Model 3 crash....opinions

[RJKerp]

So this past Friday I was the creamed pretty good as a woman sailed through a red light. For a pretty violent crash, all 3 passengers (driver and two in the back seats) walked away without a scratch. Thank you Tesla!

I attached a YouTube link from the front facing camera and several pictures below.

Here's where I need some help. As you can see from the pics the damage is pretty isolated. What is the likelihood of this damage being able to be repaired versus totaling it out? I am so fearful that I won't get my same Joules back. Let me know what you guys/gals think, thanks!

 

[sperkin]

I almost hit someone like the person that hit you while I was driving down the 1 to key west. I wasn’t aware of the lights being hung in the center and so small because I always look at the side of the road for lights. Plus, the 1 looked like a freeway to me where there shouldn’t be any lights.

As soon as I got on the 1, I blew through a very late red light with my wife screaming. I saw the old lady (like your car) to my right sitting at the green light and watched me blow by. If she went at green, I would have hit her like it was your car.

This is a situation while I always use as an example for FSD. The old lady knew from experience some dumb drivers like me may run red lights at 55mph. In LA, I usually also wait a few seconds before leaving when the light turn green. Many red light runners in LA.

Anyway, hope you are fine and glad to know a Mode can take a 55-60mph hit and still look good.

 

[Adam3]

So sorry to see that! What did the other drive have to say?

 

[Tam]

...think...

Sorry for the bad luck but I am glad that you are OK.

By the way, don't forget to feel sorry for the cow who didn't to eat its meal in peace. It opened its mouth and dropped down it food. Poor cow!!!!

 

[acoste]

Sorry for the bad luck.

This seems like an expensive repair and if was mine I wouldn't want it repaired.

There is an aluminum "fender" behind the steel that needs to be replaced, but I suspect even the aluminum part under the trunk got bent. Plus left suspension.

Tesla Model 3's body structure is a strategic blend of aluminum and ultra high-strength steel

 

[RJKerp]

Sorry for the bad luck but I am glad that you are OK.

By the way, don't forget to feel sorry for the cow who didn't to eat its meal in peace. It opened its mouth and dropped down it food. Poor cow!!!!

I am so glad you noticed that! Made me laugh

 

[tvad]

In LA, I usually also wait a few seconds before leaving when the light turn green. Many red light runners in LA.

In LA, the colours of a traffic light have special meaning: green means go, yellow means go, and red means go faster.

But I digress. OP, good to know everyone is okay. Your car will get sorted.

 

[focher]

That swerve before impact, did you do that or did the car?

 

[famoruwa]

Glad to know you and your passengers are safe.

Even if it were fully repaired, there's a likelihood of it not driving the same (straight) due to the extent of frame/suspension damage. Perhaps it may be an opportunity to get into a new one.

 

[run-the-joules]

What is the likelihood of this damage being able to be repaired versus totaling it out? I am so fearful that I won't get my same Joules back. Let me know what you guys/gals think, thanks!

Generally speaking you'd be better off if it's totaled. No multi-month wait..

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Very glad you are ok. Lucky to get a hit in the rear quarter which allowed the car to spin and avoid some of the rapid energy dissipation. Very poor visibility heading into the intersection, as well.

1) It would be interesting to see the left repeater camera view, just to be able to judge the final impact velocity (can base it on motion per frame). I would guess a lot of braking got done by the offending party. Still a pretty hard hit but the spinning helped mitigate it.

2) If Florida were a TLF (Total Loss Formula) state, this would probably be a pretty easy total. But looks like they have an 80% threshold in Florida. So we’ll see. Depends on the type of Model 3, and prevailing body/paint labor rates. Hopefully there is significant hidden damage that drives the repair cost higher, and totals it.

I would think it will be at least $30k in damage, so it really does not make sense to repair it...but...silly laws...

Be sure to claim diminishment of value. That doesn’t count in the 80% formula, probably, but you definitely should get it!

3) How many airbags deployed in the Tesla?

 

[Garlan Garner]

So this past Friday I was the creamed pretty good as a woman sailed through a red light. For a pretty violent crash, all 3 passengers (driver and two in the back seats) walked away without a scratch. Thank you Tesla!

I attached a YouTube link from the front facing camera and several pictures below.

Here's where I need some help. As you can see from the pics the damage is pretty isolated. What is the likelihood of this damage being able to be repaired versus totaling it out? I am so fearful that I won't get my same Joules back. Let me know what you guys/gals think, thanks!

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I have recently learned from experience that there is absolutely no way of knowing if a car will be totaled or not from the exterior of an accident.

The major part of your accident doesn't appear to be body work. I'm interested in that rear wheel that is bent in. That looks like the costly part.

 

[Daniel in SD]

2) If Florida were a TLF (Total Loss Formula) state, this would probably be a pretty easy total. But looks like they have an 80% threshold in Florida. So we’ll see. Depends on the type of Model 3, and prevailing body/paint labor rates. Hopefully there is significant hidden damage that drives the repair cost higher, and totals it.

I would think it will be at least $30k in damage, so it really does not make sense to repair it...but...silly laws...

I think we may be interpreting that incorrectly. While in Florida the insurance company is required to total the car if damages exceed 80% of the value it sounds like they can choose to total it at any repair cost less than that too.

While total-loss thresholds may be mandated by state law, they rarely come into play. Even though insurers are required to total the cars that are over these thresholds, they can and do total many vehicles that are under the threshold.

Total-loss thresholds by state | CarInsurance.com

It certainly looks totaled to me if you go by total loss formula (repair cost) > (actual value - salvage value - rental car cost - diminished value).

 

[Garlan Garner]

Generally speaking you'd be better off if it's totaled. No multi-month wait..

All depends.

A total in my case would have lost me money in that I would have lost FSD and other non-mentionable amenities.

 

[Daniel in SD]

I have recently learned from experience that there is absolutely no way of knowing if a car will be totaled or not from the exterior of an accident.

The major part of your accident doesn't appear to be body work. I'm interested in that rear wheel that is bent in. That looks like the costly part.

Not so sure about that. I bet replacing the rear subframe and motor assembly is relatively cheap since it just bolts in. Damage to the rear quarter of the body is crazy expensive to fix because of all the welding and painting.

 

[Garlan Garner]

I think we may be interpreting that incorrectly. While in Florida the insurance company is required to total the car if damages exceed 80% of the value it sounds like they can choose to total it at any repair cost less than that too.

Total-loss thresholds by state | CarInsurance.com

It certainly looks totaled to me if you go by total loss formula (repair cost) > (actual value - salvage value - rental car cost - diminished value).

All depends. My car was totaled until I showed the insurance company my original Tesla invoice with FSD and EAP on it. It raised the value of my car to the point where it wasn't totaled anymore. Its fixed now.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

It certainly looks totaled to me if you go by total loss formula (repair cost) > (actual value - salvage value - rental car cost - diminished value).

I think we may be interpreting that incorrectly. While in Florida the insurance company is required to total the car if damages exceed 80% of the value it sounds like they can choose to total it at any repair cost less than that too.

Ah. That would make more sense! So it is a mandated total when cost of repairs exceed 80% of ACV...or something...

 

[Daniel in SD]

All depends. My car was totaled until I showed the insurance company my original Tesla invoice with FSD and EAP on it. It raised the value of my car to the point where it wasn't totaled anymore. Its fixed now.

Of course. That increased the ACV (actual cash value) of the vehicle and made it more expensive to total it.

 

[Garlan Garner]

Ah. That would make more sense! So it is a mandated total when cost of repairs exceed 80% of ACV...or something...

ACV of features is weighed in at 100%.

In other words - the cost of FSD doesn't depreciate over time as the car does.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

My car was totaled until I showed the insurance company my invoice with FSD and EAP on it. It raised the value of my car to the point where it wasn't totaled anymore. Its fixed now.

Yeah that would have raised the ACV sufficiently.

So I gather your repairs must have been...a lot. Can’t remember in that thread... $20k? But with the DOV and rental/storage/etc., total costs to insurer probably pushed over $40k?

The thing that made yours relatively easy to total is that the damage was super minor and the car just needed the tensioner done and the pyrofuse replaced (maybe not even that?) and it was good to drive. So salvage value was high!

Salvage value of the vehicle above is definitely a lot lower! Not drivable and probably needs a new rear motor and suspension - and perhaps a new battery -in addition to the other cosmetic things.


The more I think about the above, the easier it is to conceive that this could be a trivial total...