- Rear quarter damage triggered a $53,736 repair bill.
- Labor alone accounted for $29,856 of the estimate.
- Quarter panel replacement requires major disassembly.
Modern vehicles may be packed with advanced engineering and clever design, but even a minor fender-bender can sometimes trigger catastrophic repair bills. If you own a Rivian R1S or R1T, you might want to keep your fingers crossed that one of the rear quarter panels is never damaged. If it is, repair costs can climb past $50,000, prompting some insurers to write off vehicles that, at least on paper, could be repaired.
An R1S owner recently took to Reddit to share the bill shock he experienced after someone hit his wife’s SUV while it was parked. A photo posted on the forum shows a large dent in the rear quarter panel, along with damage to the wheel and, as it turns out, the frame and suspension too.
Read: Paintless Dent Removal Magician Saved Rivian R1 Owner From $41k Bodyshop Invoice
In the grand scheme of things, the damage does not appear catastrophic. You might reasonably assume the repair would run a few thousand dollars. That assumption would be wrong.
An authorized Rivian repair facility quoted the owner $53,736 to fix this R1S, or more than half the MSRP of a 2026MY that in this configuration, retails for around $100,000. Of that sum, $29,856 is attributed to labor alone. Insurance would cover close to $40,000, leaving the owner responsible for a little over $14,000.
Why Does It Cost So Much?
It appears much of the cost is related to the complexity of replacing the quarter panel, as it can’t simply be removed and replaced with another. Previous cases of similar damage indicate that much of the SUV’s interior must be stripped and that most of the R1S’s side must be removed, cut, and reassembled. In some cases, it’s been reported that the panoramic glass roof may also have to be removed.
Things can be even costlier for owners of R1T models, as the rear-quarter panel is even larger and stretches up and over the side windows, ending at the A-pillars.
According to the owner, “replacing the quarter panel is the majority of that cost. No motor battery or frame damage”. Some commenters questioned the reference to frame damage because the repair quote specifically mentioned it in one line item. The owner, however, clarified that “the side of the vehicle is considered an integral part of the frame”.
He also explained that “suspension work was quoted as 13 total hours of labor vs. about 250 hrs total. So roughly thats 5% of the price”, adding that this was “one of the top Rivian certified shops in our area, who Rivian themselves recommended”.
Also: Can You Believe This Rivian R1T Damage Repair Cost $21,000?
Without a more detailed breakdown, it is difficult to draw firm conclusions. Still, this is hardly the first time we’ve seen excessively high Rivian repair costs, including a $21,000 estimate for what was described as a relatively minor backup incident.
A Pattern Of High Repair Bills
While this particular example appears to involve underlying damage, which may justify more extensive work, the total still sounds steep. In cases without structural or deeper damage, more affordable solutions do exist.
More: Rivian Owner’s DIY Repair Saves Thousands After Mishap And Teaches Us A Lesson
Many paintless dent removal specialists have repaired similar quarter panel damage for a fraction of the quoted insurance repair cost, restoring the panel rather than replacing it. Just pray that you don’t damage the taillight too.