Model Y hit and run while parked - total loss or reparable?

[ScoobyDoo82]

Time to place an order for your next vehicle, whatever that will be. This one is done.

I agree. I’ve seen less damage cases get totaled. I would place an order for a new one ASAP. Did sentry happen to catch the offender? If you can locate the offending party it’s very likely that you can have their insurance (that’s if they have it) cover you in a rental Tesla while you wait for your new one. Demand that they put you in a comparable Tesla until your situation is resolved. You deserve it .

This is a very unlikely scenario, but hope it works out.

 

[BreatheEasier]

Seriously if this car is totaled, yours is totaled. Your insurance company is out of their mind if it isn't.

 

[NovaTech]

I'd say totaled as well. Looks like there is frame damage - and who knows what else once it's torn down.

 

[gmetcalf18]

This was 26k of damage and looks like A LOT less damage than yours, I’m not an insurance adjuster but I would be shocked if yours isn’t totaled. Super bummer man I hope you’re taken care of sooner than later, mine took almost 5 months to get back now that I have it back it’s almost as good as new but there’s some issues I’m not happy with, I wish I just was able to order a new one and wait for it.

 

[yerEVan]

To OP. If you take the route of ordering a new one, I would also go to your local delivery center and let the sales people know your situation and see if they can put you on a short list. They will call you if someone bails on a delivery and offer the car to you. Just an idea to possibly help you get back into a new one sooner.

 

[Ally17]

To OP. If you take the route of ordering a new one, I would also go to your local delivery center and let the sales people know your situation and see if they can put you on a short list. They will call you if someone bails on a delivery and offer the car to you. Just an idea to possibly help you get back into a new one sooner.

Good advice - thanks

 

[Ally17]

This was 26k of damage and looks like A LOT less damage than yours, I’m not an insurance adjuster but I would be shocked if yours isn’t totaled. Super bummer man I hope you’re taken care of sooner than later, mine took almost 5 months to get back now that I have it back it’s almost as good as new but there’s some issues I’m not happy with, I wish I just was able to order a new one and wait for it.

Ugh, sorry you had such a long wait. Glad it's in good condition since you waited so long!

 

[SteelClouds]

I'll bet its a total.. no insurance company wants to deal with the liability of battery damage, drive train damage etc. Virtually every EV falls into this camp now. My 2015 BMW i3 costs almost as much to insure as my Tesla.. the company said straight up that if I get hit even moderately hard, it's a total regardless of airbag deployment because of how it's built. My M3 Standard+ has some wriggle room because it's one motor. Hit in the back, it's a write off.. hit in the front, I have better odds of getting it fixed. My wife's Hybrid van is "cheaper" than either but not by much. Same reason. Too much tech and too much risk for the insurance company for anything other than a bent fender or door.

 

[Lucas007]

Suspension is hardly the problem as it's battery and electrics that is the big issue. The rear casting makes replacing the whole rear end possible. But if that battery is damaged, it's done.

Once the suspension is out of lined it wont matter how good or bad the battery and electronics are it will be totaled.

 

[EdgeM3LR]

My wife's Audi Q7 looked very similar after someone got too excited behind her and rammed her while she was at a dead stop. They totaled it, it only had 20k miles and was 2 yrs old, same story initial appraisal was $17k min car at the time worth around $39k. Once they opened it up they totaled it very quickly. All the sensors, tech, and structure damage add up quickly in new cars. These are not the steel beasts of the 80-90s that you can crash multiple times and just replace the bumper or other panels. Best of luck and hopefully your insurance is covering the rental you will need in the meantime.

 

[PlaidSpeed]

I know I just have to go through the insurance process on this, but still hoping to get some feedback as I don't have any idea what to look for to determine how damaged my car is, and I'm on pins and needles waiting on the process to play out. It's a 2022 long range Y, just had it since December. It was parked, and was hit by drunk driver almost four weeks ago. Initial appraisal - by my insurance company's appraiser - was only $13,500 in damage and repair time of five weeks. But, now that's it's finally getting a look by a Tesla certified repair shop, they've said that they've tallied $28,000 in damages before they even do the tear down. They are expecting to find more damage once that happens. They also said I'm looking at at least 4-6 months in repair time at least.

I wish I had taken more/better pictures, these are the only two I've got. Any guesses as to whether it will be a total loss? At this point, I'm hoping for one but since the car is so valuable, I'm not sure if it's a reasonable hope.

That looks like it may be totaled.

 

[Ally17]

A partial update. They did the teardown, and actually didn't find all that much more damage, so the cost of repair is around $29,000. (I do suspect this figure will creep up some when/if they actually do the repair, but the insurance company is going with $29k for its calculations, regardless.) But, they redid the salvage bid for the car, which had initially come back pretty low. With more concrete info about the cost of repair, the new salvage bid came back significantly higher. In Illinois, total loss is determined based on a formula: cost of repair + salvage value. If that's greater than the pre-crash value of the car, then the car is deemed a total loss. Since my insurance will pay for my car rental for the entire time of the repair, they will factor in the cost of paying for my car rental into the cost of repair, and with that included, it's getting close to the number needed for it to be totaled. The sticking point here is that they determined the value of the car to be quite a bit higher than the cost of buying a new Model Y, and that number can't be changed - so it may fall short of being deemed a total loss by a few thousand dollars. I'll post back once I get final word. Thanks for all of the comments and suggestions!

 

[NovaTech]

A partial update. They did the teardown, and actually didn't find all that much more damage, so the cost of repair is around $29,000. (I do suspect this figure will creep up some when/if they actually do the repair, but the insurance company is going with $29k for its calculations, regardless.) But, they redid the salvage bid for the car, which had initially come back pretty low. With more concrete info about the cost of repair, the new salvage bid came back significantly higher. In Illinois, total loss is determined based on a formula: cost of repair + salvage value. If that's greater than the pre-crash value of the car, then the car is deemed a total loss. Since my insurance will pay for my car rental for the entire time of the repair, they will factor in the cost of paying for my car rental into the cost of repair, and with that included, it's getting close to the number needed for it to be totaled. The sticking point here is that they determined the value of the car to be quite a bit higher than the cost of buying a new Model Y, and that number can't be changed - so it may fall short of being deemed a total loss by a few thousand dollars. I'll post back once I get final word. Thanks for all of the comments and suggestions!

Who is your insurer? I didn't see that mentioned in the prior posts. Is this your insurance paying for repairs, or the other individual's? As you know, your MY is going to be worth significantly less once repaired - regardless of how well its done - I hope they figure that in as well. If I were in your shoes, I would be all over my insurer to make sure the vehicle is totaled.

 

[Ally17]

Who is your insurer? I didn't see that mentioned in the prior posts. Is this your insurance paying for repairs, or the other individual's? As you know, your MY is going to be worth significantly less once repaired - regardless of how well its done - I hope they figure that in as well. If I were in your shoes, I would be all over my insurer to make sure the vehicle is totaled.

My insurance will pay for this, and I'm sure it will then file a subrogation claim against the other driver's insurance company to recoup its costs. My adjuster is very clear that I want it totaled - and it's going to be close. But it's a formula, and he can't make the call himself - it's going to someone above him to make the final determination. I think it's likely to fall short of the actual numbers by a few thousand dollars, and then it's just a matter of whether they want to try to make me happy by deeming it a total loss anyway.

My insurance won't figure in diminished value into its calculations - that will be something that the at-fault driver's insurance company will have to pay me. But, I can't make that claim until after my car is repaired, if, in fact, it's determined to be repairable.

 

[nate704]

one option is that you can get the maximum diminished value claim from the other party and sell the car as soon as you get it from the repair shop.

 

[Kairide]

With the way the car market is now, I wouldn't be pushing to get it totaled. It'll cost you more to buy a new Y and take 6+ months to receive it. The repairs though may take that much time, but still better than going through the hassle. Now a days any reputable collision center will repair just as good as new and if you get beyond the mental stigma, you'll forget the car was ever in an accident. Worse case, you get the car back and sell it for a good amount, even with the DV from the accident.
As @nate704 said, file DV claim with the other's insurance.

 

[father_of_6]

With the way the car market is now, I wouldn't be pushing to get it totaled

I disagree. It's true it might cost more and take a while, but I would also not want to keep the car with $30k in damage.

That number is likely to climb once they start working on it... every similar post I've read goes through the same steps. Repair quote is $29k, repairs end up costing $37k. You end up with a very highly repaired car for more then the price of new, and your car's history will show it.

 

[Kairide]

I disagree. It's true it might cost more and take a while, but I would also not want to keep the car with $30k in damage.

That number is likely to climb once they start working on it... every similar post I've read goes through the same steps. Repair quote is $29k, repairs end up costing $37k. You end up with a very highly repaired car for more then the price of new, and your car's history will show it.

That's fair, you have a right to disagree.
If the repair is done with new, OEM parts and by a reputable Tesla certified body shop, what is the issue? Other than the stigma of my car has been in an accident. The car will still maintain the manufacturer warranty, along with the warranty from the body shop for the repairs. Who knows, the repaired fit and finish may be better from the body shop than how it came from Tesla lol.

You end up with a very highly repaired car for more then the price of new, and your car's history will show it. - The OP won't be paying a single cent for the repairs. This is what DV claims are for.

 

[father_of_6]

You end up with a very highly repaired car for more then the price of new, and your car's history will show it. - The OP won't be paying a single cent for the repairs. This is what DV claims are for.

Fair enough. But it *could* take longer to have it repaired than to buy new, depending on what you're buying. Some people have posted about snagging inventory cars or performance trims in weeks instead of months.

 

[Undecided_2]

I had a 2015 Ford Explorer Sport and got hit from the back all the way to the front - all the air bags deployed. The cost of repairs was $33k (Original quote was $20k). The car was 6-months old with 3k miles and valued at $35k.

After several months I got it back and I couldn’t tell the difference, paint work was perfect and it drove perfect.

The biggest shock is when I did a vehicle check a couple of years later when I handed back the lease.

No history of an accident. Admittedly, perfect repairs but still. Such a hassle. I like @Kairide suggestion and probably something I would do. Order a new one and sell/trade the repaired one if I couldn’t get my mind settled.

Either way, I feel really bad for you @Ally17 Been there several times myself and it’s gut wrenching especially, when it’s a new car.