Rear ended. Warranty + repair shop nightmares

[RiverIndian]

My apologies in advance for the long post and if some of this writing sounds like I am venting - as I am.

I waited over 2 years for the R1S and within a few days of ownership, we got rear ended in stop and go traffic on the freeway. This whole thing has been a nightmare trying to get fixed and I wanted to chronicle it here so I can get some advice and hopefully save someone the headaches I have had to endure working with the insurance companies. Almost 2 months have passed and I am still waiting on decisions.

AAA Insurance - The vehicle that hit me from behind had AAA insurance. I had minimal contact with the case agent but have sent information along with a video of their policy holder hitting my Rivian as I was at a complete stop. They told me they were going to investigate fault and get a hold of their client. I have yet to hear from them and the case agent will not respond to the numerous attempts to contact from myself or my claim agent from my insurance.

Connect (AmFam) Insurance - Since I had not heard anything from AAA, I decided to move forward with my own insurance. I submitted photos and videos of the accident and their online adjuster claimed it would be about $1500 to fix. They promptly mail out a check to fix the vehicle which I did not cash. I find a local Rivian Certified Collision Center - European motor car works and they quote me a little over $10k in damages. Connect insurance reviews the quote and quickly mails out another check for $8k which I have not deposited either. Along with this check, they claim that the Certified body shop charges over their standard labor rate and that I would have to pay the rest out of pocket (around $1500). Last I spoke to my claim agent was a few days ago and I brought up my concerns about paying anything out of pocket and also concerns about diminished value on the vehicle but have yet to hear back days after the promised time I was given. With the way everything has gone, and total lack of support even from my own insurance, I can almost guarantee they would fail at going after AAA to recoup my money and already expect my premium to go up.

So here I am almost 2 months after an accident I was at no fault for and just waiting to see what my insurance company will do. I have reached out to other body shops and they will not even touch a Rivian because they are not certified and cant get parts.

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[Donald Stanfield]

And you think the insurance companies trying to weasel out of paying would somehow be different/better if you didn't have a Rivian? I got some bad news for you. Insurance companies didn't get those big ass buildings and fancy TV commercials by throwing money at claims.

 

[supervlover]

I have noticed frequent postings of rear end accidents. Curious if high regen braking and possibly late brake light coming on is a factor in these rear end collisions.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

I have noticed frequent postings of rear end accidents. Curious if high regen braking and possibly late brake light coming on is a factor in these rear end collisions.

This is why I do not tailgate so that I can slow down slowly to not get rear ended. People drive like shit, and you cannot control how close people follow you but you can control how far you follow others.

 

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

I have noticed frequent postings of rear end accidents. Curious if high regen braking and possibly late brake light coming on is a factor in these rear end collisions.

OP stated they were at a complete stop, so no, doubt that would be the case here.

I have also been rear-ended multiple times with my old WT. Lost count... three, maybe four times? Once the car was just sitting in a parking lot at 11pm and some clown (the only other vehicle in the entire parking lot) backed out of their spot and plowed into the back of mine. The other times I was stopped at stop lights and hit by people playing on their phones (ironically I was in a Chevy - hit twice by Ford F150's). My wife has also been hit while stopped in construction traffic.

Obviously my examples are anecdotal, but in every single case that we've been rear-ended it has been due to the complete and utter carelessness and disregard by these other idiot drivers on the road.

I don't dispute that high regen has these trucks stopping quickly, but I would hope insurance won't find that as a reason to potentially "punish" EV owners for being able to stop quickly.

For my old truck I wound up buying one of these:

Still considering one for the Riv, as well.

/rant

 

[PappaBolt]

OP stated they were at a complete stop, so no, doubt that would be the case here.

I have also been rear-ended multiple times with my old WT. Lost count... three, maybe four times? Once the car was just sitting in a parking lot at 11pm and some clown (the only other vehicle in the entire parking lot) backed out of their spot and plowed into the back of mine. The other times I was stopped at stop lights and hit by people playing on their phones (ironically I was in a Chevy - hit twice by Ford F150's). My wife has also been hit while stopped in construction traffic.

Obviously my examples are anecdotal, but in every single case that we've been rear-ended it has been due to the complete and utter carelessness and disregard by these other idiot drivers on the road.

I don't dispute that high regen has these trucks stopping quickly, but I would hope insurance won't find that as a reason to potentially "punish" EV owners for being able to stop quickly.

For my old truck I wound up buying one of these:

Still considering one for the Riv, as well.

/rant

This is an interesting defensive solution. I wonder how wide that step is. Link?

 

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

This is an interesting defensive solution. I wonder how wide that step is. Link?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SB33LF4/

 

[DaveA]

OP stated they were at a complete stop, so no, doubt that would be the case here.

I have also been rear-ended multiple times with my old WT. Lost count... three, maybe four times? Once the car was just sitting in a parking lot at 11pm and some clown (the only other vehicle in the entire parking lot) backed out of their spot and plowed into the back of mine. The other times I was stopped at stop lights and hit by people playing on their phones (ironically I was in a Chevy - hit twice by Ford F150's). My wife has also been hit while stopped in construction traffic.

Obviously my examples are anecdotal, but in every single case that we've been rear-ended it has been due to the complete and utter carelessness and disregard by these other idiot drivers on the road.

I don't dispute that high regen has these trucks stopping quickly, but I would hope insurance won't find that as a reason to potentially "punish" EV owners for being able to stop quickly.

For my old truck I wound up buying one of these:

Still considering one for the Riv, as well.

/rant

Yup, just installed a smaller one myself...good idea.

 

[supervlover]

OP stated they were at a complete stop, so no, doubt that would be the case here.

Still considering one for the Riv, as well.

/rant

In the limited time of owning the S, I do notice distance between it and vehicle behind it is closer than on my other EV. Since I can't gently roll to a stop, my braking distance is shorter and the vehicle behind me also has a later reaction time to the high regen braking action. So I have to train myself to try to get it to slightly move at 1 or 2 mph in stop & go traffic vs go and hold.

 

[RandomMcRandomFace]

I’ve thought of installing the same but there are also plenty of posts stating NOT to do that as the hitch getting hit can result in frame damage and insurance can be an issue. Anyone have direct knowledge?

 

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Yup, just installed a smaller one myself...good idea.

F it, Amazon said only one left in stock. I liked it so much on my old truck (even though one did get mangled by an F150, it protected the truck so I ordered a second). Just ordered one for the Riv, as well. Supposed to arrive on Monday, I'll post up a couple pics how it looks once it arrives.

Now if I could get some taillight guards, and maybe that African brush guard for the front that everybody says is so ugly on the Riv, I'd really feel protected. ?

Loved the look on my old truck:

Not so sure about what we've seen so far for Rivian, haha:

 

[DaveA]

F it, Amazon said only one left in stock. I liked it so much on my old truck (even though one did get mangled by an F150, it protected the truck so I ordered a second). Just ordered one for the Riv, as well. Supposed to arrive on Monday, I'll post up a couple pics how it looks once it arrives.

Now if I could get some taillight guards, and maybe that African brush guard for the front that everybody says is so ugly on the Riv, I'd really feel protected. ?

Loved the look on my old truck:

Not so sure about what we've seen so far for Rivian, haha:

Yeah, the Rivian one is wild....I just want something to protect the middle and entire front bumper.

 

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

I’ve thought of installing the same but there are also plenty of posts stating NOT to do that as the hitch getting hit can result in frame damage and insurance can be an issue. Anyone have direct knowledge?

When mine got hit there was no frame damage. Obviously this was on a Chevy, under completely different circumstances. It protected the truck from the dumba** Ford driver, that's all I can say. If all those threads about $40k repair bills are true, it doesn't seem to matter where we get it. It's going to be expensive. ?

 

[rbr19870445]

OP stated they were at a complete stop, so no, doubt that would be the case here.

I have also been rear-ended multiple times with my old WT. Lost count... three, maybe four times? Once the car was just sitting in a parking lot at 11pm and some clown (the only other vehicle in the entire parking lot) backed out of their spot and plowed into the back of mine. The other times I was stopped at stop lights and hit by people playing on their phones (ironically I was in a Chevy - hit twice by Ford F150's). My wife has also been hit while stopped in construction traffic.

Obviously my examples are anecdotal, but in every single case that we've been rear-ended it has been due to the complete and utter carelessness and disregard by these other idiot drivers on the road.

I don't dispute that high regen has these trucks stopping quickly, but I would hope insurance won't find that as a reason to potentially "punish" EV owners for being able to stop quickly.

For my old truck I wound up buying one of these:

Still considering one for the Riv, as well.

/rant

Someone smarter answer this for me but while this "bump step" will help protect your car when it's getting rear ended, an actual car accident will be made worse because all the energy is essentially being transferred through the frame and not the crumple zones?

 

[Whhrheb]

Sorry this has happened to you. Like others said, probably the only thing that's different about having a Rivian in this case is that you're more limited on shops that can/will do the work. BUT you have that handy video, which I'm sure will eventually be important. Glad your insurance has been responsive -- seems like eventually they may be able to subrogate with the other insurance.

I wrote up my similar experience recently on the Reddit -

Damage looks similar to mine (yours not quite as bad, from the initial look); my actual repair was $9600.

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