Lucid Air reduced performance warning (2022—2023)
Diagnostic code reference
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Reported symptoms
- Unwarned, sudden loss of drive power while the vehicle is in motion
- 'System Failure' or HV -system warning displayed on the glass cockpit panel
- Vehicle decelerates and cannot be restarted to drive condition until a power cycle
- High-voltage contactors heard or felt to open during a normal drive
- Repeated loss-of-drive events at varying speeds and conditions, with no advance warning
- Owner letter received from Lucid referencing recall SR-24-03-0 or NHTSA campaign 24V-497
Questions to ask
- Has the SR-24-03-0 HVIL software update been verified as installed on this VIN , and what is the current software version?
- Are there any other open Lucid Air recalls or service campaigns associated with this VIN, including HVCH (SR-24-04-0 / 24V-011 / 24V-495), ACC software (SR-24-02-0), or wiring harness (SR-24-05-0)?
- If the owner has experienced unwarned loss-of-drive incidents, are those incidents documented in the service record, and is the data from the affected drive sessions retained?
Documents to request
- Diagnostic report listing stored, pending, and historical fault codes related to HVIL, HV contactors, and the HV bus
- Repair order with technician notes describing the software update and the version installed
- List of every open recall campaign associated with this VIN at the time of the visit
Pre-service evidence
- Document each loss-of-drive incident in writing as soon as practical: date, time, location, vehicle speed, road conditions, ambient temperature, warning messages displayed, and how the situation was resolved
- Photograph any 'System Failure' or HV-related warnings on the glass cockpit panel at the time of the incident
- If a loss-of-drive event resulted in a near-incident or required emergency action (highway shoulder, traffic exposure), retain documentation of the location and the response
Service advisor interaction
- Record the service advisor's name and the date and time of each conversation
- Note whether the visit is classified as recall (free), warranty, or paid — the SR-24-03-0 remedy is at no owner cost
- If the vehicle was already updated via OTA prior to the formal recall notice, that does not invalidate the owner's right to formal recall documentation. Request a written record of the update history and the recall remedy completion
- Document any reference to OTA delivery — Lucid's recall remedies for software-driven HV faults are typically delivered OTA, but the documentation of completion remains the dealer's responsibility
Repair authorization
- Recall remedies are at no cost. Charges presented in connection with SR-24-03-0 or related campaigns should be confirmed in writing before authorizing
- If a hardware replacement is recommended beyond the software remedy (HV bus components, contactor assemblies), request written diagnostic basis and warranty classification before authorizing
- Repair authorization forms may include language permitting additional related work — read carefully and decline blanket scope additions
- If the dealership questions the validity of an unwarned-loss-of-drive incident report on the basis that no fault code was retained, request that incident-time data captured by the vehicle (if any) be exported and provided
Post-service verification
- Verify all HV-system warnings have cleared after the software update
- Confirm a normal drive cycle completes without HV contactor opening events — short test drive at varied speeds is reasonable verification
- Confirm the repair order references the correct recall campaign number and the post-update software version
- Verify that any other concurrently-applied recall campaigns are itemized on the repair order
- Note odometer, state of charge, and any test-drive distance at pickup
Email templates
Warranty notes
- Recall remedies are performed at no cost to the owner. Diagnostic or labor charges presented in connection with SR-24-03-0 should be confirmed in writing.
- Owners who experienced unwarned loss-of-drive incidents prior to the recall remedy and incurred costs (towing, alternative transportation, lost work) may have grounds for goodwill reimbursement. Records of incident details, including dates, locations, and any out-of-pocket expenses, are relevant to that conversation.
- The Lucid Air recall landscape is dense — multiple separate software, hardware, and component recalls have been issued during 2022-2026. A single VIN may carry several open campaigns. Resolving one does not waive others.
- Repairs performed under goodwill do not extend the warranty period.
Observational patterns
The Lucid Air 2022-2023 production through November 2022 was identified as having intermittent hardware connection vulnerability in the HV bus. Multiple distinct connection-point failures were observed during Lucid's engineering investigation. The software remedy modifies HVIL logic so that intermittent connections do not trigger contactor opening during driving — but the underlying hardware variability remains.
Lucid has a notably dense recall history relative to its production volume, reflecting an early-launch software-defined product where field experience has surfaced multiple categories of defect. The HVIL recall is one of more than a dozen Lucid Air NHTSA campaigns across 2022-2026.
OTA delivery is Lucid's default remedy mechanism for software-corrected defects. The remedy completion is administratively visible to dealers but may not be obvious to owners — explicit documentation of the recall completion in service records matters for resale, warranty escalation, and any future incident response.
The HVCH defrost failure recall (separate from HVIL) is also a software-based identification remedy — the software warns the driver of a heater failure but does not prevent the failure itself. Hardware replacement is performed when the warning is triggered. NHTSA closed its investigation into this approach without further action in May 2026, finding the post-remedy failure rate of 0.14% acceptable. Owners should know the HVCH software is a monitoring tool, not a fix.
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