That Rivian Bumper Tap Didn’t Look Like A $11,000 Mistake, But Here We Are

  • A Rivian owner shared an $11,000 quote for rear damage.
  • Owners say aluminum panels and sensors drive costs up.
  • High repair bills may shadow Rivian’s cheaper models.

Rivian is in the midst of what may be its most important year to date. It’s launching the all-new R2 by June as it aims to appeal to more mainstream buyers. One recent Reddit post reminds us all about another issue it has to sort out: when Rivians get dinged, the repair bills can be extreme even if the damage isn’t.

This is something of an open secret in the Rivian community. Owners half-joke about whether a minor scuff or door ding will end up being declared a total loss once insurance gets involved. The punchline is that, more often than not, it is not really a joke. It is reality.

More: This Rivian R1S Parking Incident Triggered A $54,000 Repair Bill

Granted, the latest case is not just a light scuff or a parking-lot ding, but it is not far removed either. And the repair estimate still lands squarely in five-figure territory.

Sticker Shock After A Minor Impact

Posted to the r/Rivian subreddit, the owner says that what you see here is the product of backing “into an invisible wall.” They said the parking sensors didn’t work, but that the damage is entirely cosmetic. Rivian allegedly won’t work on the car until the owner replaces the tailgate. The body shop’s quote to sort it all out? A cool $11,000. Yes, for that ding.

Also: Why Even The Smallest Accident Is Designed To Destroy Your Wallet

Many commenters argued that the estimate isn’t as outrageous as it sounds once you break it down. Modern body repairs are no longer just hammer-and-paint jobs. Aluminum panels, which Rivian uses extensively, are more difficult and expensive to repair than traditional steel.

“It seems like getting hit in the rear quarter panel is the worst accident type because of all the required bodywork to fix a welded in panel. They should really make it so quarter panels bolt on like a front fender,” wrote one commentator in the thread.

A Worrying Trend

That Rivian Bumper Tap Didn’t Look Like A $11,000 Mistake, But Here We Are
Photos Reddit /Rivianforums

Add in possible sensor replacement or recalibration, labor-intensive panel removal, and repainting, and the numbers go up quickly. Several users shared similar stories of $9,000-$12,000 repair bills for what initially looked like comparable damage on other SUVs.

Searching For A Smarter Fix

Thankfully, there might just be a clever solution in the comment section. A few folks mentioned paintless dent repair. We’ve highlighted it before on at least two different Rivians, where it saved owners thousands of dollars compared to their original quotes. Hopefully, it can be of some aid here. What won’t be of aid to anyone is if repairing the R2 ends up being similarly expensive.

Read: Guess How Much It Costs To Repair This Rivian R1T?

Rivian desperately needs mainstream buyers to gobble up the R2 like it’s going out of style. Based on everything we’ve seen, it appears to be a solid mid-size SUV. That said, mainstream buyers might not be ready for the insurance premiums and the repair bills if Rivian doesn’t find a way to make repairs considerably more affordable.

That Rivian Bumper Tap Didn’t Look Like A $11,000 Mistake, But Here We Are

Credit: A Reddit User


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