This is why Teslas are totaled so easily

[⚡️ELECTROMAN⚡️]

I dont think the cost to fix is out of line.. problem with Tesla is the parts chain. You might be looking at a 4 -6 month repair time.

This A6 was a 16k repair.. car was driveable.. expensive cars = expensive repair.


Body shops have to pay for schooling to be able to fix Tesla's also adds to the cost. If you own body shop would you lose revenue sending an employee for training, paying for the training, buying specific tools etc.. to be able to fix a car that you might have a couple a year come in? No.. you wouldnt.

Looks like the insurance companies don't agree with you.

 

[Dborn]

Given what is holding the bumper on, I am surprised that more don't simply fly off when driving at speed. There are exactly 2 screws ( in the wheel wells), 2 bolts, on the top, and 10 plastic rivets underneath holding it on. Also , where it joins the fender the two simply clip together. I was stunned when I took one off the first time at how little is there. This is, however industry standard, and most modern cars are put together exactly the same way. No wonder you see so many parts strewn on the roadway after a minor crash!!

 

[Dborn]

Most of the body shop training is around high voltage components. Actual bodywork is no different to say Audi.

 

[Brando]

Duct Tape has finally been improved. Zip-Ties (I do find electrical tape also very useful.)

 

[tmoz]

I had a tiny scrape from a parking garage incident. Very very minor. $4500.
Lots of labor

 

[whitex]

I had a tiny scrape from a parking garage incident. Very very minor. $4500.
Lots of labor

Was that a scrape across the whole side of the car, across multiple body panels?

 

[⚡️ELECTROMAN⚡️]

I had a tiny scrape from a parking garage incident. Very very minor. $4500.
Lots of labor

Must have replaced a door or panel? Pictures?

 

[ElectronNic]

A car swerved into my front right side and take out my front quarter panel. Of course he was underinsured Yay California! Just about $30K in damage. It is a big deal to fix these cars and you want it done right. They are not a Prius after all. The Tesla Body Shops are great and Tesla themselves have taken an active role with the Body Shop Customer Advocates. It does take longer than you would expect-my crash was May 9 but I imagine Tesla will improve on this. Here is a photo of my damage and the car being disassembled to get on the frame bench. The way I am framing it is I would prefer it to take longer and have it done right and get my car back as it was before the crash which was pristine-it was only a year old. It is an enormous hassle to be without my car for this long but I choose to buy a car that is on the cutting edge of technology and I shouldn't expect it to be lacking in a few adventures-both good and bad. I just hope another jerk doesn't take me out again.

 

[Barklikeadog]

I think I have a solution for these issues. Perhaps Tesla should look into allowing people to set up locations where they can sell cars right off a lot. We could call these people 'dealers'. Those 'dealers' would charge a premium, lets say 2%, on vehicle sales in order to run their location. We could call this potential location a 'dealership' and it would shoulder the costs and salaries of employees. This 'dealership' could maintain a large inventory of parts which could greatly decrease costs, service and repair times. It is possible that customers would receive better treatment as their continued business is what keeps the lights on. This location could also sell vehicles that were traded in and also offer leases with a similar premium.

Ah what am I saying. Crazy idea. I can't believe nobody has thought of this before.

 

[tskguy]

 

[Mike K]

I received this reply today from my certified body shop as to why they charge so much more to work on a Tesla:

"The problem is what looks like just a bumper can turn into more than that real quick and then it is hard to go backwards once it is here and disassembled. The reason we charge more is because we have to have a separate room just to fix them that isolates them from all the other vehicles we work on. Also we have a lot of money invested in flying technicians down to Freemont for Tesla training. Also we had to purchase Tesla specific tools and equipment to be on their program. That is the reason we charge more. Bumper is not here yet. If you want to cancel I understand. If it just a bumper you can go to any repair facility. Tesla only requires structural shops for structural work."

Can you post photos of your damage? I understand what he's saying in that respect but let's be real... Training is a cost of business. Maybe there's more expensive training required for certain cars. I understand that but how often are they flying techs out to Freemont for updated training that they double (in my case) labor for that specific car indefinitely? That's absurd.

I dont think the cost to fix is out of line.. problem with Tesla is the parts chain. You might be looking at a 4 -6 month repair time.

This A6 was a 16k repair.. car was driveable.. expensive cars = expensive repair.

I appreciate your response but you're making an apples to oranges comparison here. For one, you're dealing with a car that has much more expensive replacement parts than Tesla. So your repair costs are going be inflated because of the cost of parts, not necessarily the cost of labor. My complaint (and that of others here) is that our labor costs are needlessly inflated because our cars have a Tesla badge on the hood. So right off the bat this isn't a fair comparison.

On top of that, you have more extensive damage. Just from looking at your picture I see you need pretty much all the trim/ grills for the bumper cover. I need none. You have the expensive LED lights. You need a hood. I do not. Since your hood was pushed in you may or may not have also needed a header panel. I do not.

Lastly, your comment about the parts chain, at least with respect to my repair, is wholly inaccurate. The parts for my car are all in stock. The repair would be quick.

Were this a matter of Tesla gouging for parts and shops charging reasonable rates I think we'd all be directing our frustration at Tesla but this is a case of Tesla actually offering parts at extremely reasonable prices and their approved shops are just running people through the ringer... In my opinion of course.

 

[tmoz]

Must have replaced a door or panel? Pictures?

I have to look up pictures. They decided they had to replace the rear bumper. I'm not sure why. They said a clamp or two was broken. I'm not sure how this scrape could have caused that. There was no damage to the bumper. Initial estimate was 4500. I took pics and sent them to the insurance company and the insurance company estimated $350. Then after they took it apart, they said clamps were broken. I'm not sure the clamps weren't broken from day one. Anyway - 3 weeks later the is fixed. Paint matched exactly. I hope there is no next time, but if there is, I will really think about living with a mar if it is not major.

 

[tmoz]

Was that a scrape across the whole side of the car, across multiple body panels?

Just affected the rear quarter panel. Scrape was about 6". But somehow the bumper needed to be replaced. Initially they said they needed to take the bumper off to check for damage. If I lived closer to the body shop, I should have asked to see what they found - it would have been interesting.

 

[⚡️ELECTROMAN⚡️]

Can you post photos of your damage? I understand what he's saying in that respect but let's be real... Training is a cost of business. Maybe there's more expensive training required for certain cars. I understand that but how often are they flying techs out to Freemont for updated training that they double (in my case) labor for that specific car indefinitely? That's absurd.

This is my door from the first accident. $4600:

This is my bumper. Not sure if there is any structural damage or not. If not, my two estimates are $1610 and $2000:

 

[tmoz]

$2000 just for the bumper? That does sound a little high, but I'm guessing there is a lot of labor involved, and assume they are repairing and not replacing? The price for your first repair sounds similar to what I paid, but my damage was a lot less noticeable. I will try to dig up pics.

 

[⚡️ELECTROMAN⚡️]

$2000 just for the bumper? That does sound a little high, but I'm guessing there is a lot of labor involved, and assume they are repairing and not replacing? The price for your first repair sounds similar to what I paid, but my damage was a lot less noticeable. I will try to dig up pics.

Both shops said it was cheaper to replace the bumper than repair it. I would guess because their labor rates are so high. I'll probably keep the old bumper for future mishaps. When my car is out warranty I will have non-certified shops take care of the simple things. As for now I'm stuck between the cost cutting insurance companies and the price gouging certified auto body shops.

Here's a quote from an email, I recieved from a Tesla rep, yesterday:

"...The warranty of the car will void out if taking to non-certified shops . There is no way for us to track parts from non-certified shops and we cannot offer much support with that. It is to your best interest to take it to a certified shop."

 

[Dborn]

T

This is my door from the first accident. $4600:View attachment 236881

This is my bumper. Not sure if there is any structural damage or not. If not, my two estimates are $1610 and $2000:
View attachment 236883

hat bumper should be repairable for about $300 in your driveway!!! Mine had similar self inflicted damage, on two separate occasions. That is what it cost me each time.

 

[FlatSix911]

I received this reply today from my certified body shop as to why they charge so much more to work on a Tesla:

"The problem is what looks like just a bumper can turn into more than that real quick and then it is hard to go backwards once it is here and disassembled. The reason we charge more is because we have to have a separate room just to fix them that isolates them from all the other vehicles we work on. Also we have a lot of money invested in flying technicians down to Freemont for Tesla training. Also we had to purchase Tesla specific tools and equipment to be on their program. That is the reason we charge more.

Bumper is not here yet. If you want to cancel I understand.
If it just a bumper you can go to any repair facility. Tesla only requires structural shops for structural work."

Good to know that any body shop can do Tesla non-structural repairs ... did you go to another shop?

 

[⚡️ELECTROMAN⚡️]

Good to know that any body shop can do Tesla non-structural repairs ... did you go to another shop?

Of course any shop could do a non-structural repair, but will it affect your manufactures warranty?

"...The warranty of the car will void out if taking to non-certified shops . There is no way for us to track parts from non-certified shops and we cannot offer much support with that. It is to your best interest to take it to a certified shop."

 

[FlatSix911]

Of course any shop could do a non-structural repair, but will it affect your manufactures warranty?

If you use Tesla OEM parts this should be a non issue ... Auto Warranties & Routine Maintenance