Center Employee

A $155,000 Tesla Model S Plaid was totaled several days after the owner dropped it off for a service appointment and now, the owner is trying to find answers.

After dropping off his Model S Plaid with only a few thousand miles on the odometer Aug. 24 at the Plano, TX, Tesla Service Center, owner Jeff said he received a call Aug. 30 from an employee. “We have some bad news,” Jeff heard over the phone. “Your car was totaled.”

“I thought it was a joke,” Jeff told Teslarati in an interview. “I found out very soon it was not a joke.”

After arriving at the service center the next day, on Aug. 31, Jeff found his black Model S in the parking lot. The rear passenger door was smashed in, and visibility into the vehicle was limited due to many airbags in the car being deployed.

The vehicle had been T-boned by another car just two blocks from the service center, located at 5800 Democracy Drive in Plano, as a 33-year-old employee was driving it to ensure the original repair was completed properly.

The driver of the Model S failed to yield the right of way at a stop sign and was hit by another car. The Model S was totaled in the accident.

Initially, Jeff was interested in receiving a new car, of course, and there happened to be an exact match of his Model S at another showroom in the state. He was offered that vehicle Aug. 31, but by Sept. 1, that had changed. Tesla said they would likely go through insurance, meaning it would take nearly three weeks to get Jeff his replacement vehicle.

Teslarati spoke to insurance experts and liability attorneys, who said the situation in which the vehicle was totaled and determining liability is what truly matters. The fact this is a customer’s car and an employee crashed it is irrelevant until liability is determined.

Teslarati obtained the police report through the City of Plano, which revealed the service center employee was at fault. Jeff also told Teslarati when he spoke to the employee driving the vehicle at the time of the accident, he admitted the accident was his fault.

The report said the driver of the Model S was officially charged with failure to yield the right of way at a stop sign.

The report showed there was a 31-year-old passenger in the Tesla at the time of the crash. The Audi A5 that collided with the Tesla was being driven by a 62-year-old, who was taken to Plano Presbyterian Hospital.

Tesla has been tight-lipped with Jeff, saying they would be in touch with him regarding the accident within the next three weeks. Tesla may have been attempting to determine liability as its employee driving the vehicle may not necessarily be responsible for the accident, especially considering he was T-boned while driving through an intersection.

However, the report filed by the investigating officer determined the driver of the Tesla was at fault, and the fact the employee also told Jeff the accident was his fault would seemingly eliminate Tesla’s need to determine this.

Jeff said Tesla has not offered a loaner or a formal replacement vehicle currently, which makes his situation much more complicated. Teslarati reported in August that Tesla had abolished its policy of offering loaners and Uber credits for some service appointments. However, Jeff’s vehicle is totaled, he is without a replacement and the accident did not happen while he was driving the car, or even in possession of it.

As of Sept. 6, Tesla has yet to contact Jeff regarding the accident or any information on a replacement vehicle.

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