Given what we’ve seen from Rivian and Tesla owners in the past, that question isn’t entirely unreasonable
- A Rivian R1S driver accidentally backed into a UPS truck and, thankfully, didn’t suffer much damage.
- Nevertheless, that fender bender left him wondering whether it would result in the car being totaled.
- Some recent examples show why their worry may be fully justified, while others offer lots of hope.
For most people, a small parking mishap is more of a nuisance than a real problem. But when your vehicle is packed with sensors, custom parts, and carries a price tag north of $65,000, a light tap can spiral into something much more stressful. That’s exactly what happened to one Rivian R1S owner, whose seemingly minor accident now has him worried the SUV could be totaled.
The incident happened when the driver accidentally backed into a parked UPS truck. “I thought I was looking at its shadow in the camera,” the driver wrote on Reddit. To their credit, it appears as though they stopped quickly after making contact.
Small Damage, Big Anxiety
The rear light bar is cracked and the tailgate has a golf ball-sized dent as well. How on earth could someone worry that this is enough damage to total an SUV worth north of $65,000? Well, it’s a common concern for EV owners in this particular community. Almost exactly a year ago, we told you about a Rivian R1T with damage to the rear corner of its truck bed.
More: Rivian Owner’s DIY Repair Saves Thousands After Mishap And Teaches Us A Lesson
The repair bill ended up being $21,149.16. An R1S owner in the comment section showed off their own repair bill of $10,803.65 for an upper C-pillar accident that narrowly avoided cracking the glass. Despite what looks like less than a square foot of damage, the labor alone was $2,322.
Things might be improving for Rivian owners, though. In another incident from February, we see damage that appears almost identical to that of this new case. That accident earlier this year cost $7,490.34. On top of that, another owner showed us in March how they saved thousands by using pointless dent repair (PDR) and their own skills.
Also: Can You Believe This Rivian R1T Damage Repair Cost $21,000?
Others suggested in the comments that this owner go the same route. Light bars like the one he damaged are available on the second-hand market and PDR can cost as little as a few hundred bucks. One guessed that the repair costs through a certified shop would be around $15,000 which, while a considerable amount, wouldn’t be totally shocking for a Rivian.
Of course, it’s always possible the original poster is being a bit tongue-in-cheek. Still, it’s a reminder that even a light bump in a high-tech EV can turn into a surprisingly complicated and expensive process.