Utecitec
Active Member
- Thread starter
- #1
Last year I brought my 2022 R1T (currently at 61,000 miles, was around 44,000 at the time) in for service to address a few issues, one of which was a constant quiet scraping sound coming from the rear wheels. I assumed it was brake or wheel bearing related, but the service center told me they “couldn’t replicate the issue.” The sound continued but I figured they knew what they were talking about, what I was hearing was normal and they had been listening for something else.
Fast forward to last month: I started hearing a pretty loud squealing noise from one of the rear wheels. I took it to a local shop, and they found the inside rear brake pads were completely gone, while the outside pads were still around 60%. They recommended replacing both the pads and rotors in the rear.
None of the local brake shops wanted to work on it, they said they didn’t have experience with Rivians, so I took it to a nearby authorized collision center I had worked with before. They quoted the same price as Rivian, they’re able to source parts from and communicate with Rivian, and since my nearest service center is a 4–5 hour drive (each way), it seemed like a good option, especially since I’d been to the service center very recently (58,000 miles) for a final in warranty appointment and didn't want to do the drive again so soon.
While replacing the brakes the collision center found that the rear calipers were seized. They contacted Rivian, and after several back-and-forth conversations (some of which I was looped in on), Rivian ultimately decided that the caliper issue wasn’t covered under warranty.
Here’s the part that’s frustrating: Yes, I’m technically out of warranty now, but I wasn’t when I first reported the brake issue. I believe the caliper problem existed at that first appointment. And even if it didn’t, the truck was back in for a full service and multi-point inspection at 58,000 miles, and they still missed the worn pads, rotors, and seized calipers. I find it hard to believe the calipers seized and I then burned through half of my pads in just 3,000 miles.
I’m not thrilled about replacing the pads and rotors, my last vehicle (a Tesla Model 3) went well past this mileage without needing it, but I get that brakes are a wear item. What’s harder to accept is needing new calipers due to what seems like a clear mechanical failure, one that probably would’ve been covered if it had been taken seriously earlier on.
Just wanted to share this as a heads-up: If you hear something weird or feel like something’s off, don’t let them brush you off with “can’t replicate it.” Be persistent. Push for a real inspection. It could save you a lot of money and hassle down the line.
-To add insult to injury the "replace 12v battery" alert came on a week later. Luckily the collision center quoted me the same price as the service center for that as well so that's being worked on too.
Fast forward to last month: I started hearing a pretty loud squealing noise from one of the rear wheels. I took it to a local shop, and they found the inside rear brake pads were completely gone, while the outside pads were still around 60%. They recommended replacing both the pads and rotors in the rear.
None of the local brake shops wanted to work on it, they said they didn’t have experience with Rivians, so I took it to a nearby authorized collision center I had worked with before. They quoted the same price as Rivian, they’re able to source parts from and communicate with Rivian, and since my nearest service center is a 4–5 hour drive (each way), it seemed like a good option, especially since I’d been to the service center very recently (58,000 miles) for a final in warranty appointment and didn't want to do the drive again so soon.
While replacing the brakes the collision center found that the rear calipers were seized. They contacted Rivian, and after several back-and-forth conversations (some of which I was looped in on), Rivian ultimately decided that the caliper issue wasn’t covered under warranty.
Here’s the part that’s frustrating: Yes, I’m technically out of warranty now, but I wasn’t when I first reported the brake issue. I believe the caliper problem existed at that first appointment. And even if it didn’t, the truck was back in for a full service and multi-point inspection at 58,000 miles, and they still missed the worn pads, rotors, and seized calipers. I find it hard to believe the calipers seized and I then burned through half of my pads in just 3,000 miles.
I’m not thrilled about replacing the pads and rotors, my last vehicle (a Tesla Model 3) went well past this mileage without needing it, but I get that brakes are a wear item. What’s harder to accept is needing new calipers due to what seems like a clear mechanical failure, one that probably would’ve been covered if it had been taken seriously earlier on.
Just wanted to share this as a heads-up: If you hear something weird or feel like something’s off, don’t let them brush you off with “can’t replicate it.” Be persistent. Push for a real inspection. It could save you a lot of money and hassle down the line.
-To add insult to injury the "replace 12v battery" alert came on a week later. Luckily the collision center quoted me the same price as the service center for that as well so that's being worked on too.
Sponsored
