What to expect when you take your Rivian R1S for service

What to expect when you take your Rivian R1S for service at the Sacramento location.

Reasons for Visit

• Key stuck in the driver's side door (the carwash lost it in the door)
• Rattling noise when you turn on AC or heat
• Spare tire arrived so it had to be fitted

Timing Expectations

• It took about a month to get the appointment
• My appointment was at 1, and they asked me to check in an hour early (It doesn't make sense to arrive an hour early, if I wanted to be there at noon I would have made my appointment at noon)
• Checking in was a bit of a process because I needed a rental car (they seem to reserve loaners for major services) - between arriving and getting to the rental car place it was about 90 minutes. I had to wait about 10 minutes for my advisor to get to me. It took about 30 total at Rivian to document everything and wait for the rental car place to pick me up. I then had to be driven to another location to get the car I wanted. Rivian was generous and they sprung for a full size which was nice so I was able to get an EV.
• When I booked my appointment, they told me they would have my car probably about a day, but they had it for a week - they did have a loaner for me but I was not expecting to be without my vehicle for a week.
• Between driving to and from the center (45 minutes each way) doing the rental car shuffle it took about 5 hours of my time

Overall Comments about the center - Sacramento campus off of Triangle Court

• If you are looking for a luxury experience with a fancy snack bar or coffee machine, then this is not the place - think hipster vibes with college furniture
• The staff was professional and knowledgable, and very nice overall
• After re-setting my expectations my vehicle was completed a day earlier than re-quoted

Resolution to issues

• Key in door - The center looked into it and it was cheaper for me to pay to have them get my key out of the door versus buying a new one so that was good business.
• Rattling - so far so good it seems to be repaired - they said the remedy was that the hoses were routed in such a way where they were rubbing against the firewall which caused the noise, it seems to be a known issue - in poking around the internet and talking with people on IG it seems like they made a calculated risk at seeing if this would be a problem for some people
• Spare Tire - Another calculated risk that people would take deliveries without the spare

Final Thoughts

• I'd say my overall experience was positive because they fixed my car and were nice. While I can get over the fact that it is not a luxury waiting area, they do need to increase the size. The lobby is super tiny, and they really can't accommodate more than one person at a time at the front desk. There is a breakroom, but it is reserved for employees, so if you have to wait for your vehicle, then you need to bring your own snacks or drinks (no vending machines). If you're thinking no big deal, you'll just walk to a cafe and get a coffee, think again, it's in the hood and an industrial area so I would not feel comfortable walking around outside of the Rivian gates.