Tesla Collision Center refusing to let me choose what's fixed (and not fixed)

[cyphear]

My bumper is being repaired, and the headlight has one mounting tab that is broken. Tesla Collision is saying they have to fix everything on the car that's damaged. I don't want to pay $1210 for a headlight, especially when this one is actually working and just has minor damage, and I can fix it myself for ~$250 with an ebay headlight. On principle, it's just annoying to pay ~$1300 to replace a part that seems fine and looks fine cosmetically.

Tesla is saying their policy is they must fix everything due to risk of insurance fraud allegations and also safety, but it sounds like they are just grasping for reasons to keep their lives simple and their revenue high. It is ironic, because under warranty, I was begging them to fix things and still had trouble getting them to fix them. It's like if they couldn't easily see the problem, they just ignored many requests, and fixed as little as possible. I don't feel like it should be legal for them to insist on replacing stuff that I don't want replaced, and to have unwritten policies that aren't communicated. It seems like this would be questionably legal.

I'm partially posting just so people could be aware of this, and have something to find if they run into a similar situation. Has anyone else run into this?

 

[ATPMSD]

We live in such a litigious society so this does not surprise me. Knowingly delivering a car with unfinished work is a liability risk to the shop. But here is something you can try. All work performed by them must be authorized by you. If you refuse to authorize the work they cannot fix it. One or two things will happen: either they will tell you to pick-up your car or, your refusal will give them an out a from liability standpoint. You might be able to get them to accept a liability release. But I think they will just tell you to pick up the car.

I appreciate you want to save $1,000, especially if you are paying for this yourself. But keep in mind that in many models replacing the headlight requires removal of the bumper.

because under warranty, I was begging them to fix things and still had trouble getting them to fix them.

Check with your State’s consumer protection division. Refusing to perform warranty work is a big no-no.

Good luck!

 

[cyphear]

Thanks @ATPMSD! The part alone for one headlight is $1210+tax (and maybe plus labor?). I disagree that there's a legitimate threat of a lawsuit for not fixing something, and I think it's being used as an excuse to not be flexible.

They didn't directly refuse, they just say, they took a look and either couldn't reproduce the issue or they do some half-ass attempt at fixing it but don't put the full effort in. I had to pay out of pocket for fixing something that they didn't fix under warranty.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Thanks @ATPMSD! The part alone for one headlight is $1210+tax (and maybe plus labor?). I disagree that there's a legitimate threat of a lawsuit for not fixing something, and I think it's being used as an excuse to not be flexible.

They didn't directly refuse, they just say, they took a look and either couldn't reproduce the issue or they do some half-ass attempt at fixing it but don't put the full effort in. I had to pay out of pocket for fixing something that they didn't fix under warranty.

If you are paying out of pocket, you can perhaps buy a used one yourself and drop off at repair center. I'm pretty sure some have sourced parts themselves (buying from Tesla directly) when shop is having trouble doing so, and if you clean up the used one and don't tell the repair center it is used, it shouldn't make a difference. But if going this route, I would make sure shop is ok with owner buying their own parts to drop off.

It is understandable that it is a liability issue for the shop not to fix the headlight (which matters more than other parts, the lights are the only thing besides from brakes that rebuilt titles are required to test). Some shops may have paperwork available for owner to official absolve them from responsibility, but not every shop does that (as it may not end up legally enforceable).

 

[ucmndd]

Is there an insurance claim involved in this repair?

 

[cyphear]

Is there an insurance claim involved in this repair?

Yes, but I own the vehicle, so the payment from insurance will be made to me.

 

[ucmndd]

Yes, but I own the vehicle, so the payment from insurance will be made to me.

Sorry, it doesn’t work like this. The body shop’s contract is with the insurance company, not you. The insurance company defines the terms and conditions of the repair. If you want them to cut corners you need to get the insurance company to agree and tell them to.

No insurance company is gonna let a car out of the shop with a broken headlight, no matter how minor you think it is.

500 miles later: “I was driving home from work and hit a bump in the road and the headlight came loose because it wasn’t mounted securely and I couldn’t see where I was going and ran over a mother with newborn triplets in a stroller OMG sue everyone for billions of dollars!”

 

[Yelobird]

Is there an insurance claim involved in this repair?

Exactly the question I was going to ask. Many complaints like this often have a hidden agenda. Like cheating the insurance company….. With the additional info I feel the service center made the right choice in this example.

 

[ucmndd]

Exactly the question I was going to ask. Many complaints like this often have a hidden agenda. Like cheating the insurance company….. With the additional info I feel the service center made the right choice in this example.

This very much reads to me as “I want the check for the full amount of the repair without them actually doing it so I can pocket the difference.”

 

[zoomer0056]

Tesla is saying their policy is they must fix everything due to risk of insurance fraud allegations and also safety, but [snip]

That makes sense to me. A partial fix could turn around and bite them in the arse. Imagine someone says "don't fix the brake, I'll do that when I get home." And so you have an accident before you get home due to a broken brake. I agree with Tesla here, gotta do a complete fix. Imagine your diagnosis is incorrect, just imagine, and the light falls off at night causing an accident where someone is hurt. Does your 40 page agreement with Tesla absolve them of responsibility and prevent someone from getting hurt? Prably not. Better for all concerned to let collision insurance do a complete job.

How did this accident happen?

 

[cyphear]

This very much reads to me as “I want the check for the full amount of the repair without them actually doing it so I can pocket the difference.”

Yes, that's normal (if you own your car). If you don't believe me, check out pretty much every result here: do i have to get my car fixed with insurance check - Google Search

No insurance company is gonna let a car out of the shop with a broken headlight, no matter how minor you think it is.

500 miles later: “I was driving home from work and hit a bump in the road and the headlight came loose because it wasn’t mounted securely and I couldn’t see where I was going and ran over a mother with newborn triplets in a stroller OMG sue everyone for billions of dollars!”

I also could have refused to do any of the fixes with tesla and just drive around the car, so keeping that headlight off the road doesn't make sense. Besides that, I have an extra working headlight here that Tesla could use.

 

[zoomer0056]

I also could have refused to do any of the fixes with tesla

But that's not what you did, you're in the Tesla collision system now and can not dictate to them how they do business. I think if it's not too late you can pull the car out with no fixes. Else, let them complete the job and move on.

How did this accident happen?

 

[dhrivnak]

My bumper is being repaired, and the headlight has one mounting tab that is broken. Tesla Collision is saying they have to fix everything on the car that's damaged. I don't want to pay $1210 for a headlight, especially when this one is actually working and just has minor damage, and I can fix it myself for ~$250 with an ebay headlight. On principle, it's just annoying to pay ~$1300 to replace a part that seems fine and looks fine cosmetically.

Tesla is saying their policy is they must fix everything due to risk of insurance fraud allegations and also safety, but it sounds like they are just grasping for reasons to keep their lives simple and their revenue high. It is ironic, because under warranty, I was begging them to fix things and still had trouble getting them to fix them. It's like if they couldn't easily see the problem, they just ignored many requests, and fixed as little as possible. I don't feel like it should be legal for them to insist on replacing stuff that I don't want replaced, and to have unwritten policies that aren't communicated. It seems like this would be questionably legal.

I'm partially posting just so people could be aware of this, and have something to find if they run into a similar situation. Has anyone else run into this?

That is not my experience. I had a minor collision and needed the bumper replaced and there was a slight, very slight bend on the hood. They wanted to replace/paint. Not worth $2000 for a car with 110,000 miles.

 

[zoomer0056]

That is not my experience. I had a minor collision and needed the bumper replaced and there was a slight, very slight bend on the hood. They wanted to replace/paint. Not worth $2000 for a car with 110,000 miles.

Hmmm . . . maybe the OP'S case is different in that it involves a part related to safety.

 

[ucmndd]

Yes, that's normal (if you own your car). If you don't believe me, check out pretty much every result here: do i have to get my car fixed with insurance check - Google Search

The only question that matters here is:

Do you already have the check in hand? As in, did you accept the estimated settlement amount, release the insurance company from any additional liability or added cost after the tear-down, and present yourself as a cash customer to the collision center?

If yes, you might have a point.

If not, and you accepted a full and complete repair in lieu of cash payment, then like I said originally - you are not the body shop’s customer - the insurance company is. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

 

[Yelobird]

The only question that matters here is:

Do you already have the check in hand? As in, did you accept the estimated settlement amount, release the insurance company from any additional liability or added cost after the tear-down, and present yourself as a cash customer to the collision center?

If yes, you might have a point.

If not, and you accepted a full and complete repair in lieu of cash payment, then like I said originally - you are not the body shop’s customer - the insurance company is. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

He doesn’t want the cake, only the icing.

 

[cyphear]

But that's not what you did, you're in the Tesla collision system now and can not dictate to them how they do business. I think if it's not too late you can pull the car out with no fixes. Else, let them complete the job and move on.

How did this accident happen?

They completed the job before communicating this. A coyote ran out in front of me on the highway at full speed across the road (unlit rural section).

Hmmm . . . maybe the OP'S case is different in that it involves a part related to safety.

It seems like they would be open to accepting my used headlight for use if safety, not revenue, was the concern.

Do you already have the check in hand? As in, did you accept the estimated settlement amount, release the insurance company from any additional liability or added cost after the tear-down, and present yourself as a cash customer to the collision center?

If yes, you might have a point.

If not, and you accepted a full and complete repair in lieu of cash payment, then like I said originally - you are not the body shop’s customer - the insurance company is. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

Yes @ucmndd , I got the check from the insurance company without committing to any fixes.

then like I said originally - you are not the body shop’s customer - the insurance company is. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

You're not taking my word for it, so let's try with ChatGPT. Here's what it says with the following prompt:

Is the customer or the insurance company the customer of a body shop?

In the context of a body shop providing repairs or services for a damaged vehicle, the customer of the body shop is typically the owner of the vehicle or the individual who brings the vehicle in for repairs. This person is seeking to have their vehicle repaired, maintained, or modified.
If the repairs are being covered by an insurance policy, the insurance company may be involved in the process as well. However, the primary relationship is between the body shop and the vehicle owner, as the owner is the one seeking the services and making decisions about the repairs.
The insurance company's role is to assess the damage, determine coverage, and potentially provide payment for the repairs based on the terms of the insurance policy. In some cases, the insurance company might work directly with the body shop to facilitate the repair process, but the body shop's primary customer remains the vehicle owner.

 

[father_of_6]

How about replacing the headlight yourself before allowing them to do the work?

If it were me, I'd just pour some 'tussin on it and move on.

 

[cyphear]

How about replacing the headlight yourself before allowing them to do the work?

If it were me, I'd just pour some 'tussin on it and move on.

They started on the car before telling me about this headlight and said it was all or nothing, and since they had already started, it was all. Yeah, it's not a huge deal, but I think it's worth sharing these stories so at people have a chance to be aware of their undocumented policies.

I finally got ahold of the claim adjuster and she has heard of one other case where a non-telsa body shop said they needed to do all or nothing, so it doesn't appear that it's just a Tesla thing like I was thinking.

 

[Yelobird]

They started on the car before telling me about this headlight and said it was all or nothing, and since they had already started, it was all. Yeah, it's not a huge deal, but I think it's worth sharing these stories so at people have a chance to be aware of their undocumented policies.

I finally got ahold of the claim adjuster and she has heard of one other case where a non-telsa body shop said they needed to do all or nothing, so it doesn't appear that it's just a Tesla thing like I was thinking.

So the lesson learned here is if your goal is to scam the insurance company check McGyver the parts you want on the cheap to fool them and discredit the insurance estimate.