Can You Estimate the Repair Cost for This Tesla? | Carscoops

      To complicate matters further, the owner's insurance premium could rise by $1,000 each year for five years if an at-fault claim is made.

      Tesla's estimate for repairing a minor incident involving a Model Y could leave drivers facing a substantial cost.

      Filing insurance claims may result in increased premiums, making out-of-pocket repairs a more appealing option.

      DIY repairs or using independent shops might provide cheaper alternatives compared to Tesla's pricing.

      It's clear that this Tesla Model Y has certainly experienced better days. After the driver collided with a bright yellow bollard in a parking lot, the rear door on the passenger side has been dented and scratched, and the plastic fender has been completely torn off. There are also some scratches on the rear quarter panel.

      In the larger context, while the damage isn't catastrophic, it represents a bad day for the car. Naturally, Tesla has quoted a repair cost of $11,671, which understandably has the owner scratching his head as well.

      It’s widely known that car repair costs have significantly increased in 2025 compared to a decade earlier, especially for electric vehicles. This explains why insurance companies are quick to deem cars total losses over seemingly minor damage. Nevertheless, the repair estimate provided is still astonishing.

      Approximately half of the repair estimate is for labor, which totals $5,486 for an alleged 60.7 hours of work, averaging out to $91 per hour. If you are the owner of this Model Y, you might be calculating that it doesn’t seem like the car requires 60 hours of labor, but the service center disagrees.

      When confronted with such a repair estimate, many car owners would opt to have their insurance cover the costs and move on. However, this could be more costly in the long run. The car’s owner mentioned on Reddit that making an at-fault insurance claim would increase their premium by $1,000 annually for the next five years and would also result in the loss of their good driver discount. There’s also the $1,000 deductible they need to pay.

      Ideally, the owner would want the insurance company to consider Tesla's repair costs exorbitant and total the vehicle. However, that seems unlikely. Thus, the most pragmatic choice may be for the owner to visit an independent repair shop that could replace the door, fender, and possibly the quarter panel for significantly less than Tesla would charge the insurer.

      For those who enjoy DIY projects, fixing it themselves is also an option. Used Model Y rear doors can be purchased for just a few hundred dollars, and a new fender shouldn't be too costly either. Perhaps it's time to get hands-on.

      Guess the repair cost for this @Tesla byu/sgrinavi inTeslaModelY.