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This is what a $6,100 dent looks like...
- Thread starter SSonnentag
- Start date
Tes La Ferrari
Active Member
Makes me wonder about the aluminum doors and hood
If a door or hood is damaged do they just replace ? or repair ? Wonder what that bill would look like
If a door or hood is damaged do they just replace ? or repair ? Wonder what that bill would look like
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Aluminum is not steel. Steel has memory effect when pulled and will regain its shape. Try smooth out a smashed aluminum can. That is part of the reason for the high cost.
I know. I wonder how many cars I bought, in the 60's, that cost less than my $2000 red paint. My year-old 73 Volvo wagon was $2100. My wife's 6mo old 1973 Saab 93 was even less. That's what cars cost back then.Gee that is twice the price I paid for my first car..... of course that was back in the Fred Flintstone era
And they looked it! Cars today are works of art. Look at the cost of replacing a headlight or taillight unit, on any car.
osseckiii
Member
Rear ended in Nov 2018, back from the Tesla certified shop in Feb 2019. Initial estimate from Geico recommended shop: $1,100, actual cost from Tesla certified place $10,500. The guy who rear ended me had 10k minimum liability insurance, not sure if that had anything to do with the final estimate. We did get about $4k back after doing a diminished value claim. (Lawyer took a third of the money)
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I'm pretty sure my 2012 MS makes noise and doesn't allow me to drive but a few inches, when a door is ajar. I know for sure about the drivers door but, I think it's all 6 of them, this number includes is the trunk & frunk? I'm going to have to put my baby to the test, Thanks for the heads up!
I was impressed by how well the paint held up though. No cracks, flaking or anything, even when creased beyond 90 degrees. The bumper cover got a couple of holes punched in it from the minor impact though, so it had to be replaced too.
I'm in a rental Mercedes now. Yuck! At least the control stalks are the same.
I'm doing my best to remember to not use my turn signal too, in keeping with Mercedes tradition.
Let me offer a different POV. I drove S class MBs for 20 years before buying a P90D Model S with every available upgrade. After turning it in at the end of the lease after many, many problems, parts taking months to arrive, etc, I went back to MB, currently driving an E550 with a twin turbo V8. It doesn't do 0-60 in 3 seconds, but that's meaningless to me given the V8 is extremely responsive if needed. The E550 seats are way more comfortable. Interior is much more luxurious. Suspension and ride quality are much better.
And, it has coat hooks which Tesla refuses to include.
Oh, and I'm sure you were jesting about the turn signals, given I use mine religiously in whatever car I drive -- even my Tesla.
dbldwn02
Active Member
It's no longer "timeless" if you replace that quarter panel -- it gets put on by pop rivets, not by spot welding, visible in the tailgate rain gutter.
It'll be obvious to anyone that the car was, literally, in a fender bender and if you're fantasizing about Monterey in 30 years, the car will be relatively worthless. If that's the goal, I would sell it and start over again.
Meanwhile, I plan to do some experiments in replacing my LH rear quarter panel by spot welding...I want it restored to factory look and strength.
Krugerrand
Meow
Model 3 doesn’t have a separate quarter panel. It’s just got a fender and side body.
It's not insane, nor is it different from any other aluminum-body car/truck (Ford pickups) repair. If you saw what was involved in repairing the panel (actually replacing that outer panel, let alone the inner one), you'd understand. On my MX, I had to pull the trim off the RH wheel housing during my ongoing LH quarter panel replacement, in order to get the bumper cover off. And the rearmost side glass has to come out, which means removing a lot of the interior trim. etc etc etc.
I'm guessing you likely also dented the inner structural panel.
But it's no different from any other car, really. You might be able to do a shady repair on it by pulling the dent and using filler, or maybe a good, Tesla-unapproved (which insurance companies won't do), repair by sectioning the panel and welding it in which would be ok, but that requires a lot more than chimp bodywork skills.
Happily, it doesn't take a major crash to total a Tesla MX or MS, especially an older one. Sadly, Tesla sees fit to void out the warranty on your battery, drive units, and everything else, and pulls the rug out from under you in Supercharging, for a mere f*king quarter panel dent that costs as much to repair as the car's worth. That makes them amateur hour in customer service, IMO.
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Not too out of line though. My previous car was a Cadillac CTS and I had a similar incident affecting the bumper cover and some sheet metal slightly above. Three years ago it was almost $4K and I suspect the Tesla parts are a bit more pricey.
dbldwn02
Active Member
Yea, that's why I was surprised that the OP's quote was only $6100. Looks like worse damage than mine for 40% less.
dbldwn02
Active Member
