Model 3 damage - Advice

[AlexIT]

Well I need a little bit of advice regarding this mishap:



I am trying to find a bodyshop that's approved by Tesla, but in the meantime I'd like to find out what kind of work is potentially involved to put it straight again.

The only bodyshop I visited doesn't work on Tesla, but said something very vague about a full replacement of the part. I don't know how far this can be trusted or how actually such a repair is generally carried out. If I understood correctly that part is aluminium and therefore quite difficult to repair.

Any ideas? I just want to have a little knowledge before accepting any quotation. Thanks!

[lizardbrain]

I think they will want to replace the whole piece?

[AlexIT]

lizardbrain said:

I think they will want to replace the whole piece?

You mean from the front wheel to the rear quarter (as this seems to be a single panel)?

[lizardbrain]

AlexIT said:

You mean from the front wheel to the rear quarter (as this seems to be a single panel)?

Just based on one prang of my own, this is what an official garage will insist on.

Otherwise, you could get a random to try banging it into shape or just forget about it?

[Jordie Barretts sock]

That's the metal sill, right?

Surely that's a pull out, fill and spray that any competent body shop can do?

Or of it's plastic, a plastic repair man is what you need.

I don't see the need for a Tesla approved anything.

[lizardbrain]

Jordie Barretts sock said:

That's the metal sill, right?

Surely that's a pull out, fill and spray that any competent body shop can do?

Or of it's plastic, a plastic repair man is what you need.

I don't see the need for a Tesla approved anything.

Then you should probably relax your requirement for a bodyshop that's approved by Tesla.

[Jordie Barretts sock]

lizardbrain said:

Jordie Barretts sock said:

That's the metal sill, right?

Surely that's a pull out, fill and spray that any competent body shop can do?

Or of it's plastic, a plastic repair man is what you need.

I don't see the need for a Tesla approved anything.

Then you should probably relax your requirement for a bodyshop that's approved by Tesla.

I'm not the OP.

[AlexIT]

lizardbrain said:

AlexIT said:

You mean from the front wheel to the rear quarter (as this seems to be a single panel)?

Just based on one prang of my own, this is what an official garage will insist on.

Otherwise, you could get a random to try banging it into shape or just forget about it?

Bugger, that's a heck of a repair for a small distraction.
I will see in any case with a bodyshop if that can be pulled out and no... I know my little self and I won't be able to forget it

[SeeNoWeevil]

There are videos on youtube doing this exact repair, it's pretty common. Pull the dent out, fill and paint. Replace the plastic rocker cover underneath if required.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

Why does it have to be Tesla approved?

[PHZero]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

Why does it have to be Tesla approved?

Perhaps because it's on finance, and that may be a condition of the finance.

[Jordie Barretts sock]

PHZero said:

Hugo Stiglitz said:

Why does it have to be Tesla approved?

Perhaps because it's on finance, and that may be a condition of the finance.

And once it's been repaired, who would know? Certainly not the finance company who will never see the car.

[PHZero]

Jordie Barretts sock said:

PHZero said:

Hugo Stiglitz said:

Why does it have to be Tesla approved?

Perhaps because it's on finance, and that may be a condition of the finance.

And once it's been repaired, who would know? Certainly not the finance company who will never see the car.

Agreed. I'm sure that nobody would know, if it's repaired properly. I guess that some people wouldn't want to risk being found out to have breached the conditions of their finance agreement, although the chances of that happening would probably be very small!

[Gone fishing]

Take that to a Tesla approved body shop and I kid you not, they’ll possibly right off the car

Approved Tesla body shops don’t repair, they replace, so that piece will need cutting out which means battery out etc etc for safety, Part might take a while, so if there’s a loan car involved then the cost is going to mount up. Scrap value of the car might be quite high due to lots of reusable parts, so the economics would be to write you a cheque.

A lot of the early Tesla body shops specialised in higher end cars like Aston Martin, you can guess their hourly rate too.

[AlexIT]

I was looking for a Tesla approved repair shop, as it seems no-one is keen on working on it. No other reasons actually.

It's now booked in and they will just pull out the dent as someone suggested above, fortunately only the outer part has been damaged and the sill is perfectly (ehmm... well by Tesla's standards ) aligned and straight.

The only problem seems to be sourcing the plastic cover underneath, but as soon as it arrives the car will be going in for the repair.

@Gone Fishing: that was what a body shop told me as well and that was the reason they don't want to work on Teslas, but eventually it seems that those actually working on them take things more easily.

Anyway it's a good reminder to always think when driving, even when just pulling out a parking space: not the best way to celebrate 30 years of license, but lesson learnt