Used R1T purchase / extended warranty advice?

[Turbospeed440]

So I'm looking at getting a used r1t.

Ive always had gas p/u and want to get into an ev truck as we have an ix m60 and I had an id4 until it got totaled. I'm looking to keep it around 55k and under so I know my options are limited to a 22 or 23 with around miles closer to the end of the warranty unless I get something that's been in a crash or have 3 previous owners which I find as a huge red flag . Someone owning it for 6 months really scares me.

What's everyone option on getting an extended warranty on these . Typically I do my own maintenance as I have a lift in my garage for a racecar I own.

Like how hard are they to work on . I do know the hydraulic suspension system goes out around 100k. But what else are problem areas.

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[DeanB1452]

I bought my LE '22 R1T w/21K miles on it from a Rivian employee in May '23. I now have almost 72K miles on it and have enjoyed putting all those miles on it. Get the extended warranty. It'll be worth it.
Right before my warranty expired in May '25 I had some repairs and a final comprehensive inspection done. They replaced 3 dampers and jounce lines, retrofit the A/C lines for less noise, replaced the v1.5 tonneau cover with another v1.5, and some other modules. I estimate that all those repairs was over $21K.
In October, it went in again for door gaskets and suspension noises. Repairs totaled $16,455. They replaced the door gaskets (not covered), subframe (not covered), damper (that was replaced last April), sun visors, tailgate trim (not covered), rear center display, hub bearings, halfshafts, wheel speed sensor, steering knuckles, lower control arms, and upper control arm. I paid about $5600 for items not covered by the extended warranty while XCare covered $10,860.
It went in again for a botched job on the gaskets and replace the v1.5 power tonneau cover with v2. XCare covered the cost of the PTC, which was $3,260.
Last service was earlier this month to replace the tailgate assist mechanism, $374.
I'm just 8 months out of warranty with $14,500 in repairs. Luckily, I chose the $0 deductible knowing that I will have multiple repairs while keeping this until the wheels fall off.
You can play with the calculator to select your term, deductible, annual mileage, etc. Check out XCare at www.xcelerateauto.com I chose 6yr/100K/$0 deductible for about $8K and have piece of mind that they are covering most of the items.
Get the Comprehensive inspection done before the factory warranty expires. Push to get the subframe replaced and check for peeling door gaskets because those items are not covered under the EW. Parts came to $15,343 before discounts. I'm still waiting for the 4th original damper to fail at some point. They didn't replace it when they replaced the others since it was still "within specs."

 

[beatle]

I'd say it's not so much whether they are hard to work on, but prohibitive since Rivian often won't sell you parts and/or you can't even look up the part, or there is a requirement to use the Toolbox software which is expensive to license. Their walled garden is even worse than Tesla.

Brakes can be done yourself (more or less), but take care not to manually "overcompress" the rear pistons when changing the rear pads. There is at least one story about someone getting nailed with a repair bill that otherwise would have been avoidable if they had access to Toolbox and could instruct the truck to retract the piston electronically.

There have also been damper failures well before 100k. These also are more complicated not just because of the air, but since the dampers themselves are integrated into the HRC system.

 

[impulsoren]

I too have an ability to “fix my own stuff” due to having been an auto technician in a previous career. There really isn’t much to maintain on a Rivian, and some repairs will be things that have obviously failed (dampers, door handles, tailgate, axles, disconnect etc) that Rivian currently won’t sell to you but often you can find from a wrecking yard. Other repairs will need you to be able to talk to the modules. And for all I know, there may be multiple repairs (like 12v battery) that you could do but then need to talk to the vehicle to get rid of error lights.
Unless Rivian expands the repair ability as more vehicles come out of warranty or a Chinese company starts selling hacked Rivian software you are going to want to keep it covered as best you can. Mine is still covered for a year+, and I intend to keep buying more until such a time I feel comfortable I can do it myself or am moving on to another vehicle (except I spent my lifetime vehicle budget on this).

 

[Luxus]

I'd say it's not so much whether they are hard to work on, but prohibitive since Rivian often won't sell you parts and/or you can't even look up the part, or there is a requirement to use the Toolbox software which is expensive to license. Their walled garden is even worse than Tesla.

This is the kind of thing that concerns me. Like the OP, I have the tools to dive into most repairs. BUT I've always been able to get access to a shop manual (relatively inexpensively) and parts needed on my vehicles. This might be the first time in my life I may seriously consider getting an extended warranty.

 

[beatle]

Same. I typically keep vehicles for several years as I do most of my own repairs. But I started cycling through EVs at a relatively rapid pace for me (3-4 years) due to the manufacturers' (Tesla, Rivian) walled gardens. I had a Lightning for a few weeks but didn't care for it. One of the main reasons I went with it though was for more options WRT service and repairability since it's basically an F150 other than the powertrain.

I already abandoned Tesla and will abandon Rivian for this reason when my lease is up next year. Even if you have an extended warranty for your Rivian, make sure you have a second vehicle. I'm guessing the extended warranty doesn't include giving you a loaner, and service wait times can be weeks or even months. And that's before the impending tsunami of R2s hit the service centers.

 

[impulsoren]

….. Check out XCare at www.xcelerateauto.com …

Did Rivian and xcare interact in a seamless fashion? Or did you pay Rivian and get reimbursed later?

 

[Luxus]

Went on Rock Auto to get a feel for what's available for Rivian and it's pretty slim pickings. Basically just maintenance items like brakes and wipers.

 

[DeanB1452]

Did Rivian and xcare interact in a seamless fashion? Or did you pay Rivian and get reimbursed later?

Rivian doesn’t deal with third party payments so you pay first, then XCare will send a check or ACH if you’ve submitted the paperwork.
Process is pretty simple. Schedule an appt to get work done. File a claim online with XCare. Get an estimate with “cause of failure” items and submit to XCare. They will approve or deny the repairs. Get it repaired, then submit final invoice to XCare for reimbursement.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Like any top of the line premium/luxury model from any car company, replacement parts are often expensive. And things that you think should be cheap, often are surprisingly expensive. If extended warranty is available in your state, take a serious look. A single suspension damper replacement would easily cost more than the extended warranty. Forum search topic and also look at this thread: https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/...n-my-full-claim-experience-and-outcome.53170/

I had a BMW X5d prior to the Rivian. Bought used and got talked into extended warranty for the first time. I felt sick doing it but within the first 12 months of being out of BMW's warranty, the extended warranty more than paid for itself when a bunch of emissions equipment went bad—proving the general consensus towards them to be inaccurate. Reality is far more nuanced than those gross generalizations. It depends on the car and repair costs.

The other thing is, unlike other brands, Rivian currently doesn't have an official retail operation to sell parts to consumers. You have to enroll in an expensive third party service shop portal (as a vetted third-party service provider), your chosen repair shop , or go through their Service Center (which is then up to discretion of that particular location on whether they are willing to sell you the parts).

 

[a.void]

I bought my LE '22 R1T w/21K miles on it from a Rivian employee in May '23. I now have almost 72K miles on it and have enjoyed putting all those miles on it. Get the extended warranty. It'll be worth it.
Right before my warranty expired in May '25 I had some repairs and a final comprehensive inspection done. They replaced 3 dampers and jounce lines, retrofit the A/C lines for less noise, replaced the v1.5 tonneau cover with another v1.5, and some other modules. I estimate that all those repairs was over $21K.
In October, it went in again for door gaskets and suspension noises. Repairs totaled $16,455. They replaced the door gaskets (not covered), subframe (not covered), damper (that was replaced last April), sun visors, tailgate trim (not covered), rear center display, hub bearings, halfshafts, wheel speed sensor, steering knuckles, lower control arms, and upper control arm. I paid about $5600 for items not covered by the extended warranty while XCare covered $10,860.
It went in again for a botched job on the gaskets and replace the v1.5 power tonneau cover with v2. XCare covered the cost of the PTC, which was $3,260.
Last service was earlier this month to replace the tailgate assist mechanism, $374.
I'm just 8 months out of warranty with $14,500 in repairs. Luckily, I chose the $0 deductible knowing that I will have multiple repairs while keeping this until the wheels fall off.
You can play with the calculator to select your term, deductible, annual mileage, etc. Check out XCare at www.xcelerateauto.com I chose 6yr/100K/$0 deductible for about $8K and have piece of mind that they are covering most of the items.
Get the Comprehensive inspection done before the factory warranty expires. Push to get the subframe replaced and check for peeling door gaskets because those items are not covered under the EW. Parts came to $15,343 before discounts. I'm still waiting for the 4th original damper to fail at some point. They didn't replace it when they replaced the others since it was still "within specs."

What things weren't covered? I thought these were pretty much bumper to bumper extended warranties

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

What things weren't covered? I thought these were pretty much bumper to bumper extended warranties

You would have to read XCare's policy for specifics. And even so called "bumper to bumper" policies are not all inclusive. There is really no such thing. Typical exclusions are normal wear and tear, consumables, items and routine maintenance, cosmetic damage, abuse/misuse and environmenta/act-of-god.

 

[DeanB1452]

What things weren't covered? I thought these were pretty much bumper to bumper extended warranties

Door gaskets, trim, & subframe are a few things that they don’t cover. Here is the section of my contract of items not covered:


W H A T I S N O T C O V E R E D :

Unless expressly provided herein, Coverage is not provided under this Contract:

A. For any repair or replacement made without prior authorization from Administrator to the Repair Facility, unless otherwise covered by Section VII.B.7.

B. For maintenance services and parts described in Your Vehicle’s Owner’s Manual as supplied by the manufacturer.

C. For the following parts and components including: Coolants, hoses, clamps, belts, mobile connector, wall connector, any future external connectors, and any related charging adapters, tires, wheels, wheel covers, wheel lugs and lug nuts, valve stems, light bulbs, 12V batteries, interior LED lighting, lenses, seat belts, brake rotors, brake drums, brake shoes, brake pads, upholstery, paint, glass, trim, moldings, weather strip/body seals, door bushings/bearings, body panels, sheet metal, bumpers, frames and structural parts, sub-frames, brackets, convertible top assemblies, vinyl top, conversion van appliances, shop supplies, environmental waste charges or disposal fees, lost or missing parts, electronic diagnostic equipment fees, freight, any repairs to correct rust, corrosion, water intrusion, water ingestion, water damage, water leaks, air leaks, wind noise, squeaks, rattles, odors, manual clutch system (friction clutch disc, pressure plate, throw out, and pilot bearing). For any options/equipment not originally installed by the vehicle manufacturer.

 

[a.void]

Thanks, Dean!

This was super helpful.

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