Rear ended with less than 100miles. Help?

[plumsauce]

Hello all,

Relatively new to the forum. I was reading up on prior similar posts like codergamer’s accident back in 2021 but I wanted to get some new insight.

Here’s a basic timeline of my model Y:
Purchased the car in 08/2021
Got delivery 01/2022
Had it wrapped last week
Got it back and the next day got rear ended.

Im insured with Tesla and was impressed with their prompt response shortly after the accident. They set us up with a tow and brought it to the nearest Tesla approved body shop for repairs.

The body shop got back to us and estimated a total of $20k worth in damages. My question is… does the body shop have the knowledge to check out internals to make sure the car is running okay? Would I have to schedule something with tesla for them to check everything out after the body repairs have been made?

Thanks in advance.

*Im located in Southern California if that matters at all.

 

[Prax]

Go to a Tesla certified shop, they can handle everything. Prepare for a long delay in parts and time in a rental.

File for diminished value immediately as part of your claim.

 

[Pianewman]

Prax: He already did that, according to his post.

If it's truly a Tesla approved shop, they should have the knowledge/experience to initiate and complete the repair.

 

[whisperingshad]

Make sure any tint or wrap etc is replaced as well

 

[bluetrep1]

just to repair this, need 20k?

 

[jjrandorin]

just to repair this, need 20k?

you mean "just to repair this" meaning the car that hit them is a car with the bumper hanging off from the impact (with airbags deployed), and the entire rear of the car is pushed in?

 

[Pianewman]

...and with a sprung hatch and skewed right rear axle?...

 

[N1L CO2]

...and with a sprung hatch and skewed right rear axle?...

Not to mention a very high likelihood of damage in the rear subframe that caused the right rear axle to shift. And hopefully, the rear quarter panels didn't get pushed forward. That door gap on the right side seems a bit too tight from the picture tho...

With that said, hope everyone is safe and sound. Although accident do happen, stuff like this is never easy to accept as the owner of a barely driven new car.

 

[OCJeff]

This is my #1 fear. Why does it seem like Tesla's are accident magnets?

I've been lucky with only 1 accident in the last say 10 years (my car was backed into while I was parked getting a smog check), but I find myself being super careful now at every intersection, and keeping eye on all drivers around me. Defensive driving for sure, but I feel like it's needed. To be fair I've also been spending some time on the IdiotsInCars reddit channel. So many bad drivers out there.

 

[jjrandorin]

OP, I havent been through this myself with a model 3, but in general, its normal for a body shop to actually "find more damage" when they get into the teardown part of the actual work. You shouldnt have to schedule anything with tesla specifically.

Sometimes an insurance adjuster from your insurance company will want to do their own estimate or something before teardown starts, and I dont know how it works specifically with tesla insurance itself, but expect the body shop to find more damage as they get started.

 

[ShelJW]

My sympathies... can't imagine how aggravating that's got to be!

Keep in mind everyone (I assume) is uninjured, and it's only a car and will be repaired.

As for your question... any reputable body shop should be able to determine if there's internal damage or non-body repair work which needs to be performed before the bodywork is completed.

If they're a certified Tesla shop, they should know what to look for.

Good luck!

 

[plumsauce]

My sympathies... can't imagine how aggravating that's got to be!

Keep in mind everyone (I assume) is uninjured, and it's only a car and will be repaired.

As for your question... any reputable body shop should be able to determine if there's internal damage or non-body repair work which needs to be performed before the bodywork is completed.

If they're a certified Tesla shop, they should know what to look for.

Good luck!

The process has been frustrating for sure, especially with the car return being delayed two to four months because of parts not being readily available.

No major injuries with the family. Stiffness from whiplash is currently being taken care of at the chiropractor.

I hope the car will run okay after repairs have been made. I’ve heard horror stories of cars not running the same after accidents even when everything looks to be okay from the outside.

 

[gx9901]

Hello all,

Relatively new to the forum. I was reading up on prior similar posts like codergamer’s accident back in 2021 but I wanted to get some new insight.

Here’s a basic timeline of my model Y:
Purchased the car in 08/2021
Got delivery 01/2022
Had it wrapped last week
Got it back and the next day got rear ended.

Im insured with Tesla and was impressed with their prompt response shortly after the accident. They set us up with a tow and brought it to the nearest Tesla approved body shop for repairs.

The body shop got back to us and estimated a total of $20k worth in damages. My question is… does the body shop have the knowledge to check out internals to make sure the car is running okay? Would I have to schedule something with tesla for them to check everything out after the body repairs have been made?

Thanks in advance.

*Im located in Southern California if that matters at all.

Man, sorry to see the damage to the your car. I feel your pain since I got rear ended myself one month into MYP ownership. As mentioned by others already, Tesla certified body shop should be able to return your car back to original functionality. I assume that the $20k estimate is just the initial estimate, so once they do a teardown more damage might be found. It will probably take months to get repaired due to scheduling at body shop and parts availability, but hopefully things are improving. If you are in contact with the other driver's insurance (assuming they are at fault), and it's a different company than your insurance, you should mention that you intend on claiming diminished value. Maybe it might push the damages up to a point where they would total the car.

This is my #1 fear. Why does it seem like Tesla's are accident magnets?

I've been lucky with only 1 accident in the last say 10 years (my car was backed into while I was parked getting a smog check), but I find myself being super careful now at every intersection, and keeping eye on all drivers around me. Defensive driving for sure, but I feel like it's needed. To be fair I've also been spending some time on the IdiotsInCars reddit channel. So many bad drivers out there.

I think we might feel like Teslas are accident magnets because we read about them here, LOL! I was already a defensive driver to begin with, and after getting rear-ended in my MYP, I think I'm even more defensive now. I find myself always leaving tons of distance between myself and the car ahead of me, and constantly checking the rearview mirror to see how far behind me cars are. If I think I car is tailgating me, I get super annoyed and try to either pull away a bit or move to a different lane.

 

[Pianewman]

This is my #1 fear. Why does it seem like Tesla's are accident magnets?

I've been lucky with only 1 accident in the last say 10 years (my car was backed into while I was parked getting a smog check), but I find myself being super careful now at every intersection, and keeping eye on all drivers around me. Defensive driving for sure, but I feel like it's needed. To be fair I've also been spending some time on the IdiotsInCars reddit channel. So many bad drivers out there.

The only way to prove this thought is by looking at insurance claims. I don't think your comment has any real merit, though.

 

[plumsauce]

Man, sorry to see the damage to the your car. I feel your pain since I got rear ended myself one month into MYP ownership. As mentioned by others already, Tesla certified body shop should be able to return your car back to original functionality. I assume that the $20k estimate is just the initial estimate, so once they do a teardown more damage might be found. It will probably take months to get repaired due to scheduling at body shop and parts availability, but hopefully things are improving. If you are in contact with the other driver's insurance (assuming they are at fault), and it's a different company than your insurance, you should mention that you intend on claiming diminished value. Maybe it might push the damages up to a point where they would total the car.

It sucks. I’m just glad my family was able to walk away without any major injuries. It’s unfortunate we weren’t able to enjoy the car while it was brand new. I’ll never feel the same way about the car even after repairs.

The $20k was the preliminary estimate. We are still waiting for the final quote.

The other driver already admitted fault. There was no way around it. We were at a dead stop waiting for the light to turn green.

 

[gx9901]

It sucks. I’m just glad my family was able to walk away without any major injuries. It’s unfortunate we weren’t able to enjoy the car while it was brand new. I’ll never feel the same way about the car even after repairs.

The $20k was the preliminary estimate. We are still waiting for the final quote.

The other driver already admitted fault. There was no way around it. We were at a dead stop waiting for the light to turn green.

That really sucks. Really sorry something like that happened. I think a good Tesla certified collision center will be able to return your car to pre-accident condition, unless the insurance company end up totaling it, in which case you should be able to get a new MY.

For what it's worth, I'm loving my car as much as ever after it was repaired. If anything I appreciated it even more because I was driving a couple of ghetto rental cars (Nissan Kicks & Kia Rio) for a month and a half.

 

[plumsauce]

1month update: the body shop was unable to have the car hold a charge so they sent it to the nearest tesla dealer for diagnosis and repair. I closely monitored the app and tesla kept pushing back the estimated finish date. I decided to contact tesla directly to find out what was going on and they also said they were having problems troubleshooting the issue. As of today, tesla sent a service quote to replace the entire battery and charge port ($16k). In addition to the body work repair, the amount of repairs is costing way more than the original estimate of $20k.

With gas prices on the rise, this has got to be the worst timing possible.

 

[tpoltron]

1month update: the body shop was unable to have the car hold a charge so they sent it to the nearest tesla dealer for diagnosis and repair. I closely monitored the app and tesla kept pushing back the estimated finish date. I decided to contact tesla directly to find out what was going on and they also said they were having problems troubleshooting the issue. As of today, tesla sent a service quote to replace the entire battery and charge port ($15k). In addition to the body work repair, the amount of repairs is costing way more than the original estimate of $20k.

Order a new one (as Tesla to expedite and you can cancel) and ask your insurance company to write this one off. I bet the repair is going to come in around $40k. Max repair $ = car value - auction wreck sale price - diminished value - 3 months of car rental. So I think you are there.

 

[plumsauce]

Order a new one (as Tesla to expedite and you can cancel) and ask your insurance company to write this one off. I bet the repair is going to come in around $40k. Max repair $ = car value - auction wreck sale price - diminished value - 3 months of car rental. So I think you are there.

How do I go about this? Would I have to clear it through Tesla Insurance first? How do I ask them to write this off? Don’t they have to make that call?

 

[tpoltron]

How do I go about this? Would I have to clear it through Tesla Insurance first? How do I ask them to write this off? Don’t they have to make that call?

They do but you will likely accelerate their reasoning.