Photo: RJ Scaringe via Twitter
Rivian owners have been surprised by a change in servicing policy, which would make them pay a towing fee when getting their vehicles to a service center. In certain conditions, this also applies to cars requiring repairs under warranty.
Last week, the news that Rivian started charging owners for towing services to and from service centers heated the waters on Rivian Forums. Until then, Rivian would cover the expenses for towing a broken vehicle to a service center for warranty repairs, no question asked. Starting October 6, though, Rivian decided it was time to charge a towing fee for those repairs that do not necessarily need the vehicle to be towed.
More specifically, if the vehicle is still operable, its owner would have to choose between driving it to a Rivian Service Center and paying for transportation. That is, if a mobile repair technician could not fix it on the spot. The problem is that Rivian Service Centers are still few and far between, which for some owners means hundreds of miles away.
Due to the large distances that a Rivian owner needs to cover to get to the nearest service center, driving a broken vehicle might not be the best solution. That’s why the free towing service was a lifesaver. When Rivian decided to discontinue it, naturally, people got angry. A disgruntled Rivian owner shared his story on Rivian Forums and said the company initially wanted him to pay a $55 towing fee plus another $6.50 per mile. That was more than $1,300 one way in his case, considering he was more than 200 miles (322 km) away from the service center.
The funny thing is that the Rivian owner, who goes by the nickname “connoisseurr” on Rivian Forums, made the appointment to the service center before Rivian changed the towing rules. Their problem was a bad wheel alignment, which may or may not have been related to the recent “whompy wheel” recall. They needed to reschedule the appointment, though, and that’s when the Rivian employee told him that the new appointment fell under the new rules and a towing fee was due.
Luckily, the Rivian owner sorted out things with the company and had their vehicle towed free of charge to the service center. Nevertheless, the new conditions still apply to Rivian owners who want their cars towed instead of driven to a service center. According to the post on Rivian Forums, Rivian stated that free flatbed services are still offered, but only for vehicles that are inoperable and need repairs due to warranty-related issues. By inoperable, Rivian means the vehicle is not drivable or exhibits a safety-related problem. Otherwise, the $55 towing fee plus mileage applies.
Rivian has yet to issue an official announcement about the policy change, although other owners shared similar stories in the forum. We’ve reached out to Rivian for comment on the matter, and we’ll update this story when we hear back. What do you think about the policy change? We’d love to read your thoughts in the comments section below.
More specifically, if the vehicle is still operable, its owner would have to choose between driving it to a Rivian Service Center and paying for transportation. That is, if a mobile repair technician could not fix it on the spot. The problem is that Rivian Service Centers are still few and far between, which for some owners means hundreds of miles away.
Due to the large distances that a Rivian owner needs to cover to get to the nearest service center, driving a broken vehicle might not be the best solution. That’s why the free towing service was a lifesaver. When Rivian decided to discontinue it, naturally, people got angry. A disgruntled Rivian owner shared his story on Rivian Forums and said the company initially wanted him to pay a $55 towing fee plus another $6.50 per mile. That was more than $1,300 one way in his case, considering he was more than 200 miles (322 km) away from the service center.
The funny thing is that the Rivian owner, who goes by the nickname “connoisseurr” on Rivian Forums, made the appointment to the service center before Rivian changed the towing rules. Their problem was a bad wheel alignment, which may or may not have been related to the recent “whompy wheel” recall. They needed to reschedule the appointment, though, and that’s when the Rivian employee told him that the new appointment fell under the new rules and a towing fee was due.
Luckily, the Rivian owner sorted out things with the company and had their vehicle towed free of charge to the service center. Nevertheless, the new conditions still apply to Rivian owners who want their cars towed instead of driven to a service center. According to the post on Rivian Forums, Rivian stated that free flatbed services are still offered, but only for vehicles that are inoperable and need repairs due to warranty-related issues. By inoperable, Rivian means the vehicle is not drivable or exhibits a safety-related problem. Otherwise, the $55 towing fee plus mileage applies.
Rivian has yet to issue an official announcement about the policy change, although other owners shared similar stories in the forum. We’ve reached out to Rivian for comment on the matter, and we’ll update this story when we hear back. What do you think about the policy change? We’d love to read your thoughts in the comments section below.
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