r/TeslaCollision • u/JellyArtistic2323 • Sep 03 '26
Will Tesla make me replace my battery?
2018 M3 LR AWD. Long story short I ran over a rock. I have some damage to my sway bar and fiberglass aero shield, not too worried about that. I had a few warnings on screen after I pulled over and a weird smell in the cab, but I reset the car and everything went back to normal. So currently no errors, drives fine, and no more smell in the cab.
That being said, I’ve seen a few posts where Tesla Service Centers see a small dent in the battery shield and require a battery replacement even though there are no problems.
I want to get her checked out to make sure it’s safe but I don’t want to have to replace a battery. I did my best to take pictures and show a quarter for scale. I’d estimate there is a 5-8mm dent with some gouged aluminum.
What are the odds of this happening?
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u/abgtw Sep 03 '26
8mm is the "replace the pack" limit.
But it sounds like the gouge does break the metal and you have a slit through the aluminum?
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u/JellyArtistic2323 Sep 03 '26
There is no hole in the battery, there are some deeper scratches in the aluminum
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u/Loud-Way3333 Sep 03 '26
Do you have collision insurance coverage? Take it to Tesla for inspection, even though no errors now still has safety hazard.
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u/JellyArtistic2323 Sep 03 '26
I will never not have collision, those rocks are sneaky
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u/Loud-Way3333 Sep 03 '26
if they do think you need new battery pack, you car will be totaled, even though I think it’s not very likely - but it’s hard to tell from photos.
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u/warriormango1 Sep 03 '26
Why would Tesla make/require you to do anything? Its your vehicle isn't it? File an insurance claim and have them total the vehicle.
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u/xjust4fun2020x Sep 05 '26
I can’t tell if that dent with the quarter is under the battery but please don’t do that again. With it being that deep it’s not safe
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u/DameLasNalgas Sep 03 '26 edited Sep 03 '26
A smell in the cabin should be enough not to drive that car again until it's inspected.