Underbody Protection Panel damaged. Batteries and coolant lines need inspection. $72.5K replacement & labor cost. Dealership is Tom Wood in Indiana

[AutoX]

given that the thread is up to 60 pages now. Can some one give a quick synopsis and outcome of events?

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[BigBob]

given that the thread is up to 60 pages now. Can some one give a quick synopsis and outcome of events?

Yeh, Don't scratch the bottom of your car or you'll get hosed for $$$.

 

[ngkgb]

Finally finished the post. Insane. Makes me not want to take my car into service for any reason until I drop it off in two years when my lease is up. “You need a new Johnson Rod” come to life.

 

[whitex]

Finally finished the post. Insane. Makes me not want to take my car into service for any reason until I drop it off in two years when my lease is up. “You need a new Johnson Rod” come to life.

Sadly, if there really is a dent >3.00mm when you return the car at the end of the lease, you might still be charged with the cost to repair it (no different than if you returned a leased car with smashed glass roof, missing bumper, or any other damage considered not usual wear and tear). The actually might be an advantage of having your insurance company get involved with the repair while you still have the car, vs. fighting the lease termination charge at the end of the lease when you no longer have the car, nor is it covered by your insurance policy anymore. Maybe some insurance claim adjusters can chime in on how this would work - what happens if there is damage discovered to the car during lease return inspection, so technically on the very last day of insurance coverage. Also worth making sure that your car insurance policy ends the day AFTER you return your car, just in case.

 

[mander2129]

I’ve spent the last few hours going through this since it popped to the top of the feed. Hope someone shamed Tom Wood for creating an account and trolling. My money is on the service department manager…I was getting a similar vibe from mine during my last service debacle. Luckily, the GM is part of our local PCA crew and stepped in to help me out.

 

[ngkgb]

Sadly, if there really is a dent >3.00mm when you return the car at the end of the lease, you might still be charged with the cost to repair it (no different than if you returned a leased car with smashed glass roof, missing bumper, or any other damage considered not usual wear and tear). The actually might be an advantage of having your insurance company get involved with the repair while you still have the car, vs. fighting the lease termination charge at the end of the lease when you no longer have the car, nor is it covered by your insurance policy anymore. Maybe some insurance claim adjusters can chime in on how this would work - what happens if there is damage discovered to the car during lease return inspection, so technically on the very last day of insurance coverage. Also worth making sure that your car insurance policy ends the day AFTER you return your car, just in case.

Man. This is crazy. I dont know if I would’ve messed it of if I knew these risks. Luckily mine is a CT so clearance is a bit higher. God forbid you go into gravel more tho

 

[AutoX]

I wonder if other EVs also have the same problem. 3mm is tiny. I had door dings that were larger.

 

[Tooney]

AI drive-through car scanners arrive at California repair shops KTLA morning news Mar. 13, 2026
Now a system called UVeye is designed to bring that transparency to the process.

“We’re like an MRI for your car,” said Matt Small of UVeye.
The drive-through system uses multiple cameras to capture hundreds of high-resolution images and video of a vehicle in just seconds.

“We’re going to detect anything down to 2 millimeters,” Small said.

It also uses infrared technology to detect rust and issues underneath the car.
In under a minute, the system generates a report for customers, flagging potential problems like dents, scratches, oil leaks, tread wear and even something stuck in a tire. Because it relies on artificial intelligence, the system also improves as more vehicles are scanned.

“We’re scanning over 3 million vehicles a month,” Small said.

 

[gnr3312]

Man I was sweating it when the tech sent me a video showing these scratches when I brought the car in for a recall and they did their complimentary inspection. I know they weren’t done by me, it was a CPO car, but when I called the selling dealership they told me they don’t do undercarriage inspection. Definitely need to be careful.

 

[andb]

Looks fine, mine has scratches too and the dealer said if the car doesn't show any errors its no problem.

 

[SergeyIndy]

Man I was sweating it when the tech sent me a video showing these scratches when I brought the car in for a recall and they did their complimentary inspection. I know they weren’t done by me, it was a CPO car, but when I called the selling dealership they told me they don’t do undercarriage inspection. Definitely need to be careful.

Scratches are inevitable, but you have to ask the dealer to visually inspect and measure any dents. The OP who I met and talked to personally and this is my dealer, has the UVEye system and the images are high resolution, but I will have to ask if the system now can "measure" the dents.

The if no errors is fine is not something I am a believer off if the cooling system starts to go and if the battery is damaged as a result, that can possibly result in a fire.

 

[Fish Fingers]

^ ^
Agree regarding the - 'fine if no errors'

Iirc the earlier member here didnt even know there was any damage underneath. Took it in for a service, underside damage was found >3mm and car was confiscated until full inspection was completed at owners expense.

So the dealer is not correct about the 'fine if no errors'.

 

[andb]

If battery cooling is affected I assume the battery cells will throw an error instantly.

I'm 100% sure there are Taycans with 3mm dents underneath and dealers didn't asked for 60k to replace the battery.

 

[SteveDC]

Yeh, Don't scratch the bottom of your car or you'll get hosed for $$$.

Take your car to OGS & Mechanics in London (see YT) and get it fixed for £2,000! (Maybe, worth a trip, though).

 

[D00notD00d]

It’s great that a company like OGS will apply some theory knowledge and fix items rather replace whole assemblies. Their work also reveals the poor manufacturing and safety design (e.g. unlike Tesla, no monitoring of HV battery coolant temperature and pressure?)


Also take a look at some of their other videos.

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