Jan. 30, 2023 – Chief executive of Tesla Elon Musk says that the company will be implementing changes to its vehicles to reduce the cost of repair, Reuters reports.
"It's remarkable how small changes in the design of the bumper (and) providing spare parts needed for collision repair have an enormous effect on the repair cost," Musk said during Tesla's fourth-quarter earnings call last week. "Most accidents are actually small—a broken fender or scratched side of the car."
Online data from Copart and IAA has shown that the vast majority of more than 120 totaled Model Y Teslas had less than 10,000 miles on them.
Though the data does not disclose details on the vehicle’s exact damage, insurance companies will often have a vehicle totaled if the repairs are too expensive, which may suggest that the large number of low-mileage Teslas that have been totaled is a result of the high price to repair them.
Reuters found that one vehicle listed by the IAA in early January—a 2022 Model Y Long Range from Tesla’s Austin, Texas, plant that suffered a front collision—had a retail price of $61,388, with repairs being estimated at $50,388.
Another Model Y from IAA had a retail price of $72,667 with repairs estimated at $43,814.
