Coolant Leak and Other Issues (DE)

[Bunnylebowski]

Maybe I’ll give it a try through hertz one of these days. Not looking to replace the Lucid..just curious.

For me it was kind of a reminder of how good the Lucid is, but also how there’s more that one right way to design a good UX and Polestar did a great job. I’m actually getting my wife a Volvo XC40 Recharge today partly because we liked the general vibe of the Polestar, just found it a little cramped and uncomfortable and really that one cup holder thing is idiotic, like I know that sounds like a fat American complaint or something, but when you have two people in a car and if you want to have a beverage for each of them, you have to flip the arm rest backwards so that you no longer can use the arm rest, well that’s one of the biggest goofs I’ve seen in a car, very un-Scandinavian. The XC40 recharge on the other hand is the same platform, but makes brilliant use of space considering it’s still n ICE chassis.

 

[Bus Driver]

For me it was kind of a reminder of how good the Lucid is, but also how there’s more that one right way to design a good UX and Polestar did a great job. I’m actually getting my wife a Volvo XC40 Recharge today partly because we liked the general vibe of the Polestar, just found it a little cramped and uncomfortable and really that one cup holder thing is idiotic, like I know that sounds like a fat American complaint or something, but when you have two people in a car and if you want to have a beverage for each of them, you have to flip the arm rest backwards so that you no longer can use the arm rest, well that’s one of the biggest goofs I’ve seen in a car, very un-Scandinavian. The XC40 recharge on the other hand is the same platform, but makes brilliant use of space considering it’s still n ICE chassis.

“Fat American complaint”-thing. It is true that the Japanese car makers were quicker to design their car interiors around American tastes than the European makers were. I remember in the early 1990s, right after that old lady sued McDonalds for burning herself with her hot coffee, because her Ford Probe didn’t have a single cup holder, Mercedes Benz eventually, begrudgingly, produced a car for the US market that had ONE cup holder, an over-engineered, overwrought piece of car interior design.

Up until then, the Europeans had resisted. The very idea of drinking coffee or soft drinks, or water, while driving was so alien to them. As was eating fast food driving, snacking and driving, eating a bowl of cereal while driving, reading a newspaper while driving, shaving while driving, putting mascara on while driving, all things I’ve seen being done on our US freeways. After all, in Europe, then as now, they just drive.

Sorry. Just went off on a tangent.

 

[Bunnylebowski]

Yeah unfortunately with my work-life balance I need to be able to rest my arm and phone and coffee thermos for later and cup of coffee I’m drinking on the way to work all in the same place in the center console. It’s a sad state of affairs.

 

[borski]

Maybe the sapphire will also have the more limited motors/the samsung battery pack? Surely would explain the price..

It’s likely to have either the Samsung cells or a whole new battery chemistry they haven’t announced yet. But they are reworking *so much* on the sapphire, including wheels, brakes, motors (including improved form factor likely with “exotic” metallurgy), etc.

It’s likely to be a limited edition run (I just don’t see how they’d get more than a few hundred orders, and moreover, why they wouldn’t make it limited edition as it’s not a revenue cow but a marketing juggernaut.

 

[hmp10]

Here's more perspective on things:

A friend has had a VW ID.4 for just over two years. For more than a year, he's been waiting for a software update that must be installed by a dealer (no OTA updates with VW). The update has been pushed back several times, and about month ago he was finally told to schedule an appointment to bring the car in. After multiple unreturned voicemails to the service shop at his local VW dealer, he finally gave up and scheduled the visit with a dealer the next town up from us. After taking the car in last Wednesday for what was supposed to be an overnight stay -- for a software update, mind you -- he called on Friday to see why he had not received notice to come get the car. At that point he was told the car will be kept until at least the end of this coming week, as it has a defective battery module in the pack that has to be replaced. The service advisor told him they only have one ID-certified mechanic, and he has several other ID.4's backed up in the shop for this module replacement.

 

[Bunnylebowski]

Here's more perspective on things:

A friend has had a VW ID.4 for just over two years. For more than a year, he's been waiting for a software update that must be installed by a dealer (no OTA updates with VW). The update has been pushed back several times, and about month ago he was finally told to schedule an appointment to bring the car in. After multiple unreturned voicemails to the service shop at his local VW dealer, he finally gave up and scheduled the visit with a dealer the next town up from us. After taking the car in last Wednesday for what was supposed to be an overnight stay -- for a software update, mind you -- he called on Friday to see why he had not received notice to come get the car. At that point he was told the car will be kept until at least the end of this coming week, as it has a defective battery module in the pack that has to be replaced. The service advisor told him they only have one ID-certified mechanic, and he has several other ID.4's backed up in the shop for this module replacement.

This is not an outlier, it’s the same experience my friend in Seattle with an ID4 had. The door handles would pop open when driving and also the car randomly loses significant power, he’s been waiting 6 months for the dealer to fix it.

 

[Steveinarizona]

This is not an outlier, it’s the same experience my friend in Seattle with an ID4 had. The door handles would pop open when driving and also the car randomly loses significant power, he’s been waiting 6 months for the dealer to fix it.

To be fair, it is not fair to compare the experience of a luxury car company (Lucid) with a mainstream car company (VW).

 

[njg-agt]

This is not an outlier,...

Its not just their EVs too... a friend in FL who has been without their Jetta for 6+ months because of a lack of a basic part for an $8K body shop repair.

... and yea, its fair to compare VW & Lucid when it appears that it is the mainstream car company that has lost their way and is failing.

 

[hmp10]

To be fair, it is not fair to compare the experience of a luxury car company (Lucid) with a mainstream car company (VW).

What I find interesting is what it says about the argument that it's better to buy an EV from a dealer network because service will be handled better.

A couple of weeks ago, our Honda Odyssey gave us a "low battery" warning when I cranked it in the morning and again when I cranked it that afternoon. As our other two cars are EVs that cannot be used to jump the Odyssey, I thought I'd better run by the dealer for a battery check lest I get stranded somewhere. When I pulled into the service line, I told them I didn't have an appointment but explained what the problem was. They told me to stay in line to get the battery checked. Forty minutes later -- after finally reaching the front of the line -- they told me they were short-staffed that day and could not check the battery. It was a two-week wait to get an appointment. I drove to Walmart and had the battery replaced there.

This "you'll be better off buying your car through a dealer" is pure hokum.

 

[Steveinarizona]

What I find interesting is what it says about the argument that it's better to buy an EV from a dealer network because service will be handled better.

A couple of weeks ago, our Honda Odyssey gave us a "low battery" warning when I cranked it in the morning and again when I cranked it that afternoon. As our other two cars are EVs that cannot be used to jump the Odyssey, I thought I'd better run by the dealer for a battery check lest I get stranded somewhere. When I pulled into the service line, I told them I didn't have an appointment but explained what the problem was. They told me to stay in line to get the battery checked. Forty minutes later -- after finally reaching the front of the line -- they told me they were short-staffed that day and could not check the battery. It was a two-week wait to get an appointment. I drove to Walmart and had the battery replaced there.

This "you'll be better off buying your car through a dealer" is pure hokum.

I don't disagree with your conclusion but how you get there. There are plenty of "luxury" car companies with dealerships now selling EVs and it is fair to compare the Lucid experience with Porsche, Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar and Genesis. I am not including Lexus because (a) it only just started selling one model; and (b) It barely qualifies by today's standards. I also am not including Cadillac because it has managed to make and sell so few Lyriqs that I don't see how to draw a conclusion. Others, like Lincoln, aren't even in the game.

For one thing, at most luxury dealerships you get a "free" loaner. At mainstream dealerships, if you are lucky, there is an Enterprise agent on the premises.

BTW, there are many more model available worldwide, including Europe, that are not available in the US and this applies to both econoboxes and luxury cars.

 

[hmp10]

I don't disagree with your conclusion but how you get there. There are plenty of "luxury" car companies with dealerships now selling EVs and it is fair to compare the Lucid experience with Porsche, Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar and Genesis. I am not including Lexus because (a) it only just started selling one model; and (b) It barely qualifies by today's standards. I also am not including Cadillac because it has managed to make and sell so few Lyriqs that I don't see how to draw a conclusion. Others, like Lincoln, aren't even in the game.

For one thing, at most luxury dealerships you get a "free" loaner. At mainstream dealerships, if you are lucky, there is an Enterprise agent on the premises.

BTW, there are many more model available worldwide, including Europe, that are not available in the US and this applies to both econoboxes and luxury cars.

It's true that I got loaners when my MB's and Audi's were in for service, as I do with Lucid. But I have to say that, aside from that, I have found no difference in service levels on the car itself between luxury brands and the Hondas and Mazdas I've also owned. In fact, obtaining parts for German car repairs have entailed some of the longest waits I've ever endured, and more than once the cars have had to go back for a problem that was not properly corrected on the initial service visit.

Actually, I have enjoyed the luxury of mobile service visits from both Tesla and Lucid much more than I ever enjoyed the luxury of getting a loaner when I had to take a car in to a shop.

 

[Bobby]

It's true that I got loaners when my MB's and Audi's were in for service, as I do with Lucid. But I have to say that, aside from that, I have found no difference in service levels on the car itself between luxury brands and the Hondas and Mazdas I've also owned. In fact, obtaining parts for German car repairs have entailed some of the longest waits I've ever endured, and more than once the cars have had to go back for a problem that was not properly corrected on the initial service visit.

Actually, I have enjoyed the luxury of mobile service visits from both Tesla and Lucid much more than I ever enjoyed the luxury of getting a loaner when I had to take a car in to a shop.

Agree. I like the mobile experience because it is a one-on-one interaction. Whenever I bring a car to the dealership, I feel like I’m just one of a long list of folks that they need to deal with that day. It’s not that everybody there isn’t nice and cordial but I never get to actually sit with the tech himself and discuss the problems and solutions.

 

[CLTGT]

I'll put forth yet another observation. My service on my BMW was light years better than my service with Mercedes. My service at Infiniti was even better than Mercedes up until they replaced the Service Manager. The service on my son's Mini is even better than Mercedes. The Mini, BMW and Mercedes dealerships are all owned by the same group, Hendrick. I really can't figure it out. I think it is more appropriate to look at the network brand dealerships on a location by location basis. I do not think all Mercedes or BMW , or any other brands for that matter, are equal. My experience with BMW has been stellar though in three different cities. The one uncommon trait they each had in common is that I had the same service advisor in each location over the years. I had the same guy at my local BMW dealership here in Charlotte for over 8 years.

 

[Bunnylebowski]

To be fair, it is not fair to compare the experience of a luxury car company (Lucid) with a mainstream car company (VW).

It’s more that I’m comparing the reliability of a car company with decades of experience building cars and all the resources of a multinational corporation to a car company with 2 years experience building cars and resources of a single central factory and less than 20 service centers. The Luxury status of the vehicle didn’t factor into my thought process.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

The one uncommon trait they each had in common is that I had the same service advisor in each location over the years. I had the same guy at my local BMW dealership here in Charlotte for over 8 years.

In law firm marketing classes, they teach you that people hire lawyers, not law firms. I believe it really comes down to the quality of the people the dealership invests in. Sadly, I have seen excellent dealerships that are sold and the quality of the service drops overnight.

Many years ago, I sat in on a dealership manager training session. The instructor said: don't think about what you have to do to sell THAT car or service to a customer, but how you should treat him now to sell his third car or service next year.

 

[Bad driver 20202]

In law firm marketing classes, they teach you that people hire lawyers, not law firms. I believe it really comes down to the quality of the people the dealership invests in. Sadly, I have seen excellent dealerships that are sold and the quality of the service drops overnight.

Many years ago, I sat in on a dealership manager training session. The instructor said: don't think about what you have to do to sell THAT car or service to a customer, but how you should treat him now to sell his third car or service next year.

As a veteran of 30+ yrs as an owner in the car business, we train on staff on the same concept. The consumer “shops for a car, but buys the salesperson”!! I also remind our staff that “A cook only cooks the food, but a good server at a restaurant can make bad food taste good & a bad server can make good food taste bad” simply by their attitude & actions!!! Lucid has a Lady in charge of “customer relations” that is probably 1 OF THE BEST in the industry!! . You guys may already know her.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

I also remind our staff that “A cook only cooks the food, but a good server at a restaurant can make bad food taste good & a bad server can make good food taste bad” simply by their attitude & actions!!!

What you said! In my years representing resorts/restaurants, I have heard your saying as: the wrong drink served by a pleasant server tastes better than the correct drink from a nasty one.

 

[hmp10]

. . . a good server at a restaurant can make bad food taste good . . .

Well, that explains my fondness for the Farmhand Biscuit Platter at Bob Evans. Our usual waitress is very good.

 

[Bad driver 20202]

Last evening we got our Dream Edition back from a 2-week visit to the Service Center to have all 14 cameras replaced because 3 had failed and must be replaced as a suite, the windshield replaced due to a detached visor, and the brake light panel at the bottom of the rear window replaced. (Everything was covered by warranty.)

Today we headed to a neighboring town, and the disaster cascade began to unfold:

1. We started a Tidal music selection. Then, when we tried to get Alexa to set a nav destination, the Alexa voice responded without muting the music, so that both were going at once. Every time Alexa started to give a verbal instruction for a turn, it cut off after the first two words and also advanced a Tidal song selection. In making one group of quick turns, Alexa advanced through four music selections, each time saying, "In about . . . " before falling silent. The directions properly displayed on the screens, however.

2. As I was driving up the interstate, I noticed that the battery percentage indicator seemed to be falling faster than usual. I usually put the car in Smooth mode on interstates but had left it in Swift mode this time and thought maybe that was the reason.

3. As we neared our destination about 40 miles away, I noticed a small warning yellow warning triangle on the glass cockpit, but it gave no indication of what the warning was for, and the car seemed to be driving normally (except for the elevated battery consumption). When we hit a red light, I did a quick check of tire pressures to make sure they were all right.

4. As soon as we arrived at our destination, I called Lucid Customer Service to ask what the warning triangle signified. They did not know but said that it might just be an interior light bulb or something minor, since no cause was indicated. I asked if it was safe to drive the car home, and they said yes, but that they would dispatch a Mobile Tech to check the car as soon as they could schedule it.

5. On our return trip home, about 6 miles from the house the car developed a noticeable skip in power delivery, and then regenerative braking disappeared. Within another mile or so, the car threw up a warning that power was being limited but that the car was still drivable. However, speed began to drop, eventually dropping to 2 mph. We were on a 6-lane road in early rush hour in a driving rain with a concrete curb preventing us from getting out of the travel lane. I had no choice but to put on the emergency flashers and hope we lived long enough to get Lucid on the phone. After a few minutes on hold (they still haven't introduced an emergency number that we discussed here some time ago), they told me to try to get the car off the road, and that we could then try a reset. The only way I could keep the car moving so that we could reach a turn-off was to constantly cycle it between Park and Drive. Each time we'd get 4-5 mph for a few feet before the speed dropped again to 1-2 mph.

6. We finally got the car into a convenience store parking lot and tried the reset. When we got back in the car, it was now giving a "low coolant" warning. At the point Lucid told me not to try to move the car. They ordered a Lyft to get us home and ordered a tow truck.

When this car is working properly, it's the most amazing vehicle I've ever owned across every dimension. However, I'm getting really, really, really tired of multi-week stints at Service Centers and numerous Mobile Tech visits.

I don't want to do it, but I'm going to have to start figuring out what other EV I might want at this point. Having owned two Model S's, I know Tesla isn't the answer. And I think the MB EQS is an ungainly blob that reportedly handles in line with its looks. Maybe a BMW I7?

I realize that the two Lucid Dreams we've had were both early production cars and that things are likely very different with more recent builds. But, beyond souring me on the Air, I'm now wondering whether I should continue with plans to order a Gravity right out of the gate.

Sorry to read about your experience.

 

[ridgemontpointe]

I'm tagging on to this thread becasue it mentions coolant leaks. I am really sorry to hear about all the issues you had. My story isn't near as frustrating. My Air GT was delivered 12/4/22. I haven't driven it a lot because there were several minor issues noted at delivery that I wanted to get addressed. Mainly scratches that required replacing trim where cameras were located and needed to be done in a Service Center so the cameras could be re-calibrated. But time dragged on because the local Body Shop in Middle Tennessee were Lucid was leasing Service Space got bought out and the new owners dropped the sharing agreement. Lucid kept promising they were working on another local service center, so I waited patiently. Finally in September, with only 2114 miles, I agreed to have the car trailered to Coldwater, MI. It seemed like overkill to me, since there were no mechanical or electronic failures. Just the "We Owe" items from delivery. Two days after they received the car they said their routine inspection revealed a "small" coolant leak. I park the car in the garage and the floor was spotless. The SA said it was confined to the undercarriage. They replaced the entire Front Drive Motor Control Unit. I really wasn't expecting that for a new car with only 2114 miles. I'm thankful they found the issue and I didn't have any breakdowns because of it. I'm also thankful that it was covered under warranty since I am sure it was a very expensive repair. But I am very nervous now. How can something this minor, a fluid leak, not be addressed and prevented in production after millions of miles of testing? And, how does a "small" fluid leak that I could not even detect result is a full MCU replacement? I love, love, love the GT. I plan to drive it to my funeral! But I don't want to spend my retirement savings keeping it running.