What model year is the beginning of relatively bug free operation?

[L-Dude]

I'm considering a Lucid Air Touring or GT. In reading the forum, it seems like the early year models were plagued with gremlins (understandable for a new car/company). I am wondering in what model year did the car become reasonably bug free? I understand that car forums give you a disproportionately negative view of a car's mechanical and operational integrity, so I could use some help in getting an accurate view of things.

 

[californiaboy935]

I'm considering a Lucid Air Touring or GT. In reading the forum, it seems like the early year models were plagued with gremlins (understandable for a new car/company). I am wondering in what model year did the car become reasonably bug free? I understand that car forums give you a disproportionately negative view of a car's mechanical and operational integrity, so I could use some help in getting an accurate view of things.

Honestly my 2022 has been fantastic. The forums definitely give you a slanted negative view. Find a car you love if your looking used, test drive it, and maybe buy it from a use of the forums via the marketplace.

If your going from the manufacturer get the newest model year (2025) as it has some updates that are worthwhile. I believe @Blue Lectroid has enumerated them somewhere, forgive me for not finding them immediately.

 

[petergottlieb]

People’s experience and expectations vary a lot. I have had a 25 Air Pure for three months and will have had it to the service center twice - once to get the second key fob programmed and next week to get the frunk adjusted (it sometimes doesn’t think it is closed when it is closed). These aren’t major or mechanical - but still require some time from me. It also took me about a month to figure out almost all the annoying software bugs I experienced were related to wireless Apple Airplay and passive unlock. Once I adjusted my settings to wired AirPlay and decided I would be okay opening the car myself by touching the door handle (I.e. turning off passive unlock) almost all the software hiccups went away. YMMV. I am happy with my Air, but I think it is fair to expect some early teething issues to sort out, even with a new one as part of the ownership experience with these. Given that is the case, I say the newer the better.

 

[DeaneG]

My 2022 has also been very reliable, but I understand that some others' have not. The 2025 upgrades are substantial IMO and that's what I'd go for if you can swing it.

 

[marsarbu]

Usually newer models tend to be better. But Air's biggest problem is not hardware, it's software, and the software is the same from '22 to '25. Unless you are lucky and/or an enthusiast, I wouldn't recommend getting it.

 

[tuffode]

Usually newer models tend to be better. But Air's biggest problem is not hardware, it's software, and the software is the same from '22 to '25. Unless you are lucky and/or an enthusiast, I wouldn't recommend getting it.

Didn't they upgrade the hardware for 25's? I always see people complaining about it being laggy slow to respond, but my system works great. Wasn't sure if that was due to the hardware upgrade or software upgrades since the car had come out.

 

[Bobby]

My 2022 is almost entirely bug free. There are still a couple residual items that I hope that they resolve. Occasionally there are some minor glitches with audio, sometimes CarPlay does not connect when it should but that is easily resolved, the next street name does not show up in the CarPlay widget, and mobile key access is not entirely reliable. Other than that, everything works fine.

 

[marsarbu]

Didn't they upgrade the hardware for 25's? I always see people complaining about it being laggy slow to respond, but my system works great. Wasn't sure if that was due to the hardware upgrade or software upgrades since the car had come out.

They did: newer processors, heat pump, etc. I have a '24 and no lag. I just have a couple of minor problems:

• Driver door not soft-closing. Software bug introduced by an update in Aug 2024, still buggy.
• Sound cutting off when canceling the cruise. Gotta stop, reset the car.
• Doors not unlocking with the mobile key, gotta pull the phone out in the rain, sometime even tap the app.
• Some speakers die randomly, coming back to life after the car sleeps.
• Various sensors throwing alerts at various times.
• Lidar crapping out at the first drop of rain.
• Screens going dead randomly.
• Driver Assist crapping out randomly. Car reset doesn't do anything, I have to let the car sleep.

And a few other things, but my fingers are cramping. As you can see, nothing serious.

 

[AirQuality]

I have had a 2023 Pure AWD for a year and am extremely happy with my purchase. Solid hardware out of the box, only a few trim items -- all of which were taken care of by the excellent folks at the Millbrae service center (including the creaky steering wheel fix which was very well done). I have DD and SSP and both have been great -- especially SSP with the tape fix and recent tuning adjustments. I don't have DDP or soft-close; it seems like a disproportionate number of issues reported on this forum seem to be related to those. Individual experiences may vary, but my personal experience has been exceptional.

 

[borski]

Usually newer models tend to be better. But Air's biggest problem is not hardware, it's software, and the software is the same from '22 to '25. Unless you are lucky and/or an enthusiast, I wouldn't recommend getting it.

That’s not quite true, although your statement is factual; due to the upgraded CCC in the ‘25s, the experience is different. The ‘25 is much snappier, for one thing.

Also, you don’t have to be lucky. It’s just that some have been unlucky.

 

[SRS229]

My 2023 AWD Air (leased new in March 2024) has been almost perfect....no important issues at all.

 

[illopp00]

Usually newer models tend to be better. But Air's biggest problem is not hardware, it's software, and the software is the same from '22 to '25. Unless you are lucky and/or an enthusiast, I wouldn't recommend getting it.

I disagree. Unless you MUST have the best software experience then Tesla and Rivian are more mature, Cadillac and MB are looking pretty good, but Lucid is better than most. 3 of those don't support Car Play.

 

[marsarbu]

I disagree. Unless you MUST have the best software experience then Tesla and Rivian are more mature, Cadillac and MB are looking pretty good, but Lucid is better than most. 3 of those don't support Car Play.

I'm not talking about UI/UX, colors, interaction, features, latency, etc. I'm fine with all that, actually I like Lucid's UX more than other manufacturers'. I'm talking about bugs, that my car has lots of, and apparently they are unfixable.

 

[borski]

I'm not talking about UI/UX, colors, interaction, features, latency, etc. I'm fine with all that, actually I like Lucid's UX more than other manufacturers'. I'm talking about bugs, that my car has lots of, and apparently they are unfixable.

Lots of cars have lots of bugs. Cant get away from them.

The only “unfixable” bug I’m aware of with Lucid is the fob issue. Let’s not exaggerate.

 

[newlucidguy]

what are your choices realistically? I have a new '25 AT and it's very good. And it has the newer processor and motor mounts for a more quiet experience. Sure it's got a few quirks but I love driving it. I did have the rear drive unit cooling pump fail, odd for a new vehicle, but Lucid handled it extremely and impressively well.

 

[marsarbu]

Lots of cars have lots of bugs. Cant get away from them.

The only “unfixable” bug I’m aware of with Lucid is the fob issue. Let’s not exaggerate.

One's exaggeration is another one's fact. Let's stay civil.

 

[marsarbu]

what are your choices realistically? I have a new '25 AT and it's very good. And it has the newer processor and motor mounts for a more quiet experience. Sure it's got a few quirks but I love driving it. I did have the rear drive unit cooling pump fail, odd for a new vehicle, but Lucid handled it extremely and impressively well.

You nailed it. I have no choice. I like the car, and I like it A LOT. But to me reliability is just as important, if not more important than the "like" factor.

 

[borski]

One's exaggeration is another one's fact. Let's stay civil.

Sorry, but that’s a cop-out, and I’m more than happy to be civil!

If you have other examples of “unfixable” bugs, please be more specific and name them, as I only know of the fob as the one, at the moment.

But the implication that the vehicle has “lots of” bugs that are “unfixable” is inaccurate, without examples.

 

[marsarbu]

Sorry, but that’s a cop-out, and I’m more than happy to be civil!

If you have other examples of “unfixable” bugs, please be more specific and name them, as I only know of the fob as the one, at the moment.

But the implication that the vehicle has “lots of” bugs that are “unfixable” is inaccurate, without examples.

Not a cop-out, I just didn't feel like waking up the dead again. But sure:

1. Driver's door self-close broken by an update in Aug '24, CS said "it's software", still broken.
2. Doors unlocking using mobile key. Works 50% of the time.
3. Various intermittent fails: LIDAR, cameras, pilot screen. I keep taking pics and writing down the time, just so I feel like I have some sort of control.
4. All sounds cutting off, car needs to be reset. Maybe once a month, doing better later.
5. Drive Assist / Cruise Control not starting. Just bings and doesn't engage. Interestingly, the graphic of the car between the lanes also is frozen, the animation is stuck.
6. Scheduled charging. Works 90% of the time.
7. Heated steering wheel started turning itself off. Another "feature" brought on by an update.
8. Car Play disconnects randomly. But that's my wife's problem, not mine.

The funny thing is that these bugs are not a deal-breaker in themselves. Not really. I get it. New company, lean resources, blah blah blah. I (sort of) knew what I'm getting into. What really kills it for me is the lack of progress, relative to my car. I can have a million bugs but if I see things getting better, CS responding to my emails, following-up, then I'm fine. I can see progress being made, people caring, the light at the end of the tunnel. In my case, I only see a black hole. Wait, you cannot really see a black hole, you just observe its effects.

And yes, you are right, I take that back: of course all these COULD be fixed. But they are not. And it makes me angry specifically because I really like the car, If I didn't, I couldn't care less. I have other cars to drive in my garage, only 10 months to go on my lease, and $1,500 / mo won't bankrupt me.

I really, really appreciate you and others on the forum, being so helpful, and putting so much of your time into pacifying unhappy owners. Your enthusiasm, knowledge, patience and dedication to this brand is commendable. If I would run Lucid, I would pay you an Ambassador's salary, because at the moment, you guys are being way more helpful than Lucid's own CS. Too bad you don't have access to the code base, I'm sure you could have done a better job

 

[WildRide47]

I'm considering a Lucid Air Touring or GT. In reading the forum, it seems like the early year models were plagued with gremlins (understandable for a new car/company). I am wondering in what model year did the car become reasonably bug free? I understand that car forums give you a disproportionately negative view of a car's mechanical and operational integrity, so I could use some help in getting an accurate view of things.

Actually, my 2022 AGT has been very reliable. Only 2 minor problems which were taken care of.