Model Y Repair Experience (Tesla Insurance)

[EVdrive]

Hi everyone, I was involved in a front-end collision in my 2021 Model Y this May. I thought I'd share my experience with Tesla Insurance and the repair process in case others find it interesting.

Google Drive w/ Photos & Videos: Tesla Crash Clips & Photos - Google Drive

Collision: A car darted into the highway in front of me, I swerved and succeeded in avoiding them, but they fled the scene. All of my airbags deployed and I walked away without injury. The Tesla was not drivable after the collision (seems like a software lock; was looking to adjust it for the tow truck but wasn't able to.)

The sentry cam resolution isn't sufficient to see their license plate number (though it's a 2001 - 2003 Ford Focus; if anyone knows one that was at Lake Tahoe during Memorial Day weekend, please lmk).

Tesla Insurance: Tesla outsources the administration of their insurance to Crawco. A representative from Crawco called me the day following the accident to confirm details of the collision and walk through next steps. Crawco took 11 days to send an appraiser to the tow yard to evaluate whether my vehicle was repairable or totalled, after which they deemed it repairable ($19k in estimated repairs).

Crawco advised that I can have my vehicle repaired at the body shop of my choice. The collision had occurred at Lake Tahoe, CA, but I live in San Francisco, CA, so I chose to have the vehicle towed to a local body shop for repairs (picked one with 5-star reviews on Yelp). I paid $1,500 for my Tesla to be towed from Tahoe --> Bay Area; Crawco reimbursed me 25% of this expense. They're reimbursing 100% of the repair cost for the vehicle, less my deductible.

Crawco offered a rental car through Enterprise with a $75/day max, and a total maximum of $2,250.

Repairs: My vehicle has been in the repair shop for a bit over a month and a half now, the biggest delay is due to receiving parts from Tesla. They placed part orders at all three Tesla Service Centers in the Bay Area; as-of today, they're still waiting on airbags (interestingly, they predicted that airbags would be the most difficult part to get back when the repairs began).

Lessons Learned:

1. If you need a car in the event of a collision, I'd purchase additional coverage for rentals. The rental coverage that Tesla Insurance / Crawco provide is minimal, and would not have lasted for the duration of this repair (I don't rely on a vehicle for my day-to-day, so I only used a few days of rental car for a road trip)
2. When determining your deductible, don't assume that collision expenses will be capped at the amount of your deductible. I needed to get myself home from my vacation to Tahoe and also needed to tow my car from Tahoe back to the Bay Area; these were out-of-pocket expenses)
3. Crawco's agents are fairly busy, it doesn't hurt to send multiple follow-up emails or call via phone to get things squared away
4. Tesla takes a very long time to send replacement parts to repair shops, it seems that multi-month repairs aren't uncommon.

 

[a2t2]

man that sucks. how fast were you going ? were you in the abs? hard to tell from video but seems like the other guy stopped half way out but i guess by then it was too late ? what you highlight here is yet another reason why Tesla is only ever going to be a boutique brand for at least 5 more years.

 

[EVdrive]

man that sucks. how fast were you going ? were you in the abs? hard to tell from video but seems like the other guy stopped half way out but i guess by then it was too late ? what you highlight here is yet another reason why Tesla is only ever going to be a boutique brand for at least 5 more years.

I'd guess 35-45mph, but it all happened so quick that I actually can't recall whether or not ABS triggered. I can't see any slowdown in the video which makes me wonder whether I actually slammed down on the brake or whether it's my mind playing tricks on me.

In hindsight it does look like the other driver stopped - I would've been better-off remaining in my lane and slamming on my brakes rather than impulsively swerving away. I imagine that Autopilot would have remained in its lane and applied the brakes once it saw the other car entering its lane.

 

[73Bruin]

The lack of availability of parts is hardly a problem unique to Tesla. The only accident that I was at fault on, was when I backed into the brand new black Mercedes of the townhouse opposite mine. Totally my fault, but it was parked in deep shade in a fire lane. I did less than $500 damage to my Prius. Meanwhile, the rear driver's side door and the rear quarter panel needed to be replaced. I can't remember how much the. damage was (over 12 years ago) but it took the body shop almost 2 months to get the parts. The rental replacement costs were very high, in the $3 to $5k range.

 

[a2t2]

No. Tesla repair costs and lead time are much higher than most other larger brands which is why you pay a lot more to insure a Tesla than other similar cost vehicles. How do I thumbs down someone on here lol

 

[Level 1]

which is why you pay a lot more to insure a Tesla than other similar cost vehicles

YMMV... We were cross-shopping EVs, and it surprised us how much cheaper the MY was to insure than the BMW i3.

 

[Teslitored]

Hi everyone, I was involved in a front-end collision in my 2021 Model Y this May. I thought I'd share my experience with Tesla Insurance and the repair process in case others find it interesting.

Google Drive w/ Photos & Videos: Tesla Crash Clips & Photos - Google Drive

Collision: A car darted into the highway in front of me, I swerved and succeeded in avoiding them, but they fled the scene. All of my airbags deployed and I walked away without injury. The Tesla was not drivable after the collision (seems like a software lock; was looking to adjust it for the tow truck but wasn't able to.)

The sentry cam resolution isn't sufficient to see their license plate number (though it's a 2001 - 2003 Ford Focus; if anyone knows one that was at Lake Tahoe during Memorial Day weekend, please lmk).

Tesla Insurance: Tesla outsources the administration of their insurance to Crawco. A representative from Crawco called me the day following the accident to confirm details of the collision and walk through next steps. Crawco took 11 days to send an appraiser to the tow yard to evaluate whether my vehicle was repairable or totalled, after which they deemed it repairable ($19k in estimated repairs).

Crawco advised that I can have my vehicle repaired at the body shop of my choice. The collision had occurred at Lake Tahoe, CA, but I live in San Francisco, CA, so I chose to have the vehicle towed to a local body shop for repairs (picked one with 5-star reviews on Yelp). I paid $1,500 for my Tesla to be towed from Tahoe --> Bay Area; Crawco reimbursed me 25% of this expense. They're reimbursing 100% of the repair cost for the vehicle, less my deductible.

Crawco offered a rental car through Enterprise with a $75/day max, and a total maximum of $2,250.

Repairs: My vehicle has been in the repair shop for a bit over a month and a half now, the biggest delay is due to receiving parts from Tesla. They placed part orders at all three Tesla Service Centers in the Bay Area; as-of today, they're still waiting on airbags (interestingly, they predicted that airbags would be the most difficult part to get back when the repairs began).

I'm sorry for your accident. Good that you are fine...

I thought that once the air bags are deployed, the vehicle is considered totaled....

 

[linux-works]

Repairs: My vehicle has been in the repair shop for a bit over a month and a half now, the biggest delay is due to receiving parts from Tesla. They placed part orders at all three Tesla Service Centers in the Bay Area; as-of today, they're still waiting on airbags (interestingly, they predicted that airbags would be the most difficult part to get back when the repairs began).

1. Tesla takes a very long time to send replacement parts to repair shops, it seems that multi-month repairs aren't uncommon.

again, I say that elon failed us, here. its the ceo's job to keep parts (etc) on hand so that repairs can be done in REASONABLE time.

he didn't see the lack of parts coming? why not? its actually not HARD if you have inventory and sales tracking tools.

in the decades that tesla has been around, they could have made more of the ecus and raw parts themselves and avoided being blocked by vendors. or pre-stock up on things that they know are long lead times.

also, it helps if you re-use parts and design components from other models. tesla usually does not do this and in fact, they go out of their way to keep adding more parts to their list, varying by model and even partial model year.

I worry about driving my car and I drive it a lot less than I would like to; for the sole reason that if I get into an accident (or even just something breaks) I do not want to go thru a multi week or multi month wait to get it fixed.

excusable in the early days; 100% no excuse for tesla in their current level of evolution, as a company. they FAIL on keeping parts on hand. complete fail; and I blame the lack of re-use as the main reason why.

 

[a2t2]

YMMV... We were cross-shopping EVs, and it surprised us how much cheaper the MY was to insure than the BMW i3.

I didnt look at I3 but I was more referencing comparable ICE vehicles .. since I3 is such a niche vehicle I could see them having same issue there.

Regarding parts availability Im sure that will eventually improve but you have to remember Tesla is just a boutique brand that only recently hit a huge streak in demand which has far outpaced their ability to keep up. Im sure they want to sell all the replacement parts they possibly can but right now given all the supply chain issues across the board on everything its just not possible. The world is an ugly place right now.

 

[Seminole]

The i3 has a lot of carbon fiber in its construction which can lead to higher costs. In the event of a serious accident you're much more likely to have to total the i3.

 

[iamnid]

My insurance bill went down with the Model Y as compared to the 2018 Audi Q5 that it replaced -- this was especially true when I changed from Geico to Tesla's insurance.

 

[a2t2]

my comment is more in general, ask insurance agents if tesla in general terms is more expensive to insure than comparable ICE vehicles and you will get the answer.

No idea if your level of insurance was comparable from geico to tesla comparing apples to apples ect ...

mine doubled going from a 911 to a model y performance and the 911 was about the most ridiculously expensive vehicle you could imagine to repair. I scraped the rear 1/4 panel at 1 mph and it cost $9K and took months to fix.

 

[nate704]

Just watched the video. The car was not even close to you and you could have just stopped and nothing happened. But everyone has different reaction level and abilities. So, you did the right thing since no one got hurt in the process.

 

[a.deodatus]

Wow, that sucks. Another lesson learned might actually be to just slam on the brakes instead of swerving. Hit the other driver and he is at fault and you can go after them for diminished value. Swerve, miss the other car completely and then crash and you might be ruled at fault for hitting other cars/objects and you can’t get a claim from your own insurance company for diminished value

 

[Young_0z]

Just watched the video. The car was not even close to you and you could have just stopped and nothing happened. But everyone has different reaction level and abilities. So, you did the right thing since no one got hurt in the process.

I second this. I don't think the white car was out far enough to trigger you to swerve to the right like that. I live in NY and I believe they would say speed played a factor on my end as to why I didn't slow down quick enough to avoid collision. I'm glad your ok and sucks that the repair took so long. Reading about your experience I can say I had the same when I got into an accident with my Model 3, it does take some time for SOME part to come from Tesla. I had to drive a whale (2020 Dodge Charger) for a month and a half... I hope you used an authorized Tesla repair center and hope your insurance don't take a hit with the renewal. Good luck!

 

[Hotrodder]

I was parked - charging at a WAWA, when the other driver backed across the parking lot into the charging station, destroying it, and in the process ripped the charging cable from the port and caused a fold and cut into the quarter panel. Video indicated that other car never applied brakes until contact with charger... sent it 4 feet off concrete base. Never reaally touched my car. Allstate was impossible to deal with, the adjuster approval took 6 weeks, New quarter panel and charging port to be replaced. Tesla had to send 2 quarter panels due to wrong part the first time, and a poorly constructed 2nd qp , where the body shop (Authorized Tesla and Allstate shop) had to get permission from Tesla to remove bracketry, unbond, reglue, reivet, weld, etc. to modify it to fit. Took 4 1/2months, and cost other Ins co $9,000 for the charge station, and $21,500 for repairs and replacement.
Instituting a Diminished Value claim to other Ins Co. for loss of value ( just starting the process, do not know the amount estimated).
Dropping Allstate due to terrible claim service. !!!!!
Will update with additonal information when available.

 

[OFFXON]

Hi everyone, I was involved in a front-end collision in my 2021 Model Y this May. I thought I'd share my experience with Tesla Insurance and the repair process in case others find it interesting.

Google Drive w/ Photos & Videos: Tesla Crash Clips & Photos - Google Drive

Collision: A car darted into the highway in front of me, I swerved and succeeded in avoiding them, but they fled the scene. All of my airbags deployed and I walked away without injury. The Tesla was not drivable after the collision (seems like a software lock; was looking to adjust it for the tow truck but wasn't able to.)

The sentry cam resolution isn't sufficient to see their license plate number (though it's a 2001 - 2003 Ford Focus; if anyone knows one that was at Lake Tahoe during Memorial Day weekend, please lmk).

Tesla Insurance: Tesla outsources the administration of their insurance to Crawco. A representative from Crawco called me the day following the accident to confirm details of the collision and walk through next steps. Crawco took 11 days to send an appraiser to the tow yard to evaluate whether my vehicle was repairable or totalled, after which they deemed it repairable ($19k in estimated repairs).

Crawco advised that I can have my vehicle repaired at the body shop of my choice. The collision had occurred at Lake Tahoe, CA, but I live in San Francisco, CA, so I chose to have the vehicle towed to a local body shop for repairs (picked one with 5-star reviews on Yelp). I paid $1,500 for my Tesla to be towed from Tahoe --> Bay Area; Crawco reimbursed me 25% of this expense. They're reimbursing 100% of the repair cost for the vehicle, less my deductible.

Crawco offered a rental car through Enterprise with a $75/day max, and a total maximum of $2,250.

Repairs: My vehicle has been in the repair shop for a bit over a month and a half now, the biggest delay is due to receiving parts from Tesla. They placed part orders at all three Tesla Service Centers in the Bay Area; as-of today, they're still waiting on airbags (interestingly, they predicted that airbags would be the most difficult part to get back when the repairs began).

Lessons Learned:

1. If you need a car in the event of a collision, I'd purchase additional coverage for rentals. The rental coverage that Tesla Insurance / Crawco provide is minimal, and would not have lasted for the duration of this repair (I don't rely on a vehicle for my day-to-day, so I only used a few days of rental car for a road trip)
2. When determining your deductible, don't assume that collision expenses will be capped at the amount of your deductible. I needed to get myself home from my vacation to Tahoe and also needed to tow my car from Tahoe back to the Bay Area; these were out-of-pocket expenses)
3. Crawco's agents are fairly busy, it doesn't hurt to send multiple follow-up emails or call via phone to get things squared away
4. Tesla takes a very long time to send replacement parts to repair shops, it seems that multi-month repairs aren't uncommon.

With regard to delay in parts supply, TESLA is the worst experience I have ever had. Have a 2016 S with all the extras. Was stopped at a light on July 3rd and was rear-ended by a Ford F150. Though the car was drivable there was a fair amount of body damage and broken sensors giving warnings. Not sure whether this posed additional risk so I didn't drive it except to leave it with the body shop on July 22. They ordered the parts (~$15k damage) within a week. Now TESLA keeps sending me updates showing everything has been delivered since 8/10 except for 1 rear quarter panel. No estimate on when or if that will ever occur and of course no one to talk to at TESLA. My insurance has paid the body shop and keeps asking me "how was my experience" just to rub it in.

I love my previously working car, but seriously would consider a different option on my next car due to this experience.

 

[EVdrive]

Sorry to hear about your experience OFFXON.

For anyone who might be looking at this post in the future, my vehicle is still in repairs (shop has had it for 3 months as-of this week). There's one final part remaining (not sure which one, I don't get emails from Tesla like many others seemingly do). A few weeks ago there were 3 parts remaining (Airbags, Headliner, and Radiator Support), which were seemingly the slowest to arrive.

I'll update the thread when I get my car back so that others have my datapoint for length of repair.

 

[ryneezy]

I'm glad you're safe @EVdrive!

I had a similar collision in July where someone T-boned my M3. Seems like people don't pay lot of attention at those intersections.

I was expecting a long wait at a certified Tesla Body shop but when they took the car apart, they discovered the battery was damaged and insurance totaled the car (44k of damage)

Now instead of waiting months for parts at a body shop, I'm waiting months for a MY.

 

[Level 1]

Now instead of waiting months for parts at a body shop, I'm waiting months for a MY.

I'd probably prefer that, to be honest - and with the way they are pulling orders forward right now, it might not be as long of a wait as you expect.