Rivian Lemon Law Attorney

Yes. Many Rivian R1T and R1S owners have received vehicles with pre-existing build quality issues including misaligned panels, software bugs, and mechanical defects. California Lemon Law covers defects that exist at the time of delivery as long as the vehicle is still within the manufacturer's warranty period. The fact that Rivian delivered the vehicle in a defective condition does not excuse the manufacturer from its warranty obligations under the Song-Beverly Act.

The Rivian drive unit whine has been a widespread complaint among R1T and R1S owners. If the noise is abnormal and Rivian's service team has been unable to resolve it after reasonable repair attempts, it can constitute a defect that substantially impairs the value of your vehicle. California courts consider both safety impairments and value impairments, and a persistent drivetrain noise on a premium vehicle priced over $70,000 clearly diminishes its value.

No. While Rivian frequently pushes over-the-air software updates to address bugs and performance issues, these updates count as repair attempts under California Lemon Law. If Rivian has pushed multiple OTA updates that fail to resolve your vehicle's software problems, each update can be considered a separate repair attempt. You do not need to physically bring your vehicle to a service center for every repair attempt to build a valid Lemon Law case.

The powered tonneau cover is an integrated feature of the R1T that protects cargo and contributes to the vehicle's aerodynamic efficiency and weather sealing. Repeated failures of the tonneau cover motor, tracks, or control module can constitute a substantial impairment of the vehicle's use and value. Under the Song-Beverly Act, if Rivian has attempted to repair or replace the tonneau cover assembly multiple times without a permanent fix, you may qualify for a buyback or replacement.

Under California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, a presumption of a lemon arises after two or more repair attempts for the same defect, or one attempt for a safety defect that could cause death or serious injury, or 30 or more cumulative days out of service. Given Rivian's limited service center network and mobile service constraints, many owners exceed the 30-day threshold due to parts delays and scheduling backlogs. Document every service interaction and keep records of all days your vehicle is unavailable.