Photo: Chris Apfelstadt via Facebook | Edited
EVs are notoriously expensive to repair. Sometimes, they are totaled after minor crashes, especially when the battery packs are affected. Still, Rivian owners shared on social media that even a fender-bender could cost tens of thousands of dollars to repair. The crazy repair costs could ruin you, so you better have good insurance coverage.
Electric vehicles are simpler than gas-powered cars and thus require less maintenance. The combustion engine and gearbox are highly complex systems electric vehicles don't need. Instead, an electric motor is straightforward and comprises only a few components. Other than that, though, EVs are just like any other car. Still, regarding repairability, the costs are so high that many insurance companies prefer to total them.
The issue was recently highlighted as many brand-new EVs were scrapped for minor damages. As a rule of thumb, the car is doomed if the battery pack is affected. No insurance company can afford to let it back on the road and risk litigations later. Still, even when involved in minor accidents, EVs are more expensive to fix than gas-powered cars. This might be caused by the lack of competition, with very few authorized repairers available. Being new to building vehicles, EV makers also don't pay enough attention to repairability and prioritize production costs instead.
EV high repair costs are a given, but a Rivian owner discovered that even fixing a dented bumper could cost more than a new car. Chris Apfelstadt shared on a Rivian Facebook group that his R1T was rear-ended at low speed. For the Rivian, it was just a fender-bender, and you could overlook it entirely if you didn't know where to look. The owner figured the repair would be expensive, but he had no idea how expensive it would be.
He took the car to a Rivian-certified repair shop in Central Ohio, where the technicians proved incredibly meticulous. This might seem an exaggeration, but they disassembled the rear end to look for damage behind the bumper. The repairs took two and a half months, but the truck was returned to like-new condition. The final bill shocked the R1T owner, though, as it had $42,000 at the bottom. That's an eye-watering amount that would make anyone cry if they don't have good insurance coverage. Luckily for Chris, it wasn't the case with his fender-bender.
Many people reading his story think the repair shop scammed the insurance company and inflated the repair costs. There's no way a dented bumper costs that much to fix unless it is made entirely of gold and needs to be replaced. Still, other Rivian owners share similar stories on social media. User u/nrrasmussen had a similar collision in his R1S, resulting in minor damage to their SUV. The repairs took four months to finish and cost $19,000. Although this is significantly less than Chris's R1T, it's still expensive.
The issue was recently highlighted as many brand-new EVs were scrapped for minor damages. As a rule of thumb, the car is doomed if the battery pack is affected. No insurance company can afford to let it back on the road and risk litigations later. Still, even when involved in minor accidents, EVs are more expensive to fix than gas-powered cars. This might be caused by the lack of competition, with very few authorized repairers available. Being new to building vehicles, EV makers also don't pay enough attention to repairability and prioritize production costs instead.
EV high repair costs are a given, but a Rivian owner discovered that even fixing a dented bumper could cost more than a new car. Chris Apfelstadt shared on a Rivian Facebook group that his R1T was rear-ended at low speed. For the Rivian, it was just a fender-bender, and you could overlook it entirely if you didn't know where to look. The owner figured the repair would be expensive, but he had no idea how expensive it would be.
He took the car to a Rivian-certified repair shop in Central Ohio, where the technicians proved incredibly meticulous. This might seem an exaggeration, but they disassembled the rear end to look for damage behind the bumper. The repairs took two and a half months, but the truck was returned to like-new condition. The final bill shocked the R1T owner, though, as it had $42,000 at the bottom. That's an eye-watering amount that would make anyone cry if they don't have good insurance coverage. Luckily for Chris, it wasn't the case with his fender-bender.
Many people reading his story think the repair shop scammed the insurance company and inflated the repair costs. There's no way a dented bumper costs that much to fix unless it is made entirely of gold and needs to be replaced. Still, other Rivian owners share similar stories on social media. User u/nrrasmussen had a similar collision in his R1S, resulting in minor damage to their SUV. The repairs took four months to finish and cost $19,000. Although this is significantly less than Chris's R1T, it's still expensive.
$42,000 repair for a dented rear bumper on a Rivian R1T?
— 13rendan88 ???????? (@13rendan88) May 2, 2023
Also, something doesn't add up here, why did they remove the rear glass? pic.twitter.com/VJal1jwjtO
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