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When hail hammered her Tesla, one proprietor didn’t notice the worst of it till she obtained in. What appeared like a couple of dings from the curb turned out to be a dying sentence for her EV, and a $20,000 drawback she will be able to’t drive anymore.
A Nebraska creator (@mo_surviving_my_40s) realized the exhausting approach that the lauded Tesla model will not be constructed for the plains states. In a video that’s been seen greater than 487,000 instances, she exhibits that the glass roof of the automotive has been shattered past any sensible restore. The remainder of the automotive physique suffered injury from the hail downpour as effectively, however we study that the roof was the deciding consider her insurance coverage firm’s resolution to declare it totaled.
The panoramic glass roof—considered one of Tesla’s signature design options—is shattered throughout its total floor. “It doesn’t look that unhealthy from the surface,” she says, “nevertheless it’s totaled.”
“Sooner or later, the power might be nice sufficient to shatter it…”
Tesla Complete Loss: She’s Not Alone
This wasn’t the primary time a Tesla’s glass roof had met its match in a hailstorm. In August 2022, a driver in Alberta, Canada, discovered their Mannequin 3 catastrophically damaged after a sudden hailstorm bombarded the automotive with ice the dimensions of grapefruits. Although the physique panels escaped with minor dents, the panoramic glass roof and windshield shattered fully, flooding the cabin and forcing the insurer to declare it a complete loss.
Extra just lately, in Bavaria, Germany, video footage captured throughout a summer season storm confirmed massive hailstones pounding a Tesla Mannequin Y. The rear glass shattered on digicam, leaving the again half of the car uncovered to the weather.
Tesla house owners have taken to boards and Reddit to compare notes. “From expertise, the glass roof can completely crack in a hailstorm,” one wrote. One other added, “It’s higher than a steel roof for all however excessive hail… in some unspecified time in the future, the power might be nice sufficient to shatter it.” Whereas Tesla’s glass design earns reward for aesthetics and security in rollover assessments, real-world climate has a approach of rewriting the foundations and the restore payments.
Extra About Tesla’s Roofs
Tesla’s laminated glass roofs are engineered for strength and rigidity, providing structural help in rollovers and enhanced cabin quietness, however they merely weren’t designed to face up to hail bigger than golf balls. Not like steel, which dents underneath strain, glass resists deformation till it shatters explosively. Even when the car’s metal body stays intact, a shattered roof panel typically fails inspection requirements or turns into unsafe, pushing insurance coverage firms to whole the automotive. In lots of instances, changing that one piece of glass triggers a total-loss analysis as a result of restore prices exceed car worth.
Insurance coverage insurance policies sometimes consider a vehicle totaled when restore bills hit round 60% of the present market worth. Tesla’s glass roof substitute, together with elements, labor, seals, and recalibration, routinely exceeds that threshold.
What if I Need to Try a Restore?
Restore choices fluctuate by state and state of affairs. Paintless dent restore may assist with small physique dings, however not shattered glass. Tesla’s OEM replacements are dependable however typically costly and sluggish to supply. Aftermarket replacements may be extra inexpensive, but threat voiding warranties or failing future inspections. Some house owners select salvage retention, shopping for again their totaled Teslas to try DIY fixes or half out the car. However this typically comes with limitations: in Texas, for instance, automobiles with salvage titles could lose entry to Supercharging, software program updates, and sure insurance coverage choices.
Motor1 reached out to the creator through direct message and to Tesla through e mail. We’ll make sure to replace this text if we hear again.