Tesla crashed my Tesla Model X today which was delivery day!

[SMAlset]

@The A List FWIW I would probably have asked for a new car depending on the condition. If it doesn’t sound bad would probably go to see it and decide from there. I can totally understand being upset it happened, but it’s most likely the guy who called you with the bad news had all the information he was given and was just told to inform you since you were due to show up there shortly.

To me suspect that Tesla needed time to evaluate what was needed repairwise before calling you back with some choices. Some people depending on the severity will agree to corrective body work. Also sounds like they were doing their best to make it right given the unfortunate circumstances. I hate saying it as it’s been said so many times before but sh*t happens. OK to vent a bit though and so close to having it to drive home. An accident happened and keep it in perspective. Don’t think it was intentional and feel for the worker who damaged two Model Xs. Yikes wouldn’t want to be him. I also think the correct person to speak with would be the Store Manager, not service. He’s the one I think most likely will be handling this. I’m guessing he will be told about it by staff and take it from there. I would think he would want to investigate where other models are and how long it would take to get to his store and having all in hand then call you. Important thing at that point was that you knew delivery couldn’t happen today. Sure it won’t make his day either.

Recently we had a Toyota in the shop for the 3rd time for AC work and a dashboard they essentially destroyed while working on it. Long story but we weren’t happy. Went to pick up our car this third time and my husband walked over to the passenger side to get in as I was driving home and he spotted a dent in the side doors, the stripping damaged and white paint streaked across part of the door. They were going to let us drive off without telling us of the damage. How’s that? No way was the damage not noticed by them either. They later admitted it was one of their service people who was moving a white car and hit ours with the bumper of the other car. The most telling thing about this dealership/service center that really got to us was that the one service guy said “I guess maybe we should have walked around your car before you brought it in”. Then our back speaker was blown after it came back from the body shop they sent it to for dent removal and paint. They said well it didn’t happen in our shop and didn’t care when my husband pointed out that it was in their care regardless of when it happend. The Store Manager replied we’re not going to do anything about it. Think of our situation and compare it to yours.

 

[Ludalicious]

Just because things happen "all the time" doesn't mean it is acceptable. If Elon found out that there was an inconsistency with the way that a car was built, do you think he'd say, it's OK because it happens all the time? The FDA allows a certain amount of insects into our food. Is that still OK? No, it's not. It's OK if some want to be complacent or accept things just because, but I will not. I don't think it's right to do these things to consumers.

Tesla is supposed to be a brand that listens and cares about it's customers. I like many others have spent my hard earned money on a vehicle that I expect to be brand new and without flaws. I expect a premium experience because at this price point, it should be. Having someone call me the way that they did today is not what it should be like. The fact that the several people today didn't know how to handle the situation is not right either. It was like this is the first time that this has ever happened.

For the record, I did put down a decent down payment on the car, so my money is tied into that car. What do I want from this? For them to either find me an exact match of my car and expedite it, or figure out a way to get me a new car ASAP. I am not looking for something that is currently on the lot that I have to settle for with a different configuration. I want the car in the color and with the options that I paid for. If they want me to take possession of the damaged vehicle, then they should absolutely discount it. That is the right thing to do. Either way, I will have to continue to wait.

Have a drink and give it a few days. In the end you will be getting a fantastic vehicle.

 

[HankLloydRight]

The bumper was dented and that it would take two weeks to fix in an auto body shop.

If I were in your shoes... if the damage was only to the plastic bumper, and they plan to either remove/replace the bumper, or pull the dent out and repaint, I would accept the car and get it fixed. Not a big deal. Plastic bumpers are snap-on-snap-off kind of deal. You'd only have to worry about getting a good paint color match.

But if any metal was damaged or bent, I'd reject the car and ask for a replacement, or a significant discount once it was fully repaired (I'd prefer the latter since it's easier then trying to negotiate a new custom build replacement car for a small bumper dent).

 

[Lasttoy]

I took delivery of a new Corvette. Had it about a week, washed it. Went to vaccum it. Broken glass under seats. They owned up it been damaged in shipping. Gave me $5000 cash back. They cleaned it again. It was my 4th Vette so there no fuss.
But to smash it in the lot. Dummy. It has backup camera.

 

[ibdb]

Our P3D+ was damaged by "Tesla" in the delivery center 15 minutes before our appointment. Someone moving the car scraped a wall, damaging the passenger rear door and quarter panel.

We were met as soon as we walked in the door of the delivery center by the delivery manager who walked us back to what was to have been our car and very apologetically explained what had happened and assured us that he'd find us a replacement for the damaged vehicle as soon as possible. He remained in communication with us during the wait, and Tesla paid for a loaner/rental for us since we'd sold one of our cars planning on the arrival of the 3.

It took 9 days to find and deliver the replacement -- it might have been shorter except for the wildfire in California that shut down I-5 for several days with our car on the wrong side of the closure. Throughout, "Tesla" was professional and did what they could to keep us updated on the progress (or lack of progress) in our delivery.

In cases like this, blaming "Tesla" is not as accurate as blaming that delivery center and that delivery manager for the way the OP was treated. We also had put down a significant down payment on our car (50%+ taxes and fees), expecting to take delivery on Labor Day. We'd also funded our loan before the holiday weekend to avoid any potential issues. Our interactions with Tesla were with a delivery manager who quickly took responsibility for the issue and started working immediately to make it right, and not just because he knew we had already paid a significant amount for our car, but because it was the right thing to do.

I would want a replacement in the OP's situation, not a repair. With a repair, I'd always see that part of the car and think about what had happened. I'm a little obsessive about washing and detailing our cars, and knowing there'd been damage wouldn't help. While it might be standard industry practice to make some repairs before delivering a car, being shown a damaged car before those repairs strikes me as different, and not something I would be comfortable accepting.

 

[The A List]

If I were in your shoes... if the damage was only to the plastic bumper, and they plan to either remove/replace the bumper, or pull the dent out and repaint, I would accept the car and get it fixed. Not a big deal. Plastic bumpers are snap-on-snap-off kind of deal. You'd only have to worry about getting a good paint color match.

But if any metal was damaged or bent, I'd reject the car and ask for a replacement, or a significant discount once it was fully repaired (I'd prefer the latter since it's easier then trying to negotiate a new custom build replacement car for a small bumper dent).

Thanks. I uploaded a picture of the damage and would like your thoughts after seeing it.

 

[Ludalicious]

I would want a new car. That's a complete repaint of the rear 1/4. if it was just a bumper no big deal

 

[The A List]

I would want a new car. That's a complete repaint of the rear 1/4. if it was just a bumper no big deal

Thanks. Should I consider it if they offer a fair discount? I am concerned about the resale value and anything else potentially going wrong with it because of this.

 

[ibdb]

Resale value shouldn't be an issue. This happened prior to delivery. Tesla is going to fix it. It wouldn't be reported anywhere.

I also don't see much of a chance of this being linked to something else going wrong. It's a relatively simple fix, all things considered, and I would have to believe that a qualified repair shop could match the paint correctly.

My question to you is will it bother you to know that this happened? I don't realistically see them offering much, if any, discount. Will you look at the repaired area and always be looking to see if something isn't quite right, or will you forget about it and not give it a second glance? Do you have confidence in that particular delivery center and delivery manager to treat you right and get this done correctly, or will you have second thoughts?

I know what my answer was, and that's why I took delivery of a second car instead of the first, despite how well I was treated after my car was damaged -- and would have at any price.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Thanks. I uploaded a picture of the damage and would like your thoughts after seeing it.

Well, I am not qualified as a body shop expert, but it looks like that dent could be pulled and the quarter panel and bumper repainted. That wouldn't scare me away from taking delivery. But if they had to replace the quarter panel, NFW would I want the car. That's a very invasive job and would likely cause other alignment or other issues down the road.

But I know a lot of people will disagree with that. I buy cars and keep them for a long time. While I take really, really good care of my cars, dents and scratches are bound to happen along the way. Once you take delivery of any car, someone could run into it and cause really bad damage.

In your situation, I would request a significant discount (at least $5k) plus all repairs before accepting delivery. It wouldn't ever show up on a carfax. If you go to sell it, the repaint might show up on a paint depth gauge, but you can explain what happened and that it wasn't a major accident. If everything else with the car is perfect and to your specification, I personally wouldn't see this as a huge deal if I could get $5k back (or even better, get them to give you a 4 year Extended Service Agreement plan). Tesla will have to take a bigger hit than that to take this car back and get you a new one, so that's seems pretty reasonable. Maybe start with $10k and with room to negotiate down from there.

When I bought my P85D (private deal, used), when I first inspected it, it was in perfect condition. Although it was a rainy and very overcast day. When I went to pick up the car a couple of weeks later, I didn't really give it another detailed inspection. I took it right into the service center for the annual service (prepaid from the seller), and they called and told me it had body damage on the rear quarter panel and door (see photo below). This was the first time I had seen this... so I don't know if it was there from the first time I saw the car, or after and I just missed it. I told the seller, and he said he didn't know about it (he kinda blamed it on his wife 'if it happened'). Whatever. I paid a local (non-Tesla) body shop $700 to fix the dent and repaint the quarter panel and door (the door was scratched, but not dented). And when they were done, you could not tell there ever was any damage to that area (there's a thread here on TMC about it). It looked absolutely perfect. Doesn't bother me in the least that there was, at one point, damage there. It was expertly fixed, I don't even think about it anymore.

edit: here's the thread with before and after pics: Minor quarter panel dent.. what's your opinion?

 

[xyeahtony]

For the record, I did put down a decent down payment on the car, so my money is tied into that car. What do I want from this? For them to either find me an exact match of my car and expedite it, or figure out a way to get me a new car ASAP. I am not looking for something that is currently on the lot that I have to settle for with a different configuration. I want the car in the color and with the options that I paid for. If they want me to take possession of the damaged vehicle, then they should absolutely discount it. That is the right thing to do. Either way, I will have to continue to wait.

have you even looked? there are only so many configurations out there you can have, surely theres an inventory model with that same exact configuration (which already has been discounted). My config is solid black, 7 seats white. PUP is standard now so there's basically no other options except for wheels. there are multiple options available if i wanted to pick an inventory model instead of waiting for my custom order.

 

[JohnSnowNW]

Today was supposed to be a very exciting day. I was trading in my Model S for a Model X. Delivery was scheduled for 2PM. A half hour ago I got a call from someone at Tesla saying, "your car has been in an accident and we won't be able to deliver it." The lack of professionalism of this call was astounding. I asked for more information, which he couldn't provide. I asked when I should expect to hear from someone. He said he didn't know. They were really busy today so maybe Monday. Does anyone else find this unacceptable? I told him that I wanted to someone to call me today to explain what was going on.

A few minutes later, I did get a call saying that someone backed my car into another Model X in the Tesla parking lot. They were about to drive it in to get prepped for delivery. The bumper was dented and that it would take two weeks to fix in an auto body shop. I think he expected me to still take delivery of this vehicle. I told him that I didn't want a damaged car. So they are looking for a similar configuration in the system.

I would love to hear your comments and suggestions about this. I am at a bit off a loss. I know Tesla is a growing brand and we all want them to succeed. But I am very disappointed in several experiences that I've had recently and this is not helping.

This happens more than it should. My uncle lost a BMW M3 this way...and I don't even understand how they were able to total his car in the dealership parking lot.

This is not a Tesla problem, it's a human problem.

 

[The A List]

Resale value shouldn't be an issue. This happened prior to delivery. Tesla is going to fix it. It wouldn't be reported anywhere.

I also don't see much of a chance of this being linked to something else going wrong. It's a relatively simple fix, all things considered, and I would have to believe that a qualified repair shop could match the paint correctly.

My question to you is will it bother you to know that this happened? I don't realistically see them offering much, if any, discount. Will you look at the repaired area and always be looking to see if something isn't quite right, or will you forget about it and not give it a second glance? Do you have confidence in that particular delivery center and delivery manager to treat you right and get this done correctly, or will you have second thoughts?

I know what my answer was, and that's why I took delivery of a second car instead of the first, despite how well I was treated after my car was damaged -- and would have at any price.

I really don't know. I probably would think about it. But if the price was right and I knew that no issues would be caused from it, I would probably consider it.

 

[The A List]

have you even looked? there are only so many configurations out there you can have, surely theres an inventory model with that same exact configuration (which already has been discounted). My config is solid black, 7 seats white. PUP is standard now so there's basically no other options except for wheels. there are multiple options available if i wanted to pick an inventory model instead of waiting for my custom order.

Yes, I looked and I can't find anything that has the 5 seats opposed to the 7, with the new cream interior.

 

[PhilDavid]

Well, look at the bright side...

What if you had bought TWO Model X vehicles and both were scheduled for delivery at the same time and the one they backed into and crashed was the OTHER Model X vehicle you were about to buy? You'd then have two damaged Model X vehicles with no delivery

On a serious note ---

Why don't you ask for photos of the damage so you can make an objective decision? If it is minor, this is what I suggest:

• Ask for a loaner Model X until they fix the bumper damage and deliver the car to you.
• Ask for a call from the store manager so you can discuss your dissatisfaction so they can learn from this experience and do better the next time. They should offer an apology for the way the communication was handled.
  
• Depending on the duration and scope of damage, perhaps ask for 4 complimentary service visits. That's a nice value for you and makes up for some of the hassle.

If the damage is severe and if the rear tailgate is also damaged by the impact, ask for a replacement car.

If the damage is just superficial bumper damage, then it is really no big deal so work with them to get it fixed with someone reasonable and extra for the ordeal.

 

[The A List]

Well, look at the bright side...

What if you had bought TWO Model X vehicles and both were scheduled for delivery at the same time and the one they backed into and crashed was the OTHER Model S vehicle you were about to buy? You'd then have two damaged Model X vehicles with no delivery

On a serious note ---

Why don't you ask for photos of the damage so you can make an objective decision? If it is minor, this is what I suggest:

• Ask for a loaner Model X until they fix the bumper damage and deliver the car to you.
• Ask for a call from the store manager so you can discuss your dissatisfaction so they can learn from this experience and do better the next time. They should offer an apology for the way the communication was handled.
  
• Depending on the duration and scope of damage, perhaps ask for 4 complimentary service visits. That's a nice value for you and makes up for some of the hassle.

If the damage is severe and if the rear tailgate is also damaged by the impact, ask for a replacement car.

If the damage is just superficial bumper damage, then it is really no big deal so work with them to get it fixed with someone reasonable and extra for the ordeal.

Thanks for your feedback and thoughts. Attached is an image of the damage for you to see.

 

[PhilDavid]

Yikes, that is a bit more than what I was hoping.

It is more than just the bumper but this is all EASILY fixable to a point where the repair would be undetectable. Given that the damage is not just to the rear bumper, I would add the following to the list I gave above:

• Guarantee that the car will not have a CarFax entry related to this repair.
• You have right of refusal with a refund or replacement vehicle if you are unsatisfied with the damage repair.
• You receive some form of financial compensation. I'm thinking a $5,000 reduction in price.

Other than this I would have no issues accepting delivery of the vehicle. They'll fix this in two weeks an dit will look like new. If they give you a loaner car and everything I suggested above, you basically end up with the car you wanted in two weeks with 4 free service visits, a $5,000 discount, and a loaner car to drive in the meantime.

Or ask for a replacement car but then you may have to wait even longer.

If It were me, I'd have them fix the damage and offer you something fair for the ordeal.

 

[The A List]

Yikes, that is a bit more than what I was hoping.

It is more than just the bumper but this is all EASILY fixable to a point where the repair would be undetectable. Given that the damage is not just to the rear bumper, I would add the following to the list I gave above:

• Guarantee that the car will not have a CarFax entry related to this repair.
• You have right of refusal with a refund or replacement vehicle if you are unsatisfied with the damage repair.
• You receive some form of financial compensation. I'm thinking a $5,000 reduction in price.

Other than this I would have no issues accepting delivery of the vehicle. They'll fix this in two weeks an dit will look like new. If they give you a loaner car and everything I suggested above, you basically end up with the car you wanted in two weeks with 4 free service visits, a $5,000 discount, and a loaner car to drive in the meantime.

Or ask for a replacement car but then you may have to wait even longer.

If It were me, I'd have them fix the damage and offer you something fair for the ordeal.

Thanks for the suggestions. It's very much appreciated.

 

[Wrfme]

Today was supposed to be a very exciting day. I was trading in my Model S for a Model X. Delivery was scheduled for 2PM. A half hour ago I got a call from someone at Tesla saying, "your car has been in an accident and we won't be able to deliver it." The lack of professionalism of this call was astounding. I asked for more information, which he couldn't provide. I asked when I should expect to hear from someone. He said he didn't know. They were really busy today so maybe Monday. Does anyone else find this unacceptable? I told him that I wanted to someone to call me today to explain what was going on.

A few minutes later, I did get a call saying that someone backed my car into another Model X in the Tesla parking lot. They were about to drive it in to get prepped for delivery. The bumper was dented and that it would take two weeks to fix in an auto body shop. I think he expected me to still take delivery of this vehicle. I told him that I didn't want a damaged car. So they are looking for a similar configuration in the system.

I would love to hear your comments and suggestions about this. I am at a bit off a loss. I know Tesla is a growing brand and we all want them to succeed. But I am very disappointed in several experiences that I've had recently and this is not helping.

Today was supposed to be a very exciting day. I was trading in my Model S for a Model X. Delivery was scheduled for 2PM. A half hour ago I got a call from someone at Tesla saying, "your car has been in an accident and we won't be able to deliver it." The lack of professionalism of this call was astounding. I asked for more information, which he couldn't provide. I asked when I should expect to hear from someone. He said he didn't know. They were really busy today so maybe Monday. Does anyone else find this unacceptable? I told him that I wanted to someone to call me today to explain what was going on.

A few minutes later, I did get a call saying that someone backed my car into another Model X in the Tesla parking lot. They were about to drive it in to get prepped for delivery. The bumper was dented and that it would take two weeks to fix in an auto body shop. I think he expected me to still take delivery of this vehicle. I told him that I didn't want a damaged car. So they are looking for a similar configuration in the system.

I would love to hear your comments and suggestions about this. I am at a bit off a loss. I know Tesla is a growing brand and we all want them to succeed. But I am very disappointed in several experiences that I've had recently and this is not helping.

What’s the exterior and interior color?

 

[wdolson]

I'm surprised there aren't more stories like this. The delivery centers are vastly overloaded with deliveries. The Model 3 is up to the 4th best selling car in the US or something like that and Tesla has drastically fewer delivery centers than Toyota or GM has dealerships. The number of deliveries per month at many Tesla delivery centers is probably more than nearly all car dealerships in the US.

And then add the end of quarter rush on top of it is just insane.

A call went out to PDX Tesla Friday to get Tesla owners to come in and help new people orient to the car. I have mixed feelings about that. But that's how slammed the delivery centers are right now. The employees moving cars around for deliveries are probably being hampered to work at a pace that is at minimum uncomfortable and they are probably working extra long days with less than optimum sleep.

It sounds like they weren't very professional in delivering the bad news. Demanding another car would mean it will be built in the first month of the next quarter when pressure to crank out cars as quickly as possible isn't as high. My car was built in the middle of a quarter (ordered at the end of the first month of a quarter to try and get that timing) and I have not had any real problems with the car.