Gravity Bugs / Issues

[borski]

I’m only posting this because this is an issue I haven’t seen on this thread, and it’s a pretty big one.

I took delivery of a GDE (#19) a couple weeks ago and immediately had many of the same ‘minor’ issues many others have had with saving profiles, fobs intermittently working, etc. These things, while unacceptable for a premium vehicle, didn’t really bother me because the car is such a joy to drive.

About a week ago, I felt a slight bump/disengagement in the drivetrain after moving from a stop light. Electronic Stability Control (ESC) orange warning popped up and driving speed was immediately limited to 50 mph. ESC apparently impacts a host of other things so ‘brake hold unavailable’ and ‘Dreamdrive unavailable’ and some other orange warnings also popped up.

I called customer care and did a level 2 reset but that did not fix the issue. The car is now in the local service center and the shop foreman basically told me it would likely ‘take some time’ to be fixed due to parts shortages.

The car still has temp tags on it and I’ve put more miles on the loaner (Air Pure, great car by the way, 5 miles/kWh) than I have on my GDE.

Like everyone else who has had issues, I am disappointed in Lucid because I expected them to have learned something from problems with the Air, which I had leased from 2023-2025.

But, despite all these issues, I am actually more hopeful than angry because the driving dynamics on my GDE are still magnitudes better than anything else, even with the ESC failure. Also helps that the loaner is no slouch. Being an early adopter is always an adventure which I guess is the whole motivation for being an early adopter.

I hope Lucid can navigate the tough times and I can’t wait to get the car back.

That sucks. As you’re sick and tired of hearing me say, but it bears mentioning - we haven’t seen this issue either.

I’m very hopeful it is a one-off.

 

[borski]

None of this works. After closing last night - it’s now just stuck half open and unresponsive. Boo. On a road trip, so someone gets wind and now have to have front window open to avoid annoying sound. Once we park, it will get a nice bag over it to protect from rain. Could be worse, but bummer for a six figure car in first road trip…

Okay, then that’s definitely a different issue than the one the GT had.

 

[Bus Driver]

I guess I’m ok if they don’t achieve Tesla or GM volume. It’s not that kind of thing. Weird but seductive works for me more than popular even if it’s not the best financial strategy. As long as they can stay in business that’s good enough for me.

I’m not at all looking forward to the day that Lucid achieves Tesla or GM volume. Model Ys are now so ubiquitous they’ve become the 2020s version of Rodney Dangerfield’s “Can’t Get No Respect.”

It was when Tesla hit the mass market with the Model 3 and the Model Y that they lost their exclusivity and along many other things, their “white glove customer service”. It just wasn’t feasible to provide that level of service for millions more auto buyers.

I liken the mass market, down market direction of Tesla (and probably Lucid, if they hope to survive longterm), to the airline industry after deregulation in 1978 - these days air travel is not that expensive anymore, and is within reach of just about anybody with a pulse and a debit card. But these days, air travel also really kinda sucks.

 

[hmp10]

I am hopeful that they will resolve this key fob and other issues in the next 12 months or so. These are far from unsolvable issues. If they can do so, launch the $50K+ mid-tier SUV by late 2026 and also sign some tech licensing deal with a legacy automaker (to pay for their investments), then they will have made it!

I am convinced most of these issues will be resolved in the next 12 months or so -- with both new Gravities being delivered without these issues and earlier-production cars being satisfactorily fixed. It's the same trajectory Lucid and early owners traveled with the Air. The first 10 months with our Air Dream Performance was the same Jekyll/Hyde experience of an intoxicatingly superb driving machine that just hammered us with an almost daily parade of ever-changing issues and a calendar that always had an upcoming service visit on it. We now have an early-production Air that almost never gives us any trouble, whose design and engineering still haven't been surpassed by any other manufacturer, whose interior still looks brand new, and whose structure remains a rock-solid vault.

It's the reason we're sticking for now with our plans to take delivery of a second Gravity Dream, probably in a couple of months.

But I'm worried and frustrated that four years after putting its first car on the market, this entire trajectory -- almost every detail of it right down to key fob issues (which haven't yet been entirely eradicated with the Air) -- is repeating. There is one worrisome difference this time around, though. I am seeing signs of a service network under stress that I did not see in the early months with our Air. It's something that has come to other automakers with their move to higher-volume models (I'm looking at you, Tesla), but it's particularly dicey for an expensive luxury brand that has as many different issues as are surfacing with the Gravity.

And it does not augur well for a further move downward into the mass market where the Earth will land. I think it's getting clearer that a late 2026 introduction is not in the cards, except possibly for another staged "start of delivery" event of a handful of cars to a few insiders followed by a months-long hiatus before deliveries restart . . . and, God forbid, perhaps of cars with key fob issues.

 

[hmp10]

I guess I’m ok if they don’t achieve Tesla or GM volume. It’s not that kind of thing. Weird but seductive works for me more than popular even if it’s not the best financial strategy. As long as they can stay in business that’s good enough for me.

I'd be a happy camper if Lucid tried to follow the Porsche model of being a mid-volume manufacturer of premium, superbly-engineered vehicles with a sport-inspired heritage. But the business plan -- and the capital they've already spent to build manufacturing capacity -- indicates an intent to go further downmarket into a broader customer base.

I still think of the Eric Bach interview a while back in which he said that the Gravity had to avoid the warranty costs they incurred with the Air, an issue I've worried about as an investor as I went through months of early warranty work on our Air. Unfortunately, I'm seeing signs that warranty costs might be just as heavy with the Gravity. In the first seven weeks our Gravity already has had two mobile service visits and had to be transported across the state at Lucid's expense. It's in the shop right now for a new HUD, and probably a new TCU and a new front console. There are reports that front consoles might have to be replaced in numerous cars that are already in the field. This first report of a drive unit failure has come in (we had to replace a battery pack and a drive unit in our Air).

A lot of people are complaining that the Gravity is too expensive. I think its price is remarkably low for the amount of engineering and content in the car, and I think they're producing it at fairly thin margins even if you take amortization costs out of the equation. If the warranty costs of the Air repeat with the Gravity, it will not have done anything to improve the financial picture of the company and might, in fact, worsen it.

 

[Elfin]

No matter how great a vehicle otherwise is, there's a large cohort of buyers who wouldn't touch a car if they knew about this beforehand. And if they find about it only after the purchase, it's a phenomenally efficient way to destroy customer goodwill.

I get slightly enraged when my Model 3 doesn't open when I pull the door handle. Tesla at least has some excuse, they are using bluetooth in a way it was never intended (the standard for phone as key didn't exist when they developed the car.) Proximity keys with dedicated hardware have been flawless on many brands for decades...
No way I'm buying a Gravity until this issue is resolved.

 

[prgarg]

You're right... If you look at their financials, it's costing them $4 to generate $1 in revenue

 

[Batteryman]

You're right... If you look at their financials, it's costing them $4 to generate $1 in revenue

Original cost per car was -450k, its now down to -165k....that is progress.

 

[johnse]

Original cost per car was -450k, its now down to -165k....that is progress.

Cost per car is a meaningless metric when the company is investing to build at scale. Same canard was used against Tesla until they turned profitable.

Creating car factories is capital intensive, and you won't make profit on them when running at a fraction of the designed production capacity.

 

[Ron_Burgundy]

I'd be a happy camper if Lucid tried to follow the Porsche model of being a mid-volume manufacturer of premium, superbly-engineered vehicles with a sport-inspired heritage. But the business plan -- and the capital they've already spent to build manufacturing capacity -- indicates an intent to go further downmarket into a broader customer base.

I still think of the Eric Bach interview a while back in which he said that the Gravity had to avoid the warranty costs they incurred with the Air, an issue I've worried about as an investor as I went through months of early warranty work on our Air. Unfortunately, I'm seeing signs that warranty costs might be just as heavy with the Gravity. In the first seven weeks our Gravity already has had two mobile service visits and had to be transported across the state at Lucid's expense. It's in the shop right now for a new HUD, and probably a new TCU and a new front console. There are reports that front consoles might have to be replaced in numerous cars that are already in the field. This first report of a drive unit failure has come in (we had to replace a battery pack and a drive unit in our Air).

A lot of people are complaining that the Gravity is too expensive. I think its price is remarkably low for the amount of engineering and content in the car, and I think they're producing it at fairly thin margins even if you take amortization costs out of the equation. If the warranty costs of the Air repeat with the Gravity, it will not have done anything to improve the financial picture of the company and might, in fact, worsen it.

Agree on price being a relative value. Look at an R1S quad - now priced at $125k and nowhere near the refinement, driving experience, etc of a Gravity. I have a G1 R1S quad. Or look at the Porsche EVs. I know, their fobs work, so not saying Lucid is perfect, of course.

As an owner who loves his Gravity, but not a shareholder, I want them to be successful because they make cars unlike anything else on the road. Truly amazing, and I want to enjoy that, along with others, for as long as possible.

 

[Alanp]

Good news, I have my VIN so my Gravity is going to production. Bad news: this thread gives me pause as to whether or not I want to follow through with this purchase. At 65 pages long, it is difficult to digest the current state of things, but the vibes are not good. This will be our only car, and needs to be reliable. I have driven both the Air and Gravity and know they are amazing, but I am really concerned about the viability of Lucid in general, and the key fob access issues. So , for those of you who may be following this closer than me, I would love to hear your thoughts, guidance, and recommendations.

 

[hmp10]

Cost per car is a meaningless metric when the company is investing to build at scale. Same canard was used against Tesla until they turned profitable.

Creating car factories is capital intensive, and you won't make profit on them when running at a fraction of the designed production capacity.

You also won't make any profits at higher sales volumes if warranty costs continue to eat you alive.

I don't worry about large upfront capital expenditure for future expansion. I do worry about a car aimed at a larger market than the Air having anything like the warranty costs of the Air.

 

[NoseyReporter]

This happened today. Nice graphical glitch. Toggling the turn signal again made it go away.

Must have accidentally toggled the oled pixel refresher.

 

[DrZorro]

Good news, I have my VIN so my Gravity is going to production. Bad news: this thread gives me pause as to whether or not I want to follow through with this purchase. At 65 pages long, it is difficult to digest the current state of things, but the vibes are not good. This will be our only car, and needs to be reliable. I have driven both the Air and Gravity and know they are amazing, but I am really concerned about the viability of Lucid in general, and the key fob access issues. So , for those of you who may be following this closer than me, I would love to hear your thoughts, guidance, and recommendations.

I too shared similar reservations about the car before delivery as the Gravity is my only car as well. As many have stated before, this forum is an echo chamber that tends to amplify things and make a mountain out of a molehill. I will reiterate: My Gravity is great and has no real problems. I suspect *most* owners (excluding hmp10) are likely in a similar camp with a great car with maybe a few software quirks that an occasional reboot will fix....and even that situation will likely improve greatly over the coming weeks. I don't think you'll regret the purchase.

 

[borski]

I too shared similar reservations about the car before delivery as the Gravity is my only car as well. As many have stated before, this forum is an echo chamber that tends to amplify things and make a mountain out of a molehill. I will reiterate: My Gravity is great and has no real problems. I suspect *most* owners (excluding hmp10) are likely in a similar camp with a great car with maybe a few software quirks that an occasional reboot will fix....and even that situation will likely improve greatly over the coming weeks. I don't think you'll regret the purchase.

This.

@hmp10, whom I like very much, appears to be a walking bad luck charm. That said, some other owners are definitely having issues. I happen not to be (my sanctuary mode is audio-only; that’s my biggest bug lol).

From what I gather, most owners are very happy with their vehicles. Those don’t generally show up here to tell you they’re happy.

Some vehicles have issues. Those owners that have those issues find this forum to discuss those issues and find workarounds, other people in similar situations, etc. As a result, the preponderance of issues appears larger than it is. How much larger? No idea.

But yeah - our gravity has been great. In fact, service guy at Millbrae jokingly mentioned he’s not actually very happy that our Gravity is mostly without flaws, as he was hoping to use a “friendly” owner/vehicle to practice/learn with, haha. But if it ain’t broke, there’s nothing to fix!

 

[johnse]

You also won't make any profits at higher sales volumes if warranty costs continue to eat you alive.

I don't worry about large upfront capital expenditure for future expansion. I do worry about a car aimed at a larger market than the Air having anything like the warranty costs of the Air.

If the warranty costs affect the whole fleet, I agree. But if they are reflective of finding fixable flaws in production (e.g. cable routing errors) then the high service costs will diminish over time and they should be accounted in the costs of starting the factory.

 

[DrZorro]

View attachment 31980

This happened today. Nice graphical glitch. Toggling the turn signal again made it go away.

Must have accidentally toggled the oled pixel refresher.

Sprint mode, eh? Sure you weren't accelerating so fast that you warped space-time?

 

[hmp10]

This.

@hmp10, whom I like very much, appears to be a walking bad luck charm. That said, some other owners are definitely having issues. I happen not to be (my sanctuary mode is audio-only; that’s my biggest bug lol).

From what I gather, most owners are very happy with their vehicles. Those don’t generally show up here to tell you they’re happy.

I'd just like to remind everyone that this thread is titled "Gravity Bugs/Issues". It's not the entire forum but rather a distillation specifically to focus on problems with the Gravity. The larger forum is chock full of praise for the Gravity, a fair bit of it from me.

Between two Lucid Air Dreams and two Gravity Dreams, I have spent or am soon to spend well over half a million dollars for purchases of Lucid products as well as invested heavily in the company. That should speak for itself. But when I think I see issues on the production end, I'm going to discuss them as freely as I praise the amazing design and engineering efforts of the company.

 

[Clyde2575]

I'd just like to remind everyone that this thread is titled "Gravity Bugs/Issues". It's not the entire forum but rather a distillation specifically to focus on problems with the Gravity. The larger forum is chock full of praise for the Gravity, a fair bit of it from me.

Between two Lucid Air Dreams and two Gravity Dreams, I have spent or am soon to spend well over half a million dollars for purchases of Lucid products as well as invested heavily in the company. That should speak for itself. But when I think I see issues on the production end, I'm going to discuss them as freely as I praise the amazing design and engineering efforts of the company.

I mine and, thankfully, have what I consider to be only minor issues (but everyone’s threshold is different).

 

[hmp10]

I mine and, thankfully, have what I consider to be only minor issues (but everyone’s threshold is different).

I actually have a pretty high threshold for bother, which is why I keep coming back for more when it comes to Lucid.

But since the day of delivery we have had white ghosts dancing across the windshield, a non-functioning GPS system, no navigation system or satellite maps, no GPS-dependent ADAS features, malfunctioning blind spot displays, features randomly turning on and off (including brake hold), a rattling second-row seat and, more recently, key fob issues. I think that would exceed the threshold of a pretty fair percentage of buyers.