Nightmare Plant Delivery Experience!

[gregtay]

Again you don't see the VIN until PA but the shop config was definitely black mountain

You can't see the VIN prior to selecting a vehicle, but as soon as a VIN is assigned to you (when you click confirm) the VIN is available and listed in the Rivian APP. It is instant.. once you confirm then the VIN and all the config info for that VIN (color, features) is viewable in the app.

Also, the reason your config in the app is now showing as different is because when you confirm a R1 from the shop your config snaps to match what you confirmed (you should have immediately received an email from Rivian noting your configuration was updated) That email would have stated the change in interior color if the R1 you picked from the shop was OC and you had BM or FE in your preorder. You need to ask your guide to manually go back and change your config to what you want (but honestly it doesn't matter... you will be regranted access to the shop and pick whatever config you want.)

Rivian should be able to confirm if the R1/VIN you confirmed in the shop was indeed the config that showed up(OC) in Normal waiting for you. I highly doubt they installed the wrong interior in a VIN since that system clearly knew it was OC. Confirming an R1 kicks off an immediate process that would show that you selected a config that didn't match your current preorder config and as I mentioned... the system then needs to change your config to match the R1 you selected and you get notified. So if you want to lay to rest any doubt that you didn't accidentally click on one with the wrong interior... just ask them to get the logs on your order and show the to you. Also, the app (long before you looked at purchase docs) should have clearly showed you the config of the R1 you confirmed in the shop. I know I checked mine a million times before it arrived to make sure I didn't mess things up.

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[Arnie1]

Sorry to hear about your troubles, they should be able to make things right very quickly.. they make the vehicles!

Your opinion above about their plant ops is the most troubling part for me though. Pricing the R1 vehicles at $100K is never going to happen (and it shouldn't) especially considering Ford's recent price cuts on the Lightning and the soon to be revealed CT pricing from Tesla. Rivian desperately needs to get their manufacturing QC up and costs under control ASAP!l
The R1s and the new R2s are priced at 100k round numbers.
I chose not to share my plant observations publicly but would be happy to discuss privately with you.

I would love a few bullet points on some of the issues you saw at the plant if you have the time...

 

[Arnie1]

What color was on your Purchase Summary?

Did Rivian send you the Purchase Summary before you left New Tampa?

Yes it was on the PS but I missed it
I assumed they had matched the shop and order config as I had several times. My bad

 

[tcole]

Sorry you had this experience. I would also be pretty upset about it, and would hope they would be showing more effort to do something to make it right.

The plant tour was great but with several decades working in and consulting with several auto manufacturers in several assembly plants Rivian has many opportunities lets say and with 7000+ employees and hiring will not make a dime at 100K/vehicle with current systems and methods......but thats another topic that i could write a book on.

I'm very curious to know any summary of what you saw and what you think about it.

Given the fit and finish of my R1T it feels like there was zero or next to zero QC as it was being assembled and after the fact.

 

[zajak1]

So sorry you had this misadventure...I live in Sarasota and my T (vin# 13xxx)was delivered from Orlando...NO issues and service has been great/responsive etc....Hang in there..I'm sure RIVN will make it better!

 

[Arnie1]

Sorry you had this experience. I would also be pretty upset about it, and would hope they would be showing more effort to do something to make it right.



I'm very curious to know any summary of what you saw and what you think about it.

Given the fit and finish of my R1T it feels like there was zero or next to zero QC as it was being assembled and after the fact.

As posted previously with several decades working with and consulting with several auto manufacturers I have seen a few assembly lines and as posted I could write a book about what I saw at Rivian Normal. At this time I choose not to air that here but am glad to discuss my findings privately offline.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Rivian should be able to confirm if the R1/VIN you confirmed in the shop was indeed the config that showed up(OC) in Normal waiting for you. I highly doubt they installed the wrong interior in a VIN since that system clearly knew it was OC. Confirming an R1 kicks off an immediate process that would show that you selected a config that didn't match your current preorder config and as I mentioned... the system then needs to change your config to match the R1 you selected and you get notified. So if you want to lay to rest any doubt that you didn't accidentally click on one with the wrong interior... just ask them to get the logs on your order and show the to you. Also, the app (long before you looked at purchase docs) should have clearly showed you the config of the R1 you confirmed in the shop. I know I checked mine a million times before it arrived to make sure I didn't mess things up.

It probably doesn't help that it's "Ocean Coast + Dark Ash Wood interior" and "Black Mountain + Dark Ash Wood Interior" and half of the globe is identical between the two. Could be an easy mistake to make in a hurry, but you'd think at some point the pricing difference should have rang alarm bells, no?

 

[Trandall]

@Arnie1, I'm confused now What did Rivian do wrong. I can sympathize with your plight I'd be dejected if this happened to me but are you saying the build sheet stated it was not your preferred color BEFORE you flew out to take delivery?

 

[R1Tom]

So sorry you had this misadventure...I live in Sarasota and my T (vin# 13xxx)was delivered from Orlando...NO issues and service has been great/responsive etc....Hang in there..I'm sure RIVN will make it better!

If you have no issues, what have you needed from service? Just curious what types of things have gone well with your interactions with them and what they were regarding.

 

[gregtay]

Yes it was on the PS but I missed it
I assumed they had matched the shop and order config as I had several times. My bad

That being the case... don't you think you are being a little harsh on Rivian? You had quite a few opportunities to catch the interior being OC for the VIN you selected. The docs you signed stated the color that was on the R1 you were flying to pick up. Yes.. the whole situation sucks... no question, but your thread starts by placing 100% of the blame on Rivian and I am not sure that is entirely true. You state that people should "insure Rivian sends pictures of actual vehicle VIN, exterior, and interior colors to match shop config before you fly. It will avoid a lot of headache. "... but Rivian does send this and makes the information available to you multiple times. Its in the app under "your R1". It clearly states the options and colors (along with the VIN number) as soon as you confirm your R1. Then the purchase docs also show you the list of options/colors. And I believe in many cases your guide will send you the window sticker. This info isn't hidden.. it is sent to you, it is available on the app in multiple places before you start the purchase process, and it is of course in the purchase docs. I am guessing you don't have a single document that states the R1 you selected has anything other than OC.

So the guidance to others should be:... be careful when selecting a config from the shop... then make sure you verify after you click "confirm" that you selected the right one. Again.. this is all WELL before purchase docs are available. VIN and options/color are available immediately in the app. Had you checked the app, you could have simply called your Guide and asked them to de-link you from the VIN and for access to the Shop again.

 

[Fes]

Your guide was honest..for the most part my guide, my tour guide and my delivery guide were clueless of the process and all had zero product or technical knowledge.
To me i wanted the factory tour and the Rivian "adventure" driving home..but my adventure turned out much different than i could have ever envisioned.

This is so unfortunate. I'm sorry you had to experience this. I have a factory delivery tomorrow and will be flying in from NY and driving back as well... did they at least offer concessions since you took a flight back? Truly seems like a nightmare.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

I have to agree with some of the other posters here saying that some of this is on you because they sent you this information before you got there. I double and triple checked all my options before I wired my money over, and if you got that opportunity as I did then you are ultimately to blame here for this situation. Rivian has thousands of deliveries every day and they cannot possibly have as much attention to detail about your order as you can. You have one truck, they are making 50K this year.

The other thing I'd like to mention is just a general aside. I would really like people to stop referring to ultimately minor things as "nightmares". A nightmare is getting a phone call that your spouse was in a car accident and you need to rush to the hospital or the doctor telling you the results of that biopsy were what they feared perhaps even the plane crashing on your way to pick up your Rivian. In the grand scheme of things you could have either accepted that color or let Rivian find you one you like and in a month from now this will all be a memory.

I get that you're upset but you share some blame here, it was a bad situation that unfortunately neither party caught. Personally I feel you should be at least as upset at yourself as you are at Rivian over this because you also have a responsibility, I'd say an even greater than Rivian responsibility.

 

[Dark-Fx]

The other thing I'd like to mention is just a general aside.

Some people have never had to experience true loss yet in their lives.

 

[downranger12]

Sorry to hear you had these issues. FWIW, I wanted to do the same - I did a BMW factory delivery years ago and wanted to do the same for my Rivian. My guide said they were strongly discouraging factory pickup if you lived more than a few hours away because stuff like this was happening. It's no consolation, but it seems like there are more than just a few others with similar disappointments.

My factory delivery from three plus hours away was fun and easy on a Saturday a year ago.
RJ even appeared in Ol Blue with two bodygaurds. I honked and waved from about 35 feet. When he got off the phone, came right over and asked me how I liked the Red Canyon color. We chatted for a minute or two shoot hands, and he thanked me for my purchase. He was disappointed that I had to wait three years.
My truck has run flawlessly, and any services required were completed in four days.
Work through the company. You will find the right person to help.
Entry level employees feel that they must follow protocol or be reprimanded. Higher management is there to get you going on the right track.
Factory tour for me was just a catwalk view of final prepping.
Neat to see all of the colors in one spot though.

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