Service Center Coordination; Tire and Wheel Swap

[CardiacR1S]

Hi all. Recent SC interaction that may benefit you. Made an appointment to fix an errant passenger window that would go partially down, up and down, and then take feathering to close completely. I booked through the app. It is that time of the year so I also wanted my snow tires mounted on Ram rims off and my 22"s with OEM Scorpions put on.
Messaged through the app and requested a mobile visit for the window and tire swap. Was told the SC (Sterling, VA) doesn't do, although the Gaithersburg center did twice prior. Asked for it to be done at the Sterling SC.
Went to Sterling SC and tech wasn't aware of the tire swap request. Window fixed very quickly. They started the swap and they saw an aluminum spacer for my snows. Came out and said couldn't complete the swap since it was a 3rd party item.
Went to a local shop, loaned them my pucks and had done.
Moral of story. I need to coordinate better and also not do my semi annual snow tire swap at the SC.

Thoughts?

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[Dave Cundiff]

Rivian can be difficult when there are any third-party equipment or supplies in the mix.

Costco's lawyers seem able to figure this out. Discount Tire/America's Tire lawyers seem able to figure this out. Rivian's lawyers? Not so much.

At least for now, I think we just have to take these as learning experiences about Rivian..

Sorry, @CardiacR1S!

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Get your basic tire stuff done elsewhere, like Discount Tire. Own a set of jack pucks. Good to have and keep in car regardless (in case of roadside assistance that may not be prepared to service Rivians). Armed with a set of your own pucks you can also work with any tire shop willing to accommodate you. Your Owner Guide and Rivian Tow Operator Guide both have printable pages with instructions on how to use the pucks and lift a R1 properly. Good for you to have this knowledge too, so you know to prevent problems when anyone (like Discount Tire) is about to do it incorrectly and damage your car.

Put yourself in Rivian’s shoes. Perfectly understandable why a risk-adverse young business would prefer to avoid non-factory parts.

 

[bertwilly]

Rivian can be difficult when there are any third-party equipment or supplies in the mix.

Costco's lawyers seem able to figure this out. Discount Tire/America's Tire lawyers seem able to figure this out. Rivian's lawyers? Not so much.

At least for now, I think we just have to take these as learning experiences about Rivian..

Sorry, @CardiacR1S!

I mean that’s not entirely true, Costco and discount won’t touch a lot of things. Off-road applications, trailers etc.

 

[CardiacR1S]

I have access to a couple really good local shops that are experienced with Rivians. My recommendation for others is just to ensure that they communicate clearly and confirm with the service center on any potential work they are doing. I needed the window fixed anyway and thought getting the tires swapped at the same time would be pretty efficient.

 

[Rivianero]

We had a not dissimilar experience at the San Antonio service center. Still confused why a tire rotation is $67 but a tire swap (Rivian OEM tires all mounted and balanced) is somehow $400.

Not sure if it is still the case now, but the SA SC has used contractors to do simple things like tire rotations in the past. Good way to keep costs down and used trained EV mechanics available for the harder stuff.

Said "no thanks" to Rivian and took my wheels to Discount Tire, who swapped them for free. Nice that they have the picks and training. Had to do the tire swap procedure on the service menu myself, but that is super easy. Definitely will buy my next set of tires from DT.

 

[CardiacR1S]

We had a not dissimilar experience at the San Antonio service center. Still confused why a tire rotation is $67 but a tire swap (Rivian OEM tires all mounted and balanced) is somehow $400.

Not sure if it is still the case now, but the SA SC has used contractors to do simple things like tire rotations in the past. Good way to keep costs down and used trained EV mechanics available for the harder stuff.

Said "no thanks" to Rivian and took my wheels to Discount Tire, who swapped them for free. Nice that they have the picks and training. Had to do the tire swap procedure on the service menu myself, but that is super easy. Definitely will buy my next set of tires from DT.

Good question. Actually mounting a new tire on a rim is one thing, but just taking tires already mounted on a separate rim and swapping with ones on the car is pretty simple.
Will consider Discount Tire when time to replace my OEM Scorpions, although they are an hour away.

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