[themonster]

Hello everyone!

So, this is going to be a long post.

TDLR: I met with an accident in my 1-month-old BYD Atto 3, it took about 3.5 months for me to get the car back.

******

Note:

1. I would first like to thank God Almighty for not allowing any bodily injury to myself.
2. I have tried my best to be as diplomatic as possible, holding a neutral stance. Do pardon me if I sound biased at any point.
3. I do not blame anyone but myself for the accident, and the processes which followed.
4. There is only one authorized dealer in Kerala. This post is not intended to name/shame/blame anyone, and I have tried my best to keep it that way.
5. While this post may have been better placed in the Accidents Section or the EV repair thread, there was no mechanical damage as such, just cosmetic damage. This may also give prospective owners an idea regarding repairs.
6. A big shout out to the BYD Atto 3 owners group. There were times when your messages and support helped. It does come a long way.

So, around September 2024, I had taken delivery of a BYD Atto 3, Superior Variant, the one with ADAS. Link I was quite busy traveling due to other personal matters, so I did not get around to clocking too many kilometers in my car.

About a month into ownership, after driving about 2200-odd km, I met with an accident in the notorious ghat section of Kerala, between Kuntikanam and Vandiperiyar section of Idukki district. (people who regularly visit Sabarimala would be more familiar with this route)

Coming to the accident.
A bit of background. For some time, say 2-3 years; I have been a regular on this route (Kottayam - Madurai), and for over a year, there have been times I take this route maybe 3-4 times a week. I usually leave early morning at 3-4 am and drive back on the same day after finishing my work, usually arriving back the same day, either by late evening or midnight. I usually drive my Honda City on this route, and I have gotten very over-confident regarding both my knowledge of the route as well as my driving skills. (my biggest fault). I had been continuously traveling the previous 3-4 days before the accident, (I came back from an international trip, went to Munnar with friends, and then proceeded with this journey. I definitely should have taken more rest in between. (my second mistake)

So, I was driving towards Kumily direction after Kuntikanam, and around 6.30 am I had just finished overtaking a vehicle just before a 90-degree curve. An oncoming vehicle hit me on the right side exactly in the curve, following which I hit the front left side to the side rock on the road which also had a ditch. (The photos will give a better understanding of the situation). The whole thing may have just taken a second or two, but before I knew it, the car was stuck. I would like to thank the owner of a Blue Jimny who stopped and helped me get out of the car and enquired about my well-being, God bless you where ever you are. After getting out of the initial shock of the situation, I spoke to the other party who hit me and we parted ways. (nothing happened to him, it was a Maruti Eeco with a front bull bar attached).

There may have been another 2-3 reasons I can give for the accident, but ultimately I have to accept that it was entirely my fault and my over-confidence catching up to me.

The accident was not at a very high speed, maybe around 50-55kmph at the first impact on the right side, just below the B pillar; followed by a second impact on the left side at maybe 35-40 kmph. I guess because of this airbags did not deploy. The seatbelt did tighten and hold me into place though.

I did try to avoid the accident at the last moment, but I couldn't. Retrospectively thinking, I found this in the Team-BHP Official Review. I should have been more cautious.

Originally Posted by Omkar

Handling & Dynamics

In a straight line, the Atto 3 feels stable and it doesn’t feel nervous even at 120 km/h. Going over some undulations or expansion joints will result in a fair bit of vertical movement though. As mentioned earlier, the suspension setup is tuned more for comfort than sporty handling. There’s a fair bit of body roll in corners and you even get some understeer. This is a car that does not like to be pushed hard in corners. Also, the lighter front end doesn’t really inspire confidence while turning in.

Quick lane changes at high speeds are something you should avoid in the Atto 3. While most of us are used to driving heavy front-end cars, this center-heavy car might catch you off guard. The car has a pendulum-like effect at speed where the rear sways a bit, which gives an uncomfortable feeling. Better to give gradual and slow steering inputs at high speeds.

I did try to search Google for the BYD RSA (Roadside Assistance) and ended up calling my Sales Advisor who promptly sent me the number. The BYD RSA is handled by Bajaj Allianz, and the service is free for the first 6 years of car ownership. (I am not sure if the new car purchases are covered by this, do confirm with the sales advisor at the time of purchase of the car.) BYD RSA Toll-Free: 18004192622.

Since it was a far-off remote location, nearly 100km from the nearest BYD service center. The BYD RSA representative was courteous and stayed on the call with me until he arranged the flatbed tow truck. (I have previously never utilized the services of RSA until this point.) They did offer me a cab service for my journey, but I politely declined. While from the BYD RSA's end, they did inform the towing company to send a HI-TRAC, the towing company which was sent did not realize the car was in a ditch from the photos. Ultimately, they pulled the car out using the tow winch, while a couple of passersby placed some stones under the wheel which was in the ditch, and helped push the car up. The flatbed truck took about 4-5 hours to arrive, followed by another 2-3 hours to extract the car. The car was dropped off at the dealership at night.

I was very curious and concerned regarding the battery pack. safe to say the plate protecting the battery took the impact well.

Car at the dealership after getting towed, showing the extent of the damage.

Paperwork.

1. Accident site photos

2. Insurance documents

I had taken insurance from an outside channel, which led to a delay in me getting back the car (will come back to this later)

3. RC card/RC particulars.

- My car was still on Temporary Plates. I did get the number assigned to me, but as per the new rules, the dealership staff after affixing the number plate onto the car, and uploading photos of the same onto the VAHAN portal, then only the car details will be available on the VAHAN portal. Almost all websites require the vehicle number in AB-01-YZ-1234 format.
-This was an easy thing to sort out though. I went to the RTO where my vehicle was registered and met the Joint RTO. I explained the situation to her and showed photos. She just enquired whether I had gotten my number allotted, and I said yes. She checked the system and confirmed the details and accepted the allocation of the vehicle number. In the next 2 hours, the number was allocated to my car.
-In case your number is not alloted and you are on temporary plates, the Joint RTO will give you the RC Particulars for the temporary registration.

5. GD (General Diary) entry with police.

For claims which cost more than Rs. 20,000/-, insurance companies require you to get a GD report from the police station limits where the accident took place. The police also require a list of the parts damaged from the service centre so that they can add it to the GD report. In my particular case, the area comes under Perumede Police Station limits and I had informed the police on the day of the accident itself. They would request you to apply for the GD report via any Akshaya Centre in the state. The report will be made available in 2 days time, and has to be downloaded from the SAME Akshaya Centre where you had applied for the same.

6. Driver's License.

The Insurance Surveyor would want to see your Original Driver's License. It has to be deposited with the service center for 7-10 days untill the claim gets registered.

Timeline:
Some dates are an approximation, while I did follow up regularly regarding the status of repairs, I was preoccupied with other personal commitments, so I just made a mental note of the same.

15.10.2024: Accident takes place. The vehicle was towed to the dealership
19.10.2024: All required documents submitted, claim process initiated, replacement parts order placed.
11.11.2024: Parts arrived at the dealership
14.11.2024: Car shifted to body shop
20.11.2024: Works started on the car
06.12.2024: Accident repair completed
09.12.2024: First free service done (5000kms/3 months)
16.12.2024: Insurance resurvey done post-accident repair.
27.12.2024: Claim form submitted
20.01.2025: Claim settlement processed
21.01.2025: Amount credited to the service center
28.01.2025: Car delivered back.

The final Bill:

The insurance issue:

At the time of purchase of my car, I took the insurance policy from a known agent as I have 2 other cars through the same channel. The dealership did inform me that insurance claims would be a little difficult for non-dealer channel claims, but I anyways went ahead with my own thing. They did make me sign a paper stating that if any insurance issues it would be my responsibility to settle the matter. For reference, the dealer has a tie-up with New India Assurance and Royal Sundaram, I took the insurance with New India Assurance through a non-dealership channel.
So, at the time of the accident, even the service manager had mentioned to me, that since my policy is taken from outside (other than the dealership channel) until the amount is credited to their account from the insurance company, they will not release the car; or alternatively, I can pay the amount now and claim reimbursement from the insurance company. This is the dealership's policy.

Well, initially I did hope the dealership would let this slide and return the car (wishful thinking) and as the time took longer, it did leave me a bitter taste of the experience (naturally, as a human being). I did try talking with the service manager politely regarding the whole episode, but it was an upper management policy and I did not find any reason to make a 'hue and cry'. The service manager did his best along with all the employees to complete the work, as well as keep me updated. I too kept visiting the service center on and off whenever I was passing by.

Also, this old thread (Link) (Not-so-major accident in Mercedes E-Class. 15 lakh rupees & 6 months before car returns!) helped me understand a few things.

Anyway, the final delay in me collecting the car, is due to the service center needing the email from the insurance company detailing the bank transfer (NEFT/RGTS) details. I did call the toll-free number and my insurance agent, but I ultimately had to visit the insurance office, where they gave me the details and emailed the service center within 10 minutes. I had to pay a balance of around Rs. 17,500/-.

Interesting learnings I had from the experience:
- The insurance company dispenses the amount minus tax (GST). There is a GST TDS deducted for the service center.
- The message I got from the insurance company initially quoted a much smaller amount, which was later found to be the claim amount minus tax.
- New India Assurance settled the claim amount within 24-48 hours after the final filing.

A lot of people will say that I was rather too patient with the entire thing, but I was constantly traveling during the entire time my car was with the service center (Out of the 100 days the car was at the dealership, I would have been out of station for around 60 days), and I also had 2 more accidents (in my other 2 cars) around the same area in the same time period. So, I was dealing with the cards that life was giving me. Who knows, maybe the BYD may have ended up with another accident again if I received the car back earlier. Other aspects include that insurance companies are sometimes quick to reject claims for Electric Vehicles and that since it is a large amount, I do not think any dealership will take the risk.


Anyway, I have driven about 1000km over the last 3 days, and the vehicle performs well dynamically.

And in case you are wondering:

1. Yes, I got the car Matte PPF'ed. It is a whole other story to that aspect; will post in the relevant thread with my queries.
2. Other than the roof, the right fender, the front, and rear left doors, the left quarter panel, and the boot hatch; the rest of the panels were changed.
3. Two alloy wheels were also changed as they got scratched. No, the alloy wheels were not given to me, they were taken by the insurance company at salvage.
4. The left headlight is new.
5. I did drive the same route after getting the delivery of the car. (2 days back) I drove at my own leisure, maintaining speeds between 30-45 km/h and letting everyone overtake me. It took me an extra 10 minutes compared to driving a little quicker. I most certainly have learned my lesson. Also, used up 75% charge for a journey of ~420 km.

Thank you for reading, have a good weekend
Also, I am open to answering any queries, and constructive criticism.

[sushanthys]

Hi TheMonster

Glad that you and the car are safe.
Thank you for such an informative & exhaustive post.
Its good to know that BYD RSA is prompt to respond.

By the way, has anybody taken extended warranty from BYD? They have quoted 64k and the terms are reasonable.
The extended package for the battery pack is not attractive.

[PaddleShifter]

Glad to see that you are safe.

The age old golden rule: Never overtake on such undivided Ghat roads unless there is a clear view of road ahead. An innocent person could be on the correct side of their road on the other side.

Looking at the bill, the Atto3 not only looks like a baby Porsche, its spares are priced like one too. Zero depreciation insurance is a must for Atto3.

Wishing you a safe and happy ownership experience with your Atto3.

[wheelspinner]

Sorry to hear about your ordeal TheMonster. I had a fender bender while overtaking recently as I almost got squished between two cars. Here, the road seems narrower so it is good you realized the mistake like me.

However, 60k+ for a door assembly is outrageous. Overall, bill of 5.8L for a few panel changes, and painting is outrageous. I guess they billed the insurance company as high as they could. Luckily, there was no structural damage on the car based on the pics, so I think the car is still safe to use. Do check for any leftwards or rightwards pull.

[d3mon]

Originally Posted by themonster

TDLR: I met with an accident in my 1-month-old BYD Atto 3, it took about 3.5 months for me to get the car back.

Thanks for sharing your experience in detail.

Was your battery protection plate not changed? It shows a scratch and if it wasn't changed, you must take it in writing from BYD that this is not going to affect your battery warranty in any way in the future. There have been some unfortunate instances in India and globally, where such a simple scratch has led to the manufacturer denying battery warranty citing external damages.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr3mFzh0KSk

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by themonster

I also had 2 more accidents (in my other 2 cars) around the same area in the same time period.

It does seem like a case of extreme bad luck to have 3 accidents in 3 months.

No doubt that each accident has its own set of root causes but if you are okay to share them, please do as everyone learns to be safer as a result.

[Ragavsr]

Originally Posted by themonster

A lot of people will say that I was rather too patient with the entire thing, but I was constantly traveling during the entire time my car was with the service center

Well, a delay of 48 hours for the insurance to settle the claim after 3 months of repair down time is nothing big for the several tens of thousands saved in not opting for dealer insurance.

And looking at the repair bills, time is not far away that insurance will become 200-300 usd expense monthly like in the West. The front right door had a small dent that could have been repaired and repainted. Instead it was replaced at 60k expense Waste of resources and people speak of saving the earth from global warming. Insurers should stop this crazy replacement culture and push for repairs as it would save both their and customers money in the long term and they have the scale in in terms of dictating policy.

It's actually shocking that insurers penny pinch in approving small claims in health policy while being extremely liberal in their auto division.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by themonster

[*]I did drive the same route after getting the delivery of the car. (2 days back) I drove at my own leisure, maintaining speeds between 30-45 km/h and letting everyone overtake me. It took me an extra 10 minutes compared to driving a little quicker. I most certainly have learned my lesson. Also, used up 75% charge for a journey of ~420 km.[/list]Thank you for reading, have a good weekend
Also, I am open to answering any queries, and constructive criticism.

In this entire saga, this was my primary takeaway. The average speed as one is slower is remarkably similar to when one is driving much faster.

[Aditya]

My 1-month-old BYD Atto 3 had an accident | Took 3.5 months to get the car back - Posts moved to a new thread.

[themonster]

Originally Posted by Aditya

My 1-month-old BYD Atto 3 had an accident | Took 3.5 months to get the car back - Posts moved to a new thread.

Thank you Moderator Aditiya.

Originally Posted by sushanthys

Hi TheMonster

Glad that you and the car are safe.
Thank you for such an informative & exhaustive post.
Its good to know that BYD RSA is prompt to respond.

By the way, has anybody taken extended warranty from BYD? They have quoted 64k and the terms are reasonable.
The extended package for the battery pack is not attractive.

Hello sushanthys,

Thank you!

I have taken the extended warranty for both the car and the HV battery pack, I usually take the maximum possible extended warranty for all my vehicles. I did it just before the 0-60 day period ended (about 2 months back). I don't remember the exact amount I paid, but I guess it was around Rs. 1.3 lakhs. (inclusive of 18% GST)

Most details are on their website Link
Shall enclose screen grabs from the Extended warranty Invoice cum Certificate.

I took the extended warranty for the HV battery pack as my running is usually on the higher side. I have driven around 2.75 lakh km on my petrol Honda City in 11 years.

Vehicle Extended Warranty:

HV Battery Extended Warranty:

Originally Posted by PaddleShifter

Glad to see that you are safe.

The age old golden rule: Never overtake on such undivided Ghat roads unless there is a clear view of road ahead. An innocent person could be on the correct side of their road on the other side.

Looking at the bill, the Atto3 not only looks like a baby Porsche, its spares are priced like one too. Zero depreciation insurance is a must for Atto3.

Wishing you a safe and happy ownership experience with your Atto3.

Hello PaddleShifter,

Thank you!
Yes, I have learned my lesson and I do keep my emotions in check while driving.

Originally Posted by wheelspinner

Sorry to hear about your ordeal TheMonster. I had a fender bender while overtaking recently as I almost got squished between two cars. Here, the road seems narrower so it is good you realized the mistake like me.

However, 60k+ for a door assembly is outrageous. Overall, bill of 5.8L for a few panel changes, and painting is outrageous. I guess they billed the insurance company as high as they could. Luckily, there was no structural damage on the car based on the pics, so I think the car is still safe to use. Do check for any leftwards or rightwards pull.

hi wheelspinner,

Nope, there is no wheel pull as of now. I drove about 1500km over the past week and there have been no issues with alignment. They had also changed a lower arm during the repair. Will anyways get Wheel Alignment and balancing done at the 5000km mark. (I usually follow this with all my cars very religiously.)

Regarding parts cost, I checked with Topbyd website too, it is almost similar to what is quoted by the service center. Link

Originally Posted by d3mon

Thanks for sharing your experience in detail.

Was your battery protection plate not changed? It shows a scratch and if it wasn't changed, you must take it in writing from BYD that this is not going to affect your battery warranty in any way in the future. There have been some unfortunate instances in India and globally, where such a simple scratch has led to the manufacturer denying battery warranty citing external damages.

https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=dr3mFzh0KSk

Hello d3mon,

Thank you for bringing this up. Shall cross-check with the service manager the next time I visit the service center and update here.

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

It does seem like a case of extreme bad luck to have 3 accidents in 3 months.

No doubt that each accident has its own set of root causes but if you are okay to share them, please do as everyone learns to be safer as a result.

Hello McLaren Rulez,

Other two accidents are on regular ICE vehicles.

1. Maruti Swift Dzire VDi 2010 model

This happened on the same day. I had asked a friend to come pick me up after the BYD accident. He came over in my car, and on the way, maybe 10 kms away from this spot, while he was waiting at a junction, a private bus sped and rear ended the car. No injuries or anything, but the entire boot section had to be repaired. I am planning to keep the car as a beater car at home, and I have the retest/renewal of RC this year for the car; so during the repair I also got the car repainted. I did this at an FNG, did not claim insurance and paid from pocket.

2. Honda City iVTEC 2014 model

This happened about 2 months post the above accident, maybe 5 km before this spot. I had gone for a long drive , and had a driver driving for me for a majority of the distance (about 1200km out of 1500km in 2 days). I had dropped him off at his town and was continuing back home. It was late night 2am and I was going very slowly (30-40 kmph) as a lot of Sabarimala devottees were travelling plus it was foggy. I blinked at a curve and ended up dozzing off for 15 seconds, ended up on the side of the road. I was lucky cause it was a ~100 meter drop at the next curve. While cosmetically, only the front bumper was damaged, the underbody took the maximum impact with the suspension components and driveshaft getting damaged. I got the car towed to an FNG for repair. I was anyways planning to get a suspension overhaul done for the car cause it had run about 1 lakh km since last suspension overhaul. I gave the car to a FNG, the car is still undergoing repairs.

Originally Posted by Ragavsr

Well, a delay of 48 hours for the insurance to settle the claim after 3 months of repair down time is nothing big for the several tens of thousands saved in not opting for dealer insurance.

And looking at the repair bills, time is not far away that insurance will become 200-300 usd expense monthly like in the West. The front right door had a small dent that could have been repaired and repainted. Instead it was replaced at 60k expense Waste of resources and people speak of saving the earth from global warming. Insurers should stop this crazy replacement culture and push for repairs as it would save both their and customers money in the long term and they have the scale in in terms of dictating policy.

It's actually shocking that insurers penny pinch in approving small claims in health policy while being extremely liberal in their auto division.

Hello Ragavsr,

I mentioned the time for settlement of the claim as a positive. Even when I called their toll-free number, they mentioned 5-7 days. I did wait for the said amount of time, and after visiting their office I got to know that the fund transfer was done within 24-48 hours of filing the claim.

I agree with the waste of resources part. If the car had not gone off-road and had I not needed the services of the RSA, I would have gotten it repaired at an FNG, as most panels could have been dented and repaired, except for the bumpers, the left headlight, and a few other parts. Nonetheless, almost all OEMs usually replace parts and not repair them unless the roof and side skirt (running board) are involved.

Also, all damaged parts are taken for salvage by the insurance company and sold for scrap or sold after repair. (I am not sure about this, I was given this information years back in 2018 or so when I had made my last auto insurance claim).

it is saddening regarding Health insurance claims, but that is another discussion altogether.

Originally Posted by Red Liner

In this entire saga, this was my primary takeaway. The average speed as one is slower is remarkably similar to when one is driving much faster.

Hello Red Liner,

Yes .

As the age-old saying goes, "Better late than never".

[Ragavsr]

Originally Posted by themonster

I mentioned the time for settlement of the claim as a positive. Nonetheless, almost all OEMs usually replace parts and not repair them unless the roof and side skirt (running board) are involved.

The settlement time is a big positive. I have taken insurance outside and dealt with Nissan twice on a reimbursement basis (Not many insurers deal with Nissan ). Always was settled in 2-3 days maximum.

All OEMs replacing spares is true but they will repair and repaint if customer insists. But if insurance is involved , they have a free run and that is why I feel insurers have a role in reigning them in.

Also get a driver for your own safety if I may suggest. Somehow, if our minds are busy thinking about work, it gets impossible to have 100% concentration while driving. I have had one near miss and a small accident in December, and looking back i myself was surprised how such a lapse of concentration had happened.

[onco.opinion]

Glad that things ended up well. It is psychologically strenuous to think about tackling such a situation especially while being with dependent family members and kids on board and while being miles away from home place.

I wonder can we not make a dot map of member bhpians and their locations who would love to offer assistance to fellow members here in case they need help while being in their respective areas?

I guess it would be a big help to our own mates who happen to need our assistance and it will also save them hassles of interacting with strangers and problem makers in such situations of accidents, breakdowns or other emergencies.

[shibujp]

Great post and thanks for being very open and honest about the whole incident. Glad to know that neither you nor anyone else involved suffered any physical injuries.

The lessons you learnt are what any experienced driver including myself learn at some point of their driving life. Over confidence in our capabilities do result in such mishaps. But if you are ready to learn from it, you will emerge a better driver.

I have been taking external insurances via policy bazaar for quite a few years now primarily because the markup dealership put on policies is simply outright cheating. I recently had the same experience but only a much smaller timescale to claim insurance for by father in law's car that met with a mishap. The car was a new car as well, where the number allotment had not been approved as the dealer delayed uploading the registration plate pictures. However once I got that done things moved fast. I had an SBI general policy and fund dealing with the surveyor a very pleasant and professional experience.

Drive on,
Shibu.

[Utopian]

Great to see that both you and car are safe and back. It was brave of you to pen down this journey as it happened with all of us. It surely will guide us to be better. Thanks for sharing.

[Flamethrower]

2 more accidents while the BYD was getting repaired?
For me, that's really concerning.
Appreciate your mindset and sportive spirit.
Take care and drive safe.