Accident update - repair estimate is in and I got relatively lucky

[whitex]

I also need 52 tapping screws, which are $4.56 a piece.

Do they come each individually packaged in a Porsche gift box?

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[thecoloradokid]

Do they come each individually packaged in a Porsche gift box?

I am not sure, but sounds about right for the individual cost of each screw. I guess it takes a lot of bolts and screws to keep the molding and plates on the underside of the vehicle safely in place.

 

[violuma]

I am not sure, but sounds about right for the individual cost of each screw. I guess it takes a lot of bolts and screws to keep the molding and plates on the underside of the vehicle safely in place.

You should post a thread asking for opinions about which deviated threading color to choose for the screws.

Seriously, thanks for taking the time to update us all on what must have been an incredibly frightening experience on many levels.

 

[WasserGKuehlt]

I am not sure, but sounds about right for the individual cost of each screw. I guess it takes a lot of bolts and screws to keep the molding and plates on the underside of the vehicle safely in place.

I've no doubt it takes a lot of hardware to fasten the undertrays securely.

However, the following gave me pause:

[...]these are held in place by 60 or so $15 to $20 individually priced screws, bolts, and nuts. I also need 52 tapping screws, which are $4.56 a piece.

For comparison, here are the prices for various bolts being used to rebuild the engine in my 996:
intake cam bolt: 2x $18.20
crank carrier bolt: 14x $6.80
head bolt 10x230mm: 24x $8.20
flywheel bolt M10x50: 8x $1.00

$15 for an undertray screw sounds to me like Porsche trying to recoup part of their EV investment from part sales..

 

[DoctorLife]

I recently shared that I hit a piece of metal sticking straight up in the air as it was wedged in a gap between a bridge and the roadway, and wanted to provide a quick update now that I have received the estimate back from my local Porsche dealership. I have to admit I got super lucky since the Porsche tech's did not find any damage to the battery. Evidently the rate of speed that I hit the chunk of metal sent me airborne enough to clear the battery.

The worst of the damage to fix is the steering gear with rack rods. That alone is $5,100. We also have replace a front support frame since the radiator was pierced by the object. That is $3,200. There are a number of plates and a lot of molding that needs to be replaced, and these are held in place by 60 or so $15 to $20 individually priced screws, bolts, and nuts. I also need 52 tapping screws, which are $4.56 a piece. The coolant additive comes in at a cool $166.

I feel fortunate that between the parts, and the $15k in labor to do the work, the bill will be under $30k. Considering the impact strength and high rate of speed involved, I had enough good karma built up to walk away unhurt, and the car to only sustain moderate damage . I am lucky enough to be a 35 year customer of USAA, so they are looking out for me on this. They are also going to coordinate with me going after the Colorado Dept of Transportation for reimbursement of repair costs, the value of additional lost of vehicle time due to repair time, and lost of vehicle value due to the accident.

My local Porsche dealership feels confident they can get the parts within the next month, so I am hoping to be back on the road in the Taycan by the middle of October.

I know we all nit pick on this forum about particular things about the Taycan, but the car is a solidly built piece of machinery. Sure, $30k is a lot of money for car damage, but considering how much worse it could have been for the two of us in the vehicle, I take my hat off to the Porsche engineers for designing a well build vehicle that can take a beating.

Great you and yours are safe and sound which is the most important thing

Playing devils advocate....would you have preferred if it had been an insurance write-off so you could get a new Taycan? I’ve had main dealer major repairs before in another car which never felt quite like the original with a persistent never located rattle and steering geometry ever so slightly off.

Not sure how many out there have Porsche Gap Insurance but I did get this despite the expense especially because British roads are pretty dire and getting the full cost of the car in case of a write off scenario similar yours provided some reassurance for me.

Obviously hope your repairs go well.

 

[thecoloradokid]

Great you and yours are safe and sound which is the most important thing

Playing devils advocate....would you have preferred if it had been an insurance write-off so you could get a new Taycan? I’ve had main dealer major repairs before in another car which never felt quite like the original with a persistent never located rattle and steering geometry ever so slightly off.

Not sure how many out there have Porsche Gap Insurance but I did get this despite the expense especially because British roads are pretty dire and getting the full cost of the car in case of a write off scenario similar yours provided some reassurance for me.

Obviously hope your repairs go well.

I am pretty sure my insurance company will not agree to writing off the vehicle since the repair bill is just under $30k. That is a big financial gap between paying $30k for repairs, or giving me $160k to buy a like CT4s.

My CT4s was $155k when I ordered it last year, so buying a like 2023 or 2024 will cost another $7k or so, and I would have to find a dealership with an allocation. If the damage had been more extensive I would have thought about that, but the worst of the damage is to the front steering.

I got about as lucky as you can be in this kind of an accident. There was no exterior body damage, for some reason the air bags did not deploy even though the car hit an object in the road and went airborne, the damage was limited to the bottom of the car and no significant vehicle electronics were impacted, and my interesting Polish friend and I walked away unharmed.

The Porsche dealership will be doing all the work, and using Porsche parts, so I am hoping that the car comes back as it was before the accident. If not, I will continue to work with them to get the car operating and driving like a proper Taycan.

In regards to loss of vehicle value because the car was in a one vehicle accident with a road object, I have already submitted documentation to the State of Colorado asking for $40k. We shall see what they say, but that is about a quarter of the value of the vehicle when I purchased it new. I would expect the car has lost 25% of it value from the accident once it is reported, so I want that from the state since their shoddy roadwork caused my accident.

 

[BigBob]

I am not sure, but sounds about right for the individual cost of each screw. I guess it takes a lot of bolts and screws to keep the molding and plates on the underside of the vehicle safely in place.

Forget AI. Does anyone want to set up a screw manufacturing factory with me?

 

[JohnPM]

$15 for an undertray screw sounds to me like Porsche trying to recoup part of their EV investment from part sales..

Try buying Aston parts, most of which are Ford or Volvo components with an AM sticker on the packet and a x10 uplift in price.

 

[WasserGKuehlt]

Try buying Aston parts, most of which are Ford or Volvo components with an AM sticker on the packet and a x10 uplift in price.

2 ways to reply, choose your favorite :
- that would imply having bought an Aston - first mistake, as they are Ford/Volvo/Mercedes parts cobbled together under an attractive shell
- beauty does have a price

Nah, I’m kidding; I can’t think of another car manufacturer that produced consistently beautiful designs throughout its existence. (And they have a Le Mans win, too.)

 

[mikezhang31]

Try buying Aston parts, most of which are Ford or Volvo components with an AM sticker on the packet and a x10 uplift in price.

I remember when fixing the thermostat on my vantage, I saved some big bucks by buying the Jag thermostat. Meanwhile, the Jag owners out there were prob not enthused about paying Jag prices to repair their Jags lol

 

[snstevens]

Sounds like your insurance is getting screwed on the screws. No way are those are one time use.

Not necessarily. Stainless steel screws are typically $5 each for the tiny ones, and $15-$20 for the larger bolts. Pricy stuff, but you need to go stainless to avoid rust.

 

[snstevens]

The Porsche dealership will be doing all the work, and using Porsche parts, so I am hoping that the car comes back as it was before the accident. If not, I will continue to work with them to get the car operating and driving like a proper Taycan.

The great thing about this is that, once done, the car will be as good as new, and drive like a Porsche.

 

[thecoloradokid]

The great thing about this is that, once done, the car will be as good as new, and drive like a Porsche.

Fingers crossed, fingers crossed.

I want my baby back and working like it was before the accident.

 

[andrew1cohen]

You went airborne and had no injuries! Key statement. I'm glad for you.

I went airborne (t-boned by a drunk driver who fell asleep in his truck). I flew across four lanes into a gas station, broke the gas pumps, and gas was spraying everywhere. It was a miracle that there was no fire (the fire dep was there in 3 minutes). Three weeks later, I crutched out of the hospital and then fully recovered. I want to thank the firemen who extracted me three months later. They remembered me because they thought for sure the whole station was going to blow. But they stayed, sprayed the fire foam, and extracted me. I take a second every day to thank god and the Toronto firemen who stayed! I was/am lucky. Going airborne in a car is no joke!

 

[thecoloradokid]

You went airborne and had no injuries! Key statement. I'm glad for you.

I went airborne (t-boned by a drunk driver who fell asleep in his truck). I flew across four lanes into a gas station, broke the gas pumps, and gas was spraying everywhere. It was a miracle that there was no fire (the fire dep was there in 3 minutes). Three weeks later, I crutched out of the hospital and then fully recovered. I want to thank the firemen who extracted me three months later. They remembered me because they thought for sure the whole station was going to blow. But they stayed, sprayed the fire foam, and extracted me. I take a second every day to thank god and the Toronto firemen who stayed! I was/am lucky. Going airborne in a car is no joke!

This is absolute insanity. Glad you made out of that harrowing situation.

What kind of car were you in? Hopefully the drunk driver was sentences to jail for that madness.

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