Need Advice on allstate declaring my bumper/panel damage totaled!

[wrysys]

My 90 was hit while parked. The guy left a note but his Allstate insurance says the estimate from my shop (Brooks motors in nor cal) of 20k means it is totalled. See my pics. It is ugly but it still drives and charges and trunk opens. And most of all it has FUSP. So the Allstate guy says he will send an estimate of what he thinks the car is worth. At most they have offered is 4k. I have amica insurance but havent moved on a claim with them thinking going 3rd party with Allstate would take care of it. Guess i was naive. So should i find another shop who can give a lower estimate? Dont know of any such place and brooks did a great job on a prior accident my wife had. Just file a claim with my insurance? Advice appreciated. My 90 has been working like a champ and dont want to give it up, but i guess its age is starting to be an issue and this could be more than 20k according to the shop

 

[Scubamikey]

my y was hit kind of the same.. the drivers back wheel was pointed a little inward at the front had it towed to a cert. tesla repair show.. when then pulled it apart they showed me cracks in the frame/uni body ? the service writer told me ya it could be fix but it would be months of waiting.. and he wouldn't want to put his family in it.. i would find a shop.. and have them tear it down and really see what its going to cost.. my y was totaled it was just 7 months and just under 3000 miles.. miss that car it was great..

 

[E90alex]

It’s like a $25-30k max car. Any repair close to 50% or more of its value will be totaled.

You can buy it back after it’s totaled and just drive it as is but it will be branded salvaged. Or get it repaired half-assedly just so it looks better. Keep in mind Tesla may strip supercharging capability from it once they find out it’s totaled/salvaged.

FYI you can currently transfer unlimited supercharging to a new car if delivered before 3/31. But you’ll have to make sure you take delivery and transfer the supercharging before the insurance company takes possession of it and declares it totaled. Which means you’ll probably have to buy an inventory car ASAP.

I would not involve your own insurance because even if it’s not an at fault claim they can still increase your rates.

 

[Skavatar]

what kind of repairs are we talking about? if there's any damage to the motor or battery pack it is totaled.

if there's slight damage to that suspension, maybe $1,000 + body work.

if its purely body/cosmetic, then ask for a cheaper quote from another shop and take the cash from the insurance company and wrap it up with some duct tape.

20K won't even get you a base LE toyota corolla which are going for over $24K.

 

[sorka]

Despite Brooks being the absolute best Tesla body shop on the Planet, they're also one of the least expensive. You won't find a cheaper estimate but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try.

 

[sorka]

It’s like a $25-30k max car. Any repair close to 50% or more of its value will be totaled.

You can buy it back after it’s totaled and just drive it as is but it will be branded salvaged. Or get it repaired half-assedly just so it looks better. Keep in mind Tesla may strip supercharging capability from it once they find out it’s totaled/salvaged.

FYI you can currently transfer unlimited supercharging to a new car if delivered before 3/31. But you’ll have to make sure you take delivery and transfer the supercharging before the insurance company takes possession of it and declares it totaled. Which means you’ll probably have to buy an inventory car ASAP.

I would not involve your own insurance because even if it’s not an at fault claim they can still increase your rates.

This is exactly what I'd do. Buy a new S, transfer the FUSC SC01, then let the insurance company declare it a total loss. Don't let them do so before you transfer SC01 which will turn into SC05.

 

[brainhouston]

Many don't realize that S/X are full aluminum body
So even if any panel damage is small u can't 'officially' pull it out n fill, need to replace the whole panel n thats a lot of hours/labor..
fixing half-assedly is possible i believe but good luck asking any shop to do it

as far as i know Tesla won't strip FUSC due to salvage but they will disable it in the car until u pass HV inspection

 

[sorka]

Many don't realize that S/X are full aluminum body
So even if any panel damage is small u can't 'officially' pull it out n fill, need to replace the whole panel n thats a lot of hours/labor..
fixing half-assedly is possible i believe but good luck asking any shop to do it

as far as i know Tesla won't strip FUSC due to salvage but they will disable it in the car until u pass HV inspection

Passing the "Salvaged-Titled Vehicle Fast Charging Safety Inspection", which costs about $800 if there are no issues found, will restore supercharging ability but does NOT restore SC01 or SC05 i.e. it turns into pay as you go.

 

[gbailey]

I’d thoroughly advise contacting these people Collision Safety Consultants - LOCATION FINDER
It’s in Allstates interest to pay out as little as possible and you will either want to get your car repaired or get fair value so you can get into an equivalent car. The FUSC is also worth something and these people will help you get what your car is worth. They’ve helped others in my Tesla Club on a fixed fee basis so i’d reach out to them.

 

[brainhouston]

but does NOT restore SC01 or SC05 i.e. it turns into pay as you go.

how sure are u about it?
cause i've seen few posts claiming that SC01 stays..
i'll test it out myself soon also (fixing S rn, app/web says its sc01)

 

[wrysys]

I learned about the transfer of FUSC to a new tesla and was eager to hear more, but just read a story on the forum of tesla reneging on the deal. Have others successfully done this? i would need to take delivery of a new tesla in a month, so it seems like there is a good chance it woul not work out. Plus the website from tesla says terms can be rescinded any time. Tesla has become more skeezy by the year. For me the FUSC is the key reason to keep the car as it still drives fine.

 

[sorka]

I learned about the transfer of FUSC to a new tesla and was eager to hear more, but just read a story on the forum of tesla reneging on the deal. Have others successfully done this? i would need to take delivery of a new tesla in a month, so it seems like there is a good chance it woul not work out. Plus the website from tesla says terms can be rescinded any time. Tesla has become more skeezy by the year. For me the FUSC is the key reason to keep the car as it still drives fine.

Just don't put your order on hold or try and change it and you should be fine.

 

[sorka]

Also, the transfer applies to any model. You could buy a long range model y with way more range than you have now at far less than the cost of a new MSLR.

 

[SoCal Buzz]

I would not involve your own insurance because even if it’s not an at fault claim they can still increase your rates.

California is an At Fault state, and given other party is 100% at fault, insurance will not go up.

Just file a claim with my insurance?

@wrysys - yes, you should always go through your own insurance. They represent you and can help ensure a fair resolution. Allstate is not being paid to support you. Even if the repair cost is high enough that insurance deems it totaled, your insurance is responsible for obtaining full replacement cost for a like car (check market prices for your year and mileage). Not sure what you meant by $4K, but replacement cost will be substantial and give you choices on what to do next.

 

[E90alex]

California is an At Fault state, and given other party is 100% at fault, insurance will not go up.


@wrysys - yes, you should always go through your own insurance. They represent you and can help ensure a fair resolution. Allstate is not being paid to support you. Even if the repair cost is high enough that insurance deems it totaled, your insurance is responsible for obtaining full replacement cost for a like car (check market prices for your year and mileage). Not sure what you meant by $4K, but replacement cost will be substantial and give you choices on what to do next.

So is Washington. Friend filed a claim through their own insurance even though other party was at fault. Next renewal their rates shot up and when they called to ask why it was because they had a claim record. Didn’t matter that they were not at fault, they involved their own plan and made the company work/fight for them.

 

[wrysys]

My 90's fair market value is around 20K at most, as it has high miles. It runs great, used to look great and my plan was to drive it long as possible, esp with the FUSC. The way I see it there has to be a shop who can fix the damage to make it cosmetically acceptable, if not factory new. I'm afraid the tesla approved shops are used to charging top dollar and will order new parts; I'm ok with someone just getting a panel/bumper off a used/salvaged tesla and I'm sure in Nor Cal there are plenty around. Any experience on this? Does anyone know a body shop which can work with me on this in the East Bay? Thanks for the tips. The irony is that the original S's are such models of longevity, but because of the economics of insurance, it makes it difficult to sustain them even when they drive and operate just fine.

 

[sorka]

So is Washington. Friend filed a claim through their own insurance even though other party was at fault. Next renewal their rates shot up and when they called to ask why it was because they had a claim record. Didn’t matter that they were not at fault, they involved their own plan and made the company work/fight for them.

Unfortunately this is the reality in most states. It should be illegal at the federal level. Hopefully it will be some day. I'd think that the other at fault party would be responsible not just for DV but for future increases in your rates when it's their fault.

The other reality is that in not at fault states, most use a proportional responsibility. i.e. one party can be 40% at fault and the other 60%.

 

[MP3Mike]

The way I see it there has to be a shop who can fix the damage to make it cosmetically acceptable, if not factory new.

You can probably find a shop to do that, but insurance likely won't pay for it. They are obligated to return your vehicle to the state is was before the collision, as such they have to follow official Tesla repair procedures. That means replacing the rear quarter panel, which is very expensive. (And I think most of the cost is labor.) You could let them total it and find someone to only cosmetically repair it if you wanted. (But you would likely lose Supercharger access until it passed the inspection, and even then it would likely be pay as you go Supercharging once it was reenabled. So make sure you get FUSC properly valued in the payout.)

At most they have offered is 4k.

They think your vehicle is only worth $4k? Yeah, that is way off.

 

[jay1122]

Uh, why would anyone not prefer the total pay out. The total payout is supposed to be market price. Which means you can use that $$ to buy a similar car. I guess you would lose your FUSC. Not sure how important it is to you. It sure beats waiting months for the car to be repaired. Honestly, allstate is a big company. I would not worry too much dealing directly with them. Just need to check if the total payout offered is matching the market price of a similar conditioned model S.

You can use the money to buy a similar model S. Or go for a newer one with warranty. It is all about taking risks. Think of it this way, your model S may need expensive repair soon. Perhaps the dreaded battery/motor replacement. The total payout actually helped you to move on to a new car.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

At most they have offered is 4k.

So Allstate is saying the replacement value of your car is $4K?? Can they point to where you can buy a comparable car that is in good running order in your local market for $4K?? If not, then call their BS.