Any predictions on what Rivian service will be like?

[switters]

I have a deposit down on an R1S, but I'm nervous about what Rivian service will be like.

I have a Tesla Model X now. From 2016–2019, I had a Model S. For the first couple of years with the Model S, I felt like Tesla service was the best I'd had from any previous manufacturer. But over the past 2-3 years, it has really taken a dive—to the point that I won't be ordering another Tesla because of it.

Here's an example. Today I had to take the MX down to the service center to repair several issues (steering wheel heater not working, windshield wipers not functioning properly, horn broken, etc.). As usual, they didn't have a loaner. They gave me Uber vouchers, but it took me 25 min to summon an Uber that was willing to drive me back to where I live, which is about 30 minutes from the service center. I missed an important appointment because of this. All of the Tesla service people were apologetic (one of them even joked that I'd get better results by Tweeting Elon than complaining to them) but essentially said "our hands are tied, there's nothing we can do".

Compare this to warranty service with our Range Rover Sport, which we spent >$25k less to buy. They send a service person up to our house with a loaner vehicle, drop that with us, take our vehicle down, service it, then bring it back up to our house and reclaim the loaner. THAT is the service I expect for a car that costs nearly $100k.

I've basically decided that I'll never buy a vehicle from a dealer that doesn't provide loaners during service. And while the pick-up/drop-off isn't necessarily a requirement for me, it sure is nice. Both Porsche and Land Rover offer that in my area for their vehicles, so I'm looking at a Cayenne e-Hybrid and maybe a Defender.

I know nobody has a crystal ball, but just wondering if Rivian has made any announcements about what their service experience might be like. If it's anything like Tesla... I'm out.

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[Taycanfrank]

Honestly I think it's going to be a real challenge for the first few years. They don't have many service centers and it's going to require specialized knowledge. You can already see from how long it's taken to address simple issues, ie.. the tonneau cover being a great example, that it'll be more of a process getting things resolved.

If excellent service is high on your list of car priorities, I'd look elsewhere for now.

 

[virgnia_rivian]

I think the next 6 months will be important to watch and see how many service centers get up and running. There’s no way to know for certain right now, but RJ’s email this morning said they are using the few hundred employee deliveries to test out and work out the kinks with service. Time will tell.

 

[Forager]

I wouldn’t expect a loaner from a company that is struggling to meet demand and routinely missing production targets.

 

[hed]

Honestly I think it's going to be a real challenge for the first few years. They don't have many service centers and it's going to require specialized knowledge. You can already see from how long it's taken to address simple issues, ie.. the tonneau cover being a great example, that it'll be more of a process getting things resolved.

If excellent service is high on your list of car priorities, I'd look elsewhere for now.

That certainly is a valid perspective.

There is always the possibility the first few thousand vehicle owners will get good service, like Tesla provided early on (2013), as there are far few vehicles to service. There is also the built in incentive to avoid getting branded with a reputation for terrible service so early out the gate. That would establish a negative narrative that Rivian would find hard to shake.

 

[timf]

I second the experience with Tesla service steadily declining from when I got the car in 2016 until now. At least I've always been able to get a loaner, but the most recent one was the filthiest car (inside) I've ever driven. The decline can mostly be attributed to the volume of Model 3 and Y being sold. I doubt Rivian will even reach Tesla's volume, even with the R2 and future models, so hopefully a positive service experience lasts the life of the vehicle.

 

[Taycanfrank]

That certainly is a valid perspective.

There is always the possibility the first few thousand vehicle owners will get good service, like Tesla provided early on (2013), as there are far few vehicles to service. There is also the built in incentive to avoid getting branded with a reputation for terrible service so early out the gate. That would establish a negative narrative that Rivian would find hard to shake.

I certainly think there will be peaks and valleys. I agree the very first adopters will likely get excellent service, but I anticipate it getting bogged down as they ramp up production.

Of course the service could end up being excellent all around but we just don't know and really won't know until they've reached a number of cars delivered to truly stress their service centers.

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