A Tesla needs to be serviced much less often than a combustion engine - that's how Tesla advertises its vehicles and therefore does not stipulate any service intervals. But what if there is major accident damage or other body work becomes necessary?
Then it's off to a Tesla Body Shop. In this article, we explain what a Tesla workshop is and where you can find a Tesla workshop near you.
This is a Tesla Body Shop
A body store is an independent workshop that has been officially certified by Tesla and works on behalf of the e-car pioneer. The certification allows it to bear the name "Tesla approved Body Shop". For this title, the workshop takes part in training courses and is regularly inspected by Tesla.
In a body store, you can therefore assume that the work will always be carried out professionally and to a high standard - this is in the interests of Tesla and, of course, the workshop itself, which would like to retain its certification.
As the name suggests, body stores are primarily responsible for bodywork and paintwork, i.e. for major work, especially after an accident or other damage.
This distinguishes them from the Tesla Service Centers, which are operated directly by Tesla and are responsible for repairs and service apart from body work.
By the way: At Tesla, minor repairs or malfunctions are carried out by mobile "rangers" who come directly to your home.
Why should I go to a Tesla body shop?
Why should you visit a Tesla Body Shop in the event of damage and not just go to an independent Tesla workshop? Independent workshops are independent of manufacturers and accept vehicles of all brands, which usually makes them a cheaper alternative. They can also repair minor damage and can usually get genuine Tesla parts on request.
However, if major repairs are required and structural, i.e. load-bearing and safety-relevant areas of the body are affected, Tesla wants the work to be carried out by a certified body store.
This is why you may lose your vehicle warranty with such repairs if no official body store was involved. In addition, only one body store receives original Tesla parts for structural body areas.
How do I find a Tesla body shop near me?
If you are looking for a Tesla Body Shop nearby, a look at the official list of all certified body shops provided on the Tesla website will help. You can also enter your current location and display the nearest workshops.
So if you don't want to leave Munich to visit the Tesla Body Shop, for example, enter "Munich" as the location and you will find that you only have to drive as far as Neutrudering or Moosach to find a suitable workshop. It works in a similar way for every Tesla Body Shop in Germany, Europe and all over the world.
How do I get an appointment at the Body Shop?
Unusually for Tesla, the app or the homepage are not enough to make an appointment at the Body Shop. Instead, you have to call the workshop and arrange a time - because although the workshops are "Tesla approved", they are still independent companies. After all, you can find the telephone number and the website of the respective body store directly in the Tesla list.
What work can I do myself?
You do not have to visit a Tesla Body Shop for everything you do (or have done) to your Tesla. You can carry out minor work such as changing tires or changing the cabin air filter yourself or hire an independent workshop.
Typical maintenance work such as checking the brakes or brake fluid or servicing the air conditioning system is also not tied to specific workshops. But when it comes to the substance of the vehicle, to structural parts, it makes sense to visit a body store.
For which issues should I go to the Tesla Service Center?
The Tesla Service Center is the first point of contact for all matters relating to your Tesla - unless you have already found what you are looking for online or in the user manual. Only if it is quite obvious that only bodywork is required can you go directly to the Body Shop.
The Tesla Service Center is staffed by employees who are under contract directly to Tesla. They typically take care of all repairs that do not affect the bodywork as well as service work. As mentioned at the beginning, Tesla does not prescribe this, but you can book an appointment for a voluntary inspection at any time via the Tesla app. Cost for this: approx. 200 €.
What does a Tesla workshop cost?
Visiting an officially certified workshop is not usually a cheap undertaking. No wonder, after all, the "Tesla approved" body stores are an elite circle that is happy to pay for its elaborately acquired certification. Even the service centers operated by Tesla itself charge €159 per hour; in the experience of numerous Tesla customers, body stores rarely charge less.
There is therefore no shame in doing it yourself wherever possible, or at least finding an independent workshop. Do-it-yourself repair instructions for many types of damage and problems can be found in the vastness of the Internet. And after all, most of the damage you experience as a car owner is not major structural damage, but minor dents or scratches that can even be repaired with a Tesla touch-up pen in the best case scenario.
In addition, independent workshops have also had access to all diagnostic data in the Tesla since 2021. This is made possible by the Tesla Service Mode, a system diagnostics program that runs directly on the infotainment screen and is accessible to everyone.
Why doesn't Tesla operate its own body shops?
Tesla has always done many things differently from established manufacturers. But why exactly the bodywork is being outsourced to partners, while service centers and rangers are available for everything else, will probably remain a secret for the e-car pioneer.
One reason, however, could be Tesla's drive for efficiency: There are already workshops all over the world with the necessary expertise and equipment for complicated body repairs. So why not enter into partnerships with these companies instead of going to the effort of developing the capability themselves?
This contradicts Tesla's approach of keeping everything in its own hands as far as possible, but perhaps it was felt that the instrument of certifications and ongoing controls was sufficient to maintain control.
Tesla Body Shop: Conclusion
Major body work, especially those that are structural and thus safety-relevant, is not offered by Tesla in the workshops of its Service Centers, but in partner workshops. Tesla trains and inspects these partners, known as "Body Shops", at regular intervals to ensure that they always work professionally and to the highest standards on Tesla vehicles.
The Tesla Body Shops naturally pay for the certification and the associated effort and are usually one of the more expensive options. Wherever possible, it doesn't hurt to contact an independent workshop that is independent of Tesla (and other manufacturers) - or you can take care of the problem yourself.
But if you do need a Tesla Body Shop, the US car manufacturer has a list on its website where you can find the nearest workshops. The network of Body Shops is worldwide. Tesla has now definitely arrived in the class of the "big players".
Have you been to a body store with your Tesla? Comment your experience below.
