The thing that Tesla doesn't tell you when buying their vehicle is that it can only be repaired by a Tesla authorized repair shop. Tesla does not sell parts to the public (ie, other non-authoized Tesla repair shops). I did not know this until I was notified by both my insurance and my mechanic.
In the video below, the master mechanic believes that the front end of the vehicle is completely compromised and that the structural integrity is lost. (The car was the very last car of a 3 way car accident, hitting a Ford Explorer, while going about 60mph.
In Southern California, there are only 4 shops - Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Costa Mesa and San Diego. I'm not confident with any of the shops they recommended.
I'm worried that if I bring it to one of these authorized shops they will say that the car is repairable because they don't want to lose out on a big paycheck for repairs. (For the vehicle to be totaled, I believe that either (1) the total estimated repair bill must 70-75% of value or (2) there is structural damaged causing the car to be unsafe).
From the video and pictures below, do you think the car is repairable or totaled?
VIDEO
PICTURES
Below are a pictures of Tesla Model S P85 before, during, and after a tear down.
The main point of impact was the front end of the vehicle, with the passenger side absorbing much of the impact. Both airbags from the steering wheel and foot compartment are deployed.
The strut tower is pushed back about 6-7 inches and there are cracked aluminum fragments from the body as seen above.
The impact was so sever that it caused the connecting middle crossmember to nearly split in half! Even FIREWALL CRACKED! There is a visible 1 inch split (pointed out in the video).
Both left and right aprons are gone. In addition, A-pillar is extremely damaged.
Notice the two red dots on the top of the picture. Originally, they held the batter wires on the front end of the vehicle. Now notice the third red dot in the middle of the picture. That is positive battery wire displaced from its original position. This wire could have been in contact with other parts of the aluminum body.
Luckily, everyone walked away from the accident unharmed. However, in the expert opinion of the Certified Master Mechanic, "the whole front-end is completely compromised... the structural integrity of the front end.. is completely lost."
Do you think the car is repairable or totaled? (More pictures can be found here: My Tesla Model S P85 Accident | Pictures and Videos of My Tesla Model S Accident)
In the video below, the master mechanic believes that the front end of the vehicle is completely compromised and that the structural integrity is lost. (The car was the very last car of a 3 way car accident, hitting a Ford Explorer, while going about 60mph.
In Southern California, there are only 4 shops - Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Costa Mesa and San Diego. I'm not confident with any of the shops they recommended.
I'm worried that if I bring it to one of these authorized shops they will say that the car is repairable because they don't want to lose out on a big paycheck for repairs. (For the vehicle to be totaled, I believe that either (1) the total estimated repair bill must 70-75% of value or (2) there is structural damaged causing the car to be unsafe).
From the video and pictures below, do you think the car is repairable or totaled?
VIDEO
PICTURES
Below are a pictures of Tesla Model S P85 before, during, and after a tear down.
The main point of impact was the front end of the vehicle, with the passenger side absorbing much of the impact. Both airbags from the steering wheel and foot compartment are deployed.
The strut tower is pushed back about 6-7 inches and there are cracked aluminum fragments from the body as seen above.
The impact was so sever that it caused the connecting middle crossmember to nearly split in half! Even FIREWALL CRACKED! There is a visible 1 inch split (pointed out in the video).
Both left and right aprons are gone. In addition, A-pillar is extremely damaged.
Notice the two red dots on the top of the picture. Originally, they held the batter wires on the front end of the vehicle. Now notice the third red dot in the middle of the picture. That is positive battery wire displaced from its original position. This wire could have been in contact with other parts of the aluminum body.
Luckily, everyone walked away from the accident unharmed. However, in the expert opinion of the Certified Master Mechanic, "the whole front-end is completely compromised... the structural integrity of the front end.. is completely lost."
Do you think the car is repairable or totaled? (More pictures can be found here: My Tesla Model S P85 Accident | Pictures and Videos of My Tesla Model S Accident)
Last edited by a moderator: