Those who do not want to wait for weeks for a repair or risk insurance totaling their SUV or Rivian truck could try this approach
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- Riviens and other electric vehicles may be expensive to repair after an accident, so an owner has found a solution.
- He replaced a damaged tail fire and used a painting -free bump repair to repair body damage.
- This solution could become a viable option for R1S and R1T owners faced with similar situations.
How many times have we seen the owners of Rivian complain about spending a small-or sometimes big effort on apparently minor repairs after a bell or a mudguard incident? Dominic Wilkerson uses his rivian R1T as the off -road truck it is. As such, he had an accident or two on the trails.
In a recent incident, he accidentally damaged his rear light and his tailgate. Rather than taking him to Rivian for an expensive compensation, he decided to tackle work himself. The result? The total cost came in less than $ 1,000, and the truck seems almost as good as it is new.
More: Can you believe that this repair of Rivian R1T damage cost $ 21,000?
As Wilkerson points out, many owners of Rivian live (rightly) in the constant fear that any type of damage, as minor, will result in total loss. And, honestly, these people are not totally out of their minds. Damage to a rear to a rivian can be both expensive and complicated to repair because we have seen many times. But Wilkerson was not about to turn around and accept this spell. He took matters into his own hands.
The repair process: not as hard as it may seem
First of all, he needed a rear light, which he provided from the Rivian Seattle Service Center for $ 700. In the video below, it shows exactly what it takes to replace the part. In short, it is a simple procedure that most speed heads and Shadedree mechanics can accomplish. The really delicate part of the whole process was to repair the bumps he had put in his tailgate.
It turns out that, however, he knows the repair of bumps without painting. No, he did not approach the work himself, but he rather obtained a high quality RDR professional to do the work. For only $ 200, the technician managed to remove the big bumps from his tailgate and even straighten certain imperfections in the middle.
Although Wilkerson admits that it is not technically perfect, it is the kind of correction that most people would not notice 10 feet away. His attitude on this subject is now that, although he can possibly repair the rest, part of him appreciates the “battle scars” which show that his truck is really used for what has been done to him.
Why not use insurance?
Now, some readers could ask why Wilkerson did not simply file a complaint for insurance. Well, he tackled it too. “As I pass the whole process, I would be without my vehicle for weeks,” he said. And this is a very valid concern. Given the pending time of repair notoriously long in the Rivian service centers, it is not surprising that many owners prefer to avoid the hassle.
Review: the Rivian R1S 2025 is an imperfect but promising look at the future
In addition to that, insurance companies total more vehicles than ever. A recent study indicates that there is 42% of damage leading to a total loss that a few years ago. Although the Wilkerson incident may not have led to this result, doing it as he assured that it was not even possible.
