Frame replacement needed after accident damage (R1S)

[ohseedee]

the headlight is in-tack as well as all cameras/sensors.

so I assume that means you have the video to share?

Sorry for your lose. Damage and repairs on these Rivians is no joke. I had what I thought was just a cracked headlight on my T and ended up being close to $7K and a couple months to get fixed. I have my eye and a deposit on an R1S for my wife next year, however really questioning how wise that is considering her track record with bumping things...

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[pc500]

In some cases “frame damage” can be something that’s easily repaired, but for some reason the insurance company will not allow it & insist on replacement. These become salvaged title vehicles that are repaired & used without issues. I know someone that got a great deal on a nearly new Porsche like this.

I can’t imagine this is going to go well on vehicles with large “gigacast” parts.

It is liability. If it has another accident you could sustain greater injuries.

 

[R1TruKaLa]

Sharing some unfortunate news. I had what seemed to be a minor accident with the front of my rivian this week in a parking lot. I filed a claim (State Farm) and reached out to a nearby Rivian approved collision center (Referral Collision) for next steps. My car was drivable with no major issues flagged in the system.

Flash forward, I was just told by the repair center that the frame was damaged and will need replaced. They said it could take 5 months and upwards of $40k to fix..

Has anyone experienced a frame replacement? Worried insurance will deem it totaled after some of the costs I’ve seen pop up on the forum..

??

 

[Hillbilly]

I did a full frame replacement on my duramax after getting rear ended by a tractor trailer. I used a good shop and haven't had any problems with the swap. No regrets.

 

[VSG]

Just think of how hard it would be to fix if the entire frame were one giant casting ...

Except...there is no vehicle, either in production, or in "release candidate" build state, which is configured as "entire frame...one giant casting."

Yes, it's a form of hyperbole, to illustrate how the assumption that reduction of part count and increase in part complexity is always a good thing can backfire when taken to the extreme. In this specific case, even with many welded sub-assemblies, once you bend the frame you total the car. Think about how much easier that would be to do if it were all one (or even just a few) pieces. This is the same reason that people question Rivian's design decision to make the side of the vehicle one large panel - even a small dent will be an expensive repair.

 

[Hillbilly]

Regrettably, a tree. My first wreck in 36 years and I’m still in shock at my stupidity. Went to tap the break and vroom, it was the gas. That accelerator is no joke!! The air bags didn’t go off and the headlight is in-tack as well as all cameras/sensors. It didn’t feel serious, but here we are.

"Intact"

 

[Count Orlok]

Sorry to hear about this.

that hood is damaged a lot more than mine was in a minor accident suggesting to me at least you hit the tree with a lot of momentum. I guess in some way the frame damage is the vehicle doing its job to sacrifice itself to protect humans.

FWIW, state farm was great with my repair. The shop I used was both Rivian certified and a State Farm approved/preferred shop. I think that may have made it easier.

good luck getting it repaired or replaced.

 

[Rjchamplin]

"Intact"

?? hope you have a great day hillbilly

 

[Count Orlok]

oh, the weird thing with SF and the shop is Rivian was not an option in the software so they used Honda Ridgeline as the default.

 

[Atlrivian]

I also had a similar front corner accident in a parking lot going less than 5 mph. 17k was the final bill after an initial estimate of 12ish. That was without any actual structural damage like in your case.

I too believe totaling your truck is in the insurance company's best interest. I bet your final bill is closer to 50k if they do opt for repair.

 

[SDH]

I think this why EV insurance is so much higher than ICE. So easy to damage the frame/battery pack in a minor ding. I agree, they should be more robust and better protected but the manufacturers will just argue that adds weigh and takes up battery capacity. I saw 8-10 Tesla at a workshop near me a few moths ago, all with minor scrapes, nothing major. I asked the guy who worked there and was told they were all write-offs. I was gobsmacked.

(Slight aside ... similar thing happened to an owner of a Porsche Carrera GT. Small knock to the fender turn out it puts a crack in the carbon fiber tub and thus a very expensive repair.)

 

[WorldComposting]

While it doesn't look like this should have damaged the frame if it is total it! Once the frame is damaged a manufacturer will not guarantee it will compact properly in another accident.

 

[VSG]

Small knock to the fender turn out it puts a crack in the carbon fiber tub

Similar to what could happen with a large casting. Oops I did it again.

 

[NY_Rob]

This is $17K damage to our i3 that got rear-ended by a Smart Car last Dec...
The insurance actually paid for the repair vs totaling it because the original adjuster only estimated $6K in damage so Allstate paid it. A week after the body shop cashed the $6K check and they started working on it, they submitted another claim for $11K in hidden damage. Allstate was already in to it for $6K at that point so they really had no choice and had to go forward with the additional $11K. It's a 2017 vehicle and only worth $22k maybe... and they paid $17K to have it repaired. FWIW- they subrogated the full amount including my delectable to the at fault party's ins carrier (Geico). The repair took a little more than 6 weeks to complete.
Even with this pretty good hit... no frame damage to the tough little BMW!

 

[Buckets0fun]

Yea pretty bummed. They said “the damage is where the front impact bar mounts to the frame rail. The crush zone on the frame is a non-repairable area. It is designed to do its job one time.” Apparently rivian service team is already on it so hopefully it’s a quicker process than 5 months.

Can you post some photos after they’ve disassembled? I have rebuilt the only R1S thus far and could likely give you info.

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