Release of Liability on Trade-In to Rivian

[MrTopher]

I traded in my previous vehicle into Rivian on January 7th, 2023. Did all the needed paperwork at the time of pick-up, and a few weeks later did the Release of Liability on the DMV (CA) website. Come July I get a request for renewal, I submit another Release of Liability and contact customer service (which gets forwarded to my guide), and he says it will be handled. Just three weeks ago I got another renewal in the mail, I went to AAA to see if they could help and they still showed that I am registered as the owner and to process RoL online and contact the dealer. So did the RoL online, and while doing so was on Chat and they said to send an email ([email protected]). I did w/ the two Release of Liability confirmations from the DMV website. Has anyone else had these issues with Rivian? The registration was due in September, and I don't want my paycheck garnished and then having to deal with all that back and forth with the CA DMV.

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[zefram47]

Colorado here, but I traded in a vehicle and it didn't get sold at auction for almost two months. In my case the registration wasn't due for probably 8 months, but I just filed a similar release with the state. Did you keep your plates? You could always just go to the DMV and turn them in and take the trade-in docs you got from Rivian as further proof it's not yours, not on the road, and not your responsibility.

 

[ndmiller]

In GA we just ignore that stuff. Paid for the year, don't renew. It's not like they give refunds. And they can't pull you over for not having insurance for a car that you don't have.....Still get one for the motorcycle I sold in July....Shift-Delete.

 

[emoore]

I had something similar happen when I moved out of CA. I just didn’t pay the registration for two years since I told them multiple times I moved. They didn’t try to garnish wages and I don’t think they have the authority to do that. Took 2 years until they finally stopped asking me to pay registration.

 

[zefram47]

It's not like they give refunds.

Colorado does...sort of. When I registered my Rivian I brought the registrations for the two vehicles I traded/sold and was credited the prorated amount against the Rivian's stupidly-high registration cost.

 

[ndmiller]

Colorado does...sort of. When I registered my Rivian I brought the registrations for the two vehicles I traded/sold and was credited the prorated amount against the Rivian's stupidly-high registration cost.

Oh forgot about that, GA is $20-$25 a year. If I want to use the HOV lanes for an EV it's $250ish a year.

 

[MrTopher]

Thanks for the 2cents, and to answer some of the questions. No, didn't keep the plates. And AAA is much more convenient than the DMV currently.
In my early 20s I'd bought a car, then sold it a few months later and didn't Release it, and it was odd because I never got the renewal in the mail, but like a year later my paycheck was garnished and asking HR they said it was from the DMV, and they sent me the documents and it was for that car I'd sold and didn't release it on.
I'm in limbo right now, because I've done it multiple times via the DMV website and contacted Rivian 2-3 times about it, and customer service doesn't deal with that type of stuff. And my guide wasn't helpful either when I got some other DMV documentation about 2-3 months after taking ownership.
The CA DMV is horrible, I'd rather go to the dentist than the DMV.
Hopefully someone gets back to me by Monday/Tuesday...

 

[HaveBlue]

Just keep a record of the release of liability. That's your evidence along with any trade in paperwork. I have a friend who sold a car and the buyer never registered it, ran up parking tickets and City of Malibu went after my friend. He hadn't kept a copy of the release and had to order it from Sacramento to finally get the City off his back.

 

[ForestNSea]

OP, did you ever figure this out? I have the exact same issue! Absolutely ridiculous that Rivian cannot complete the legal paperwork for trade ins in a timely manner.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Once you have submitted release of liability to CADMV there is nothing else you can do. Keep record of it. Resubmit if that makes you feel better. CADMV is notoriously slow on anything.

 

[earlyretirement]

Does anything change in the process if you are keeping vanity plates? Has anyone gone through this process with Rivian of trading in but keeping your vanity license plates?

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