A mixed ride with the Vado 4.0

[bryan27]

I’ve owned my Specialized Vado 4.0 for a year, and it’s been a mixed experience.

The motor made more and more noise, and its power delivery always felt inconsistent and odd, possibly tied to the breakdown. The local bike shop is going to replace it but it's taking some time. Bike has about 2300 miles total so far.

The front forks are harsh and too stiff and I don't know if I can replace the springs with something softer which I'd do, and the brakes aren’t that great. The front rotor warped slightly on a long downhill and that annoyed me so I replaced the whole front brakes with Shimano XT's and rotor with better pads and that was a much better improvement.

That said, the seat is comfortable, and the tires offer a confident, enjoyable ride. I run low pressures. I did replace the seat stem with a better suspension stem and that made my rides much improved. The computer showing cadence and speed is handy, though I wish it synced power data to my Apple Watch.

Specialized’s customer service was top-notch, handling the motor warranty smoothly, but the local bike shop provided a poor slap stick initial assembly and unhappy customer service afterwards. Walking into that shop feels like I've walked into a depressed environment.

I enjoy e-biking a lot and went with a quality make like Specialized because I enjoy quality products but seems like I bought a less than quality bike and may not go with another Specialized e-bike when I buy another one for my wife and daughter.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

The quality of the Specialized dealer is of the utmost importance...

 

[Allan47.7339]

but the local bike shop provided a poor slap stick initial assembly and unhappy customer service afterwards. Walking into that shop feels like I've walked into a depressed environment.

Why would you go back to that bike shop unless it's the only one in the area? It's not the brand it's the shop.

 

[bryan27]

Why would you go back to that bike shop unless it's the only one in the area? It's not the brand it's the shop.

You're right. I should have taken it to another bike shop in a different town.

Also the LBS charged me a diagnostic fee of $45 separately for the warranty repair. I figured that kind of thing would be covered, especially since it was clearly a defect. The shop did a solid job handling the claim, no complaints there. But that extra $45 stung, and I wish Specialized would just cover diagnostics for warranty stuff or at least warn you about possible fees. It'd make the whole experience feel more like the high-end brand they're supposed to be.

 

[Cycologist]

I've also had a mixed experience with the Vado. It's a fun bike to ride, when it's working, but it gets annoying when it has constant issues.
I recently brought my Vado SL 4.0 in for service since it had some major issues after one riding season.
The rear hub was loose and had a lot of play, one of the crank arms was loose and couldn't be tightened and the brake pads needed to be replaced. Brake pads I can understand, but the other two issues never should have happened.

It took them a month to fix it and when I got it back, I saw on the repair invoice that they replaced the motor too.
Unfortunately, my LBS isn't the greatest and they couldn't tell me why the motor was replaced. The only thing I could think of is that the splines on the motor shaft on the bad crank arm side got chewed up a bit, so they decided to replace the motor. Unfortunately, nobody there knew the answer as to why it was replaced since the guy that did the work wasn't there and he didn't take any notes. They also tried to bill me for work that should have been covered under warranty, but that's another story.

The new motor is noticeably quieter than the old one, which is interesting. Something odd is the old motor would be louder under lower power assist levels. The new motor is the opposite and it quieter under lower power assist levels, which seems more like it should be, so maybe there was some kind of issue with the original motor from the beginning.

In any case, I'm not impressed with the durability of this bike and will probably look at Trek products in the future.
I'm guessing this bike will be very expensive to maintain going forward, especially if it needs regular motor replacements.
Right now, I'm riding like I'm on eggshells and being very careful not to stress the bike in any way.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

one of the crank arms was loose and couldn't be tightened

It is a known glitch. I can bet it was the drive-side crankarm. As I have gone through this myself, I can bet the LBS guys have replaced your motor totally unnecessarily. It is the Praxis crankarm that needs to be replaced!

Haven't had any other issues with my Vado SL since June 2021.

I don't know why you think a TREK e-bike would be better. You should have changed the Specialized LBS, it is all what I can say.

Over 10,000 issue free miles except for the replaced crankarm.

 

[Cycologist]

I hope you're right and that this bike will give me no further serious issues.

Unfortunately, my "local" bike shop that services Specialized stuff is about a 45 minute drive one-way.
The next closest Specialized shop is in another state and many hours away, so I'm kind of stuck with these guys.

On the other hand, there are many Trek shops around here, all within riding distance.

 

[bryan27]

Hey Cycologist and everyone, thanks for the great discussion on this worldwide forum. Cycologist, I hear you on the Vado struggles-loose hub and crankarm issues are a pain, and your shop not explaining the motor swap is frustrating. My Specialized Vado 4.0 had a noisy motor and inconsistent power, but Specialized replaced it under warranty, and their support was solid. Still, I’m wondering if the bike’s durability justifies its high-end price. Stefan, thanks for the heads-up on the Praxis crankarm issue-I’ll ask my shop to check that to prevent unnecessary repairs. My local Specialized shop’s been disappointing-sloppy assembly, a gloomy atmosphere, and a $45 diagnostic fee for a warranty claim felt like a low blow. I get that a bad shop doesn’t define the brand, but it’s tough when better options aren’t close by. For comparison, I bought my son a lower-end Trek bike, and its quality felt even worse than my Vado, which was a letdown. But the Trek shop I dealt with was fantastic-super helpful and great service, which makes a huge difference. I’ve upgraded my Vado with Shimano XT brakes and a suspension seatpost, and those, plus the comfy seat and solid tires, keep rides enjoyable. Still, the stiff forks and past motor issues have me hesitant about another Specialized for my wife and daughter. For those of you across the globe, any tips on finding reliable bike shops that elevate the e-bike experience, no matter the brand? Or brands with consistently durable e-bikes? This discussion’s really helping me plan my next move-thanks!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Stefan, thanks for the heads-up on the Praxis crankarm issue

Only relevant to Vado SL not to the full power Vado. It took 3 years or some 12,000 km to damage the crankarm.

 

[Cycologist]

I think I could live with the crankarm replacement if it only happens once every 12,000km. Still, it should never happen.
I have an older bike made by GT which I've had for 25 years and God knows how many miles and it's still fine.

For this new Vado, the wheel hub came loose at 400 mi and the crank arm was about 2,000 by the time I noticed it. For the wheel hub, the bike shop had a backlog of over a month for repairs and I'd have to leave the bike there the whole time if I wanted it fixed. Since I literally just got the bike a couple months before, I didn't want to do that. I want to RIDE the thing, not let it sit in a repair shop, so I didn't have it fixed until the end of the riding season. Thankfully it didn't get much worse and is fixed (for now).

Also, the rear brake caliper constantly gets out of alignment on this bike, usually on every ride, no matter what value I torque down the bolts. Right now I'm using 8nm, which should be enough. Sometimes I have to fix it mid-ride. The front caliper is fine.

In all fairness, it's possible that I'm just too hard on the bike, which could be part of what's causing these issues. I'm going to try and go a bit easier on it this year and see what happens, although I do ride pretty fast. I will try to go easier over any rough terrain I encounter (which isn't much) and try not to lean the bike as much when cornering.

 

[bryan27]

Update on my situation: I stood up for my consumer rights and got the $45 diagnostic fee refunded by the local bike shop. Their sloppy service, gloomy vibe, and that extra charge were the final straw—I won’t be going back there. While Specialized’s warranty support was solid, the shop’s poor attitude and the Vado’s issues have me looking elsewhere for my wife and daughter’s e-bikes. Appreciating all your insights here!