- A Lucid Air owner endured a twelve-hour repair wait due to limited service center access.
- Expensive repairs, long travel, and poor communication leave owners doubting Lucid’s future.
- Not all owners share negative experiences, but service gaps are becoming more noticeable.
Lucid may have entered the electric vehicle market relatively late, especially compared to the class-leading, when it comes to experience and sales, Tesla, Lucid has managed to roll out a pretty competitive first product in the form of the Air sedan. However, while the EV itself has been praised by those who have driven it, one customer is seriously considering ditching his car.
A Good Car, But Poor Support
The owner, who posted his story on Reddit under the alias MtrCityMadMan, purchased an Air GT in June 2022. He states that he has been very satisfied with the car so far, as it is “a pleasure to drive” and its range is “fantastic”. However, he says that Lucid’s customer service leaves a lot to be desired and, due to the very unpleasant experience, is thinking about getting rid of it despite its positive attributes.
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His troubles began when he accidentally damaged the fairing of a side view mirror in his garage, which he admits was entirely his own fault. After contacting Lucid, he was told he would have to come to the service center to have the mirror fixed – which wouldn’t be much of an issue if it didn’t necessitate a 2.5-hour drive. Nevertheless, even though he was annoyed, he understood that the company had chosen a “strategic location”, as he put it, and so decided to make the trip.
In theory, it was a pretty straightforward job that should be completed fairly quickly. The technicians at the service center told him that it would take one to two hours, and he didn’t complain. That estimate, though, turned out to be overly optimistic.
“I sat in a McDonald’s for over 5 hours,” he wrote on his post on Reddit. “No updates and when I’d call they didn’t have any timeline. What should have been a morning repair (left early and planned on being back midday) turned into a 12 hour day. Barely an apology.”
Bumper Issues: Same Story, New Repair
The next issue was when he had to fix the Air’s bumper that had been tagged by another vehicle. It wasn’t a serious damage, but he likes to keep his cars in perfect condition – which is perfectly fine. What isn’t is the fact that he had to drive 2.5 hours again, as there is no certified Lucid shop in his city, leave the car there for at least three days, and then, if all went well and the technicians fixed the bumper on time, travel again to retrieve it. He concedes that he could use a flatbed and save himself the trouble, but it would cost him $1,500, which he decided was too much.
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With the bumper fixed, the man was able to enjoy his Air once more. Yet, another issue popped up, and this time it was the car’s fault (although dealing with the shop was, again, problematic). “Two weeks ago car starts throwing all sorts of warnings,” he explains. “Text customer service (24/7), call customer service. Nothing. I didn’t get a call back for 5 hours (when it was 11:30pm local time). Never got a text. Luckily, car was drivable.
“Local service finally reached out and said they’d like to pick up the car and bring it to center to see what’s up, and to replace battery since my deg is larger than expected. Cool. I’ve now called 3 more times to report more issues, left messages and specifically asked for a call back. Nothing. I’ve texted. Nothing.”
The Takeaway: Customer Service Is Key
That was last straw: “I can deal with a lot, but I think I’m done with this brand. I love the car but can’t trust the service that I may need in the future,” he wrote. He nevertheless had a word of advice: “To any Lucid execs that may end up reading this – you have to do better. Build quality is great but customer service builds loyal customers.”
More: Lucid CEO Says “The Market Sucks” For Cheap $25,000 EVs
What’s more, this man isn’t the only one that is dissatisfied with Lucid. Another Air owner wrote: “I am going through the mirror thing now. Exact same thing bumping it against the garage. They are requiring a full replacement at $3000+… insanity. The mirror works, it turns in and out.”
It’s Not Just One Person
Another had an explanation why the shop was so far away: “It costs over $200K to become a certified repair shop which is at the expense of the body shop. Why would they spend that type of money when hardly any cars are on the road? The ROI would be an extremely long one and many body shops probably don’t want to drop that cash if Lucid can’t prove that it’s going to be more than a niche player.”
Not everyone had a negative experience though. One owner, who lives close to a Lucid service center, states that “they have been fantastic, like far better than any experience I have had with previous ICE cars.”
In any case, it’s clear that since its range is expanding, with the 800 hp, $95,000 Gravity SUV joining the Air and other models set to follow in the future, Lucid must ensure that owners are satisfied not only by its cars, but by the brand’s customer service too. After all, people who are willing to spend close to, or more than, $100k on a car, expect only the best – and Lucid has been found lacking by customers who may not be returning to the brand but choose a rival automaker’s model for their next purchase.
