Experience with buying used directly from Rivian?

[B_Wagon136]

Has anybody here actually bought a used Rivian through their used shop? We have our eye on a few that we would like to look at but there does not seem to be a way to get in touch with anyone from this specific department. Can we just show up at the service center and look at these? That seems unlikely given most experiences with service centers people have (appointment lead times, busy service techs, red tape, etc).

Our attempt to reach Rivian about a used inquiry was responded to by someone who said they only work on the 'new' side and proceeded to inundate us with current incentives and Gen 2 features.

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[sulesnav]

We did in Denver - totally smooth experience including trade in but didn't attempt to check it out first. There are SC's and then there are SC experience centers which is what you want I think if you want to test drive and such. But there was no option to test drive the exact used vehicle you're purchasing. Worked out great for us but can understand that could be off-putting.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Has anybody here actually bought a used Rivian through their used shop? We have our eye on a few that we would like to look at but there does not seem to be a way to get in touch with anyone from this specific department. Can we just show up at the service center and look at these? That seems unlikely given most experiences with service centers people have (appointment lead times, busy service techs, red tape, etc).

Our attempt to reach Rivian about a used inquiry was responded to by someone who said they only work on the 'new' side and proceeded to inundate us with current incentives and Gen 2 features.

I would let that person know you are only interested in used and ask to be transferred/reassigned to someone who does handle used inventory. And unless that used car is at your local SC already, don’t expect Rivian to move it so you can kick tires. Even CarMax charges transfer fee between locations. Like any used car purchase, it’s a gamble. But unlike most used cars, there is warranty (unless expired).

 

[Nexus]

Even CarMax charges transfer fee between locations.

The good thing about CarMax is they will put the transfer fee towards the purchase of the vehicle if you decide to buy.

 

[Gurule92]

I documented my process a bit

 

[Rivian Owner]

I purchased my R1T through the demo sales website/program. It can be a very frustrating experience and you'll need to take a trip if the vehicle isn't local to you. Getting answers as to the condition of the vehicle and what all the options are (such as the sound system, tonneau cover, and other features) may not be provided or may not reflect what is actually on the vehicle. In my experience Rivian totally lacks communications abilities in this department; for whatever reason they aren't highly motivated to sell these vehicles. You'll be lucky if you can even get someone to respond from the local service center to provide you with more information.

Your best shot is to make the commitment to purchase the vehicle and make the trip to go see it. If it isn't what you want when you get there then you can refuse delivery of the vehicle and get your money back; yeah I know it isn't ideal but you can save some serious cash. Of course another option would be to find a member of this forum or someone you know who lives close to the service center where the vehicle is located, so they can evaluate the vehicle for you. As mentioned, even if you have someone local who is willing to look at the vehicle, getting access to it can be problematic depending on the service center; I didn't have trouble getting the service centers to allow me to look at the vehicles I considered since the vehicles were with the other demo vehicles and not in some repair lot, but your mileage may vary.

Rivian typically won't move the vehicle to a different service center so you'll have to arrange transportation of the vehicle if you don't drive it home.

On the upside, as I said you can save some serious cash, and the best part is they are demo vehicles so they are typically updated and well taken care of, with some exceptions. The demo I got had the 12 volt batteries replaced and other TSBs done before I got the vehicle and any bugs like misaligned panels or noisy suspension were fixed since it was a demo vehicle. On the flip side, one vehicle I looked at must have been used off road and had some scratches and scrapes. I also like that I still got the full warranty, with most of the bugs worked out before my warranty started.

I wouldn't buy on blind faith as some of the vehicles have damage to things like trim that Rivian won't repair before they hand you the vehicle, so if you aren't prepared to pay for repairs, you should probably plan on living with small scratches and other wear, especially on the higher mileage vehicles. It sounds like this is what you'd like to do, just be persistent and plan on putting the money down to get access to the vehicle, and as I said, refuse delivery if it isn't to your liking and you can't get any other way to see the vehicle.

I had to drive the truck back home, but I made an adventure out of it and we enjoyed our first road trip upon purchase. We've been extremely happy with the vehicle and I think we avoided some of the new vehicle gremlins. If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to help.

 

[antimatter]

I bought my 2023 Dual-Max R1T from Rivian this June. The two issues I had were getting Rivian to accept my insurance on the new truck - I initially had my insurance agent provide a binder that showed the R1T being added to my existing policy, but Rivian wouldn't accept that. I eventually had to have the insurance folks write a new policy so I could get a proof of insurance card issued, and that was accepted by Rivian. The second issue was that I live in Minneapolis, and currently Rivian does not sell used vehicles in Minnesota. So I had to drive down the Chicago (which I've done plenty of times), trade in my vehicle there, and drive the new truck home to Minneapolis. That was 900-ish miles in one day, which is a lot for me personally.

My sense is that a lot of the process is driven by AI, so if you hit a snag you can try to think of what an AI agent would like as a way to resolve it. Otherwise, I signed the contract and had the money pulled from a secondary bank account that use for bill paying. That drive back home was uneventful, with one minor incident when my A2Z Typhoon adapter got stuck in the charge port because I didn't read the directions and disconnect the Tesla charging cord first (I tried to pull the whole thing out, which is incorrect). The truck performed like champ, and even though the last few miles was after dark, in the rain and through road construction, I had no issues.

 

[B_Wagon136]

According to one of their sales advisors, the $250 "checkout" fee just to look at one of their used models is non-refundable if you decide not to proceed with taking delivery upon seeing the vehicle. Their advice on that front was to dispute the charge with the bank of your credit card.

That suggestion really took me aback.

 

[Rivian Owner]

According to one of their sales advisors, the $250 "checkout" fee just to look at one of their used models is non-refundable if you decide not to proceed with taking delivery upon seeing the vehicle. Their advice on that front was to dispute the charge with the bank of your credit card.

That suggestion really took me aback.

Hmm, that fee must be something new, I paid no fees and looked at a couple of delear demo vehicles. These weren't second owner vehicles, but ones that Rivian used as demo vehicles, which may change the process some. I also got the full warranty, starting with the mileage that was on the vehicle when I picked it up, I don't know if the second owner vehicles offer the same.

 

[Pacernow]

All,
When you buy a used R1T or R1S from Rivian do they provide any additional time on the existing warranty? When you buy used from Tesla they add an additional year or 10000 miles after the original warrant expires.

 

[antimatter]

All,
When you buy a used R1T or R1S from Rivian do they provide any additional time on the existing warranty? When you buy used from Tesla they add an additional year or 10000 miles after the original warrant expires.

If you buy a used demo vehicle, it is treated as a 'new' vehicle and you get a warranty that starts on day one of your ownership. If you buy a non-demo used vehicle, you get whatever OEM warranty is left on your vehicle that existed since the first owner took possession.

For instance, I bought a used 2023 R1T Dual Max in June of 2025. The build date for my truck is September 25th of 2023, so I have full coverage until September 2027 (or 50,000 miles), and coverage of the battery until 2031 (or 150,000 miles).

 

[Pacernow]

antimatter,
Thank you for responding to my question.

 

[Gurule92]

All,
When you buy a used R1T or R1S from Rivian do they provide any additional time on the existing warranty? When you buy used from Tesla they add an additional year or 10000 miles after the original warrant expires.

Warranty info is listed in the Web page for each

 

[Pacernow]

Gurule92,
Thank you for your reply.

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