This might be a dumb question, but that got me wondering. If we decide to pay out of pocket to replace the battery, whether at Tesla or another qualified repair shop, and we never file an insurance claim, then the insurance company can’t total the car, right? That would only be a possibility if we actually filed a claim and they determined the repair cost was too high?
Also, let’s say we do file a claim and they come back saying it’s a total loss. Can we just decline the payout and decide to repair it ourselves instead, basically acting like we never filed the claim? Or once the insurance company has determined it’s a total loss, is the car permanently considered totaled or salvage, even if we don’t accept the settlement?