My 392 Mile Lucid Air Is a $69,000 Paperweight And Lucid Wants $7,000 To Fix It
There’s a particular kind of sting that comes with realizing your six-figure electric luxury sedan has transformed itself into a very expensive, very sleek driveway ornament. It’s not just buyer’s remorse, it’s betrayal.
That’s the story unfolding on Reddit right now, where user hermanito_09 has documented, in painstaking detail, what happens when the utopian EV ownership experience promised by Lucid Motors meets the cold, hard wall of real-world reliability. Four days of ownership. Less than 400 miles. And now? A paperweight with four wheels.
Lucid Air Turns Into a Paperweight After Just 392 Miles
In a three-post saga on Reddit, hermanito_09 detailed their entire journey:
"Just about 400 miles in and the car has turned into a paperweight. Sad day. I was driving 45mph when all of a sudden the error message displayed and the car went into a complete stop with no room to pull over or do anything.
The car could not be put into Neutral or anything actually. Completely bricked. It’s actually scary to think if this happened on the highway it would’ve caused an accident. Service is being set up. Let’s see what happens!"
Lucid Air Touring Bricked at 392 Miles
The trouble began 19 days ago when a brand-new 2025 Lucid Air Touring suddenly decided that 392 miles was a sufficient retirement point. The owner was cruising at 45 mph when the digital dashboard lit up with a dire “Drive System Fault” warning, and the vehicle came to an abrupt and complete stop.
No neutral, no rollback option, and no software wizardry to reboot it. Just a $69,000 paperweight in traffic. Since then, what should have been a routine repair has become an odyssey.
Lucid Air Sapphire: Triple-Motor Power, Speed, and Efficiency Unleashed
- The Lucid Air Sapphire stands out with its tri-motor all-wheel-drive system, delivering a formidable 1,234 horsepower. This configuration enables the vehicle to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in a mere 1.9 seconds, positioning it as one of the fastest production sedans available. Additionally, it boasts an EPA-estimated range of 427 miles, balancing high performance with long-distance travel capabilities.
- The Lucid Air showcases a sleek and modern design, emphasizing both aesthetics and functionality. Its aerodynamic profile achieves a drag coefficient as low as 0.197 Cd, contributing to enhanced efficiency and reduced energy consumption at higher speeds. The spacious interior is thoughtfully designed to provide ample comfort for passengers, reflecting the brand's commitment to luxury.
- Equipped with a 900V+ electrical architecture, the Lucid Air supports rapid charging capabilities. Utilizing the built-in Wunderbox charging system, it can replenish up to 400 kilometers (approximately 248 miles) of range in about 15 minutes when connected to a compatible fast charger. This feature significantly reduces downtime during long journeys, enhancing the overall convenience for drivers.
Initial diagnoses ranged from drivetrain cable issues to dashboard component failures, before taking a hard left turn into absurdity: Lucid’s service center began suggesting the aftermarket window tint might be responsible.
Lucid’s $7,000 Repair Dispute Sparks Outrage
It would be laughable if it weren’t so maddening. The tint was installed by a shop accustomed to handling Ferraris and Bentleys, hardly a chop shop operation. They even have surveillance footage to prove no under-dash wizardry occurred.
Yet Lucid’s service center appears to be circling wagons rather than offering solutions, culminating in a $7,000 repair estimate and a customer now consulting legal counsel. When your flagship sedan bricks at 392 miles and the manufacturer starts suggesting that glass film caused the catastrophic electronic failure, you’ve left engineering behind and entered the absurdist theater.
When Lucid’s Promises Clash with Tesla’s Early Troubles
To be fair, Lucid is not alone here. Tesla’s early years were marred with its own horror stories, dead batteries, glitchy electronics, and mysterious failures. Ford’s F-150 Lightning has seen its own share of software-induced headaches. But this particular case stings sharper because Lucid promised to be better. Their pitch was simple: an EV without compromise, engineered with aerospace precision, born from the minds of Tesla defectors who knew how to do it right this time. And yet here we are, 392 miles in, a bricked drive unit and a service department scrambling to blame aftermarket accessories.
Rawlinson Steps Down Amid Rising Service Challenges
All of this comes at a particularly delicate moment for the California-based automaker. CEO Peter Rawlinson, the former Tesla engineer who led the Air project, stepped down in February and passed the leadership torch to COO Marc Winterhoff. Rawlinson remains as an advisor, but there’s no ignoring the timing.
Lucid is preparing to launch its most critical product yet, the Gravity SUV. It’s a three-row, all-electric luxury hauler meant to take on Tesla’s Model X head-on, boasting up to 440 miles of range, refined interiors, and premium build quality. But February’s sales figures underscore the challenge ahead: just 805 units were registered in the U.S., including only 55 Gravity SUVs and 750 Air sedans. That brings Lucid’s year-to-date total to a modest 1,470 units, a sobering figure in a market hungry for volume and consistency.
Lucid Gravity Grand Touring: Dual-Motor Power Meets Extended Range and Luxury
- The Lucid Gravity Grand Touring model is powered by dual electric motors, providing all-wheel drive and a combined output of up to 828 horsepower. This configuration allows the SUV to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under 3.5 seconds. Additionally, it offers an EPA-estimated range of up to 450 miles on a single charge, making it one of the longest-range electric SUVs in its class.
- The Gravity features a modern SUV design with a length of 198.2 inches, a width of 78.7 inches, and a height of 65.2 inches. It offers flexible seating configurations, accommodating up to seven adults across three rows, or opting for a six-seat arrangement with captain's chairs in the second row. The vehicle also boasts a spacious front trunk (frunk), providing additional cargo space and versatility for various storage needs.
- Built on a 900V electrical architecture, the Gravity supports rapid DC fast charging capabilities. It can add up to 200 miles of range in just 12 minutes when connected to a compatible high-speed charger. The SUV also incorporates advanced regenerative braking systems and a heat pump to optimize energy efficiency, contributing to its impressive range and performance metrics.
Still, the Air remains one of the most visually stunning and technically sophisticated electric sedans on the market. Many Lucid owners continue to report stellar experiences, with praise for its road manners, whisper-quiet cabin, and class-leading range. It’s a car that, when it works, delivers on its promises. But that’s the catch when it works. A single-ownership horror story like this can cast a shadow much longer than any glowing review. And in an industry where perception is everything, Lucid must understand that early adopters aren’t just customers, they’re your brand ambassadors. Fail them, and you fail your future.
A Lucid Owner’s Painful Journey from Belief to Legal Action
This owner, for what it’s worth, isn’t some online malcontent. He’s a true believer, someone who wanted Lucid to succeed. “I want to see this company succeed… Trust me I loved the 4 days I had the vehicle,” he wrote. But after nearly three weeks without a working car, finger-pointing from service reps, and escalating toward legal action, even goodwill begins to sour. Enthusiasm can turn to resentment fast when corporate support withers under pressure. And while most Lucid customers may still be satisfied, incidents like this don’t just bruise reputations, they fracture them.
Time to Rebuild Trust to Compete With EV Titans
Lucid still has time to correct course. It’s a young company in an unforgiving market, and missteps are part of the journey. But if they want to compete with the likes of Tesla, Rivian, or even the legacy stalwarts tiptoeing into electrification, they’ll need to do more than build great cars.
They’ll need to build trust, and that means standing behind their product, especially when the electrons stop flowing. No matter how beautiful the sheet metal or how dazzling the tech is, no one pays $69,000 to drive a diagnostics report.
Image Sources: Subreddit r/Lucid, Lucid Media Center
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.