Rivian offers $2,000 to waive warranty, lemon-law rights
Rivian faces backlash over $2,000 offers to waive EV owners’ warranty and lemon-law claims
Rivian offers $2,000 to waive warranty, lemon-law rights
Rivian is offering $2,000 to some EV owners in exchange for waiving warranty, Magnuson-Moss and lemon-law claims. Why it’s controversial and what experts say.
2025-09-22T00:20:39+03:00
2025-09-22T00:20:39+03:00
2025-09-22T00:20:39+03:00
American startup Rivian has landed in the middle of a controversy: electric vehicle owners say the company is offering them cash in exchange for giving up some of their rights. One R1S customer said he took delivery on August 4, and within two weeks the air conditioning failed. The SUV then sat at a service center for three weeks, with only sparse updates from the dealer.After repeated complaints, the customer received what was described as a voluntary offer: $2,000 in return for signing a document that waived the right to bring claims under the warranty, the Magnuson-Moss Act, and state lemon laws.As it turned out, other owners received similar offers. Some accepted, and one consulted a lawyer, who explained that the document applied only to past defects, not to future ones.Experts believe Rivian is trying to reduce the risk of expensive lawsuits or vehicle buybacks. For owners, this kind of compensation looks shaky: $2,000 is unlikely to cover real inconvenience and costs. The strategy may keep cases out of court, but when problems surface so early in ownership, it also chips away at goodwill.
Rivian, EV owners, warranty waiver, Magnuson-Moss Act, lemon law, R1S, $2,000 offer, consumer rights, buyback, lawsuit, electric SUV, service center delays, early ownership defects, warranty claims
2025
Michael Powers
news
Rivian faces backlash over $2,000 offers to waive EV owners’ warranty and lemon-law claims
Rivian is offering $2,000 to some EV owners in exchange for waiving warranty, Magnuson-Moss and lemon-law claims. Why it’s controversial and what experts say.
Michael Powers, Editor
American startup Rivian has landed in the middle of a controversy: electric vehicle owners say the company is offering them cash in exchange for giving up some of their rights. One R1S customer said he took delivery on August 4, and within two weeks the air conditioning failed. The SUV then sat at a service center for three weeks, with only sparse updates from the dealer.
After repeated complaints, the customer received what was described as a voluntary offer: $2,000 in return for signing a document that waived the right to bring claims under the warranty, the Magnuson-Moss Act, and state lemon laws.
As it turned out, other owners received similar offers. Some accepted, and one consulted a lawyer, who explained that the document applied only to past defects, not to future ones.
Experts believe Rivian is trying to reduce the risk of expensive lawsuits or vehicle buybacks. For owners, this kind of compensation looks shaky: $2,000 is unlikely to cover real inconvenience and costs. The strategy may keep cases out of court, but when problems surface so early in ownership, it also chips away at goodwill.
