Ontario Driver Crashed a Tesla During Test-Drive, Resulting in an Over $6,000 Fine but Company Dropped Charges

An Ontario driver has crashed a Tesla while test-driving it, resulting in a supposed fine of $6,000. However, the company decided to drop the charges, despite its policies regarding test-driving damages.

An Ontario Driver Almost Had to Pay Over $6,000 in Damages Following a Tesla Test-Drive Incident

According to the story by Mobile Syrup, this was as an Ontario driver almost had to pay over $6,000 in damages following a reported accidental collision that happened during the test-driving of one of Tesla's vehicles.

It was noted that this story happened in 2022, when Rock Garel, an Ontario resident, and his wife wanted to test a Tesla Model 3 before purchasing the EV. However, things didn't go as expected as Garel was reportedly involved in a hit-and-run accident, which damaged the car's passenger side door.

Although nobody was injured, the result of this collision was that the Model 3 received small dents and scratches. Tesla, along with the police, were contacted after the incident and Garel's initial impression that when returning the vehicle, his insurance would be able to cover the repair costs, amounting to $6,845, as also reported by Driving.ca.

Tesla's Policy Protected It from Covering the Repairs

However, he was reportedly surprised that Tesla had its own policy which protected it from covering what was described as the "aformentioned total for repairs." This was because of the paperwork agreement stating that the driver would be responsible for losses that came as part of a breach of the agreement terms.

The situation got even worse as Garel's insurance noted that they wouldn't cover the repair costs. The reason for the claim being denied was because of how test-driven vehicles didn't fall under the rental car category.

The situation started to look like Garel would have had to ultimately cover the total bill. When speaking to CTV, David Levy, a lawyer, spoke out regarding how the dealership should have had test-drive vehicles insured.

The Ontario Driver was Off the Hook and Didn't have to Pay for the Supposed Test-Drive Repairs

However, the fine print reportedly revealed how some dealerships place the responsibility on the driver in order for them to be able to reduce insurance costs. This would result in the driver becoming liable for any damages that occur.

The article by Mobile Syrup notes that Tesla ultimately decided to drop the charges against Garel and that it was unlikely that the company would be changing its test-driving vehicle policies in Canada. This meant that Garel was now officially off the hook for the test-driving collision incident.

The article by Mobile Syrup describes the situation as a reminder to people that should they plan to test-drive a vehicle, they should still ask regarding the dealership's insurance. The question to be asked is whether the insurance would cover any potential damages ahead of time.

If the dealership's insurance won't cover any potential damages, it was noted that users should ensure that their own insurance will reportedly cover the costs.