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MoeMistry
Former Vendor
Are they replacing rear 1/4 panel or repairing? Do you have invoice?
If repairing, I don't honestly see why it would cost $11K...that's a bit steep
If repairing, I don't honestly see why it would cost $11K...that's a bit steep
Based on the pics, here is the problem with the damage
1. It is in the narrow region between the rear door and rear wheel well. The problem is that trying to "push" the dents out from inside is likely going to be difficult because too close to reinforced seams and lack of access. I did have a dent at the rear door lower corner facing the wheel well and a paintless dent removal guy was able to get in there and get most of it out. Not perfect but most of it gone. The $11k quote likely involved changing the entire backend panel. The $1000 quote is probably closer to the type of repair I'll mention next.
2. You might ask local luxury car dealers where they take their lease returns to get it perfect for resale. I've discovered there are unknown little shops with very experience light body repair folks that do these kind of minor corrections for lower cost serving luxury dealers. I had a bunch of paint scrapes (no dents tho) taken out for $375 at a place like this. It was a single guy shop that has 25 years of experience doing this kind of repairs. His main business is minor body paint damages and scraped wheels and mainly servicing the local area luxury dealers.
1. It is in the narrow region between the rear door and rear wheel well. The problem is that trying to "push" the dents out from inside is likely going to be difficult because too close to reinforced seams and lack of access. I did have a dent at the rear door lower corner facing the wheel well and a paintless dent removal guy was able to get in there and get most of it out. Not perfect but most of it gone. The $11k quote likely involved changing the entire backend panel. The $1000 quote is probably closer to the type of repair I'll mention next.
2. You might ask local luxury car dealers where they take their lease returns to get it perfect for resale. I've discovered there are unknown little shops with very experience light body repair folks that do these kind of minor corrections for lower cost serving luxury dealers. I had a bunch of paint scrapes (no dents tho) taken out for $375 at a place like this. It was a single guy shop that has 25 years of experience doing this kind of repairs. His main business is minor body paint damages and scraped wheels and mainly servicing the local area luxury dealers.
That seems to be a fairly standard price for rear quarter panel damage at a Tesla-authorized shop, unfortunately. If it's anything more than paint damage, it seems they want to replace the panel. This may be Tesla policy, which authorized shops have to agree to, but I'm not certain. Removing and replacing that panel is labor-intensive, since it's welded on. So that's part of why the price is so high. Tesla-authorized shops seems to charge a lot more for labor, so that's the other part of the problem.
For example, when my quarter panel was damaged in a minor accident, the local Tesla-authorized shop quoted 22.5 hours of labor just for removing a replacing that one panel (not including paint work), and they charge something like twice the hourly labor rate of other local shops.
I'm not justifying it, just saying the shop may only be part of the problem.
Learned the hard way
I learned the hard way. A minor dent ( a pillar in the parking structure at less than 3 mph caused a minor dent) and when I went to get a quote for fixing the dent, the repair shop asked me to file an insurance claim and assured me that it would be taken care of (Hardly $600 of which $250 was deductible). Later when I went to trade my near new Lexus, the dealer told me that I was involved in an accident. When I disputed that, he said as long as I made an insurance claim, the claim would be considered by the insurance as an accident. I ended up losing over $2000 of trade-in value, trying to save $350!
My suggestions:
1. Ignore the dent/scratches and live with it.
2. Pay out of your pocket and get it fixed (at least to make it visually OK)
3. Pay as you had indicated in the OP and hopefully, your car will be OK for the rest of its life.
I learned the hard way. A minor dent ( a pillar in the parking structure at less than 3 mph caused a minor dent) and when I went to get a quote for fixing the dent, the repair shop asked me to file an insurance claim and assured me that it would be taken care of (Hardly $600 of which $250 was deductible). Later when I went to trade my near new Lexus, the dealer told me that I was involved in an accident. When I disputed that, he said as long as I made an insurance claim, the claim would be considered by the insurance as an accident. I ended up losing over $2000 of trade-in value, trying to save $350!
My suggestions:
1. Ignore the dent/scratches and live with it.
2. Pay out of your pocket and get it fixed (at least to make it visually OK)
3. Pay as you had indicated in the OP and hopefully, your car will be OK for the rest of its life.
Larry93428
Member
Just an observation; with a steel car you can judge the amount of Bondo using a magnet (or compass or stud finder) but with aluminum this is not possible.
Some of those dings can simply be filled up, you'd never know.
~Larry
Some of those dings can simply be filled up, you'd never know.
~Larry
islandbayy
Active Member
From my position, I cannot name and bash a competitor from a professional standpoint, which is why they are not named. As well as doing so opens me up to a lawsuit that I do not have time nor the desire to fight against.
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On another note
Was parked at Target last night getting diapers for my midgets..... Someone backed into my front pumper while in the store. Security cameras didn't catch it. Got my plastic bumper + the drivers side corner of my hood. Hood will be fine, Bent the corner slightly, I already was able to bend it back (using some un-usual methods, but worked perfectly). Managed to survive paint damage on the hood as my clear hood protection took the damage, thats scrapped up, but when I pealed it back, no paint damage underneath.
Plastic bumper---- slight crease, and scraped to hell. In a few spots paint scraped through, but I should be able to buff about 95% of the scrapes out..... Thankfully, I have a black car, and the plastic bumpers are black plastic. If I had any bright color car, I would be repainting....
ARGGGGG!!!!! Parking a mile away from everyone made absolutely no difference
From my position, I cannot name and bash a competitor from a professional standpoint, which is why they are not named. As well as doing so opens me up to a lawsuit that I do not have time nor the desire to fight against.
- - - Updated - - -
On another note
Hood will be fine, Bent the corner slightly, I already was able to bend it back (using some un-usual methods, but worked perfectly). Managed to survive paint damage on the hood as my clear hood protection took the damage, thats scrapped up, but when I pealed it back, no paint damage underneath.
Plastic bumper---- slight crease, and scraped to hell. In a few spots paint scraped through, but I should be able to buff about 95% of the scrapes out..... Thankfully, I have a black car, and the plastic bumpers are black plastic. If I had any bright color car, I would be repainting....
ARGGGGG!!!!! Parking a mile away from everyone made absolutely no difference
Years ago, I had just finished the show-quality restoration of a '57 Corvette, and decided to stop by Kmart to pick up a few things. I parked the thing WAAAY out in the parking lot, with not a single car anywhere near. As I was walking into the store, I turned back around (as so many of us car nuts will do) to take a look, and saw some idiot woman park RIGHT next to me. Her doors flew open as she & her rugrats piled out of the car and started walking towards the store. I immediately started back to my car, passing them and giving her an accusing look. I got back to my car & sure enough, a ding in my fresh paint! I ran back and caught up with her just inside the store, and told her she scratched my car... which of course she denied. I was furious, but there was nothing I could do. (30 years later, that still makes me mad!) Luckily, my painter was able to blend in the repair and it was unnoticeable. He didn't even charge me, which was nice.
Sorry for the tangent, but your parking lot story just made me recall my own experience.
And I agree with the crowd here. If repair costs are that high, insurance will skyrocket and these cars will be white elephants. Tesla... pay attention here!
(P.S., I had to laugh at the comment of some kid with a baseball bat could total a Tesla with 8 swings! Funny, but at those repair rates, very true!)
Rebel44
Member
I agree.
Significant increses in insurance premiums would be a problem for my plan to buy Model 3.
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Liz G
P03056
After the shovel incident I had:
* Hood replaced
* Parts of front bumper replaced
* Hood, fenders, bumper repainted
* Paint armor replaced
All for ~$6000
* Hood replaced
* Parts of front bumper replaced
* Hood, fenders, bumper repainted
* Paint armor replaced
All for ~$6000
Shovel incident? Is there a thread on that, somewhere? Anyway, looks like you were lucky in that all of the parts that needed to be replaced are easily replaced.
scott jones
Member
Probably already said... But replacing body panels is cheaper than fixing them on the model S and better, if possible.
i had both parts of the bumper replaced with the top part painted to match car. It was $1900. Really not bad with parts and labor.
Connan's in Indianapolis did it... The only certified Tesla body shop here, FYI!
Oh BTW, I was tapped from behind while cleaning off my windshield at a GAS station! That'll teach me. The lady thought she had her car in park. Maybe she thought D stood for " Don't go!" And P meant pass.
i had both parts of the bumper replaced with the top part painted to match car. It was $1900. Really not bad with parts and labor.
Connan's in Indianapolis did it... The only certified Tesla body shop here, FYI!
Oh BTW, I was tapped from behind while cleaning off my windshield at a GAS station! That'll teach me. The lady thought she had her car in park. Maybe she thought D stood for " Don't go!" And P meant pass.
May be we can have some kind of a rating system for the body shops based on area. Those with experience (or useful information) can post here, and that way, we can use that to pick where we want to go, if and when we need it (hopefully we won't). It will also be helpful for us to compare with the Tesla certified shops.
I am aware of two Tesla certified shops in the San Francisco Bay Area, but do not have any experience. Anyone?
I am aware of two Tesla certified shops in the San Francisco Bay Area, but do not have any experience. Anyone?
yeah really. somebody (not volunteering for it) should create a simple site to 'post your price gouging estimate here' from tesla certified shops. it'd be cool to see all the repair estimates in detail compared together with the parts and labor.
GoBlue88
Member
Good LORD. Yeah, that is a dishonest shop. I had my entire rear plastic bumper, with parking sensor spots, replaced at a Tesla certified shop in San Diego for about $2300. I can confirm that on the invoice, the price of the bumper from Tesla was around $900.
EDIT: it actually cost $850 before painting, as I noted in this thread: If anybody wants to know what a new rear bumper costs...
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I was going to say the same thing. I can't imagine what sort of repair would be more expensive than replacement, when it comes to a rear quarter panel. Replacing that panel, including paint and everything, seems to run $10k+, based on my own experience and multiple other experiences that I've read about on this board.
Sorry for extending the off-topic part, but that's definitely not a Sig Red. I own one and know what Sig Red looks like under many different lighting conditions, and that is not Sig Red.
There was a bad accident with a German Sig Red a few months ago and I felt really bad for the guy: Schade topic - Page 31 . But a few months later I saw a new (!) Sig Red ready for shipment to Germany at the Tilburg subassembly plant. So hopefully the owner was able to get a new one in this color (maybe it was painted along with Sigs for China, Japan or the UK).
scott jones
Member
Yea, Island Bay: I got mine replaced and repainted... upper and lower bumper parts for a total of $1,900. You were totally OVER quoted at $5,000. My shop does HIGH end luxury cars and is the only one authorized by Tesla in the state, so it's not like they are low priced.
