- A touchless car wash tore off a Rivian R1T roof panel.
- Clips and adhesive were ripped loose in the incident.
- Repairs may require interior trim removal for access.
A Rivian R1T owner has just learned the hard way that “touchless” does not mean “harmless.” Sure, these washes skip the spinning brushes, but that does not make them gentle. As it turns out, high-pressure water and moving hardware can still do a number on a six-figure electric pickup.
Posting on Reddit, the owner says he recently took his R1T through a touchless car wash for the first time when a black plastic panel at the rear of the EV’s roof suddenly popped off. That panel covers a fair bit of electronic gubbins, including the antenna, and is secured with clips and adhesive. Obviously, it is meant to stay put.
Read: That Rattle In Your Rivian Might Mean A Recall
Photos show several of those clips torn loose, with adhesive strips peeled back as if the truck had tried to shed its own roof trim. It would be easy to blame water pressure or the industrial-strength dryers at the end of the tunnel, but that does not appear to be what happened.
According to the owner, one of the wash’s spraying arms became lodged under the roof panel, apparently misjudging the height of the pickup. Instead of gliding past, it hooked underneath and pried the piece upward. Not exactly part of the premium wash package.
Image Reddit/mrwillya
Some commenters on the Reddit thread suggest that in order for Rivian to repair the rear roof panel, it’s possible that part of the interior will have to be removed to gain access to all of the wires positioned beneath the panel. Additionally, the third brake light of the R1T is positioned directly above the rear window near this panel, and may also need to be replaced.
Then there’s the matter of who will end up paying for the repairs. The owner says the car wash’s insurance will cover the costs, though that likely means a round of negotiations between insurers before any money changes hands. In the meantime, the damaged truck could spend weeks, possibly longer, waiting in a body shop bay for parts and repairs. So much for a quick rinse.
