Lucid’s service and battery issues

[Fischman]

I have seen rave reviews about Lucid’s service so it’s quite possible that my situation is isolated. I want to reiterate that I do love the vehicle when it works and I also believe much of this is software related. Although my situation is unnerving, I am hopeful that things will get better once they have have better representation in our area. Several of my friends have made reservations or purchased despite my issues—I have been honest with them.

Thanks so much for the response. If you identify a go to for Lucid issues in the NJ area, please share it. Sorry for your troubles!

 

[Lfegerber]

Thanks so much for the response. If you identify a go to for Lucid issues in the NJ area, please share it. Sorry for your troubles!

No problem and will do. I got a response today from Stephen regarding status.

 

[Steveinarizona]

@Mkatz, I live in Freehold. I thought Lucid had opened a service center on Long Island for our area. Am I wrong? I go tomorrow to the Mall at Short Hills for a test drive of a GT and keep wondering when there will be some information about production of the Pure model for which I hold an reservation. Some days I hope it is soon; other days I hope it isn’t. While I know the battery and software issues aren’t exclusively a Lucid problem, I can’t imagine coming over the Verrazano and having the car die in the bottleneck of the ramp onto the Belt Parkway. Once the big 2.0 release is released, reports here on what it cures and doesn’t will probably make my decision as to whether to move ahead with my order or cancel.

While I am still pretty convinced that I will move forward on my Pure when it finally arrives I do share your mental back and forth.

 

[JerseyStrong]

You should have already invoked the lemon law if you have one…. In my state…you are entitled to a new car if

1. The vehicle must have returned to the dealer three or more times for the same defect, OR the vehicle was out of service at the dealer due to the defect for 30 or more days, for a serious defect that substantially impairs the use and market value of the vehicle.

While I am still pretty convinced that I will move forward on my Pure when it finally arrives I do share your mental back and forth.

I did a test drive yesterday (GT-smooth mode). I found the handling to be terrific. Steering is tight, car holds well in the curves with no body say, and I expect even with the Pure’s reduced power, it will be quick enough and strong enough for me. The car is a driving beast. We actually did two test drives. I did the route the first time, then my wife did it a second. She loved it. I also checked visibility since some noted it as an issue. It wasn’t for us, but then our ‘13 MKZ has wide A pillars. After watching Out of Spec reviews on his borrowed GT, I checked the trim at the bottom of the C pillar; it was tight. I really don’t get the door handle complaints as they felt hefty to me. I’m not quite sure what a “luxury feel” should feel like. We listened for the “dentist drill whine” others have mentioned and other than at low speeds it really wasn’t that noticeable to us even with no radio playing. As I posted elsewhere on the forum, having driven it, I can now understand how the earliest adopters have been so ready to deal with Lucid’s growing pains with software. Having said all that, I shall be watching the forum’s response to the 2.0 update. Since my wife will also be driving it, the idea of it bricking on her on either the Turnpike or Parkway or any of our congested and fast north Jersey roads is really worrisome to me. I’m hopeful but not fully convinced at this point.

 

[histal]

I love the vehicle when it works, but there are serious concerns I have that make it

I am sorry to see that you have had these issues, it is very unnerving to drive a car that you fear will give out on you. I am currently waiting for mine to come back from a similar scenario. As for their customer service, I have not had a good experience somewhat similar to yours in the lack of communication (and other issues, see my posts in "the car just died"). Someone on a different thread did an off the cuff calculation and came up with a figure of 10% of cars having to go to the shop for various but serious reasons. This does not bode well for quality control. One of the reasons I got a Lucid was because they were not Tesla... better in terms of engineering, etc... I am sad to see that this has not yet come to fruition.

 

[CarolinaMind]

I am sorry to see that you have had these issues, it is very unnerving to drive a car that you fear will give out on you. I am currently waiting for mine to come back from a similar scenario. As for their customer service, I have not had a good experience somewhat similar to yours in the lack of communication (and other issues, see my posts in "the car just died"). Someone on a different thread did an off the cuff calculation and came up with a figure of 10% of cars having to go to the shop for various but serious reasons. This does not bode well for quality control. One of the reasons I got a Lucid was because they were not Tesla... better in terms of engineering, etc... I am sad to see that this has not yet come to fruition.

Is there any data available on the frequency of the cars being undriveable and needing to be repaired?

 

[Snafu]

On the Lucid website it lists planned service center in Plainview NY Winter 2023. Otherwise closest one is Natick, MA which states Fall 2022.

Boston service rep recently arranged to have mobile service go to Woburn, MA, where my car had just completed PPF/Ceramic/Opti-Coat. It was closer to their current mobile location (Ashland, MA area) than NH, so my frozen NAV issue, frunk adjustment, and rear passenger window seal replacement were corrected before I picked it up. I'm pretty sure they are expecting the Natick Service Center to be operational around the end of October 2022.

 

[Lfegerber]

I wanted to update everyone. Since the car was brought in, Lucid’s service rep have been responsive and kept me updated throughout the process.

They are going to address body issues I had at Dorn’s Body Shop and then diagnose the battery issue thereafter.

Sorry for not updating more quickly, but I was traveling last week. I want to also note that Lucid called me daily last week which was so refreshing. I think that they are taking the situation seriously. Everyone I spoke to was knowledgeable and showed technical aptitude.

They went through every item I outlined above and said they would look into each of them.

 

[Lfegerber]

I am sorry to see that you have had these issues, it is very unnerving to drive a car that you fear will give out on you. I am currently waiting for mine to come back from a similar scenario. As for their customer service, I have not had a good experience somewhat similar to yours in the lack of communication (and other issues, see my posts in "the car just died"). Someone on a different thread did an off the cuff calculation and came up with a figure of 10% of cars having to go to the shop for various but serious reasons. This does not bode well for quality control. One of the reasons I got a Lucid was because they were not Tesla... better in terms of engineering, etc... I am sad to see that this has not yet come to fruition.

I got the Lucid for the same exact reason: quality and the emphasis on service.

 

[Lfegerber]

Thanks so much for the response. If you identify a go to for Lucid issues in the NJ area, please share it. Sorry for your troubles!

Stephen Oldford and Richard Hudak have been my points of contact and they have been responsive

 

[Lfegerber]

All:

I am seeing more and more posts about people who had the same issue as me. My vehicle is currently in the shop. It’ll be there most likely for two months (including date since tower) or
more after all said and done.

I will elaborate more when I am available.

-Johnson

 

[Ampere]

I've read with interest the multiple posts about 12v battery issues/failures. I gather these 12v batteries are lead-acid. There are 12v Li batteries available. Why in a car powered by 1,000 pounds of Li did they decide on a lead-acid battery for the 12v system? I used to be an automotive electronics writer for the Chicago Tribune. Back in the late 1980s Ford engineers confided they would do almost anything to have ICE car electrical systems upgraded to 24v because 12v was just too low for the complex electrical systems coming down the pike. Furthermore, with 24v they could reduce the size and weight of the copper wiring. Of course, this never came to pass. The fly in the ointment at the time was that the filaments in the headlights would be too thin to survive road vibration. Old timers may remember that prior to the 1950s many car electrical systems were 6v. If I recall, the original VW Beetle was 6v. I'm not sure why the automotive industry could not do what the TV industry accomplished when switching from analog NTSC to digital ATSC transmission. It cost a lot and inconvenienced many, but no one wants to return to the old days.

 

[Bunnylebowski]

I've read with interest the multiple posts about 12v battery issues/failures. I gather these 12v batteries are lead-acid. There are 12v Li batteries available. Why in a car powered by 1,000 pounds of Li did they decide on a lead-acid battery for the 12v system? I used to be an automotive electronics writer for the Chicago Tribune. Back in the late 1980s Ford engineers confided they would do almost anything to have ICE car electrical systems upgraded to 24v because 12v was just too low for the complex electrical systems coming down the pike. Furthermore, with 24v they could reduce the size and weight of the copper wiring. Of course, this never came to pass. The fly in the ointment at the time was that the filaments in the headlights would be too thin to survive road vibration. Old timers may remember that prior to the 1950s many car electrical systems were 6v. If I recall, the original VW Beetle was 6v. I'm not sure why the automotive industry could not do what the TV industry accomplished when switching from analog NTSC to digital ATSC transmission. It cost a lot and inconvenienced many, but no one wants to return to the old days.

Thus far most 12v failures in the Lucid, based on solutions thus far, have not appeared to be a problem with the actual 12v but something upstream (possibly WunderBox or HV battery or connection between them), much like how an alternator problem can kill the 12v in an ICE car and the 12v is not the source problem. They’re definitely working on it furiously to see if there’s a common thread that can be identified or if each issue is its own unique snowflake.

 

[borski]

I've read with interest the multiple posts about 12v battery issues/failures. I gather these 12v batteries are lead-acid. There are 12v Li batteries available. Why in a car powered by 1,000 pounds of Li did they decide on a lead-acid battery for the 12v system? I used to be an automotive electronics writer for the Chicago Tribune. Back in the late 1980s Ford engineers confided they would do almost anything to have ICE car electrical systems upgraded to 24v because 12v was just too low for the complex electrical systems coming down the pike. Furthermore, with 24v they could reduce the size and weight of the copper wiring. Of course, this never came to pass. The fly in the ointment at the time was that the filaments in the headlights would be too thin to survive road vibration. Old timers may remember that prior to the 1950s many car electrical systems were 6v. If I recall, the original VW Beetle was 6v. I'm not sure why the automotive industry could not do what the TV industry accomplished when switching from analog NTSC to digital ATSC transmission. It cost a lot and inconvenienced many, but no one wants to return to the old days.

The 12v batteries themselves are not the issue at all; them dying is a symptom, not a cause. There has yet to be a case in which the solution was replacing the 12v battery.

The solutions thus far have been replacing either the HV battery pack, or the Wunderbox, or both.

 

[muhanadkais]

I’ll reiterate that this does not appear to be a widespread issue, though I absolutely understand the fear.

That said, I can’t speak to service in the northeast; I have no experience there, but service elsewhere is generally spectacular.

May I know why they need to take the brand new car to service after delivery?

 

[Bunnylebowski]

May I know why they need to take the brand new car to service after delivery?

Year 1 of a new vertically integrated company with the most advanced engineering out there means that there will unsurprisingly be a period of learning and improving. Rivian has been seeing a lot of post delivery service as well and they have more off the shelf parts than Lucid. And then there’s the BMW iX situation where they had to tell their owners to not park the vehicle in a garage….

It’s been an unwritten rule of car ownership for decades that buying year one of any new model even from established automakers may lead to increased service visits so you should evaluate your risk tolerance before jumping in.

 

[Steveinarizona]

The 12v batteries themselves are not the issue at all; them dying is a symptom, not a cause. There has yet to be a case in which the solution was replacing the 12v battery.

The solutions thus far have been replacing either the HV battery pack, or the Wunderbox, or both.

Wow. Replacing the 12 volt would be a whole lot less expensive.

 

[borski]

Wow. Replacing the 12 volt would be a whole lot less expensive.

true, but it wouldn’t solve the issue.

 

[Scootster]

I have an order for the Air Touring, but am having second thoughts after reading this long blog of defects and service episodes. I placed my order quite a while ago and simply hoped that Lucid would offer some level of service for Hawaii owners, but see that even service on the mainland is still problematic. Tesla provided its early service to Hawaii owners with "Tesla Rangers" who were mobile service reps, but without even that level of service here I will surely cancel the order. It will really, really hurt, as I love the design and engineering of this car, but I need to face facts. The big irony is that Hawaii is a magnificent market for EV's: increasingly green energy from HELCO, abundant sun for private PV production and very limited travel distances. Were I the marketing director at Lucid, Hawaii might very well have been one of my first choices for a proper service center.

 

[stratus]

I have an order for the Air Touring, but am having second thoughts after reading this long blog of defects and service episodes. I placed my order quite a while ago and simply hoped that Lucid would offer some level of service for Hawaii owners, but see that even service on the mainland is still problematic. Tesla provided its early service to Hawaii owners with "Tesla Rangers" who were mobile service reps, but without even that level of service here I will surely cancel the order. It will really, really hurt, as I love the design and engineering of this car, but I need to face facts. The big irony is that Hawaii is a magnificent market for EV's: increasingly green energy from HELCO, abundant sun for private PV production and very limited travel distances. Were I the marketing director at Lucid, Hawaii might very well have been one of my first choices for a proper service center.

Obviously the biggest challenge in places like Hawaii and Alaska will be the logistics of shipping the car to a service center if needed.

Do they not have a mobile service in Hawaii, especially on Hawaii or Maui?

Hawaii seems like a dream for EVs. Maximum range, short travel, lots of sun, etc.

I rely on mobile service in my location and so far , with one minor hiccup, they have been pretty accommodating .

If they do guarantee mobile service you may want to reconsider, but I can certainly understand your concern