Model S (70 RWD Coil Spring Suspension) flooded in my garage on August 27 in Houston. I thought I'd share details about my experience thus far that may be of interest to the community.
The car ultimately sat in about 22 inches of water (measured from ground), probably 21 near the front and 23 near the back due to incline of garage.
The car became incapacitated when the water level was barely at the front door sills (roughly 6 or 7 inches of water from ground). While trying to move the car I got a warning message about the 12v battery and the car would not shift from Park. At this point I could still open and close the doors as normal.
When the water got higher, somewhere between 10 and 15 inches from ground, the car appeared to go into "Shutdown Mode". A horn like alarm sounded for a while and the car popped into front and rear hatch. Note: The Front Trunk was partially popped open but I couldn't open it fully. The rear hatch was fully unlocked.
When the water rose to its peak level of approx 22 inches from the ground, it stayed near that level for quite a while - about 18 hours before any significant receding of water.
At this point the car was completely unresponsive and my only entry was thru the rear hatch. To enter the rest of the car (aside from breaking window), I would have had to crawl through the hatch - then somehow undo 2 child car seats in order to lower the rear seat rest, then manually unlock the rear passenger doors (via the emergency wire since Child Safety lock was active) or through front doors. Of course while navigating through a dark, wet, and very dirty warm cabin.
In the process of cleaning out my garage and cars the next day, I accidental closed the rear hatch partially and it latched so I could not get back in. (Yes, I felt like an idiot).
Three days after the flood occurred I was able to get a Tesla Roadside Assistance guy to come by and open the driver door manually (Cost $195). From there we opened all the doors and began cleaning. Note: Since the windows cannot lower themselves they get pushed by the chrome trim and won't close as normal subsequently. The windows remain outside the upper chrome trim if you close the door.
I don't think I can open the glovebox or front trunk as they remain locked.
The lower portion of the back trunk held water like a bath tub. Three days after flood it was full of water. See picture of stuff floating in there.
I'm writing this post four days after the flooding event. There is currently no place to send/service the car. The Tesla Service centers remain closed (There are two in Houston). One of the authorized body shops said they'll let Tesla owners store flooded cars with them but they'll just send them to Tesla when they reopen. Frankly not a big deal for me since I suspect my car is a lost cause, but perhaps frustrating for an owner whose car barely flooded.
Just to be clear, I am in no way complaining about my experience here. But I thought some might be interested in what happens when a Model S is exposed to water, and some of the situations an owner with a flooded car may encounter.
Note: I don't have a good picture of full 22 inch submersion since the power went out and the garage was dark at that point.
Assuming this car is totaled there is no doubt we'll be getting at least one more Tesla (I suspect my other car is totaled as well). Either another Model S, Model 3, or both. I sent Elon Musk a message already requesting Expedited Delivery of Model 3s for Reservation Holders with flooded cars. Also, my house and family are fine - just the garage flooded. I feel very lucky.
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Ever hear about a bitch named Sandy?
