Rough start with new Tesla.... need advice

[bluhmjo]

So I took delivery of my car last Nov... love it I love the car how it drives everything... but ive had so many issues with the tires/wheels... first it was a nail... then another nail...

then a big issue... I hit a curb to avoid a car coming into my lane on a 2 lane road going maybe 15-20mph... both rims (passenger side) took some scrapping but I was told they weren't bent... popped the rear tire but the front was only leaking air slightly... had both replaced... took the car was making a weird humming sound kinda like tires going down the road... didn't think that much of it.. but the car was also pulling to the left ... had it aligned at a local tire shop that says they work on Teslas. It was still pulling to the left after the alignment so I brought it right back in and they redid the alignment... it was ok but now it started pulling slightly to the right... thought it was weird so I decided to just take it to Tesla and let them see whats going on.... well then the fun began...

They brought in my car put it up on the stand and did an "alignment" after 1.5hours they came back to me with some bad news... I had broken the subframe of the car and the "arms" ... he said this would be several thousand dollars and that I'd need to get my insurance involved... I'm just mind blown #1 that I hit a curb which I had never done in 20 years of driving... and that a curb at a relatively low speed would damage the subFRAME of a $60k car...

so my question is what is the best route for me now? my deductible is relatively high and the cost from what Im gathering to fix this will be substantial... do I pay out of pocket? do I claim insurance? If I claim insurance will it show up as the car has been in an accident?

 

[Tam]

...If I claim insurance will it show up as the car has been in an accident?...

Yes, especially with insurance. Without insurance, a repair shop most likely also reports it even when you pay out of your pocket (most repair shops have an agreement to report while very few independent small repair shops may opt-out).

...I had broken the subframe of the car and the "arms"...

An expensive car doesn't mean those components don't break.

Did you know Elon Musk totaled his million-dollar McLaren F1 just by changing lanes?

 

[OxBrew]

I hit a 8 inch rock in my 1997 Honda Odyssey, got a flat on both left wheels, and bent the rear subframe. Was going to be several thousand to fix it right. Got a shop to tweak it back into spec (barely), but was wearing the left rear tire too fast.

Stuff happens, sorry about the situation.

I would use insurance, that's why you have it, right?

I've sold cars with accidents on the record. If you keep all documentation, and show people what the actual problem was, you can find buyers who don't care about it.

Or just keep the car forever, don't worry about it. In 10 years it will be an awesome 2nd or 3rd car.

 

[Z_Lynx]

Really sorry about your car. I have had to get used to the car being so wide (does not feel that way inside). Going from a small Honda to a MY, is a big change. Turning radius is doubled.

... but ive had so many issues with the tires/wheels... first it was a nail... then another nail...

After my first drive last year, rear tire acquired a new bolt in the wrong place. It was a screw this week. The Modern Spare came in handy. Use a magnetic sweep on your drive for nails.

Insurance is painful. Comprehensive is covered at 100% (they supposedly don't punish you for comprehensive claims) and my collision has a high deductible. I learned long ago how claims hurt. The high deductible means a claim is less likely to be filed. Kind of like not getting life insurance because you are betting on yourself.

 

[Srad600Volt]

so my question is what is the best route for me now? my deductible is relatively high and the cost from what Im gathering to fix this will be substantial... do I pay out of pocket? do I claim insurance? If I claim insurance will it show up as the car has been in an accident?

Ouf...this sucks, but unfortunately it's part of auto ownership. If you have a record of the accident on your dashcam, you may be able to go after the other driver for damages.

That being said, if you have the cash and it's burning a hole in your pocket AND you have a spotty insurance record, just pay up and get it fixed. If your record is clean, then you might as well let insurance deal with it. YMMV. Yes, this will very likely show up as an accident. I say likely because you never know. I once totaled a motorcycle (I was actually hit, but I digress), insurance paid out in full. They never came to pick up the motorcycle or title, and never branded the title as salvaged. Sometimes stuff happens.

It sounds like you hit the curb just the "right" way to crack the arms/subframe...I believe they are aluminum (someone may correct me), so that's fairly easy to do.

 

[MrJeep997]

"subframe" is an over aggrandized word IMHO. If its not a control arm and not the actual frame but connected to it they call it a "subframe" when on most cars they are just specially shaped metal connectors or holders and usually easy to replace with a few bolts. From experience slow sliding sideways into a curb in snow I can tell you that it is very easy to bend things not designed to take force from that angle.
Sounds like you need an actual quote on the job to make an informed decision and I'm leaning towards this is a claim and that really stinks and I feel your pain but it's not the end of the world, at least you will have it fixed right and it will drive the way you want it to.

 

[SkyDog]

Use a magnetic sweep on your drive for nails.

Magnetic sweep??

 

[OxBrew]

Magnetic sweep??

Cheap one from Harbor Freight (pic). Contractors use them to clean up nails and such.

I have one that's just a big round magnet on a handle. Helps a lot, unless they used aluminum nails in the old crappy metal siding you took off.

 

[MMurrayGA]

Cheap one from Harbor Freight (pic). Contractors use them to clean up nails and such.

I have one that's just a big round magnet on a handle. Helps a lot, unless they used aluminum nails in the old crappy metal siding you took off.

By “use this on your drive” you mean “use this on your driveway” I was so confused thinking you had some magic magnetic something installed on your car to repel nails while you drove or something! I also picked up a nail on my second weekish with my MY - I was super upset.

 

[Z_Lynx]

Yes, OxBrew!

I would love to have a nail repeller, MMurrayGA! I now fear the tire itself is a magnet (both screw and bolt in same tire) so intend to drive around the neighborhood making life safer for everyone else.

This is what my neighbor lent me:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-Magnet-Caddy-with-Wheels/3381144

 

[advocate8]

I hit a 8 inch rock in my 1997 Honda Odyssey, got a flat on both left wheels, and bent the rear subframe. Was going to be several thousand to fix it right. Got a shop to tweak it back into spec (barely), but was wearing the left rear tire too fast.

Stuff happens, sorry about the situation.

I would use insurance, that's why you have it, right?

I've sold cars with accidents on the record. If you keep all documentation, and show people what the actual problem was, you can find buyers who don't care about it.

Or just keep the car forever, don't worry about it. In 10 years it will be an awesome 2nd or 3rd car.

THIS. Solid insight and advice.