible pic, so I can't tell anything about how serious it is. I would find a GOOD paint detailer (you might ask around at car dealerships around you to find one) - they all use them to touch up new and used vehicles.

Find one that will do your car as a side job and negotiate a price. I've had several oopsies fixed by detailers, and you absolutely cannot tell anything ever happened. Good ones use good paints and clear coat, usually applied with airbrush. Cost is usually about $150-200, depending on the degree of damage, but most won't take on jobs more serious than that. And yes, they can even use fillers for deep scratches if needed.

 

[ewoodrick]

Hi all, I do warn you, this is super minor.

In 15years of driving I've never gotten hit or had any citations/violations.. first time for everything I guess. I need advice on what to do. I'm a total newbie. I have insurance through tesla. My deductible is pretty high ($1000). I guess its the price I pay for being in the Bay Area and my monthly is $105 (I cheaped out). All other insurance companies quoted >$275/month.

I was parked in a parking lot. The guy behind me decided to back up all the way and hit my bumper. There is now a small, but deep scratch to the bumper. The guy left without leaving a note. I have the whole video on sentry.

I need advice/guidance on next steps.

Is it worth pursuing a claim with my own insurance? It is minor, but I hate knowing that scratch is there. There is a divot--you can run your finger in it and it is deeper than the surrounding paint. I assume my premiums would increase. Is the back bumper plastic? Has anyone had their rear bumper replaced totally by Tesla? Any costs associated? What can I expect?

Thanks all!

Don't even think about mentioning it to your insurance company. It's probably not going to be much more than your deductible anyway.
I really don't see anything, If it's in the plastic, first just try rubbing it out and cleaning it, maybe some polish.

Besides that, it's your first badge of honor, live with it, be proud of it.

 

[rj07]

Thanks all!