There is no denying that the Tesla Model 3 is the brand’s most important model. The Model 3‘s sales figures in the U.S. make it the undeniable champ over its electric siblings. However, as the roads get flooded with new EVs, questions arise surrounding their long-term maintenance costs and powertrain durability.

A recent story by Current Automotive, covered by The Drive, highlights how one owner struck a rock, broke their car’s battery pack, and was on the hook for over $16,000 in repairs.

How do you break a Tesla Model 3 battery pack?

This Tesla Model 3 story begins as the EV is making its way down the road. According to Current Automotive, the vehicle struck a large rock at some point and subsequently driving over it. At this point, the rock caused severe damage to the battery pack. As a result, Current Automotive reports that the Model 3 became completely unresponsive and would not start up or drive at all.

According to Current Automotive, the Tesla Model 3, like many other brand-new electric vehicles, offers a battery warranty for at least 8 years or 100,000 miles. However, as Current Automotive points out, these types of warranties don’t cover accidental damage such as this rock incident.

In this case, this Tesla Model 3 owner decided to utilize their insurance to cover these potential repair costs.

Why is this repair so expensive?

Current Automotive reports that a quick search on Google claims that a Tesla Model 3 battery replacement will cost between $3,000 and $7,000. However, what makes this particular story unique is that Current Automotive has the actual invoice from Tesla. As a result, we can count up the complete cost of the repair.

In total, this Tesla Model 3 repair bill came out to $16,550.67. If you’re wondering why this total is significantly more expensive than the estimate, it’s because of the battery pack cost. According to Current Automotive, the battery pack alone cost the insurance company $13,500. From there, there was a labor charge of $2,299.27. The labor charge is high because it took over 13 hours to complete the replacement.

In an interesting twist, Current Automotive reports that this replacement battery pack is actually a remanufactured unit. As a result, we don’t know exactly how much a brand-new unit costs.

How can you protect your Tesla?

The bright side of this Tesla Model 3 story is that you will likely never have to pay for a battery replacement. This is because the warranty that comes with the vehicle covers manufacturing defects and even fire damage. However, if the battery pack gets damaged while on the road, you will more than likely be on the hook for the repair.

If you want to keep your Tesla Model 3 as safe as possible, you’ll want to avoid all debris on the road. Since sharp objects can potentially puncture the battery pack, it is worth keeping that in mind. From there, there isn’t much else you can do. If you find yourself in a situation like this owner, you can lean on your insurance to cover the repairs.