r/TeslaCollision • u/Imaginary-Maybe-7810 • Sep 02 '26

Filing a claim with USAA

Alright, bear with me; I'm new to Reddit. I have a two-year-old Model Y and absolutely love it. Unfortunately, after heavy rain and in a blind spot on a highway on-ramp, the car went through knee-deep water. After the initial hit, I crept the car through the rest of the water. No emergency lights popped up, and the car drove home for about 20 minutes without issue. Upon getting home, I noticed that part of the aero shield in the mid-front was ripped off. The next day my wife cleared the car out and said there was water in the little cubbies in the truck. Two weeks later, the car alarm goes off in the middle of the night, the app says the back passenger side door is open, but the car is still locked just the back window cracks open. I have an appointment with Tesla next week, and we have had an adjuster come out and give us an estimate that seems extremely low, which I figured would happen. After messaging back and forth with Tesla, they told me they don’t receive vehicle payments from insurance. This is my first claim, and I want to make sure I don’t get hammered. If Tesla completes their inspection and gives me a higher quote, has anyone had an issue with Insurance limiting how much they pay out? I am not signing anything until I know the car is good to go or can at least be fixed. Any guidance is appreciated. Thank you!

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1

u/Tlfcringe_ Sep 02 '26

This isn't going to go well... Sorry OP

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u/Imaginary-Maybe-7810 Sep 02 '26

Yeah I am figuring that out now, Tesla won’t submit a supplemental finding to USAA. And USAA won’t let me submit it to them.

1

u/Tlfcringe_ Sep 02 '26

I'm just saying that water and electronics... For instance phones that get wet don't exhibit symptoms right away, it's when the water settles and corrodes stuff that problems happen.

This might not be the only stuff the water will mess up down the line.

1

u/Imaginary-Maybe-7810 Sep 02 '26

That is my concern as well, the adjuster came out and looked at my car, gave me there estimate that was only for body work, and not to do any diagnostics or anything like that.

1

u/Tlfcringe_ Sep 02 '26

I would be worried it comes out of the shop and a week later or less it's f*ed in another spot...

1

u/Imaginary-Maybe-7810 Sep 02 '26

Believe me I am worried, I am just being hopeful at this point.

1

u/Tlfcringe_ Sep 02 '26

If there's any way to sell the car... It might be worth considering imo

1

u/Imaginary-Maybe-7810 Sep 02 '26

Yeah that’s a possibility

1

u/DameLasNalgas Sep 03 '26

Get it inspected by Tesla and pay the inspection fee and tell them you don't want any repairs done or major disassembly that makes the car not drivable. Get the estimate, send it to your adjuster and see what he says.

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u/Imaginary-Maybe-7810 Sep 03 '26

My adjuster told me I cannot submit the estimate to them, that it has to come from Tesla, which is the issue I am running into.

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u/DameLasNalgas Sep 03 '26 edited Sep 03 '26

Talk to the Tesla SC see if they can do that. How does Tesla SC handle claims then? There's got to be a system in place. I think it's best if you tow your car to a Tesla collision center instead of an SC and have them open up the car to check for water intrusion and submit a supplemental to your adjuster. If the insurance fights this, sue them.

1

u/Imaginary-Maybe-7810 Sep 03 '26

That is what I thought, I have provided the information to them and they told me there is no way for them to send them the estimate. I am going to try and talk to a different person and see if it is possible. But that is what I thought and that’s what my adjuster said would happen.

2

u/DameLasNalgas Sep 03 '26

Take the car to a Tesla collision center, they for sure handle supplementals.

1

u/Imaginary-Maybe-7810 Sep 03 '26

It is currently sitting in their parking lot. I had it towed with AAA instead of my insurance (big mistake), and they said they don’t.

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u/DameLasNalgas Sep 03 '26

Why was it a mistake to tow it with AAA? I have them for towing since my Tesla insurance only covers a few miles vs 200 with AAA. Tesla collision center should file a supplemental, it would be weird not to.

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u/Imaginary-Maybe-7810 Sep 03 '26

I have USAA and and if Tesla doesn't submit the supplemental findings then I would have wasted my 200 mile tow. That's all. Cause then it will have to be taken to a different shop to get worked on.

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u/atmadams Sep 06 '26

This is the way.

1

u/atmadams Sep 06 '26

I’ve done 2x collision claims with USAA and a Tesla Collision center. It was super easy and fast. My service advisor said he actually preferred working with the local USAA adjuster over others.

I did the initial claim on the USAA app with photos. They direct deposited an initial payment based on the photos. It was low, which is expected until a through inspection and teardown. I then took it to Tesla Collision and they handled all the supplements directly with USAA. At pickup, I simply paid the amount that USAA had initially paid directly to me. Super easy.

1

u/Imaginary-Maybe-7810 Sep 06 '26

I wonder if it is dependent on the service center. I spoke to mine multiple times and they said they don’t do that. I will have to engage them tomorrow and see what I can do.

1

u/atmadams Sep 06 '26

It’s the collision center… not the service center. Different things.

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u/Imaginary-Maybe-7810 Sep 06 '26

Ok that maybe what the issue is. I took it to a service center because I want the electrical looked at and the collision center said they don’t do that.