- An R1T owner was quoted $1,395.50 for a steering repair deemed non-warranty.
- The issue was traced to a loose fuse box rubbing against the steering column.
- Service center claimed the cause was unclear and initially denied coverage.
Update: Rivian contacted the owner the day after this story was first reported and confirmed the repair will be covered under warranty. The original article is preserved below.
Cars break. It’s a simple fact that all of us who drive run into from time to time. With some vehicles, more often than others. For those who buy new cars, warranty coverage is supposed to offer a layer of support for those moments. According to one Rivian owner, his coverage provided no such assistance for a recent issue.
After rolling into the service center with a strange noise coming from his steering wheel, he was told that it wasn’t covered because there was no way to be sure it wasn’t his fault.
According to a post on Reddit, the owner brought their Rivian R1T into a Bellevue, Washington, service center for a clicking noise coming from the steering wheel. Shortly after drop-off, the service team reportedly confirmed the issue wasn’t normal and added it to the repair list. So far, so good – but that’s when the twist happened.
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When the owner got the follow-up call, the tone had shifted. The culprit, they were told, was a loose fuse box under the dashboard that was rubbing against the steering column. Odd? Definitely. Covered under warranty? Apparently not.
“I asked if she was suggesting that I somehow went under the dash to loosen this? She said no and that she’d talk to her manager to see if they can offer some ‘good will’ but said it absolutely will not be covered under warranty,” said the customer online. At this point, it appears that their plan is to escalate the situation and see what happens.
That seems like a reasonable angle given the oddity of this entire situation. Automakers typically have to prove that a customer was responsible for damage to negate warranty coverage. Carscoops reached out to Rivian to clarify some of the situation. While it quickly confirmed that it’s looking into what went down here, it didn’t provide additional comment at the time of writing. We’ll be sure to update you when we hear more.
