Windshield Replacement Hassle

[kroderman]

Like many Rivian owners, I had a couple of small chips in my windshield, neither of them of any real consequence. Then yesterday my truck sat out in the sun for a few hours and I came back to my truck to find a huge crack all the way across it, right through one of the small chips. I was a little surprised it did this as I have never seen such a thing before but there is not much I can do but get it replaced.

So.....having just been through this with my wife's car I knew all I had to do was go online with my insurance company (Progressive), file the claim and they would come out to the house and pop in a new windshield. However, since this is a Rivian I had a feeling it was not going to be that easy, and that was an understatement.

First, I called Safelight to see if they could replace it. That was of course a big "no" as they do not stock Rivian windshields, nor are they certified to replace them so onto Rivian.

I called Rivain and explained the situation. They confirmed that Safelight was not certified to do the repair and I needed to bring it to the service center. They also explained that I would likely have to pay for it in full, then "attempt" reimbursement through my insurance company. At this point, I had no choice and asked him to schedule the repair. Then he explained that the service center was fully booked up for ONE MONTH! I explained that the crack was all the way across the windshield and the vehicle was not safe to drive, nor could I wait a month to get it repaired. He then told me to send them a picture of the crack and if it was "significant" they could rush the repair. I sent him a pic of the crack that is nearly all the way across the windshield and they were able to get me in later this week. Now back to Progressive.

I got online and filled out the claim. A large notification pops up and said that I can legally get my windshield fixed where ever I want to but of course they suggest using Safelight. I clicked "other" on the requested shop and it asked for the address and phone of the shop. I put in Rivan Service Center and the phone number and it said "this shop does not exist" and would not let me proceed past that point. OK, let's try the phone.

I called Progressive and a very nice lady listened to my plight and again asked for the name and phone number of the shop. I gave her the 855 number and the address of my local service center and was placed on a lengthy hold. She came back and said that she had called the number and that the gentleman was not very helpful and that he told her he could not help her if she was not a Rivian customer. So, what do I do now, I asked?

She told me to get it fixed, keep the receipt and send it to Progressive and I "should" be reimbursed in 2-3 weeks.

The moral of the story, like most everything else on my Rivain, something as simple as a new windshield is a complicated and expensive process. Should yours get broken, good luck!

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[KingTodd]

Nothing to like here but I am thankful that you shared this as much as it sucked reading it.

 

[pfbz]

Sounds like a Progressive insurance issue more than a Rivian issue.... There are plenty of windshields out there that are only available directly from the manufacturer, certainly not a situation unique to Rivian.

But sure, it's more difficult than getting a Ford Explorer windshield that is likely made several third parties in addition OEM.

 

[R1Tom]

Sounds like a Progressive insurance issue more than a Rivian issue.... There are plenty of windshields out there that are only available directly from the manufacturer, certainly not a situation unique to Rivian.

But sure, it's more difficult than getting a Ford Explorer windshield that is likely made several third parties in addition OEM.

But OP post is a good point for people to consider when purchasing a Rivian. Rivians are ultimately more like owning a boutique brand vs a mass market brand. And things like insurance, windshield replacements, body repairs, etc... will likely be harder or more difficult to come by as well as more expensive.

I think many come to Rivian not recognizing these aren't F150's and Explorers, etc... and will have many issues that will impact ownership experience, like this.

 

[COdogman]

This is what they mean when they say “stay adventurous…”

 

[SASSquatch]

This is what they mean when they say “stay adventurous…”

They never promissed what kind of adventure you would have in your Rivian, did they?

 

[COdogman]

They never promissed what kind of adventure you would have in your Rivian, did they?

Nope. It could be a nice camping trip or it could be getting a windshield. It could be smoking a supercar 0-60 or you could be slowly driving across a field and your truck flips over.

 

[Iatros786]

Had same happen with a small chip cracking overnight.

Had the same issue with Geico.

They reimbursed me promptly.


I then proceeded to pickup a windshield repair kit from Amazon and its been great at warding off any further chips lol

 

[Christopher]

I had a window broken and I was in a hurry and had a local shop fix it. Paid out of pocket. Sent to progressive and had no issues getting reimbursed. This was 15 years ago and a lot could have changed since then.

 

[Chewy734]

sorry to hear about your damage and hassles. I hope they fix it soon and Progressive reimburses you fully.

Now I’m wondering if getting the Madico ClearPlex windshield protection is a worthwhile investment.

You wouldn’t necessarily have to deal with this kind repair and insurance hassle, plus you’ll be able to keep the factory seal.

I’m just unsure how much it costs and how long it lasts.

 

[RIVinIT]

If you had a good insurance company then you would not have had that problem!!!!! I had mine replaced a few months ago and I just called my agent and he took care of! It’s called service unfortunately it seems Progressive and Rivian customer service dropped the ball. I’m sorry for you troubles but drop Progressive and Agricola companies and go to the ones with real agents!!

Like many Rivian owners, I had a couple of small chips in my windshield, neither of them of any real consequence. Then yesterday my truck sat out in the sun for a few hours and I came back to my truck to find a huge crack all the way across it, right through one of the small chips. I was a little surprised it did this as I have never seen such a thing before but there is not much I can do but get it replaced.

So.....having just been through this with my wife's car I knew all I had to do was go online with my insurance company (Progressive), file the claim and they would come out to the house and pop in a new windshield. However, since this is a Rivian I had a feeling it was not going to be that easy, and that was an understatement.

First, I called Safelight to see if they could replace it. That was of course a big "no" as they do not stock Rivian windshields, nor are they certified to replace them so onto Rivian.

I called Rivain and explained the situation. They confirmed that Safelight was not certified to do the repair and I needed to bring it to the service center. They also explained that I would likely have to pay for it in full, then "attempt" reimbursement through my insurance company. At this point, I had no choice and asked him to schedule the repair. Then he explained that the service center was fully booked up for ONE MONTH! I explained that the crack was all the way across the windshield and the vehicle was not safe to drive, nor could I wait a month to get it repaired. He then told me to send them a picture of the crack and if it was "significant" they could rush the repair. I sent him a pic of the crack that is nearly all the way across the windshield and they were able to get me in later this week. Now back to Progressive.

I got online and filled out the claim. A large notification pops up and said that I can legally get my windshield fixed where ever I want to but of course they suggest using Safelight. I clicked "other" on the requested shop and it asked for the address and phone of the shop. I put in Rivan Service Center and the phone number and it said "this shop does not exist" and would not let me proceed past that point. OK, let's try the phone.

I called Progressive and a very nice lady listened to my plight and again asked for the name and phone number of the shop. I gave her the 855 number and the address of my local service center and was placed on a lengthy hold. She came back and said that she had called the number and that the gentleman was not very helpful and that he told her he could not help her if she was not a Rivian customer. So, what do I do now, I asked?

She told me to get it fixed, keep the receipt and send it to Progressive and I "should" be reimbursed in 2-3 weeks.

The moral of the story, like most everything else on my Rivain, something as simple as a new windshield is a complicated and expensive process. Should yours get broken, good luck!

 

[240vPlug]

Yes this is frustrating. some of these things are to be expected from a new car company though. Tesla had the same growing pains with their service. It's a great truck but if anyone needs prompt service and easy hassle free repairs Rivian is not on the recommendation list.

This should improve with time.

 

[tplociniak]

Rivian isn't setup with any of the insurance providers yet, there is some sort of process involved with that. So any claims/processes that involved insurance and a direct Rivian repair will have to be paid out of pocket and then submitted for reimbursement. I have progressive and had a windshield replaced, it was a pretty straightforward submission of the form and invoice and had my check about 3 weeks later.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

Nope. It could be a nice camping trip or it could be getting a windshield. It could be smoking a supercar 0-60 or you could be slowly driving across a field and your truck flips over.

Or getting it stuck in 6' high snow drifts that you somehow thought you should be driving through and having it sit there until your hedge fund douche bro brother complains about it on social media so Rivian eats the tow.

 

[COdogman]

Or getting it stuck in 6' high snow drifts that you somehow thought you should be driving through and having it sit there until your hedge fund douche bro brother complains about it on social media so Rivian eats the tow.

Rivian got "adventured" on that one!

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