Interior roof cover for R2?

[Jeremy3292]

For those who would like source data, the link below is to Rivian's R2 new vehicle limited warranty.

https://rivian.com/support/article/r2-new-vehicle-limited-warranty-guide

I would like to direct anyone who is reading this thread to read page 20 as follows:

If you tint your roof and it cracks, the replacement cost is going to come out of your pocket or at best maybe your insurance's pocket. It is very clearly stated above glass is not covered unless there is a manufacturing defect.

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[Millbarge]

This has been discussed at length in other threads. Rivian isn't going to cover cracked glass due to tint or stress heat bc that is NOT a manufacturing defect; that's an aftermarket product applied. Tesla is the same way.

XPEL isn't going to cover glass cracks either bc they're just a tint seller. They don't provide warranties for OEM glass. They'll tell you to go talk to Rivian. Not like XPEL can put a new glass roof on for you anyways.

Your car insurance would likely cover it if you file a claim, but neither Rivian or XPEL will cover it.

The fact is, if your glass roof breaks, they will probably just say it was an impact or something other than a manufacturing defect. Just Google all the Hyundai/Kia pano roof claims. I have a Hyundai and there are a bunch of threads on the owner forums--dealer just says there was an impact and it's not Hyundai's fault. There's no way to prove it's a manufacturing defect.

 

[Husky]

Agreed. My G70 sunroof (with no added tint or anything) just exploded for no reason (other than a defect), while it was closed and I was just cruising at 70 mph on a 60 degree day. Genesis didn't want to know anything about it. Luckily I had good glass coverage with my insurance company.

 

[NCSwa]

Going out on a limb here and expect to get scorched. Why not have an option for a metal roof? The glass roof is only convenient for the back seat people to look up - assuming they do look up. Makes the car hotter in the sun and I bought a sunshade I never use because it is a pain to put up. I can't see out of the roof as a driver and rarely have people in the back seat - so why have it? Or at least have an option for a "normal" roof.

My guess would be they are just following along with what Tesla does...

 

[Jeremy3292]

I will say I have found the glass in the Model 3 noticeably hotter than the two R2 demo drives I did. I think it has a lot to do with the angle of the windshield being very sloped vs upright and also the lack of headroom/space due to the shape of the car in the Model 3. So it just feels a lot hotter in there. I didn't notice the glass roof or windshield at all in the R2. 90+ days and sunny outside. R2 parked outside, not coming from a garage.

 

[Mos Eisley]

Defects and physical damage like a rock chip cause almost 100% percentage of glass roof shatters. It might be excess heat from a coating that takes it to the final "breaking point" but it will almost always be a fault or chip. And when vacuuming out a million little pieces of glass, there's no way of telling.

 

[JeffnReno]

I'll be in the wait and see camp. I do plan on getting PPF for the very front and have them give me a quote on side window glass but will probably hold off until I feel the need for it. If I feel the need for a roof shade, I'll be looking into 3rd party suppliers. Hopefully by the time I take delivery, November to February, there should be plenty of acceptable options at more reasonable prices.

 

[Millbarge]

Agreed. My G70 sunroof (with no added tint or anything) just exploded for no reason (other than a defect), while it was closed and I was just cruising at 70 mph on a 60 degree day. Genesis didn't want to know anything about it. Luckily I had good glass coverage with my insurance company.

Unfortunately, this is not unusual in Hyundai vehicles, although I'm pretty sure it usually happens with their pano s/r.

https://www.consumerreports.org/car-safety/exploding-sunroof-cases-head-to-court/

 

[Husky]

I still think that deleting the glass roof in the R2 would have been a good cost-cutting opportunity. I guess they just consider this part of the brand?

Follow-up: our son works at Rivian and claims that they looked at it and the glass was actually cheaper. Shrug.

 

[Husky]

Unfortunately, this is not unusual in Hyundai vehicles, although I'm pretty sure it usually happens with their pano s/r.

https://www.consumerreports.org/car-safety/exploding-sunroof-cases-head-to-court/

I should have been part of that suit, haha. My Genesis G70 sunroof exploded for no known reason while driving down the interstate at 70 mph on a beautiful 60 degree day. Scared the sh!t out of me! It sounded like a shotgun blast over my head.
Luckily my insurance company covered it, since Genesis did not.

 

[SwampNut]

Scared the sh!t out of me! It sounded like a shotgun blast over my head.

That was me in a 914 in Cajon Pass around 1984, still remember it.

 

[Millbarge]

That was me in a 914 in Cajon Pass around 1984, still remember it.

Ok well I would expect a 914 to just spontaneously explode.....

 

[SwampNut]

It's a reliable VW motor, and just simply never had any issues other than the exploding rear window.

 

[rfkxyz]

Follow-up: our son works at Rivian and claims that they looked at it and the glass was actually cheaper. Shrug.

Or perhaps cheaper overall to produce only one roof vs. offer two, even w/ one as extra-cost option, and glass-only won vs. metal-only.

 

[Mos Eisley]

Or perhaps cheaper overall to produce only one roof vs. offer two, even w/ one as extra-cost option, and glass-only won vs. metal-only.

The industry has been saying for a while that glass roofs are "cheaper" to manufacture for several reasons, especially because they are friendly to new factory robots and thus simplify the assembly process. On the line, an open roof top gives big, multi-role robots access to the interior for wiring, component and seat installation and dropping in the pano later is their solution to finish the roof in a way that later fixing another stamped swatch of sheet metal would be far harder/impossible to do.

Plus they feel luxe and people are willing to pay for them. So win-win: manufacturer has improved production efficiency, reduced costs and enabled a larger margin.

fun fact: did you know the Tesla Model Y BASE has a pano glass roof but you can't see it?

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