Escalating service request? Advice Please!!

[vlocci]

Still struggling with Rivian to even get my vehicle into service. The tow company picked it up a week ago but still not in service, let alone an initial diagnosis.
They did offer to extend my rental so at least I have a dinky ford to tool around it for now.

curious if these “picked up by the Rivian tow provider but not yet booked into service” count toward a lemon law complaint number of days? Anyone know? (Even though I meet the requirements already)

I also sent emails to demands and legal at Rivian. Any word on how long it takes for a reply?

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[Rivian-E]

Still struggling with Rivian to even get my vehicle into service. The tow company picked it up a week ago but still not in service, let alone an initial diagnosis.
They did offer to extend my rental so at least I have a dinky ford to tool around it for now.

curious if these “picked up by the Rivian tow provider but not yet booked into service” count toward a lemon law complaint number of days? Anyone know? (Even though I meet the requirements already)

I also sent emails to demands and legal at Rivian. Any word on how long it takes for a reply?

Any luck getting in touch with the person I sent you?

 

[vlocci]

Yes! Understandably they can’t do much h til a tech has had at least a chance to scan tbe truck and see what is up.
Your contact has proven super helpful and I hope/expect he can assist in expediting as soon as the truck gets looked at.
Thanks again!

 

[Rivian-E]

Yes! Understandably they can’t do much h til a tech has had at least a chance to scan tbe truck and see what is up.
Your contact has proven super helpful and I hope/expect he can assist in expediting as soon as the truck gets looked at.
Thanks again!

Good! Glad to hear that. Hopefully the holiday is the only thing delaying them slightly and you’ll get answers soon!

 

[vlocci]

Thanks everyone for the various private messages. Lots of kind words and some incredible connections.

Several asked for an update, so here goes:

1) My vehicle sits stuck in a tow lot for the last 12 days with the windows down an getting rained on. The ferry company has a policy that any EV that is flat-bedded onto the ferry needs a mechanic to put in writing that the vehicle is safe to transport. Rivian refuses to have a mechanic put in writing that "the vehicle is not a fire hazard". If they did, it could be immediately towed off-island by car ferry. Because they refuse, it need to go by open barge at some undetermined time. So here I sit waiting. I'm told the barge may be "next week or may be next month".

Frustrating that Rivian was super quick to tell me "nothing to worry about, this won't burn your house down" when I expressed concerns about the malfunctioning vehicle but hesitant to say the same now......

To make matters worse, when malfuctioning the vehicle rolled the windows down and then died. The tow company has not covered the vehicle and won't let me into the tow lot (understandably) to do so. Several rain storms have passed in the last 12 days, so I can't imagine how much additional damage has been done to the interior and electronics.

The kicker: my Lease payment notice email came yesterday. Have to love making a payment for a vehicle even the manufacturer thinks is a fire hazard and you can't drive

2) Yesterday, Rivian asked that I return my (expensive) Avis rental in exchange for a Rivian loaner. This was a nice offer and I was happy to accommodate. Wasted yesterday morning driving to a inconvenient Avis location that Rivian chose, Ubering to the service center etc.

Recall, RIVIAN had booked the Avis rental for me on their corporate account, but like most rentals I had to leave my personal credit card for incidentals/fuel/tolls which I gladly did at the time.

Yesterday Avis tried charging my credit card $7300.00 on the basis Rivian refused to pay on their corporate card for the rental THEY booked on my behalf. Lots of fraud warnings, calls to my CC company, disputing transactions, emails to Rivian all day yesterday. As of today I've been called by Avis 3 times and it is 9:30AM so I'm assuming this is still not resolved. Another second productive way to spend my morning.

3)I've emailed "demands" and "legal" to start a conversation around what comes next. Not so much as a peep from them. Certified letter was also received (as per Massachusetts law) but nothing.

On a positive note, the local service advisor has been quick to email in response to my cries for help. He is running two service locations and I'm clearly not his only problem, but I do appreciate his responsiveness. Rivian could use 1000 more employees like him.

 

[SwampNut]

2) Yesterday, Rivian asked that I return my (expensive) Avis rental in exchange for a Rivian loaner. This was a nice offer and I was happy to accommodate. Wasted yesterday morning driving to a inconvenient Avis location that Rivian chose, Ubering to the service center etc.

Weird, here they always call an Uber to Enterprise, then on return, I leave the rental at the SC. When they swapped me to a loaner, I just drove to the SC and left the rental their. This is what they tell me to do.

Also your story belongs in the dictionary under the definition of "clusterfuck."

 

[Rivian-E]

Weird, here they always call an Uber to Enterprise, then on return, I leave the rental at the SC. When they swapped me to a loaner, I just drove to the SC and left the rental their. This is what they tell me to do.

Sounds like they had to go special with Avis because of the location and that’s throwing things off here. I’ve had the same experience as you with using enterprise and picking up and leaving at the SC.

 

[vlocci]

yes, They were stuck with Avis due to lack of an Enterprise site. In the grand scheme of things the Avis->Uber->service center was the least of my issues.

The Avis bill has now been sorted after a good number of calls.

 

[vlocci]

Another day and zero updates beyond "we don't feel comfortable putting it in writing that your vehicle is not a fire hazard". Service had no issues telling me not to worry when this same vehicle was parked next to my wood shingled home so the level of doublespeak is troubling.

No word on when they may get my vehicle to service so here we are at 2 weeks since it was towed and still not booked into service. The truck sits with the windows down in a tow lot and we had another night of rain. I can't imagine the continued damage that is being done and expect this will never be fixed right.

I'll start another thread about Lemon Law as I tick all the boxes in Massachusetts.

Happy to come back here when there is something meaningful to report.

Thanks all for the support!

 

[Rivian-E]

Another day and zero updates beyond "we don't feel comfortable putting it in writing that your vehicle is not a fire hazard". Service had no issues telling me not to worry when this same vehicle was parked next to my wood shingled home so the level of doublespeak is troubling.

No word on when they may get my vehicle to service so here we are at 2 weeks since it was towed and still not booked into service. The truck sits with the windows down in a tow lot and we had another night of rain. I can't imagine the continued damage that is being done and expect this will never be fixed right.

I'll start another thread about Lemon Law as I tick all the boxes in Massachusetts.

Happy to come back here when there is something meaningful to report.

Thanks all for the support!

Not saying it’s not a shitty response. But telling you that you don’t have to worry about it burning down your house is a very different statement than putting in writing and becoming contractually obligated for an entire ferry worth of vehicles and people. I am sure they are just doing it from a liability perspective.

 

[vlocci]

I get it and totally see your point (as well as theirs). Huge CYA and I'm sure there isn't a single person on the ground that would be willing to attach their name to that letter without someone at corporate signing off.

Sadly, I've mentally shifted gears from "lets get this vehicle fixed and back in my hands ASAP" to "I need to do some CYA of my own and tee-up a Lemon Law case if needed"

Super disappointing that this mental move has happened, as when the vehicle worked I really liked it.

 

[vlocci]

small update. Yes the Sh*tShow continues

1) Rivian refused to pay the Avis rental bill for the vehicle that they booked for me. They swore up and down they would but in the end they didn't. Avis charged my credit card $7400.00 for a 2 week rental that Rivian had booked on my behalf. My credit card won't dispute the charge as I did in fact pick up and drive the car so I'm at the mercy of Rivian to somehow fix this. Maybe I can get $7400 worth of t-shirts from the gear store. Seems fair.

2) After 21 days sitting in a tow lot, Rivian finally caved and sent a note that the vehicle was not going to burn the ferry down and was safe to transport. The next day they towed it on a rollback via ferry to Chelsea. Wish this happened 20+ days earlier but so be it.

3) Now in service preliminary diagnosis shows:
-Failed master Cylinder! No vehicle brakes!!! Who knows how long my wife has been hauling my kids around without brakes (as we typically rely on regen). One short stop away from a collision. No warnings prior to this failure
-Failed rear air suspension. Both sides getting replaced. The vehicle failed on day one of pickup and over the last 8 months I've complained incessantly about the rear suspension sagging and the air compressor running constantly. Finally someone kinda-sorta paid attention
-failed 12 volt battery. It was under recall anyway and I had an appointment scheduled so I assumed this was happening anyway.
-multiple failed sensors. You don't say?
-leaking rear tire that I'm on the hook to replace. Wasn't leaking when they picked the vehicle up but now it apparently won't hold air. Think that may have been caused by the Rivian booked tow company when the vehicle fell off the tow dollies under the rear wheels TWICE getting down my 1/2 mile gravel driveway? I can only guess what chaos transpired over the next 10 miles to the tow lot.
-more diagnostics to follow I'm told. I'll hold my breath.... Recall the vehicle say with the windows down in the tow lot for 20 days getting rained on. I'm sure the interior smells like roses.

To summarize:
-My Rivian broke down (again) under warranty 20+ days ago. Rivian poorly towed it away damaging one of my tires. I'm being charged $200.00 for the privledge of having my broken truck hauled away.

-Rivian booked me a rental car. I drove it for 2 weeks while my vehicle sat in a tow lot getting rained on with the windows stuck down. Rivian refused to pay the exorbitant AVIS bill (that they booked and negotiated up front) so Avis charged ME $7400.00 on my credit card on file. I can't dispute that with my CC company (I did drive the rental after all)

-My wife and kids have been driving around for an undetermined period of time with no manual brakes and only regen to stop. My family was one short stop away from an accident and had no idea.

-Someone is firing the parts cannon at my car but no root cause identified. Confidence inspiring that when this vehicle is returned it won't leave me stranded again.

For the pleasure of owning a Rivian that broke down on the day that I picked it up 8 months ago, and is still under warranty, I am wasting days trying to claw back close to $8,000 in expenses due to no fault of my own.

An absolute abysmal failure on so so many levels.

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