Hit by an EDV while sitting at the service center

[yosupitscel]

I had a similar experience at the Brooklyn service center. I received a notification through the app that the alarm triggered 2 days after I dropped it off. I called to ask if this was part of their diagnosis/testing or if something happened but they couldn't get in touch with the SC. The next day I get a call saying the vehicle sustained some "minor damage" while it was parked in their lot:

The communication was poor so I escalated to the local manager who finally answered my questions. A tech backed another vehicle into mine while it was in a service bay. My estimate changed from 3 days to 3 weeks so they delivered a loaner to my house. They brought it to their body shop for repair, and it didn't go through insurance or get reported to carfax. I asked for a copy of the invoice and it was around $5k to fix the dent, blend the paint, and replace the bumper and light. Paid by them obviously. They did a really good job, I couldn't tell the difference. They washed and detailed it so it looked brand new when I got it back (granted it was only 4 months old at the time). It's been about 5 months since then and I have no complaints.

I was pretty pissed at first since I'm always extremely careful and feel like this would never happen on my watch. I park a mile away from other cars in parking lots and if I had to park overnight somewhere like in NYC I'd take my old jeep and leave the Rivian safe at home. But I get it, shit happens. At the end of the day it's just a car. They owned up to it, repaired it properly, paid for the damage, and gave me a loaner. Sucks that it happened but I'm over it. Happy to have my truck back. Also they were nice enough to throw in a goodwill spare tire to make up for the poor experience. This was great since it was before you could buy one from the gear shop. Talk to them and see what they can offer you.

Good luck, hope your experience doesn't leave you feeling too upset.

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[logan]

I totally understand you losing confidence, but I’m not even sure what you expect them to do other than fix your vehicle? What does “above and beyond” mean?

Ultimately the accident was just that - an accident. And it sounds like they are handling it. I wouldn’t be happy about it either, but as long as it’s fixed and didn’t affect the Carfax/ insurance I would be happy.

This kind of stuff does happen at dealers too. Just last week this brand new Corvette falling off a lift while going through pre delivery checks went viral.

Yeah, a number of years back I took our car in for service at the dealership. They were giving my kids and I a ride to a mall to wait while it was serviced and the driver backed out super fast and overshot the lane. Then you guessed it ran right into our car. It wasn't a huge dent but they did the right thing and replaced the panel and essentially repainted most of the car so it would be as good as new and be no sign of repair. No insurance and they did it fast too. I wasn't happy about it but I felt they made it right and accidents do happen. It is a drag for sure though.

 

[Florida Panhandler]

These things happen at dealers all the time, especially when techs are overworked
and stressed out. I remember one of my first jobs at a dealer the lead Audi tech backed a new A8L into a metal pole trying to make room for another priority car. He was in such a rush that he took out the entire driver’s side from the tail light up to the driver’s door. Needless to say wrenches and curses were thrown everywhere for awhile. I stayed away from him for 2 days.

 

[AYAYRON]

rather that being upset I recommend changing mindset to being greatful.

My R1T was hit by a lady with similar damage to yours but a bit worse and required paint work.

The incident occurred 6/28, I'm still waiting for my truck to be fixed (supposedly it's ready)

The "authorized body shop" deal by Rivian really is not helpful, this backlogs body shops who are already backlogged, I had to wait 2 months to drop the truck off to begin with, then another month + in the shop, and still waiting.

Yours will be fixed in days without paintwork hence I would be thankful rather than pissed off.

 

[defcon888]

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse regarding my 1 month old, 2100 mile R1S which left my wife and I stranded over a week ago, I have learned of yet another Rivian failure that was beyond my control.

On Wednesday of last week, I was checking my Rivian app and noticed an additional service ticket on which listed "rear bumper" and "exterior lights" as service items. I found that to be odd, so I texted a screenshot to the Rivian employee who had given me their number when I had initially had it towed there, and asked them why that was there, since I have never had issues with my rear bumper or exterior lights. No response. A couple days later, on Friday morning, I received a call from a different employee informing me that an employee at the Atlanta service center backed an Amazon EDV into my R1S and significantly damaged it while it was sitting disabled on the lot awaiting service, and they texted me photos.

Rear quarter panel sheet metal got a huge dent, rear bumper scuffed badly and rear tail light cracked.

This is the repair "in progress", after a PDR was performed on the rear quarter panel. Apparently the reflection of a R1 tail light is misleading as a sanding mark. Rear bumper and tail light removed in preparation to be replaced with new parts.

I was shocked and upset about this, to say the least. Considering the EDV has a backup camera and proximity sensors, this kind of gross failure in operational/facilities management has gotten me to the point where I need to share this and seek some advice. When I spoke with the employee and asked the obvious insurance questions, they reassured me that this incident and resulting repair would not be reported to my insurance provider, and if I was not satisfied with the repair, that they would foot the bill for a certified body shop to handle it and even then, it would not hit my insurance/carfax report.

I am at a loss of what to do at this point. I don't know if Rivian would entertain a buyback/vehicle replacement, and I don't know that I want to go that route either considering the unknowns regarding a new vehicle purchase, pricing and interest rates, along with what kind of time frame I'd be looking at to get the same vehicle that I waited 2 years for. I know I will not get a diminished value claim since it won't be hitting my insurance, so I believe Rivian needs to go above and beyond to restore my completely broken confidence in the vehicle and the service provided. I was informed there were two vehicles ahead of mine waiting for (mechanical) service and they would look into expediting mine when techs become available. That seems like what should've been done even if my R1S hadn't been damaged on the lot.

I asked if my vehicle would be washed and detailed when it was repaired and they promised that it would. I mentioned bird poop and hard water stains that I noticed on the hood at delivery that weren't bad enough for me to reject the vehicle, as I had planned to have the paint corrected and possibly ceramic coated in the future. I asked if they would consider a goodwill gesture of covering a ceramic coating job to make this right, and they said they would do their best to detail the exterior and polish the paint and would "look into" possibly covering a ceramic coating job for me.

Should I be pushing for more in this situation, or should I just let it go and wait until my vehicle is fixed before determining how to move forward? I want to give them a chance to make it right, but I'm losing confidence. I have a feeling they aren't going to do anything beyond eventually fixing my R1S, then letting me make the call on if the repairs are satisfactory.

I would have asked for a brand new Rivian since that will take a month or more to fix. Ask them to make your car payment until you get it back. We had an electrical issue and they had our R1T for 3 weeks and we asked that they make the first payment.......we actually made it and they sent us a check.

 

[ATL_R1S]

Appreciate all the responses and anecdotes, they really helped me feel better about my situation. I am certainly very grateful that the SC is making it right and that the damage wasn't worse. Since I posted I've reflected on my emotional reaction and realized that I need to take a step back and let Rivian do their repairs and get my R1S back to me as soon as possible.

The PDR professional that was used to repair the dent is locally known to be among the best, and I had a local detailer and Rivian owner reach out to me to confirm they know him and they confirmed with him that the repair went really well- to the point where they stated in confidence that a full panel replacement at a body shop would not be necessary. This is great news, considering the large amount of work and time that would require to disassemble the interior, and cut/weld a new panel on to the unibody.

In other news, the SC called me to confirm that a front drive inverter had failed (which is why it was towed to the SC over a week ago in the first place), and the new part was on the way with expected arrival on Thursday. They will then get to work dropping the subframe and drive unit to replace the inverter, which sits on top of all that, then reassemble everything and realign the suspension/wheels to spec.

In addition, due to the extra inconveniences caused and the admitted lapse in communication to properly notify me of the incident immediately after it occurred, the SC has received Rivian's approval to cover a ceramic coating job, which will be performed by a 3rd party professional. I'm happy with this gesture and appreciate Rivian's willingness to make this right. I'm hopeful that I can get my R1S back and drive it with confidence for a long time, and enjoy its "like new" cosmetic condition for an equally long time.

 

[JMACCA]

Sounds like they are taking care of you. All the SCs I have been to and seen are very tight, maneuvering is difficult in an R1, let alone one of the EDVs. The design team doing their parking lots used the minimum standard stall width and depth, which is odd considering the size of the R1 platform —this has to be more common than one thinks.

Getting fixed is the minimum they could do, and they are going to cut and buff your car (not sure if I would trust them with this TBH, they aren’t detailers, my truck had halos from where they buffed out delivery scratches). Getting a ceramic coat job is asking too much, IMO, but I’m more laid back and understand sh!t happens. What really sucks is how they waited until you confronted them about the new items on your ticket and then didn’t respond for 2 days, very bad communication —I’d hammer this issue with the management.

I’d make sure you have an R1 loaner since it’s now there for a longer period due to an issue caused by Rivian, and maybe get a credit to the gear shop.

I would definitely demand a loaner and outside detail and ceramic work of your choice. These service centers have horrible parking. I have read more than one similar episode. Unfortunately you had no choice but to have it repaired for the initial failure. I would request a direct conversation with Rivian corporate with a written response of their plan. If they ignore you just hand it off to an attorney. I wonder what their plan was when not notifying you when it happened. What was the initial cause of the vehicle failure?

 

[JMACCA]

Appreciate all the responses and anecdotes, they really helped me feel better about my situation. I am certainly very grateful that the SC is making it right and that the damage wasn't worse. Since I posted I've reflected on my emotional reaction and realized that I need to take a step back and let Rivian do their repairs and get my R1S back to me as soon as possible.

The PDR professional that was used to repair the dent is locally known to be among the best, and I had a local detailer and Rivian owner reach out to me to confirm they know him and they confirmed with him that the repair went really well- to the point where they stated in confidence that a full panel replacement at a body shop would not be necessary. This is great news, considering the large amount of work and time that would require to disassemble the interior, and cut/weld a new panel on to the unibody.

In other news, the SC called me to confirm that a front drive inverter had failed (which is why it was towed to the SC over a week ago in the first place), and the new part was on the way with expected arrival on Thursday. They will then get to work dropping the subframe and drive unit to replace the inverter, which sits on top of all that, then reassemble everything and realign the suspension/wheels to spec.

In addition, due to the extra inconveniences caused and the admitted lapse in communication to properly notify me of the incident immediately after it occurred, the SC has received Rivian's approval to cover a ceramic coating job, which will be performed by a 3rd party professional. I'm happy with this gesture and appreciate Rivian's willingness to make this right. I'm hopeful that I can get my R1S back and drive it with confidence for a long time, and enjoy its "like new" cosmetic condition for an equally long time.

Great news! I am glad to see that Rivian stepped up.

 

[ATL_R1S]

I would definitely demand a loaner and outside detail and ceramic work of your choice. These service centers have horrible parking. I have read more than one similar episode. Unfortunately you had no choice but to have it repaired for the initial failure. I would request a direct conversation with Rivian corporate with a written response of their plan. If they ignore you just hand it off to an attorney. I wonder what their plan was when not notifying you when it happened. What was the initial cause of the vehicle failure?

You must have missed the link in in the OP to my other thread for context: https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/...-suspected-drive-unit-inverter-failure.19136/

I've had a loaner since it happened, immediately suspecting the front drive inverter as the cause. I received confirmation this morning that it was indeed a front drive inverter that failed and is now being replaced.

 

[AYAYRON]

Talk to this guy about diminished value claim.

http://www.collisionsafetyconsultants.com

https://www.facebook.com/CollisionConsultants

Have you had experience directly with them, if so, what's the cost, did they negotiate directly with insurance or just supply the report

I'm shopping around for DV specialist

My vehicle situation: HIt by someone else, minor damage to the rear "quarter panel" for lack of a better word but behind the drivers wheel, I'm confident they popped it out and resprayed, the entire area is still magnetic which to me means little to no body filler was needed therefore not a big deal and under $5k damage

1: Auto-loss $350 used by another Rivian owner, they were offered $12k, and the report they got showed $20k so they're waiting for a response...when I google them the reviews on google are bad but there's only 5 reviews and the review seems to be about communication and also misunderstanding of the services provided. I have not called them yet.

2: the auto mediator: $999 they reviewed the actual repair via email said "side panel structural" is on the repairs which is the ticket to getting me more money b/c it's unibody any impact to the body is therefore structural (similar to frame damage) and their ballpark estimate is $14,565, I like this train of thought but I feel like if the DV adjuster looks at pics of the damage they're going to laugh at the "structural" part, BUT I did speak with the owner of auto mediator on the phone and he said it's black and white, there's NO argument and he advised do NOT speak to them by phone only email so everything is in writing.

3: I could call these guys/ talk to them if you used them and have feedback I would appreciate it, looks like the CEO is local in Dallas

 

[MidnightRivian]

Have you had experience directly with them, if so, what's the cost, did they negotiate directly with insurance or just supply the report

I'm shopping around for DV specialist

My vehicle situation: HIt by someone else, minor damage to the rear "quarter panel" for lack of a better word but behind the drivers wheel, I'm confident they popped it out and resprayed, the entire area is still magnetic which to me means little to no body filler was needed therefore not a big deal and under $5k damage

1: Auto-loss $350 used by another Rivian owner, they were offered $12k, and the report they got showed $20k so they're waiting for a response...when I google them the reviews on google are bad but there's only 5 reviews and the review seems to be about communication and also misunderstanding of the services provided. I have not called them yet.

2: the auto mediator: $999 they reviewed the actual repair via email said "side panel structural" is on the repairs which is the ticket to getting me more money b/c it's unibody any impact to the body is therefore structural (similar to frame damage) and their ballpark estimate is $14,565, I like this train of thought but I feel like if the DV adjuster looks at pics of the damage they're going to laugh at the "structural" part, BUT I did speak with the owner of auto mediator on the phone and he said it's black and white, there's NO argument and he advised do NOT speak to them by phone only email so everything is in writing.

3: I could call these guys/ talk to them if you used them and have feedback I would appreciate it, looks like the CEO is local in Dallas

I have not personally used them. I see their recommendations on Facebook from clients and the customer cases that are posted up by the social media team regularly.

I would get a 3rd quote just to be safe.

 

[AYAYRON]

I have not personally used them. I see their recommendations on Facebook from clients and the customer cases that are posted up by the social media team regularly.

I would get a 3rd quote just to be safe.

Facebook reviews from clients cannot be trusted, they can be faked very easily, not to put my tin foil hat on, but, just saying, Chat GPT can write a fake review that's awesome in 3 seconds this now concludes the purpose of reviews, they can all just use fake ones.

 

[MidnightRivian]

Facebook reviews from clients cannot be trusted, they can be faked very easily, not to put my tin foil hat on, but, just saying, Chat GPT can write a fake review that's awesome in 3 seconds this now concludes the purpose of reviews, they can all just use fake ones.

Do your own research and get three RFI/RFP from different vendors.

 

[ATL_R1S]

Got some updated photos last week and my R1S was driven from the service center to Driven Collision in Kennesaw where they said it needed paint work as the clear coat has damage that cannot be buffed out. It's been there since last Tuesday and I'm waiting on an update.

EDIT: Update received: Paint work is done, and it will be fully cured by this evening when they will begin the full body paint correction and ceramic coating process.

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