Make TSMR Model 2019 causing headaches with insurance

[anticowboyism]

Recently purchased a M3 SR+ in California. Tesla submitted the DMV registration paperwork as is usual practice. I added the vehicle to my insurance policy before delivery (Progressive). This week I received a letter from the underwriters at Progressive which said

Your state department of motor vehicles has let us know that its information does not match the following information from your policy: Year, Make, Model Vehicle Identification Number 2019 TESLA MODEL 3 XXXXXXXXXXXX

After lengthy calls with my insurance, and many chat sessions with Tesla, I have discovered the issue. The insurance companies all use the same 3rd party database to match VINs with Make and Model. Progressive matched my VIN to a Tesla Model 3 2019. The DMV paperwork that Tesla submitted states the Make as "TSMR", and the Model as simply "2019". These obviously do not match. The underwriters sent me the letter to make me aware of the discrepancy, and to warn that California may issue me fines, or even suspend driving privileges if they cannot match my vehicle to an insurance policy.

It seems the easiest solution is if Tesla supplied the DMV and the Insurers Database with the same information to ensure they always match.

I have started correspondence with Tesla regarding the issue and will update when I receive more info. Feel free to post here if you've also noticed the discrepancy or have had issues with insurance on your vehicle.

 

[OCR1]

My CA DMV registration also shows TSMR 2019. This is standard for Tesla Model 3’s. I have Amica and there were no issues getting coverage. It sounds like someone at Progressive is a little confused.

 

[SMAlset]

Do you have a copy of your Application for Registration of New Vehicle? I requested this from Tesla after I bought my car in September and they sent it to me via email. On my form Make is TESLA, Year Model - 2018; Body type - 4DR, Motive Power - Electric and the VIN is listed and correct. No where on my Application does it say "Model 3", this is designated in the VIN. When I got my annual Registration card from DMV it says:

Make - TSMR (means TeSla MotoRs Inc.) - Same is also reflected on my actual Certificate of Title.
Year Model is the same everywhere (2018 in my case). Again no where does it list the car as Model 3 btw.

So how does your TSMR and 2019 not match? Based on what you said, TSMR is correct. Year Model should be 2019 (that is what your car is, right?). Honestly I think this sounds like something at Progressive's end, not Tesla's or DMVs. I have State Farm and had no problems with the way Tesla had the Application filled out and sent into DMV and how State Farm looked it up in their system.

Only thing to double check would be the VIN listed by your insurance company against the car/paperwork. Maybe someone at Progressive typed the VIN number incorrectly? Here's a Teslarati article showing how to decode the VIN btw: Here's how you decode the Tesla Model 3 VIN "H" is 2017; they skip "I"; so 2018 would be "J"; and 2019 would be "K" for year. BTW the VIN year is the manufactured year not the year purchased, so if you bought the car in February 2019 but it was manufacturered in December 2018 it would be a 2018 year car and listed as J in the VIN not K. Could that be the issue? otherwise head scratcher and I'd start with your insurance company checking their paperwork. I believe it's their paperwork not matching the official documents.

 

[anticowboyism]

Honestly I think this sounds like something at Progressive's end,

Agree. When I spoke to Progressive, I suggested that the easiest way to resolve this would be to simply change my insurance docs to list the model as TSMR instead of Tesla. They said it was not their data to change, but a 3rd party database that was being used to generate the Tesla label. Perhaps everything is actually fine, and their underwriters just sent me the warning letter out of an overabundance of caution.

 

[SMAlset]

I'm sure some other Progressive Tesla owners will see this and let you know if they've had problems with their Model 3 getting insurance. Still think it's your agent's office because if the VIN matches then can't see it being anything else.

 

[alloverx]

Perhaps ask them to look up other Model3 they are insuring in CA and see what they look like.
Possibly their vendor made a recent change to their system/database?

 

[Mr X]

Tesla Insurance can only come soon enough...

 

[seejayzerozero]

So I just got this exact same email from Progressive too, all the way over in NJ. I just checked my registration and it looks like they put "TSM" for mine. Progressive of course puts Tesla so that's probably the mismatch.

Now the question is how do you get your DMV to change the make so it matches?

 

[anticowboyism]

My agent told me to just ignore the notice, as it's the VIN that matters. It seems its an auto-generated notification when there is any type of mismatch. But since the VINs match DMV records, that's what counts. Fingers crossed he's correct.

 

[SMAlset]

The two of you, both Progressive insureds, are the only ones I've seen with this issue here on the forum from the posts I've read. Given how many Model 3s have been sold out there and assuming the processing of title has all been done in the same way just find this rather puzzling. After reading your thread end of June I was wondering how this has turned out.