Lithium battery dead after a crash? It's usually locked, not ruined.
Many new cars no longer use a lead-acid 12V battery. Tesla uses a 16V lithium-ion low-voltage battery, and Porsche, Lamborghini and Audi use a 12V lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery. These batteries have their own computer inside, and after a collision, airbag deployment or deep discharge, that computer can shut the battery off for good. The cells are often fine. We repair your original battery by mail so you don't have to buy a new one.
Published October 14, 2026 · By TMW Repairs
Signs your lithium battery is locked or failed
- • Car won't wake, unlock or start after an accident or airbag deployment
- • Battery reads 0V or very low voltage at the terminals
- • Tesla shows "Low voltage battery" or 12V/16V power alerts
- • Porsche or Lamborghini shows a battery or electrical system warning
- • Battery fault codes that won't clear after body repair
- • A jump pack or normal charger won't bring the battery back
Why lithium car batteries lock up
A lithium starter battery has a battery management system (BMS) that watches every cell. When it sees a crash signal, a short, or a very deep discharge, it opens an internal switch to protect the car and the cells. In many cases it stays latched off, so the battery looks completely dead even though the cells are healthy.
A dealer will usually replace the whole battery. A new Tesla 16V battery costs several hundred dollars, and a Porsche or Lamborghini LiFePO4 battery can cost well over a thousand. Repairing your original battery clears the lockout, checks and balances the cells, and load-tests it before it ships back.
Batteries that are swollen, cracked, leaking or physically damaged in the crash are not safe to repair. If yours isn't repairable, you don't pay for the repair.
Batteries and vehicles we repair
- • Tesla Model S and Model X 2021–2025 16V lithium (1598486-00-F, 1598486-00-G, 1598486-99-D)
- • Tesla Model 3 and Model Y 16V lithium (1598486 family, plus 1875662 on newer cars)
- • Tesla Model 3 and Model Y 2021–2022 12V lithium
- • Porsche Cayenne 2019–2024 LiFePO4 (9Y0 915 105, 9Y0 915 107)
- • Porsche 911 and Taycan 2020–2024 LiFePO4 (9Y0 915 105, 9J1 915 105)
- • Lamborghini Urus 2019–2024 LiFePO4 (9Y0 915 105 KY) and Huracán
- • Audi R8 and RS models with the factory lithium battery
Don't see yours? Ask us with the part number from the label.
How the mail-in service works
- Find the listing for your year and model and order the repair.
- Remove the battery and note the part number on its label.
- Contact us for lithium packing instructions. Lithium batteries ship by ground only.
- We clear the lockout, check and balance the cells, and load-test the battery.
- We ship your same battery back. It goes back in with no coding.
Before you ship it
- • Check the part number on the battery label and include a photo
- • Do not ship a battery that is swollen, cracked or leaking
- • Low-voltage battery only. This is not a repair for the main EV drive battery
- • 1-year warranty on the repair, and no fix, no charge
Get your original battery back in the car
Pick your year and model, order the repair and we'll send packing instructions.
Questions buyers ask before sending it in
Why is my Tesla 16V battery dead after an accident?
The battery's internal management system shuts the battery off when it sees a crash or fault and can stay latched off. Repairing it clears that lockout so the battery works again.
Can a Porsche or Lamborghini lithium battery be repaired?
Yes, in most cases. The 9Y0 915 105 LiFePO4 batteries used in the Cayenne, 911, Taycan and Urus can usually be recovered if the case and cells are not physically damaged.
Is this the main EV battery?
No. This is only the small low-voltage battery that powers the car's computers, locks and starting. We do not repair high-voltage drive batteries.
How do I ship a lithium battery?
Lithium batteries must ship by ground. Contact us after you order and we'll send packing instructions.
What if it can't be fixed?
No fix, no charge. Batteries that are swollen, cracked or leaking can't be repaired safely.