Is it totaled?

[TheWalkingDad]

So the unthinkable happened today and my model 3 ran into a ditch and hit some things. Thankfully my partner is ok but the process to find out whether or the car will be repaired or totaled begins. I'm pretty bummed about the whole thing cause I know you can't get the LR RWD model anymore and man I really loved this car.

It didn't look so bad at first but after viewing it from far away, it looks like the right rear axle had shifted maybe 5 inches from where it was supposed to be. There were minor damages to the front and the bottom probably had some bad damage but it seems functionally everything inside was fine. I did scroll thru the alerts but tbh i have no idea if this is good or bad.

Did some searching and found Kenwood Auto Body in Rockville and am probably going to get it towed there. Wondering if anyone has any experience with collision repairs in this area (Gaithersburg / Rockville, MD) and can provide some recommendations.

Not sure how insurance companies factor in value from Ceramic Coating / Full-Self Driving / Brand new tires so i'll probably be in for a fight if i were to request it totaled. I would also be concerned if there were any long term issues resulting from a significant repair.

Any feedback would be awesome.

 

[mazers]

My 2018 LR RWD was hit a little over a year ago and I took it to Owings Mills Collision Center, which Tesla recommended. They did a great job and my car was totaled. If your frame is bent yours may be totaled also. I was hit in the rear drivers side so there was charge port damage also. If I were you, I'd try to get it totaled as a car with that much damage will never be the same. I was able to recoup money for EAP and FSD from the insurance company. If the accident was someone else's fault, then I'd also go for a diminished value claim. I ended up getting the exact same Model 3, but AWD this time and could not be happier.

 

[ODWms]

I could be mistaken, but I believe the RWD configuration can still be ordered off menu. If not, I think you’ll find the AWD Dual Motor variant a significant upgrade. Either way, they’re excellent cars.

 

[OCR1]

Tesla will not build a LR RWD car, not even off menu.

 

[boiler81]

Sorry for your accident, but glad the car kept everyone safe. If I had to guess from the images, I'd think it would be economically repairable (rather than totaled).

As a matter of interest, was "Autopilot" or "Lane Departure Avoidance" active? I know it's easy to "drift" out the lane at speed if distracted.

Hope things work out for you on this, but if you must repurchase, you won't be disappointed in the Dual Motor.

 

[TheWalkingDad]

Sadly no autopilot. Had autopilot been on, this wouldn't have happened. Partner took her eyes off the road for a split second and bam, into the ditch it went. Initial eyeball estimates are around $18,000. I think FMV is around $34-36k? They never value FSD, barely changed when I clicked car had EAP / FSD. Really sad.

 

[Needsdecaf]

Depends on your insurance. Mine (USAA) sets total value at 70% of FMV. FMV valuation was pretty much set using selling prices of comparable vehicles listed on cars.com, not KBB, black book, or auction value. Full retail.

I'd give you about 50/50 chance of it being totaled, maybe less.

 

[KenC]

Sorry for your accident, but glad the car kept everyone safe. If I had to guess from the images, I'd think it would be economically repairable (rather than totaled).

As a matter of interest, was "Autopilot" or "Lane Departure Avoidance" active? I know it's easy to "drift" out the lane at speed if distracted.

Hope things work out for you on this, but if you must repurchase, you won't be disappointed in the Dual Motor.

Looking at the last pic, assuming that the car is not far from where it went off, EAP/FSD won't let you drive more than 5mph above the speed limit, and with that clear a white line marking the side of the lane, I would think it would be hard for the car to "drift" out of the lane.

 

[boiler81]

Again sorry about the accident, and thanks for reply.

Do you know if "Lane Departure Avoidance" was active.

P.S. Tesla has a good inventory of used M3's in my area, including LRRWD. Something to consider if yours is totaled.

 

[TheWalkingDad]

Again sorry about the accident, and thanks for reply.

Do you know if "Lane Departure Avoidance" was active.

P.S. Tesla has a good inventory of used M3's in my area, including LRRWD. Something to consider if yours is totaled.

It was active as an alert i don't think it was set to auto correct from lane departure by nudging... Unfortunately I'm not near the car to check what setting it was on.

The curve was sudden not gradual so car may have driven right thru it.

 

[boiler81]

It was active as an alert i don't think it was set to auto correct from lane departure by nudging

My better half won't drive my Model 3 because all the alerts and steering corrections scare her. However, I have all the safety features active and I haven't regretted it. Now matter how much driving experience you have, sooner or later you'll have an attention lapse at the wrong time.
Thank Tesla for lane keeping, TACC, and collision avoidance braking!

 

[TheWalkingDad]

Well this was a surprise. Insurance deems it a total loss. In talking with the shop, they said repairs were only around $18k. Insurance says repairs that exceed 70% FMV was the criteria. Now I'll have to fight for the total amount... There isn't any way the FMV is less than $27k for this car!

 

[eisenb11]

Well this was a surprise. Insurance deems it a total loss. In talking with the shop, they said repairs were only around $18k. Insurance says repairs that exceed 70% FMV was the criteria. Now I'll have to fight for the total amount... There isn't any way the FMV is less than $27k for this car!

Per KBB, your trade in value would be around $34-35k so it should be within the repairable zone.

 

[TheWalkingDad]

Ok Insurance company says their appraiser came up with $34k in repairs. This is pretty shocking. Not sure where there is a wide disconnect. So it will be totaled.

 

[XLR82XS]

I had a Tesla with ZERO body damage that was totaled. Subframe and battery dent.

 

[JayNJ]

The body shop estimate is always low. They can't give an accurate estimate until they start taking everything apart. So they only estimate what can be seen and verified while assembled. The adjuster probably knows from previous similar accidents and repairs the true cost.

 

[jjrandorin]

The body shop estimate is always low. They can't give an accurate estimate until they start taking everything apart. So they only estimate what can be seen and verified while assembled. The adjuster probably knows from previous similar accidents and repairs the true cost.

The body shop also has a financial interest in bidding low enough to get approval to start repairing it. If they can get approval, then when (not iff) they find more damage and have to increase the repair costs, they get paid more.

I agree that the adjuster likely has dealt with similar damage and is applying their knowledge to the repair process.

 

[Phlier]

Ok Insurance company says their appraiser came up with $34k in repairs. This is pretty shocking. Not sure where there is a wide disconnect. So it will be totaled.

The problem is that pictures don't tell the whole story... you're only looking at the very last layer of the onion. IME, there is *always* additional damage (additional costs) found once the body shop starts to tear the vehicle down. Damage that you never would have seen from the outside is revealed once you start peeling back the layers. And in an unhappy twist of fate, the general rule is the deeper down you have to go to get to the damage, the more expensive it's going to get.

When you look at a broken arm, it might look red and a bit swollen. The real damage isn't found until the x-ray is done. The same is true with cars... pictures of the damage are generally worthless in determining damage cost estimates.

Don't just accept what the insurance says at face value. Fight them on it. When working with insurance companies, the old adage about the squeaky wheel gets the grease really applies. If they're just not moving on their valuation, and you don't think it's fair, continue to escalate until you get the desired result. Sometimes, stating that you'll be contacting your state's insurance regulatory agency will sometimes yield results, and you may even consider an initial consultation with an attorney. Keep in mind that the insurance company's job is to pay you the very minimum amount of money that you'll accept; don't accept anything that doesn't make you whole (within reason).