Is this damaged justified for $16k?

[needhelp]

I had a test drive with Tesla and unfortunately bumped the rear while backing out the car from the parking spot. I didn't have an insurance at the time since I had a Tesla model 3 order in place and didn't have the car yet.

The damage was on the left rear of the car. Yet their bill included repairs to the front bumper cover, front hood and the cowl grill and many more. And they are billing me $16k. The whole process was handled unfairly.

What would be the typical cost of replacing the rear fender bender like this? or would this be quarter panel?
I'm trying to counter argue with the debt collector they are using. Thanks for the comments!

 

[jjrandorin]

There are holes in this story that dont make sense. "I didnt have insurance at the time because I have a car on order" doesnt make a lot of sense. You cant legally drive in CA without at least the state mandated insurance (which is liability, not collision). Your insurance would cover you in driving another vehicle.

When you go on a test drive, they normally check for drivers license and proof of insurance, just for the reason you are describing. Someone likely got fired because they didnt check for your insurance before letting you try to test drive the vehicle.

I wouldnt describe that damage as "bumped".

You are not showing any other pictures of the car, but from that one picture, I have no idea why the "front hood" would have been replaced, unless you also did damage you didnt take a picture of. Nevertheless, you were not supposed to be driving that car even on a test drive without valid insurance.

One more thing. There is nothing that anyone will post here related to this 1 picture you submitted talking about damage that is in the least bit relevant toward your discussions with whomever you are discussing costs with.

Even if everyone came here and said "absolutely unfair pricing!" that would not mean a thing in relation to your discussion with them over costs. Pointing to an internet thread and saying "this internet site says it should only be 5k!" wouldnt do anything. You need a lawyer, not a thread to discuss whether the pricing is fair or not.

You are in for a fairly tough life lesson there (if this is even a real post / thread, which will be shown by OP activity afterwards).

 

[stopcrazypp]

There are holes in this story that dont make sense. "I didnt have insurance at the time because I have a car on order" doesnt make a lot of sense. You cant legally drive in CA without at least the state mandated insurance (which is liability, not collision). Your insurance would cover you in driving another vehicle.

When you go on a test drive, they normally check for drivers license and proof of insurance, just for the reason you are describing. Someone likely got fired because they didnt check for your insurance before letting you try to test drive the vehicle.

Actually in California you don't need your own insurance or proof of insurance to test drive a car. Most dealers already have the required liability coverage for people who test drive a car (and copy of such is in the glovebox). However, just like minimum CA liability insurance policies, this does not cover the car you are driving (such coverage is not legally required), it covers whatever third party car you hit. So you remain potentially on the hook for any damage to the car you are test driving (usually they have you a sign a paper saying so).
Non-Owner Car Insurance in California: Everything You Need to Know

I wouldnt describe that damage as "bumped".

You are not showing any other pictures of the car, but from that one picture, I have no idea why the "front hood" would have been replaced, unless you also did damage you didnt take a picture of. Nevertheless, you were not supposed to be driving that car even on a test drive without valid insurance.

One more thing. There is nothing that anyone will post here related to this 1 picture you submitted talking about damage that is in the least bit relevant toward your discussions with whomever you are discussing costs with.

Even if everyone came here and said "absolutely unfair pricing!" that would not mean a thing in relation to your discussion with them over costs. Pointing to an internet thread and saying "this internet site says it should only be 5k!" wouldnt do anything. You need a lawyer, not a thread to discuss whether the pricing is fair or not.

You are in for a fairly tough life lesson there (if this is even a real post / thread, which will be shown by OP activity afterwards).

I agree with this part. Almost worthless to discuss here. People saying it was fair or unfair wouldn't really change anything. However if some people chime in about their own experiences or invoices, it might help to compare and contrast component/labor costs. However, OP would need to provide a lot more pictures and the invoice/estimate and more details (putting aside that you can't always judge damage from pictures).

 

[thesmokingman]

Replacing a rear quarter panel the proper way will run upwards of 10K alone.

 

[mswlogo]

Well I’ll take the OP’s word for it that he didn’t damage other parts of the car. All he is asking for is an assessment (opinion) for just the quarter panel.

Replacing just that quarter panel is expensive. Could easily cost well above $10K.

Maybe they are going for lost value and billing you for other damage. Because that is $5-$10k of lost value on top of the $10k+ repair.

 

[jeremymc7]

There’s reasons I have a massive umbrella policy above the well insured car and home policy’s.

I would have never driven a car without some sort of insurance. Not having insurance because you don’t currently owning a car and then going out and driving was just a bad call.

Cheapest thing might be to just buy the car and get the repairs done yourself. If you don’t like it than resell it.

The easiest thing is to just pony up for the mistake.

 

[mswlogo]

There’s reasons I have a massive umbrella policy above the well insured car and home policy’s.

I would have never driven a car without some sort of insurance. Not having insurance because you don’t currently owning a car and then going out and driving was just a bad call.

Cheapest thing might be to just buy the car and get the repairs done yourself. If you don’t like it than resell it.

The easiest thing is to just pony up for the mistake.

He never said he wouldn’t. He is just asking for an opinion on what he felt he damaged.

 

[jeremymc7]

He never said he wouldn’t. He is just asking for an opinion on what he felt he damaged.

Hence with everything they’re claim might be better off buying outright and getting it fix themselves. To either keep or sell it in the hot used market.

 

[mswlogo]

Hence with everything they’re claim might be better off buying outright and getting it fix themselves. To either keep or sell it in the hot used market.

They will just charge him list price plus $16K. And he’ll have a car with lost value.

I think Tesla is partly liable for not checking he was covered.

I’d offer to pay half.

 

[thesmokingman]

They will just charge him list price plus $16K. And he’ll have a car with lost value.

I think Tesla is partly liable for not checking he was covered.

I’d offer to pay half.

They're not liable, the one who crashed it is liable.

OP shouldn't have been driving w/o insurance if you wanna get technical. It's not legal to drive w/o insurance in any state.

 

[jeremymc7]

They will just charge him list price plus $16K. And he’ll have a car with lost value.

I think Tesla is partly liable for not checking he was covered.

I’d offer to pay half.

Why list plus $16k?

Just buy it with the damage at list. Do somewhere else to get the work done at a more resonance price. Keep or flip after.

 

[Gauss Guzzler]

Yeah, OP could have been plenty insured, just not with collision coverage - which is absolutely optional and not at all required/requested for test drives or anything else.

And the dealer has insurance, but only if the payment can't be collected from the OP for some reason.

I concur with @jeremymc7 - just buy the car, get it bondo'd up for $3K and then sell it. The used market is insane right now so you could conceivably do this for much less than Tesla's full factory authorized repair approach.

 

[Shelburne]

Replacing a rear quarter panel the proper way will run upwards of 10K alone.

I'm. not so sure about that. In October someone hit the front of my M3. 28 different parts had to be replace: the frunk lid, both headlight assemblies, both front fog lights, the entire front bumper and all sensors behind it, the crash cans behind the bumper, the left front quarter panel and various other small parts and painting. Total cost at a Tesla Authorized Collision center was just over $9200

 

[MikeyC]

The damage to the front seems suspicious if you know you didn't cause damage there, so I'd question them about that. But Teslas are notoriously expensive to repair WRT body work. I'm not at all surprised by $16k just for the back!

Mike

 

[mswlogo]

Why list plus $16k?

Just buy it with the damage at list. Do somewhere else to get the work done at a more resonance price. Keep or flip after.

Well first we don’t know if the work is done or started. Second how do you know what Tesla is charging isn’t reasonable. Like others said photo alone is $10K+ and supposedly other work needs to be done (regardless who damage the rest). Could cost more than $16k.

It’s totally ridiculous to buy it.

 

[mswlogo]

The damage to the front seems suspicious if you know you didn't cause damage there, so I'd question them about that.

Mike

what do you think he’s doing. He’s looking for a number for the damage he felt he did. So he isn’t blind sided when he approaches them.

 

[rpiotro]

...OP shouldn't have been driving w/o insurance if you wanna get technical. It's not legal to drive w/o insurance in any state.

Not true. Not required in New Hampshire. And until recently not in Wisconsin either. Both states had financial responsibility requirements in case of an accident. You would need to show you could cover damages or post a $25,000 bond. Not clear on what the consequences were of not complying. Probably the same as the insurance requirements of today. Little or none.

 

[mswlogo]

I'm. not so sure about that. In October someone hit the front of my M3. 28 different parts had to be replace: the frunk lid, both headlight assemblies, both front fog lights, the entire front bumper and all sensors behind it, the crash cans behind the bumper, the left front quarter panel and various other small parts and painting. Total cost at a Tesla Authorized Collision center was just over $9200

Fixing the front is nothing like doing the rear quarter panels. Front is all bolt on parts.

 

[MaskedRacerX]

The damage was on the left rear of the car. Yet their bill included repairs to the front bumper cover, front hood and the cowl grill and many more. And they are billing me $16k.

Insurance logistics aside, this is the part that makes zero sense. Maybe if you clarify what you hit, the damage to the front of the vehicle (with pics), etc., you might get better feedback.

 

[MikeyC]

what do you think he’s doing. He’s looking for a number for the damage he felt he did. So he isn’t blind sided when he approaches them.

How do you propose doing that with one picture, without an estimate from a body shop? Without an independent estimate, what I'm suggesting is to have Tesla show him the itemized bill, some of which is presumed to be the front of the vehicle. At a minimum, he can propose taking those line items off. About all the recourse he has unless he gets another body shop estimate.

Mike