Cautionary body shop tale

[fbechodoc]

In a fit of extremely poor judgment, I tried to drive my Touring into my garage from an unfamiliar angle, and caused some damage to the car’s front end in the process. Lucid customer service referred me to Chilton Auto Body San Carlos for the repair. San Carlos is a four-and-a-half-hour drive from where I live. I had to make the 9-hour round trip once for a 10-minute inspection so Chilton could prepare an estimate for the repair. They were able to get me in for the repair a few weeks later. I brought my car into them on August 7th. As of today (September 29th), it’s still there. I’ve been driving a rental car since August 7th. Insurance covered the first 30 days of the rental, and I am responsible for the rental cost after that at $50/day.

The repair included replacement of the headlight assembly. The first headlight assembly Chilton received proved to be defective, so it had to be re-ordered, and they’re still waiting to take delivery of the replacement. They had to replace one of the wheels, and the replacement wheel Chilton received was the wrong size. Other than parts snafus, the main cause of delay has been the need to send the car to a Lucid service center for calibration. There is a Lucid service center in Millbrae, which is not far from San Carlos, so distance is not the problem. The problem is that the Millbrae service center is overwhelmed with work.

My car will have to be re-calibrated at Lucid after the second headlight assembly is installed. I was told yesterday that Lucid can take my car on October 4th for the calibration. I called the Millbrae service center to see if they could take my car the same day the headlight was installed and was given a firm “no.” The service representative told me October 4th was already an expedited date. They are booked out into November for routine maintenance services.

I love my car, and like all of us on this forum, I want Lucid Motors to succeed as a business. I understand that they must focus on selling cars and making a profit. But Lucid Motors is not a real car company, and they won’t be a real car company until situations like mine are a thing of the past. Lucid service centers do not have a parts department, so body shops have to order parts from other suppliers. Lucid does not have dealerships, and there are too few Lucid service centers and Lucid-certified body shops. Chilton San Carlos and the Millbrae Lucid service center seem to be doing the best they can for me, but they can’t make me happy because the available infrastructure does not allow them to.

You may be thinking that the moral of my tale is: Don’t bang up your Lucid Air. But as Elvis Costello reminds us, accidents will happen. My accident was entirely my fault. Your accident may not be your fault at all.

My co-workers, friends and family have seen what I have been going through. One thing they know for sure is that they will never buy a Lucid Air.

 

[sk8ndad]

In a fit of extremely poor judgment, I tried to drive my Touring into my garage from an unfamiliar angle, and caused some damage to the car’s front end in the process. Lucid customer service referred me to Chilton Auto Body San Carlos for the repair. San Carlos is a four-and-a-half-hour drive from where I live. I had to make the 9-hour round trip once for a 10-minute inspection so Chilton could prepare an estimate for the repair. They were able to get me in for the repair a few weeks later. I brought my car into them on August 7th. As of today (September 29th), it’s still there. I’ve been driving a rental car since August 7th. Insurance covered the first 30 days of the rental, and I am responsible for the rental cost after that at $50/day.

The repair included replacement of the headlight assembly. The first headlight assembly Chilton received proved to be defective, so it had to be re-ordered, and they’re still waiting to take delivery of the replacement. They had to replace one of the wheels, and the replacement wheel Chilton received was the wrong size. Other than parts snafus, the main cause of delay has been the need to send the car to a Lucid service center for calibration. There is a Lucid service center in Millbrae, which is not far from San Carlos, so distance is not the problem. The problem is that the Millbrae service center is overwhelmed with work.

My car will have to be re-calibrated at Lucid after the second headlight assembly is installed. I was told yesterday that Lucid can take my car on October 4th for the calibration. I called the Millbrae service center to see if they could take my car the same day the headlight was installed and was given a firm “no.” The service representative told me October 4th was already an expedited date. They are booked out into November for routine maintenance services.

I love my car, and like all of us on this forum, I want Lucid Motors to succeed as a business. I understand that they must focus on selling cars and making a profit. But Lucid Motors is not a real car company, and they won’t be a real car company until situations like mine are a thing of the past. Lucid service centers do not have a parts department, so body shops have to order parts from other suppliers. Lucid does not have dealerships, and there are too few Lucid service centers and Lucid-certified body shops. Chilton San Carlos and the Millbrae Lucid service center seem to be doing the best they can for me, but they can’t make me happy because the available infrastructure does not allow them to.

You may be thinking that the moral of my tale is: Don’t bang up your Lucid Air. But as Elvis Costello reminds us, accidents will happen. My accident was entirely my fault. Your accident may not be your fault at all.

My co-workers, friends and family have seen what I have been going through. One thing they know for sure is that they will never buy a Lucid Air.

I'm confused, I think the fact that they can do your car next week is really good. The delays could happen on any car. If you buy a car where there are not a lot on the road, it should not be shocking that the parts are not already on a shelf ready to go. I have friends that have had to wait much longer with "real" car companies.

 

[Drendino]

Rivian is booking 2-3 month out for service issues and they have a much larger infrastructure. Unfortunately this is something that is affecting most car companies and industry wide cut backs affect everyone.

 

[joec]

Dozens of us on this forum have told tales about waiting several months for repairs from just about any brand you can name. This is not at all Lucid-specific.

I do agree the sooner Lucid can ramp up their service infrastructure, the better. But it’s a real chicken and egg situation. And the eggs aren’t plentiful enough to justify zero wait times for service appointments. They will get there.

 

[Bobby]

In a fit of extremely poor judgment, I tried to drive my Touring into my garage from an unfamiliar angle, and caused some damage to the car’s front end in the process. Lucid customer service referred me to Chilton Auto Body San Carlos for the repair. San Carlos is a four-and-a-half-hour drive from where I live. I had to make the 9-hour round trip once for a 10-minute inspection so Chilton could prepare an estimate for the repair. They were able to get me in for the repair a few weeks later. I brought my car into them on August 7th. As of today (September 29th), it’s still there. I’ve been driving a rental car since August 7th. Insurance covered the first 30 days of the rental, and I am responsible for the rental cost after that at $50/day.

The repair included replacement of the headlight assembly. The first headlight assembly Chilton received proved to be defective, so it had to be re-ordered, and they’re still waiting to take delivery of the replacement. They had to replace one of the wheels, and the replacement wheel Chilton received was the wrong size. Other than parts snafus, the main cause of delay has been the need to send the car to a Lucid service center for calibration. There is a Lucid service center in Millbrae, which is not far from San Carlos, so distance is not the problem. The problem is that the Millbrae service center is overwhelmed with work.

My car will have to be re-calibrated at Lucid after the second headlight assembly is installed. I was told yesterday that Lucid can take my car on October 4th for the calibration. I called the Millbrae service center to see if they could take my car the same day the headlight was installed and was given a firm “no.” The service representative told me October 4th was already an expedited date. They are booked out into November for routine maintenance services.

I love my car, and like all of us on this forum, I want Lucid Motors to succeed as a business. I understand that they must focus on selling cars and making a profit. But Lucid Motors is not a real car company, and they won’t be a real car company until situations like mine are a thing of the past. Lucid service centers do not have a parts department, so body shops have to order parts from other suppliers. Lucid does not have dealerships, and there are too few Lucid service centers and Lucid-certified body shops. Chilton San Carlos and the Millbrae Lucid service center seem to be doing the best they can for me, but they can’t make me happy because the available infrastructure does not allow them to.

You may be thinking that the moral of my tale is: Don’t bang up your Lucid Air. But as Elvis Costello reminds us, accidents will happen. My accident was entirely my fault. Your accident may not be your fault at all.

My co-workers, friends and family have seen what I have been going through. One thing they know for sure is that they will never buy a Lucid Air.

I appreciate the information, but I’m not quite sure about your conclusion. These delays may be experienced with almost any vehicle. You base your recommendation of the vehicle on the time it takes to repair it after a careless accident as opposed to the way it drives?

 

[vices]

Could it be better? YES. Is it unfortunately the norm now, yes also. You should see the waits on the Taycan forums.. Agree that we should still demand better from Lucid.

 

[WildRide47]

In a fit of extremely poor judgment, I tried to drive my Touring into my garage from an unfamiliar angle, and caused some damage to the car’s front end in the process. Lucid customer service referred me to Chilton Auto Body San Carlos for the repair. San Carlos is a four-and-a-half-hour drive from where I live. I had to make the 9-hour round trip once for a 10-minute inspection so Chilton could prepare an estimate for the repair. They were able to get me in for the repair a few weeks later. I brought my car into them on August 7th. As of today (September 29th), it’s still there. I’ve been driving a rental car since August 7th. Insurance covered the first 30 days of the rental, and I am responsible for the rental cost after that at $50/day.

The repair included replacement of the headlight assembly. The first headlight assembly Chilton received proved to be defective, so it had to be re-ordered, and they’re still waiting to take delivery of the replacement. They had to replace one of the wheels, and the replacement wheel Chilton received was the wrong size. Other than parts snafus, the main cause of delay has been the need to send the car to a Lucid service center for calibration. There is a Lucid service center in Millbrae, which is not far from San Carlos, so distance is not the problem. The problem is that the Millbrae service center is overwhelmed with work.

My car will have to be re-calibrated at Lucid after the second headlight assembly is installed. I was told yesterday that Lucid can take my car on October 4th for the calibration. I called the Millbrae service center to see if they could take my car the same day the headlight was installed and was given a firm “no.” The service representative told me October 4th was already an expedited date. They are booked out into November for routine maintenance services.

I love my car, and like all of us on this forum, I want Lucid Motors to succeed as a business. I understand that they must focus on selling cars and making a profit. But Lucid Motors is not a real car company, and they won’t be a real car company until situations like mine are a thing of the past. Lucid service centers do not have a parts department, so body shops have to order parts from other suppliers. Lucid does not have dealerships, and there are too few Lucid service centers and Lucid-certified body shops. Chilton San Carlos and the Millbrae Lucid service center seem to be doing the best they can for me, but they can’t make me happy because the available infrastructure does not allow them to.

You may be thinking that the moral of my tale is: Don’t bang up your Lucid Air. But as Elvis Costello reminds us, accidents will happen. My accident was entirely my fault. Your accident may not be your fault at all.

My co-workers, friends and family have seen what I have been going through. One thing they know for sure is that they will never buy a Lucid Air.

I waited 5 months for the repair on my Lucid after my accident earlier this year.

You may want to consider changing your insurance company.

My insurer "Pure" company allows $15,000 for rental car use while I awaited return of my Lucid.

While waiting I rented a Polestar 2, an electric Mustang and a Mercedes EQE. My insurance carrier covered all 3 cars for the full 5 months since combined they were under the 15K limit.

I appreciate my AGT even more now after driving those alternate EV's.

 

[hmp10]

Lucid service centers do not have a parts department, so body shops have to order parts from other suppliers.

Your particular parts might not have been in stock, but Lucid Service Centers definitely have on-site parts departments, as I've had some parts put on my car while I waited during service visits when unexpected issues were uncovered. This was the case when a service visit found I had unknowingly torn off the rubber air foils ahead of the front wheels. They had an extra set in their parts department. Also, when my car went in for a high-voltage battery replacement they told me it would be ready in a couple of days, as they had a 112-kWh pack in stock at the Service Center. Only when they realized I had a Dream Edition did they have to have a 118-kWh packed trucked in from a Service Center in Virginia that had that unit in stock.

External body shops have to acquire most Lucid parts directly from Lucid, as most items on the car are unique to Lucid and not available in the aftermarket. This would certainly be the case with the headlight units which use a technology no other car manufacturer is yet using.

. . . Lucid Motors is not a real car company, and they won’t be a real car company until situations like mine are a thing of the past.

By your definition, Audi and Mercedes are not "real" car companies. I had an Audi R8 that was involved in a relatively minor accident that damaged the right front wheel and some of that corner's suspension components, and it was in the shop more than three months. Part of the issue was that the suspension damage was such that one piece would have to be replaced before they could measure the tolerances to see whether the next part was necessary. Audi refused to order the entire set of parts up front and then use only those that were necessary. Even after the suspension was repaired, Audi was out of stock on the wheel and had to wait for another batch to be manufactured. It took Audi so long to procure parts from Germany that I finally got the dealer and the insurer to work out a deal whereby the dealer took the not-yet-repaired car on trade for another R8 on his lot.

I had a Mercedes SL55 AMG that blew its brake-by-wire control unit. The replacement unit took weeks to arrive from Germany. When it finally did and was installed in the car, it took out the alternator, and that took another two weeks to obtain from Germany.

This is typical with low-volume cars, even from mature, major automakers.

And earlier this week we had our Tesla Model S Plaid in for a two-year maintenance service in Fort Myers, FL. While we were with the service advisor a gentlemen stormed through he door. His Model S had broken down on the highway. (I assume it was a Plaid, because he was shouting that he had paid $130,000 for a car that he couldn't get serviced.). He said he called Roadside Assistance which could neither arrange a tow nor get him picked up, leaving him to his own devices. He then tried to schedule a service appointment the only way he could -- through the Tesla app -- and the first appointment they would offer him was ten days out, even though his car was immobile. He was so angry that he had come Into the Service Center to try to get a human to help him. Someone from the sales area heard the ruckus and came to the service desk, but the two humans told him that he would have to abide by the date he was offered on the app as they were very busy with scheduled appointments and had no authority to slot him in. He was still standing there pretty much speechless with frustration when we left.

 

[Spin Doctor]

I had an almost identical insurance situation with my Model S earlier this year - it backed into a pillar in an underground parking lot. (No it wasn't on FSD ... but I wasn't driving it, either ...). Took them months to get the parts, then more delays as they uncovered hidden damage etc etc etc. Another friend is going through similar issues with his Tesla right now.

Point being, as others have said, this isn't unique to Lucid. Hope you get your car fixed so you can get back to enjoying it.

 

[Amster]

I had an almost identical insurance situation with my Model S earlier this year - it backed into a pillar in an underground parking lot. (No it wasn't on FSD ... but I wasn't driving it, either ...). Took them months to get the parts, then more delays as they uncovered hidden damage etc etc etc. Another friend is going through similar issues with his Tesla right now.

Point being, as others have said, this isn't unique to Lucid. Hope you get your car fixed so you can get back to enjoying it.

Not sure how a car moves into a pillar without a driver. Last time I had a car hit a pillar, I was behind the wheel. I don't park next to pillars any more. But anyway, what I wanted to say is that it's not just luxury car companies or limited edition cars. I had a tree fall on my Honda. It needed a few body panels to be fixed right. I was quoted wait times of a few months, and some very expensive prices. I finally decided just to live with the dents.

 

[Spin Doctor]

My wife was driving

 

[Drendino]

My wife was driving

Can we turn this into a “my wife crashed my car” thread? I’ll go first.

 

[Amster]

Can we turn this into a “my wife crashed my car” thread? I’ll go first.

Husbands crash cars too!

 

[manitou202]

Someone backed into our Mercedes a couple of months ago. It took two months just to get on the shops schedule for an estimate. Luckily we didn't need any new parts, so they were able to respray the area quickly.

All repair shops are extremely backed up right now. Things are probably slower with a new company like Lucid, but that is only a small part of the equation at the moment.

 

[AirDoll]

Can we turn this into a “my wife crashed my car” thread? I’ll go first.

No we cannot, haha! My husband was driving when my car crashed into...I'm sorry....when the coyote crashed into my car. I'm with @Amster in the "no husbands allowed to drive the Lucid" club
But I like how @Spin Doctor was trying to protect her identity

 

[Amster]

No we cannot, haha! My husband was driving when my car crashed into...I'm sorry....when the coyote crashed into my car. I'm with @Amster in the "no husbands allowed to drive the Lucid" club
But I like how @Spin Doctor was trying to protect her identity

That was really cool, @Spin Doctor

 

[xponents]

No we cannot, haha! My husband was driving when my car crashed into...I'm sorry....when the coyote crashed into my car. I'm with @Amster in the "no husbands allowed to drive the Lucid" club
But I like how @Spin Doctor was trying to protect her identity

Maybe the coyote had neuralink autopilot.. don’t blame the husband!

 

[joec]

Can we turn this into a “my wife crashed my car” thread? I’ll go first.

I’d love to get away with that. But the fact of the matter is, my wife is super careful and actually a pretty darn good driver. So I’m much more likely to end up doing something stupid than she is.

 

[Cosmo Cruz]

My wife was driving

sometimes I'm just scrolling thru posts and forget where I am and what people are talking about...

and I see this ...

and don't need a story or context to be entertained.

thank you Spin Dr.

 

[quantum]

In a fit of extremely poor judgment, I tried to drive my Touring into my garage from an unfamiliar angle, and caused some damage to the car’s front end in the process. Lucid customer service referred me to Chilton Auto Body San Carlos for the repair. San Carlos is a four-and-a-half-hour drive from where I live. I had to make the 9-hour round trip once for a 10-minute inspection so Chilton could prepare an estimate for the repair. They were able to get me in for the repair a few weeks later. I brought my car into them on August 7th. As of today (September 29th), it’s still there. I’ve been driving a rental car since August 7th. Insurance covered the first 30 days of the rental, and I am responsible for the rental cost after that at $50/day.

The repair included replacement of the headlight assembly. The first headlight assembly Chilton received proved to be defective, so it had to be re-ordered, and they’re still waiting to take delivery of the replacement. They had to replace one of the wheels, and the replacement wheel Chilton received was the wrong size. Other than parts snafus, the main cause of delay has been the need to send the car to a Lucid service center for calibration. There is a Lucid service center in Millbrae, which is not far from San Carlos, so distance is not the problem. The problem is that the Millbrae service center is overwhelmed with work.

My car will have to be re-calibrated at Lucid after the second headlight assembly is installed. I was told yesterday that Lucid can take my car on October 4th for the calibration. I called the Millbrae service center to see if they could take my car the same day the headlight was installed and was given a firm “no.” The service representative told me October 4th was already an expedited date. They are booked out into November for routine maintenance services.

I love my car, and like all of us on this forum, I want Lucid Motors to succeed as a business. I understand that they must focus on selling cars and making a profit. But Lucid Motors is not a real car company, and they won’t be a real car company until situations like mine are a thing of the past. Lucid service centers do not have a parts department, so body shops have to order parts from other suppliers. Lucid does not have dealerships, and there are too few Lucid service centers and Lucid-certified body shops. Chilton San Carlos and the Millbrae Lucid service center seem to be doing the best they can for me, but they can’t make me happy because the available infrastructure does not allow them to.

You may be thinking that the moral of my tale is: Don’t bang up your Lucid Air. But as Elvis Costello reminds us, accidents will happen. My accident was entirely my fault. Your accident may not be your fault at all.

My co-workers, friends and family have seen what I have been going through. One thing they know for sure is that they will never buy a Lucid Air.

Go deal with a dealership who milk and dime you for everything you got! I understand your frustration, but you need to be patient. Not sure what you mean by a " real car company " - they make an excellent car and stand by their product. Do you know that Mercedes leaves it to the dealership to decide if you get a 7.5k cap reduction on an EV lease? A traditional dealership doesn't have mobile service vans!!

No need to spread trash on Lucid because you are impatient. Every car company is the same.