Half-shaft bolt recall

[deaniac]

Not sure how many others have received this but I got a recall letter yesterday (first page below) indicating I needed to make an appointment to get these bolts replaced or could cause "unexpected loss of drive power". Serious business, right ? So I go into the app and not a single appt available in any of the months the app will show, out to September. Great. So I call them and they say same thing - September. So I asked what am I supposed to do ? Not drive my car till September cos it might crash ? She went to confer with someone in service and she called me back saying great news ! We can get you an appt this coming Wed ! And then noted that I would need to leave it with them for TWO PLUS WEEKS. Car would just sit there for weeks until someone in service could get around to the job which the recall notice says takes a few days. They will apparently provide me with a rental car in the meantime. How ironic will it be when I pick up the rental and it's an ICE.

Has anyone else gotten this notice ? Should I be doing something to protest this crappy process ?

 

[tmichael]

Just me, I would keep driving, remaining hyperaware of a potential loss of power. Take it in when they have the part and the time to repair. Or put it up on a lift and have someone check it for loose bolts. They can't repair it, but you can find out if it is imminent.

NHTSA recalls are important, but many are not "Do Not Drive" recalls. Based on your letter, this doesn't seem to be a "Do Not Drive" recall.

Your decision, YMMV.

 

[socktucker]

Two weeks??

Amateur numbers.

 

[drb3333]

... Or put it up on a lift and have someone check it for loose bolts. They can't repair it, but you can find out if it is imminent.

I like this. These are not magical--just automobiles. I bet any average mechanic could give you peace of mind. (Unless it's buried under an aero cover, however.)

 

[deaniac]

Thanks all ! I think I will cancel this appt, reschedule for a more normal timeframe even if it's September and take to a regular mechanic in the meantime as suggested for a looksie.

 

[Saksak]

If it was me, I would keep the appointment. You’ll have a loaner/rental so you’ll still have transportation. Treat it like a vacation or business trip where you must drive a rental instead of your favorite car.

Why risk safety, being stranded, or causing additional damage if the part fails?

Also, what do you expect from a 3rd party mechanic who is not certified on Lucid vehicles? If they visually inspected and say nothing is wrong, does that fundamentally change the situation? I’d still be worried about failure. If they say something is wrong, are you going to let them fix it? Either way, I’d want to get it fixed by Lucid as soon as possible.

 

[tmichael]

If it was me, I would keep the appointment. You’ll have a loaner/rental so you’ll still have transportation. Treat it like a vacation or business trip where you must drive a rental instead of your favorite car.

Why risk safety, being stranded, or causing additional damage if the part fails?

Also, what do you expect from a 3rd party mechanic who is not certified on Lucid vehicles? If they visually inspected and say nothing is wrong, does that fundamentally change the situation? I’d still be worried about failure. If they say something is wrong, are you going to let them fix it? Either way, I’d want to get it fixed by Lucid as soon as possible.

It's potentially a couple loose bolts... Between the Polestar and Lucid being parked in their service center parking lots and driving rentals, I (not you or anyone else, maybe, but me) would keep my car until the appointment is ready to have my car for just a couple days.

Just me, YMMV. We're all different - ain't it great?!

 

[Leftlane]

Thanks all ! I think I will cancel this appt, reschedule for a more normal timeframe even if it's September and take to a regular mechanic in the meantime as suggested for a looksie.

Guess how long they are going to keep it when you bring it in for that scheduled appointment in September?

 

[martinjlm]

A couple thoughts about recall from someone who used to be "in the operating chain" for powertrain recalls at a large OEM. My role in the process was to help identify the population of vehicles that needed to be recalled and to make certain that service parts would be available at the time the recall notices were sent out. And this was decades ago so things could very well have changed.

• The fact that you got a recall notice does not equate to you definitely have the problem. It means you are within an identifiable window of build dates or supplier lots where the recall vehicles are known to exist. We typically recalled groups of vehicles where greater than 1% of the included vehicles could have the issue.
• "Do Not Drive" and "Park Outside" recalls are the most serious and are usually visually identifiable from a mile away (large print, bold lettering, sometimes red lettering)
• Most vehicles in the affected lot are inspected and cleared. VIN recorded to confirm that the vehicle has been inspected and cleared.

So at some point it is best for all involved that Lucid at least have the opportunity to view your vehicle even if only for record clearing. Otherwise expect to continue to receive recall notices. I still get recall notices for a Pontiac Vibe my kids drove in high school, even though we had the recall action performed. For giggles and grins google the last time a Pontiac Vibe was built.

If you want peace of mind, get an independent mechanic to INSPECT the affected bolts ASAP so that you can decide for yourself whether or not you want to continue to drive the vehicle, but make certain Lucid at least gets to look at the vehicle when it is most convenient for you (based on what the mechanic finds).

 

[drb3333]

You couldn't pay for better or more expert advice than this. ^^^^^^

 

[JGard18]

Interesting. I haven't received any notice, but my car has absolutely had random losses of power on a few occasions. The service center cannot replicate it, and despite my giving them the exact times that it's happened (it's very momentary), they cannot spot anything in the logs to see what's happening. Maybe my notice will be coming...

 

[Solomente]

Interesting. I haven't received any notice, but my car has absolutely had random losses of power on a few occasions. The service center cannot replicate it, and despite my giving them the exact times that it's happened (it's very momentary), they cannot spot anything in the logs to see what's happening. Maybe my notice will be coming...

This recall is for a mechanical disconnect. It doesn't reconnect itself after it comes apart. Your issue has to be something else.

 

[JGard18]

Ah, yeah, the more I thought about it, the more that's what it seemed like. Not a momentary loss of power, just a total mechanical failure

 

[Solomente]

I received the same letter for my 2025 Pure. I called and asked customer support to get me an appointment but I'm not near a service center so I gather they'll have a mobile tech come out and check it and if it's fine, great, if not, it's not clear if it can be fixed in my driveway or will have to be towed to service. I'm due for my one year service next month anyway so hopefully can just combine it all together.

I've not read about lots of people actually having this disconnect problem occur so I'm not too worried about it if they need a few weeks to schedule me.

 

[Saksak]

[…] If you want peace of mind, get an independent mechanic to INSPECT the affected bolts ASASP so that you can decide for yourself whether or not you want to continue to drive the vehicle, but make certain Lucid at least gets to look at the vehicle when it is most convenient for you (based on what the mechanic finds).

Is it as easy as lifting the car and checking a few bolts with a torque wrench? See Tesla’s half-shaft procedure. Which bolts? What is the proper torque? Is it just a few bolts or are there other important checks?

Do you really want a non-certified mechanic to guess and monkey with your car without technical manuals? There is also the warranty:

Though you are not required to obtain service or repairs at a Lucid Service Center or Lucid-authorized repair facility, coverage under this Lucid Warranty may be excluded in the event of improper maintenance, service, or repairs performed by a non-Lucid Service Center or repair facility not authorized by Lucid.​

I understand the reluctance of scheduling service since the turnaround time is measured in weeks instead of hours/days. My Gravity is in service right now, for the second time, to fix minor things to get it perfect enough for me (perfection doesn’t exist - beauty is in the eye of the beholder). It’s been a week and I’m expecting it to take 1-3 more weeks. It’s a minor inconvenience since Lucid provided a loaner.

Is all this risk worth it just to avoid the inconvenience of driving a loaner/rental for some number of weeks instead of your favorite car? Lucid got you in early, which is nice. Will the turnaround time with a “normal” appointment be significantly better?

 

[martinjlm]

Is it as easy as lifting the car and checking a few bolts with a torque wrench? See Tesla’s half-shaft procedure. Which bolts? What is the proper torque? Is it just a few bolts or are there other important checks?

I doubt it. Part of the aero performance of Air is due to underbody enclosures. May not be too difficult to remove and replace the panels though. Early on in this video by Sarah-n-Tuned you can see how well and completely the underbody is closed off and optimized for airflow. Sarah - n - Tuned review of 2026 Lucid Air Touring

Do you really want a non-certified mechanic to guess and monkey with your car without technical manuals? There is also the warranty:

Though you are not required to obtain service or repairs at a Lucid Service Center or Lucid-authorized repair facility, coverage under this Lucid Warranty may be excluded in the event of improper maintenance, service, or repairs performed by a non-Lucid Service Center or repair facility not authorized by Lucid.​

This is why I say have the 3rd party mechanic look and assess. High probability that they will say "You don't have the issue". At that point you can pull the vehicle down off the hoist and go on about your way. But still schedule the appointment for Lucid to look at the car and then scratch it off their "needs to address warranty issue" list. If the mechanic says "whoa...this is NOT good" then you pull it off the hoist, take it home and contact Lucid Service.

I understand the reluctance of scheduling service since the turnaround time is measured in weeks instead of hours/days. My Gravity is in service right now, for the second time, to fix minor things to get it perfect enough for me (perfection doesn’t exist - beauty is in the eye of the beholder). It’s been a week and I’m expecting it to take 1-3 more weeks. It’s a minor inconvenience since Lucid provided a loaner.

Again, a reason for having someone more readily available put it on a hoist and look for the presence or lack thereof of the recall condition.

Is all this risk worth it just to avoid the inconvenience of driving a loaner/rental for some number of weeks instead of your favorite car? Lucid got you in early, which is nice. Will the turnaround time with a “normal” appointment be significantly better?

I see this being done with zero risk. This is triage, not surgery. Look, assess, and note. Then move on to the professional.

 

[Northpointe]

Is it as easy as lifting the car and checking a few bolts with a torque wrench? See Tesla’s half-shaft procedure. Which bolts? What is the proper torque? Is it just a few bolts or are there other important checks?

Do you really want a non-certified mechanic to guess and monkey with your car without technical manuals? There is also the warranty:

Though you are not required to obtain service or repairs at a Lucid Service Center or Lucid-authorized repair facility, coverage under this Lucid Warranty may be excluded in the event of improper maintenance, service, or repairs performed by a non-Lucid Service Center or repair facility not authorized by Lucid.​

I understand the reluctance of scheduling service since the turnaround time is measured in weeks instead of hours/days. My Gravity is in service right now, for the second time, to fix minor things to get it perfect enough for me (perfection doesn’t exist - beauty is in the eye of the beholder). It’s been a week and I’m expecting it to take 1-3 more weeks. It’s a minor inconvenience since Lucid provided a loaner.

Is all this risk worth it just to avoid the inconvenience of driving a loaner/rental for some number of weeks instead of your favorite car? Lucid got you in early, which is nice. Will the turnaround time with a “normal” appointment be significantly better?

Agreed. I've got my Air in service right now for a couple of minor squeaks and rattles. It took a month to get the appointment and a week after being dropped off they still haven't brought it in to work on. My best advice is to get your service appointments as soon as possible because you'll likely be waiting to get in and then waiting for tech availability. I've always been given a loaner in these instances. But I think we're going to be dealing with the availability of service slots, techs, and loaners for the foreseeable future.

 

[Miami_Lucid_Man]

I got the notice for my 2025 Pure. It was recently in for annual service so I’m wondering if it’s been dealt with already.

 

[Pragmatic]

I need to have my drivers seat bottom replaced under warranty. I had an appointment on the May 19th. They apologized that they were missing a trim piece. They gave me a choice of leaving the car or opening a work order and bringing the car back when the part is delivered. I took the latter. Since its not a critical repair I can wait. I'd rather wait with my car than with a loaner.

 

[deaniac]

I got the notice for my 2025 Pure. It was recently in for annual service so I’m wondering if it’s been dealt with already.

SIDENOTE really but I was not told I'd get a "loaner" but an Enterprise rental. Already received the reservation email from Enterprise. Obviously would prefer a loaner given I have a home charger etc... and have really mentally moved away from gas vehicles entirely. First world problems, I know.