by Problems with a New Rivian Vehicle
Receiving a new car is always an emotional experience, but those emotions can quickly change if something goes wrong. This is exactly what happened to one Rivian customer who recently purchased an R1S model.
The Rivian R1S Owner’s Story
In a Reddit post, the customer recounted that he received his electric crossover on August 4th, and in less than two weeks, the air conditioner broke down. Even worse, the car spent three weeks at the service center with almost no communication or transparency.
The Company’s Offer
It seems Rivian is taking a page from Jeep’s book on customer service. After about a dozen inquiries, the company sent the owner a “goodwill” offer. In exchange for waiving the right to sue, the customer would receive $2000.
In exchange for the aforementioned monetary sum, you release Rivian and its affiliated entities from all claims you may have for warranty breach, violation of state “lemon” law, and violation of the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act regarding your Rivian vehicle to date.
Similar Cases
Although this seems unusual, several other commenters also reported receiving a similar document and signing it. One of them even consulted a lawyer, who informed them that the customer is only waiving prior rights, not future ones, which makes sense as the document pertains to the situation “to date.”
Possible Reasons and Consequences
It appears Rivian is trying to prevent expensive lawsuits or vehicle buybacks. A few thousand dollars won’t cover legal costs, so such a deal could be mutually beneficial for both parties, provided nothing serious has happened. However, such actions may raise questions about brand trust and its approach to customer service in the long term.
