Scratch / dent repair help

[sf_y_owner]

I scratched my Model Y while pulling into an EV charging spot at work. I feel like a total idiot because I just got this car a week ago! This is my first time owning a car, so I'm a bit lost on what kind of repairs this will need.

What kind of repairs do you think I'll need? How much do you think it'll cost me? Will I need PDR? Paint work? Could I DIY it using a scratch repair kit?

Also, if anyone else is in the San Francisco Bay Area, do you have any recommendations for who I should take this to?

Thanks!

 

[karkrazy]

Congrats on the new car ownership.
Just FYI for next time - if you hit a wall, curb or whatever else, stop the car and go the opposite direction you were going (so if you were pulling in headfirst and hit the side, stop and back out). That will limit any further damage.

With that out of the way, you can try calling a few body shops and PDR shops and see what they say. Your paint looks like it’s scratched down to bare metal… no DIY is going to restore this much damage.

And check what your insurance deductible is… you won’t need new body parts, but the shops are probably going to get you on labor and paintwork. My total WAG is about $3k from a body shop. Not sure PDR can fix such a long and deep scratch, but never know till you ask.

Good luck!

 

[sf_y_owner]

Congrats on the new car ownership.
Just FYI for next time - if you hit a wall, curb or whatever else, stop the car and go the opposite direction you were going (so if you were pulling in headfirst and hit the side, stop and back out). That will limit any further damage.

With that out of the way, you can try calling a few body shops and PDR shops and see what they say. Your paint looks like it’s scratched down to bare metal… no DIY is going to restore this much damage.

And check what your insurance deductible is… you won’t need new body parts, but the shops are probably going to get you on labor and paintwork. My total WAG is about $3k from a body shop. Not sure PDR can fix such a long and deep scratch, but never know till you ask.

Good luck!

Thanks for the reply! Since it might be scratched down to bare metal, should I get this fixed ASAP? Is there risk of rusting?

My deductible is $500… do you think it’s worth going through insurance vs paying out of pocket? Will my rates go up? I’m on Tesla insurance btw.

 

[karkrazy]

Rust will only start setting in after many months or years; I wouldn’t worry about it. But looking at your pics, I can’t really tell if it’s just white paint transfer, or it’s down to bare metal. Looking at it, it may mostly be white paint?

I’d try to get better estimates first before deciding to go insurance or not. But if this is your first car, I’d probably fix this out-of-pocket. Depends on what the $ damage is.

 

[sf_y_owner]

Update here -- just got this fixed! Took your advice and paid out of pocket.

Hired Patrick Carr, a mobile technician, from Automotive Touch-up Company to come and fix the scratch. He did an amazing job at a very fair price and it looks like new. If you're in SF, highly recommend him. His number is 415-806-3214.

 

[karkrazy]

Update here -- just got this fixed! Took your advice and paid out of pocket.

View attachment 1018373

Hired Patrick Carr, a mobile technician, from Automotive Touch-up Company to come and fix the scratch. He did an amazing job at a very fair price and it looks like new. If you're in SF, highly recommend him. His number is 415-806-3214.

Very nice! How much did he charge?