R1S repair costs astronomical after a collision, Potential Buyers please do your due diligence

[mkg3]

@EVfanboy The thread started out kinda slanted by asking us to "guess" what the cost of damage is. Since then, you seem to have gotten the typical Rivian zealot responses.

I am in 100% agreement that the repair costs need to come down for Rivian. I have read multiple threads with insane repair cost for the damage by either Rivian or Rivan authorized repair shops. I recall one in particular where a dent in the rear quarter panel was estimated in tens of thousands of dollars and the owner had it dented out for the fraction of the cost.

As the price of the vehicle goes up, so does the maintenance, repair and insurance costs too, That said, the rate of increase for Rivian seems out of line compared to others in similar price points - EV or ICE.

Your comment about hopes it comes down like Tesla, well, not for a long time, if ever. Rivian seems cannot achieve economies of scale for repair/spare parts to bring down the costs. There are millions of Tesla's out there whereas at the most, 150k R1 and RCV/EDV combined. Maybe after period of time with R2.

If the total ownership costs stay as high as it is now with R1, it will be niche vehicle and hope that Rivian addresses this issue with R2. If not, the hidden costs of R2 will be the Achille heal for Rivian. Once the initial surge of sales are satisfied (like it was for R1T/S), people will take other options that cost less to own, especially the market R2 is trying to go after.

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[Riviot]

Rivian didn’t detect a collision. No automatic breaking. I could “drive” the car. No gear guard video recorded

Ah okay I missed this part. So you rear ended someone? Or did you hit a bollard? It looks like you're going through insurance, so you should have photos from immediately after the incident. Can you share what was hit?

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

This post is about cost to repair a Rivian. Currently, as it stands, it is likely 100% more than similarly priced vehicles. I am not stupid enough to post front end collision pics and say I was not responsible. This was about what happened next. Just sharing cost estimates so someone like me, who could barely afford an 100K vehicle, knows what they are gettin into. I was very surprised by the estimate.

Excuses. EVs are expensive to repair, in part due to much smaller economies of scale (of production) plus insurance/repair industry ignorance and greed. Expensive cars cost more to repair. All givens and well known. None are Rivian exclusives.

 

[bigsky]

All EVs are very expensive to repair. Probably the same with ICE cars. And insurance companies are largely totalling instead or repairing them, reason why insurance rates are going up all the time.

 

[DuoRivian]

All EVs are very expensive to repair. Probably the same with ICE cars. And insurance companies are largely totalling instead or repairing them, reason why insurance rates are going up all the time.

Agreed insurance rates are going up and they are not helped by fools driving into things and then complaining about the tech not warning or stopping them!

 

[Motoarzon]

RUBBISH. It's the law you have to have insurance which that annual premium is "cheap" compared to the value of the truck. The most it costs is a small deductible and if it's their fault then costs you nothing. And your vehicle is either fixed like new or you get a big fat cheque to replace it. So who cares.

 

[mkg3]

RUBBISH. It's the law you have to have insurance which that annual premium is "cheap" compared to the value of the truck. The most it costs is a small deductible and if it's their fault then costs you nothing. And your vehicle is either fixed like new or you get a big fat cheque to replace it. So who cares.

Matter of perspective and experience.

I have been paying insurance since 16 yrs old and have had 2 claims and none in over 20yrs.

For me, it's an additional tax and a very high one at that. Our 4 vehicles are just under US$7k yr with highest deductible in SoCal. Perhaps its much less where you are

 

[McLovin]

On Rivian’s driving aids, I’ve had two issues where I would have been 100% at fault, and my R1T bailed me out. First was I thought the person in front of me was going to turn left through the yellow arrow, and was riding her butt to get through it as well. She slammed on her brakes, and the R1T hit mine before I could react (I was a fraction of a second slower).

Second was in the late afternoon, with the sun shining at my back, and a chain reaction of drivers hitting their brakes. R1T threw up the alert & hit the brakes for me.

Again, I would have been 100% at fault. Not sure what happened to the OP’s driver aids, but mine have been spot-on the few times I’ve needed them.

 

[malditofman]

Thanks for all your comments. Conclusion: A lot more expensive to repair ICE vehicles, especially non legacy newer ones.
Some examples

Yawn. All premium vehicles are expensive to repair followers a collision. EVs are generally more partially due to OEM parts as third party or generic parts aren't available because it's early days in the transition to electric mobility. EVs are growing in percent registrations. Over time, EV accident repairs will fall and shops that handle them will grow in experience and efficiency. Drive defensively and drive well.

 

[Electrified Outdoors]

The repair costs on all vehicles has gone up dramatically in the last couple years. I didn’t read the Reddit post…depending one what was repaired it can get very costly for any modern luxury vehicle. Add to that all the electronics and safety systems in the vehicles as well.

Rivian might not be the cheapest to repair but they aren’t the most expensive either. Add to that the shop has to be Rivian certified…then the old supply and demand thing kicks in which raises costs too.

Given that these are new, high tech vehicles with a limited support network for repairs I expect costs to remain on the higher side.

 

[lefkonj]

Based on what I have seen the R1T has a challenge when it comes to repair costs due to the design of the rear panels. They are one piece that runs all the way around to the other side of the vehicle. So damage to the left rear requires replacing this entire side, up over the roof and the right side. Maybe I am wrong if that is true the costs would be high. This is like when the NSX first came out and its structure was such that repairs where very expensive.

As Rivian parts become more widely available this will reduce in cost but there are some design concerns here.

 

[madhat]

Thank you for your suggestion and your analysis.. Anti-collision technology is supposed to kick when there is A possibility of an accident. Automatic braking as well. My response to what my Rivian did was only when someone asked me specifically about it. Again, this post is about cost to repair a Rivian, God forbid, if anyone gets in an accident. I think currently, it’s super high. Hopefully it will come down like Tesla’s did.

They aren't anti collision, but instead collision mitigation systems... meaning it's not going to always protect you from hitting something but rather just reduce the impact to a safer level.

This post is about cost to repair a Rivian. Currently, as it stands, it is likely 100% more than similarly priced vehicles. I am not stupid enough to post front end collision pics and say I was not responsible. This was about what happened next. Just sharing cost estimates so someone like me, who could barely afford an 100K vehicle, knows what they are gettin into. I was very surprised by the estimate.

Never buy a luxury anything you can barely afford. Anyways have room for extra expenses... luxury items generally are higher tech and more costly to own.
Also, you totally ignored my post showing the top 5 most expensive cars to repair. No Rivians...

 

[jwanderson88]

My brother-in-law's Lexus cost $25k to fix. It had front and rear cosmetic damage. He was between two cars. I'm just going to be very careful with my R1T. It can be done. I've never had an accident in 60 years of driving and I lived 42 years in downtown Salt Lake.

 

[Who-Dat]

Many EVs are the same way. Had a truck sideswipe our Model 3 and fled. It was 25k and the car was out for 5 months. I don't expect the Rivian to be cheaper.

HOPFULLY YOU WERE ABLE TO RECORD THE DRIVER PLATE

 

[mswlogo]

I know it is difficult, but try to look at the brighter side. Accidents happen. If you can walk away from it, then the vehicle did its job.

You have insurance. Let them handle it. Yes Rivians cost a lot, but repair costs are trending down due to more of them being on the road. If it was another vehicles fault, let their insurance handle it. Try not to stress too much.

If it costs $500 or $50,000 to fix, it is the same to you. If the body shop finds more damage, they will file for a supplement with your carrier.

To answer your question, no it will be nearly impossible to estimate the cost based on a photo. There could be damage where we can't see.

Not really. If they are astronomical to fix. Insurances rates will go up. Not because of your claim. Because it’s a big part of calculating insurance costs.

So it is quite important to pay attention too. I have a Lucid Gravity order pending and that is a huge concern what’s it gonna cost to insure in the long run.

Starts to all add up between, cutting edge glitches/reliability. True cost of ownership. High depreciation, above average insurance.

And the common response is, shop around on insurance. That’s fine if your young no house etc. but with a home, umbrella, autos they all discount each other and it is a major hassle switching insurance. Have to look at total costs. True coverage too. It’s a LOT of work.

And if you have ANY accident, and not your fault. If you switch insurance having any accident on your record will cost you.

So reality is, it matters a ton.

Thanks OP for sharing. It reminds me to do my diligence on whatever I end up with next.

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