LawyerBoy
Member
So we have 2 Teslas under Tesla Insurance - for the last 9months or so. Great price (40% cheaper than the Allstate insurance we were on for 15+ yrs).
Labor Day weekend - had a flat tire (2 nails - one of them a big screw) going on freeway about 30miles away from home (and heading out). Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ with only 10K miles on them. The screw was big enough to leave a large hole in the tire and went flat instantly. Was going freeway speed, but so glad the car instantly notified of flat tire (pressure loss) - slowed down to a stop on the right hand side. Tried to put in some air but no avail - big hole. Called Tesla Insurance. So below are the experiences I had.
* First called Tesla roadside assistance. It took about 5-8mins to get someone on the line. After a check, they said I am out of warranty (& yes I was) and upon telling them I have Tesla Insurance, they asked me to call them (on hindsight, I should have done that first - but the Tesla phone# displayed on the dashboard was too convenient to ignore. Tesla should integrate Tesla # to take care of both - they are not integrated it looks like).
* Called Tesla Insurance #. On hold for about 5mins and then I get a guy (not the same people do that do Tesla Roadside-they should a lot more in-tune than this insurance person).
* He asks me to spell my name, my street number/name etc - as if he isn't really looking for my data in a database, but was actually filling out a form type question (that was weird). After taking down every detail including my Tesla Insurance policy# (which is a LONG number and they want it full from first letter), he connects me to Tesla Roadside Assistance - yes, back to the same people that I talked to first. Now we are at 20+mins in, family sitting in the car next to freeway (a bit concerning). It was 104 (yes, bay area had a heatwave) outside, but AC in car was a savior.
* So now, Tesla Roadside department guessed that they can bill me, and I can claim it with Tesla Insurance - perhaps that is how it works (she didn't know), and I somehow didn't clarify with the Tesla Insurance agent whether that was the right approach. Anyhow, Tesla Roadside assistance told me that they cannot help me if I am on the freeway/side, as it could be hazardous for them (well, it is for me too and I want to get out of it). they asked me if I can drive slowly to the next exit (that was my only option to get service from Tesla roadside assistance). That was 3/4th mile away, and I drove on the shoulder (right side) slowly at 10-15mph. A cop car stopped me (rightly so) and confirmed that my tire was flat, and they were nice enough to give me protection from behind as I rolled along slowly - concerned that I might be damaging the tire completely and perhaps even my wheel :-(. Finally got into the exit and parked near a shop. By then, they had informed a roadside service van my way (said it would take 1.5hrs). Glad this was in Bay Area and so they could have a Tesla service van. I took an uber ride to a lunch 10mins away (with family). The Tesla service was top notch. They called when they reached the car - told me they would put me on a loaner (wheel+tire) - as they didn't have the same tire model and that I could then return the loaner to any service station when I replaced with a new tire. They put my wheel+tire in the trunk (glad that was empty - we were not on a road trip).
* I returned from that trip and replaced the tire (had to replace the rear set as they couldn't be on uneven wear) - with Costco road hazard insurance (partial refund for the damaged tire), I paid $450 for two Pilot Sport A/S 3+ tires for the rear. the punctured tire wall was fully damaged (from the inside the rubber wall had crumbled) - but totally saved the wheel from any damage (not even a scratch). Good job Michelin and good job Tesla on the wheels being strong.
* I then returned the loaner to the service station.
* I then called back Tesla Insurance (who had no record that I needed a roadside assistance for a flat tire) to open a claim (for the cost of the tire replacement due to flat on the freeway). That was 2weeks ago - and they had said an adjuster will call me back (hasn't yet happened).
So basically, I am a bit concerned on some aspects.
(1) Tesla Insurance depended on Tesla roadside assistance and they apparently do not help if you are stuck on the freeway? I hope that is not the general case and it was perhaps a mis-informed Tesla roadside assistance person (though she was very friendly and helpful).
(2) The phone call process is very slow - no quick check on computer, no integration with the Tesla mobile app. Once you are out of Tesla warranty and you only have Tesla Insurance, you go away from a very modern and integrated experience to a very archaic (like paper-based) old-school Tesla Insurance service - that is very inexperienced compared to other insurance companies.
(3) I almost feel like I want to keep a AAA roadside assistance membership just for these flat-tire type situations - just something dependable that I am used to.
I know that Tesla will improve the Insurance product over time - and they are treating it like a little startup, but given the service is available in California and California has the largest Tesla fleet, they should fastback the backend integration and claims process improvement quickly. Yes - they got the money - and they are spending - they just shouldn't leave Tesla Insurance behind. I would want Tesla mobile app to handle all insurance process.
Should we not have a separate forum/folder for Tesla Insurance related discussions?
Thx
PN, San Jose, CA.
I thought the same thing while I was reading about your experience: you can't beat AAA Premier service. There is no whining about the freeway. They do take 45 minutes or so, but at least they show up. I feel like insurers are charging a lot for my model 3, maybe because of the high cost ($59,000), but maybe because it is a weird new world for them and they are unsure of the car itself. I was considering Tesla Ins. for the latter possibility. I was going to look into it. It sounds like the price is right, just archaic service. Thanks for posting that. I'd like to hear some more Tesla Insurance experiences.
