Amped
Member
- Joined
- May 15, 2023
- Threads
- 3
- Messages
- 12
- Reaction score
- 16
- Location
- California
- Vehicles
- R1S, Volvo, Porsche
- Thread starter
- #1
Hi there RF members, I have a little cautionary note here regarding the experience that I've had to go through with my R1S's misaligned lift gate. For those of you who may be waiting for yours and others who may have experienced similar problems, it's something that we hope Rivian takes seriously.
In short, it's a common problem and one that has slowed down the production and the delivery of R1S from what I've been informed by my service rep at the local Rivian Center. Some VINs, especially the earlier ones like my car, suffer more than others and there are a lucky few that don't have this problem. 4 attempts and 4+ weeks later, the gate is still not aligned correctly and there's nothing that the Service Department can do beyond this point I'm told. Two of those attempts involved trying entirely new lift gate panels with the work performed at a third party body shop. This meant that the techs had to try a new panel sent from the factory to the shop where it was painted and installed each time. The second of these new panels is what is on the car now. Needless to say the problem isn't solved 100% - not to mention the amount of back and forth and the energy and time it has taken.
It's a conundrum when you love the product so much that you want to overlook its imperfections (of which we're overlooking many) but this problem has tainted my overall experience. As an early adopters and a car enthusiast I anticipated some quirks here and there buying a brand new product but not to this extent. It's also hard to justify this for a vehicle that is considered premium with a hefty price tag. It's unfortunate that such an amazing piece of machinery is haunted by what seems like a well-established technology -- the lift gate. Rivian is trying to make things right and their Service staff has been absolutely great. They must be overwhelmed trying to compensate and make the customers happy to the best of their ability - all for the lack of quality control and company's manufacturing short comings.
Yes I can understand that this is a new company and they're still learning and improving upon their process and products but this can't be an excuse to deliver the R1S at full price when they are and have been aware of the lift gate defects. If a VIN is suffering from a misaligned lift gate and cannot be corrected it would only benefit Rivian longterm to offer to help refund, replace or compensate the affected owners as the company grows the brand and continues to establish itself as a contender in the market. Hey I'm rooting for Rivian, but at the moment I'm still waiting to hear from their leadership team on the next steps!
Description for the photos below from top to bottom:
Photo 1: original gap from the manufacturer
Photos 2 and 3: End results. The gate is slightly angled looking at the car straight on from behind. And the gap from top to bottom of the piano black trim looking from the side is uneven where it's quite tight at the top and pretty wide - shy of .25" - at the bottom. The bottom of the gate is also sticking out slightly on both sides - seen from profile.
In short, it's a common problem and one that has slowed down the production and the delivery of R1S from what I've been informed by my service rep at the local Rivian Center. Some VINs, especially the earlier ones like my car, suffer more than others and there are a lucky few that don't have this problem. 4 attempts and 4+ weeks later, the gate is still not aligned correctly and there's nothing that the Service Department can do beyond this point I'm told. Two of those attempts involved trying entirely new lift gate panels with the work performed at a third party body shop. This meant that the techs had to try a new panel sent from the factory to the shop where it was painted and installed each time. The second of these new panels is what is on the car now. Needless to say the problem isn't solved 100% - not to mention the amount of back and forth and the energy and time it has taken.
It's a conundrum when you love the product so much that you want to overlook its imperfections (of which we're overlooking many) but this problem has tainted my overall experience. As an early adopters and a car enthusiast I anticipated some quirks here and there buying a brand new product but not to this extent. It's also hard to justify this for a vehicle that is considered premium with a hefty price tag. It's unfortunate that such an amazing piece of machinery is haunted by what seems like a well-established technology -- the lift gate. Rivian is trying to make things right and their Service staff has been absolutely great. They must be overwhelmed trying to compensate and make the customers happy to the best of their ability - all for the lack of quality control and company's manufacturing short comings.
Yes I can understand that this is a new company and they're still learning and improving upon their process and products but this can't be an excuse to deliver the R1S at full price when they are and have been aware of the lift gate defects. If a VIN is suffering from a misaligned lift gate and cannot be corrected it would only benefit Rivian longterm to offer to help refund, replace or compensate the affected owners as the company grows the brand and continues to establish itself as a contender in the market. Hey I'm rooting for Rivian, but at the moment I'm still waiting to hear from their leadership team on the next steps!
Description for the photos below from top to bottom:
Photo 1: original gap from the manufacturer
Photos 2 and 3: End results. The gate is slightly angled looking at the car straight on from behind. And the gap from top to bottom of the piano black trim looking from the side is uneven where it's quite tight at the top and pretty wide - shy of .25" - at the bottom. The bottom of the gate is also sticking out slightly on both sides - seen from profile.
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