I purchased 2020 Levo in July of this year which is already failing and two months in, Specialized refuses to honor their warranty. The worst issue at this time is with the disc brake system which has completely failed and has needed to be disabled to even move the bike.
The dealer whom I purchased this from is getting push back from the brake manufacturer and when I contacted Specialized, their response has been "not our problem, we don't make the brakes" I've included the entire email thread below that details the issue and their response but as COVID means phones are no longer answered and they have stopped responding to my emails, am not sure where I can to turn for help?
-----Original Message---
I am writing to express my disappointment in the Levo 29er I picked up at Woodinville Cycle on June 3 of this year. One month in I started having issues with a grinding noise and high frequency vibration on the front wheel and 2 weeks ago, took it back to the place of purchase for warranty repair. The technician looked at it and said he would need to order new parts from SRAM and would take a week and a half to get.
In the meantime I have needed to remove the front brake pads in order to continue riding the bicycle at all. I purchased this bicycle two months ago for a series of summer rides and honestly don't feel it is fair to expect that I go without while it is waiting on parts or being repaired so needed to do this to even allow the wheel to turn. The shop where I purchased said that they would expedite the parts but was not offered a loaner.
As it stands I am now riding the bike with no front brakes and as of yesterday, the high frequency vibration and noise returned and happens on every ride after approximately 20 minutes. Once the bike is left to rest it goes away only to return later. I have looked at the brakes and there is zero contact between the cylinders and the pad leading me to believe it may be another issue. The fact that it happens after extended riding makes me suspect that something is warming up and expanding, possibly the axle, but I don't have the time to troubleshoot.
Having heard nothing in 2 weeks, I called Woodinville Bike today for an updated status on the parts. I was told that the tech is arguing with SRAM as they said they would not honor the warranty as it doesn't cover this. They don't know when they will work this out but hopefully 'soon'
First off, this is a brand new bicycle and if it comes down to it, I am covered under my credit card warranty if needed as well as other consumer protection laws. Second, I was under the impression that the warranty that I received with my purchase is through Specialized, not individually by every third party supplier who makes parts? I apologize for my frustration but every time I need to take this from my home in Seattle to the shop where I purchased it in Woodinville takes at least 1.5 hours out of my day and yet I'm left with a broken bicycle that I am being told will not be repaired.
Additionally, the motor on the bike has been increasing in noise since I purchased it and each time I've taken it in to try and have the wheel issue repaired I have been told they will look at it the next time but then the next time doesn't come.
Please let me know if there's anyone at Specialized who can help. Thank you in advance.
---Specialized Response---
Hi,
I'm sorry to hear that you are having issues with your bike. The motor is covered under warranty with Specialized, and on the 2020 model Levos there is a known issue with the belt. For that reason we actually extended the warranty from 2 years, to 4 years on the motor. I believe that we have replacement motors in-stock, so the bike shop should be able to submit a warranty claim to their warranty representative to get that fixed. As for the brakes, because they are manufactured by SRAM, and not Specialized, we do not keep their parts in-stock or warranty their parts. They have their own warranty policy for their own equipment failure. It sounds to me like the brake pads are most likely glazed over, or contaminated. Glazed brake pads are very common on e-bikes because of the excess weight of the bike. If the brake pads are just glazed, they can be sanded and resurfaced, then burned in on the rotor to prevent glazing again. If the brake pads are contaminated (with oil, lube, grease, road grime, chemicals, soap, etc) it can also cause this sound to happen. Often times it means that replacing the brake pads, resurfacing the rotor, and burning them in will solve the problem. I hope that SRAM or the shop can get your brake pad situation sorted out. If you contact your shop, they can submit a warranty claim for that motor (it only takes about 10 minutes). Hope this helps!
Ride on!
Taylor | Specialized USA Rider Care
---my response---
Thank you for your email but brake pads are unfortunately not the issue. I have removed the brake pads entirely as they kept getting tighter and stopping the bike mid ride. This worked for a week or so but now the noise and vibration has returned.
While I understand your working with different vendors to manufacture and even support the components of your bikes , SRAMs refusal to stand by their contribution, a mere two months after the purchase date is unacceptable by any standards. I was hoping that someone from specialized would be willing to stand up for their product and for me but apparently I was mistaken
--Specialized Response--
Nothing............
--My Response--
I sent an email earlier today regarding issues I'm having with a 2 month old Levo and the response I received was almost as if my original message wasn't even read.
In it, I explained in detail how I have needed to remove the brake pads completely from my bike to prevent them from stopping the vehicle mid ride. I followed up by explaining that even with the brake pads now removed, the noise and vibration has returned yet nothing is touching the disk. The response I received was that the issue is most likely glazing and that cleaning the brakepads will be a simple fix?
I also find it unacceptable that Specialized is unwilling to stand behind their bicycle package and help me with one of their vendors, SRAM, who refuses to replace the component that Woodinville Bike, an 'official Specialized dealer' has said has failed. According to the Woodinville Bike, whom I purchased this from, SRAM is saying that it is not covered and that they will need to continue fighting but it may be a while.
How can this even be? I didn't purchase an SRAM brake package that happened to have a Specialized bike attached just as I didn't buy a 'Visteon Automotive Cockpit' that happened to have a Honda hooked up to it. If the electronics fail in my car, Honda will figure out how to make it right. They would never tell me to take it up with Visteon, but in this case I'm being told it's out of your hands?
I'm including my original conversation below if anyone at Specialized is interested in looking into this further for me otherwise I will unfortunately need to look into my other options.
To sum my experience up I'm really quite shocked. I've always gone with Canondale in the past but while researching this bike I read a number of claims that Specialized stood behind their product. This was one of the deciding factors in my purchase but apparently I was wrong.
Chris
--Specialized Response--
Crickets............................
The dealer whom I purchased this from is getting push back from the brake manufacturer and when I contacted Specialized, their response has been "not our problem, we don't make the brakes" I've included the entire email thread below that details the issue and their response but as COVID means phones are no longer answered and they have stopped responding to my emails, am not sure where I can to turn for help?
-----Original Message---
I am writing to express my disappointment in the Levo 29er I picked up at Woodinville Cycle on June 3 of this year. One month in I started having issues with a grinding noise and high frequency vibration on the front wheel and 2 weeks ago, took it back to the place of purchase for warranty repair. The technician looked at it and said he would need to order new parts from SRAM and would take a week and a half to get.
In the meantime I have needed to remove the front brake pads in order to continue riding the bicycle at all. I purchased this bicycle two months ago for a series of summer rides and honestly don't feel it is fair to expect that I go without while it is waiting on parts or being repaired so needed to do this to even allow the wheel to turn. The shop where I purchased said that they would expedite the parts but was not offered a loaner.
As it stands I am now riding the bike with no front brakes and as of yesterday, the high frequency vibration and noise returned and happens on every ride after approximately 20 minutes. Once the bike is left to rest it goes away only to return later. I have looked at the brakes and there is zero contact between the cylinders and the pad leading me to believe it may be another issue. The fact that it happens after extended riding makes me suspect that something is warming up and expanding, possibly the axle, but I don't have the time to troubleshoot.
Having heard nothing in 2 weeks, I called Woodinville Bike today for an updated status on the parts. I was told that the tech is arguing with SRAM as they said they would not honor the warranty as it doesn't cover this. They don't know when they will work this out but hopefully 'soon'
First off, this is a brand new bicycle and if it comes down to it, I am covered under my credit card warranty if needed as well as other consumer protection laws. Second, I was under the impression that the warranty that I received with my purchase is through Specialized, not individually by every third party supplier who makes parts? I apologize for my frustration but every time I need to take this from my home in Seattle to the shop where I purchased it in Woodinville takes at least 1.5 hours out of my day and yet I'm left with a broken bicycle that I am being told will not be repaired.
Additionally, the motor on the bike has been increasing in noise since I purchased it and each time I've taken it in to try and have the wheel issue repaired I have been told they will look at it the next time but then the next time doesn't come.
Please let me know if there's anyone at Specialized who can help. Thank you in advance.
---Specialized Response---
Hi,
I'm sorry to hear that you are having issues with your bike. The motor is covered under warranty with Specialized, and on the 2020 model Levos there is a known issue with the belt. For that reason we actually extended the warranty from 2 years, to 4 years on the motor. I believe that we have replacement motors in-stock, so the bike shop should be able to submit a warranty claim to their warranty representative to get that fixed. As for the brakes, because they are manufactured by SRAM, and not Specialized, we do not keep their parts in-stock or warranty their parts. They have their own warranty policy for their own equipment failure. It sounds to me like the brake pads are most likely glazed over, or contaminated. Glazed brake pads are very common on e-bikes because of the excess weight of the bike. If the brake pads are just glazed, they can be sanded and resurfaced, then burned in on the rotor to prevent glazing again. If the brake pads are contaminated (with oil, lube, grease, road grime, chemicals, soap, etc) it can also cause this sound to happen. Often times it means that replacing the brake pads, resurfacing the rotor, and burning them in will solve the problem. I hope that SRAM or the shop can get your brake pad situation sorted out. If you contact your shop, they can submit a warranty claim for that motor (it only takes about 10 minutes). Hope this helps!
Ride on!
Taylor | Specialized USA Rider Care
---my response---
Thank you for your email but brake pads are unfortunately not the issue. I have removed the brake pads entirely as they kept getting tighter and stopping the bike mid ride. This worked for a week or so but now the noise and vibration has returned.
While I understand your working with different vendors to manufacture and even support the components of your bikes , SRAMs refusal to stand by their contribution, a mere two months after the purchase date is unacceptable by any standards. I was hoping that someone from specialized would be willing to stand up for their product and for me but apparently I was mistaken
--Specialized Response--
Nothing............
--My Response--
I sent an email earlier today regarding issues I'm having with a 2 month old Levo and the response I received was almost as if my original message wasn't even read.
In it, I explained in detail how I have needed to remove the brake pads completely from my bike to prevent them from stopping the vehicle mid ride. I followed up by explaining that even with the brake pads now removed, the noise and vibration has returned yet nothing is touching the disk. The response I received was that the issue is most likely glazing and that cleaning the brakepads will be a simple fix?
I also find it unacceptable that Specialized is unwilling to stand behind their bicycle package and help me with one of their vendors, SRAM, who refuses to replace the component that Woodinville Bike, an 'official Specialized dealer' has said has failed. According to the Woodinville Bike, whom I purchased this from, SRAM is saying that it is not covered and that they will need to continue fighting but it may be a while.
How can this even be? I didn't purchase an SRAM brake package that happened to have a Specialized bike attached just as I didn't buy a 'Visteon Automotive Cockpit' that happened to have a Honda hooked up to it. If the electronics fail in my car, Honda will figure out how to make it right. They would never tell me to take it up with Visteon, but in this case I'm being told it's out of your hands?
I'm including my original conversation below if anyone at Specialized is interested in looking into this further for me otherwise I will unfortunately need to look into my other options.
To sum my experience up I'm really quite shocked. I've always gone with Canondale in the past but while researching this bike I read a number of claims that Specialized stood behind their product. This was one of the deciding factors in my purchase but apparently I was wrong.
Chris
--Specialized Response--
Crickets............................
