Minor damage repair estimate: $49,880!

[IPTV65]

STILL SEEMS EXCESSIVE

Agree. Might be they are just not very good at their job and have to pad the quotes accordingly.

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[IPTV65]

I don't get why these shops are all cutting full panels out.

If PDR isn't an option what a lot of shops do is weld little tabs on and pull the dent that way.

I rented the back of my LX570 tailgate. I brought to a pdr guy he said he couldn't do it.

Body shop quoted $600. That was to pull the dent with weld on tabs and repaint the hatch. Extremely reasonable I thought.

This!!! It appears to be cosmetic in nature. You don’t have to replace the whole side automatically. It’s all just expensive replacement parts. Do it the old fashion way.
My neighbor had a TV he liked go out. He took it to a TV repair shop and was quoted $700 to fix it by an “expert”. The person wanted to order 2 boards, undo 8 screws and put the new ones in. The boards were expensive. Labor was too given the skill required.
I pulled the back off the TV. One bulging capacitor right in front of my face. No real electronics tech would have missed it. Got one for .16 cents. Soldered it on and the TV still runs today 6 years later. People don’t really repair anything anymore in a lot of cases. Many lack the skills but bill themselves as experts.
Sure there are many really skilled folks in this world. Find that guy and pay him to pull that dent and fix it. It might still cost a bit as folks who know what they are doing cost money but it won’t be close to 50k I guarantee it. Sorry to see someone have to play this game! Insurance companies are going to just say screw it here soon. What choice do they have?

 

[Zoidz]

STILL SEEMS EXCESSIVE

Having done some simple body work as a teenager on my car, I can see 80-100 hours if they are removing & replacing the full side panel to duplicate the factory installation "as new". But that seems excessive and we all know that it's never "as new". Just the fact that they disassemble the whole side of the vehicle - interior and exterior - to replace a full side panel means it not "as new" - something always gets broken (fasteners, etc.) or messed up just in the process. I'd rather see a quarter panel replacement even if it is not "as new".

The insurance companies, for some reason, seem to be pushing these higher costs, indirectly or directly. Sometimes I wonder if they get a benefit from excessively totaling these vehicles which then creates an supply of used parts for future repairs?

 

[carsly]

I would take it to a body shop and ask them to pound it out as best as possible for $500. Add some touch-up paint and deposit the $50K check. You're basically driving a free vehicle at that point, win-win.

 

[hekhl00]

This doesn’t seem sustainable, insurance companies are going to raise their rates 2x what they are now. Are Tesla’s this expensive to repair?

It’s already happened to me. Just got my premium notice from State Farm. $2700 a year for the R1T. When I took delivery in Sept of 22 it was half that.

 

[Hillbilly]

Minor damage wasn't the first thought that crossed my mind when I saw the photo...

 

[AYAYRON]

It isnt sustainable... But thats Rivian for you. You cant just replace a quarter panel, nope..

You got to replace the whole side of the truck, from the windshield all the back.

Its one of the things that makes Rivian owners scratch their head.

They couldnt just go with the industry standard and have panels, with split seams, welding, and sealant.

On the other hand, if you are rich, you get into a minor accident, theres a good chance you are just getting a new car. Soo....

It doesn’t need to be replaced, it can be fixed. This is the problem, they will replace it rather than repair it to bring it to 100% factory fresh and while as an owner that feels good, the ramifications for everyone else ain’t worth it.

I don’t know who/ what is driving the “replace any panel that’s dented” versus just fix it with metal work/ bondo like has been the case for 100 years, would be interesting to learn who started this trend.

on the same token they no longer blend panels they repaint the entire thing, adding cost, better for the customer but a good painter could blend perfectly, perhaps they’ve given up on great painters in favor of low wage painters and making insurance cover the higher cost

 

[Florida Panhandler]

I would deposit that $50k check . My plan is for this to be a very long term vehicle so with that in mind I would then spend a couple grand on a good PDR, $8k on a wrap and call it a day. Either that or PDR and start a rough country Overland look For about the same or less than a wrap. But that’s just idiot me.

 

[Plevyct]

Sorry this happened to you. Love your attitude but can't understand how that's lucky.

It’s not going to be on my policy! I can’t image what that would do to premiums!

 

[alextakesphotos]

Thats the we dont want to do it price.

 

[Plevyct]

I would deposit that $50k check . My plan is for this to be a very long term vehicle so with that in mind I would then spend a couple grand on a good PDR, $8k on a wrap and call it a day. Either that or PDR and start a rough country Overland look For about the same or less than a wrap. But that’s just idiot me.

Actually an interesting idea!

 

[linkwpc]

I think you need to go to another shop. Here is mine and it cost $9k with a new bumper and paint and emblems.

 

[NY_Rob]

It's encouraging to hear Rivian is actively addressing this issue. $50k to repair this type of damage is way out of line compared to other vehicles. Outrageous repair costs will absolutely affect new Rivian vehicles. Simply put, Rivan cannot afford to allow this to continue - their life depends on it.

Couldn't agree more!

There is absolutely no reason the OP's damage can't be repaired using conventional body shop methods using welded studs and pulling + a small amount of epoxy filler. Zero reason to replace the whole side of the vehicle costing almost $50K. That is just the most idiotic and costly way to repair this dent. Let's replace the whole side of the vehicle because of a basket ball size dent in a rear quarter panel

If this kind of stuff doesn't end very soon, Rivian will not make it. Other manufacturers have figured this out, Rivian can do it too.

 

[Tahoe Man]

This is how word gets around not to buy a Rivian, because it's way too expensive to fix.

Unless you placed your chips on Nvidia, $50k for a minor repair is insane for most people.

 

[iBang]

It's like a Rube Goldberg Machine for sales! Why hasn't anyone else thought of that sooner!!!



I hope R2 integrates reparability. It's not a mass-appeal vehicle if only R1 owners can afford the insurance...

I agree. If word gets around repairing minor damage is around $40k then the mass appeal will die very quickly. Only the enthusiasts will have interest in Rivian.

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