Known Issues & Problems with Giant Products + Help, Solutions & Fixes

[Browneye]

I have heard of stripped crank arms but never seen one. The solution is to replace it if the pedal shaft threads are stripped.
While I can relate to the frustration, I'm not sure how that is Giant's fault when your dealer installed the wrong arm.

This thread/post reveals the shimano steps E6000 arms are compatible: https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/crank-arms-for-pw-motor.25471/#post-174894
So if your dealer cannot source the Giant or Yamaha ones surely you can locate Shimano arms. And while the square-drive conventional arm may be old school they have served well for decades. I fail to see why that would be a detraction, in fact just the opposite - easy parts replacement, even generic. I have not tried swapping out a crank arm with a generic square-drive one. Would be worth a shot. Stock length is 170mm, which is found on the vast majority of bicycles.

And all manner of electromechanical systems have trouble with water ingress in the electrics. If RideControlOne leaked that's a surprise, it was an update from the old display type controller to be more water resistant. I sure wouldn't risk blasting it with water in any case

Hopefully you can get your bike back in order in a reasonable amount of time.
As an aside, I ordered replacement sensor parts for Bafang from China nearly two months ago. Still waiting...

 

[Peddling Pete]

I have heard of stripped crank arms but never seen one. The solution is to replace it if the pedal shaft threads are stripped.
While I can relate to the frustration, I'm not sure how that is Giant's fault when your dealer installed the wrong arm.

This thread/post reveals the shimano steps E6000 arms are compatible: https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/crank-arms-for-pw-motor.25471/#post-174894
So if your dealer cannot source the Giant or Yamaha ones surely you can locate Shimano arms. And while the square-drive conventional arm may be old school they have served well for decades. I fail to see why that would be a detraction, in fact just the opposite - easy parts replacement, even generic. I have not tried swapping out a crank arm with a generic square-drive one. Would be worth a shot. Stock length is 170mm, which is found on the vast majority of bicycles.

And all manner of electromechanical systems have trouble with water ingress in the electrics. If RideControlOne leaked that's a surprise, it was an update from the old display type controller to be more water resistant. I sure wouldn't risk blasting it with water in any case

Hopefully you can get your bike back in order in a reasonable amount of time.
As an aside, I ordered replacement sensor parts for Bafang from China nearly two months ago. Still waiting...

Hi Browneye,
I'm think you mis-read my post. The crank arm came like that out of the factory, so yes it's a Giant fault and issue. I have checked with the dealer to see if they had removed the crank arm and they said no. The parts catalogue according to Giant only list 1 pedal arm, not a pair. I guess and wrote I am expecting it to be another RH arm. So again as I wrote I have been looking for a replacement pair of crank arms and while the FC-e6000 fit there is no stock anywhere. I agree that the square taper interface worked well, but if I can't get any because the world has moved on then and it has effectively become obsolete atm, that is the detraction.
And as regards washing it, well if it can't cope with UK weather then it certainly wouldn't cope with anything more than a damp cloth and why even sell it in the UK? Incredible when Giant sell this system on FS bikes that are always going to get filthy. Any electrical system designed for use outside should conform to an IP rating and be suitably sealed. Even £10 Christmas lights manage it, so there really is no excuse.
I hope you get your bits soon. At least you can get parts for it, I have yet to find anywhere with a parts list for Giant e-bikes that I could use it get replacements. I found the rear light by googling the name and part number.

 

[Browneye]

Something doesn't quite add up here...I have three of them in my possession and have changed the pedals out on all of them - all are right and left hand thread as expected.
If Giant were as you claim they wouldn't be the largest in the world. And then the majority of comments throughout the world would be negative. These are not 'known issues or problems'.

If it were me I would return the bike and get something else. Wishing you the best outcome.

 

[jabberwocky]

I wouldn't be surprised if the crank arm was messed up at the factory (looks like square taper, which are interchangeable left and right side, so if something ended up in the wrong bin it could be installed without being noticed easily enough). I can almost guarantee the bike didn't ship with pedals on it though, so that still seems like something the shop should have caught.

Square taper is an older interface, but I've never been in a shop that didn't have some square taper crank arms laying around. Its still reasonably popular in some segments.

 

[Peddling Pete]

I wouldn't be surprised if the crank arm was messed up at the factory (looks like square taper, which are interchangeable left and right side, so if something ended up in the wrong bin it could be installed without being noticed easily enough). I can almost guarantee the bike didn't ship with pedals on it though, so that still seems like something the shop should have caught.

Square taper is an older interface, but I've never been in a shop that didn't have some square taper crank arms laying around. Its still reasonably popular in some segments.

You are right, the dealer would have fitted the pedals that came in the bike box. Imagine he picks one up, checks thread it RH so fits to the right, doesn't check the other and just fits it to the left side assuming its a left pedal. I could get a Left arm off the net etc, but I can't get a pair and having odd cranks would really annoy me. Besides at 2 months old this bike really is Giants problem. I think this bike is a Friday afternoon job.

 

[jabberwocky]

You are right, the dealer would have fitted the pedals that came in the bike box. Imagine he picks one up, checks thread it RH so fits to the right, doesn't check the other and just fits it to the left side assuming its a left pedal. I could get a Left arm off the net etc, but I can't get a pair and having odd cranks would really annoy me. Besides at 2 months old this bike really is Giants problem. I think this bike is a Friday afternoon job.

Definitely agree that its Giants problem (whether it was a factory or shop issue). I still kinda wonder how the shop got things installed without noticing. Even if they just tried pedals without looking at the threading or markings, pedals still come in L+R pairs, so if the bike came from the factory with two R crank arms, one of the pedals still wouldn't have worked. Also, swapping pedals is one of those things that any shop wrench does 50 times a day, and they definitely know which direction the the threads are supposed to go. Even if the bike came with two R crank arms on the bike and two R pedals in the box, the wrenches I know still would have noticed that one of them was threading on the wrong way.

Mistakes happen, so the shop and Giant should take care of you. Hopefully it doesn't take too long.

 

[Peddling Pete]

Hi all, here's an update:
Yesterday 19/05.2020, I contacted my local Giant store to see if any parts had turned up yet. Some pedal arms had turned up to the store un-allocated with no customer name or order number on them but no matching pedals. The store said I had to contact Giant to see if they were mine, get an order number from Giant so they could fit them to my bike under warranty. I rang Giant UK, they gave me an order number for the pedal arms. When I asked why there was no pedals included they man at Giant UK asked why there should be, so again I explained the difference between a LH and RH pedal arm and what that meant for Pedal fitment. The Man at Giant UK tried to insist they could send pedals through the post but I insisted that as the bike had already been off the road since 08/05/2020 following an earlier 3 week repair stint for the electrics, I felt he should authorise the shop to fit a set of pedals from their stock at Giant UK's expense. He eventually agreed and rang the store to give the authority. The store rang me back and confirmed they had been authorised to fit a set of pedals to the value of £40, Hurrah! progress.... Not quite. I asked the store when I could bring the bike in for repair and they said they currently have a 14 day wait time! So this means between the purchase date of the bike on 15/03/2020 and 14 days time 03/06/2020 I would have owned the bike 79 days and it would have been out of action for 58 days! I asked why I can't have the arms and fit them myself, but the store said if I did that I would forfeit the warranty for the whole bike. As it's so reliable I don't want to do that. Unbelievable......

 

[pmcdonald]

Unbelievable indeed. If I were your LBS I'd move heaven and earth to get the situation rectified, particularly if evidence pointed to an earlier stuff up on my part. I know they're probably flat out at the moment but, seriously, they can't put in 15 minutes OT to make good?

If a polite, calm call to the manager doesn't get results it might be time to go nuclear and draw public attention to the issue on Giant UK's socials. That avenue usually nets faster results

 

[Peddling Pete]

Unbelievable indeed. If I were your LBS I'd move heaven and earth to get the situation rectified, particularly if evidence pointed to an earlier stuff up on my part. I know they're probably flat out at the moment but, seriously, they can't put in 15 minutes OT to make good?

If a polite, calm call to the manager doesn't get results it might be time to go nuclear and draw public attention to the issue on Giant UK's socials. That avenue usually nets faster results

Hi, It was the LBS manager that told me two weeks!. I like your idea of Giant socials, by that I guess you mean FB and Twitter? I am half way through making a YouTube video too. I just want to ride a reliable bike..... But I do feel obliged to get Giant to listen to protect other consumers.

 

[pmcdonald]

Hi, It was the LBS manager that told me two weeks!. I like your idea of Giant socials, by that I guess you mean FB and Twitter? I am half way through making a YouTube video too. I just want to ride a reliable bike..... But I do feel obliged to get Giant to listen to protect other consumers.

Yes, Facebook would be my first port of call. Keep it factual and dispassionate, lay out the facts chronologically and as briefly as possible, and make clear the failings on the part of Giant or the LBS, and how long your BRAND NEW BIKE has been off the road. Give Giant the chance to make good, and be sure to be the bigger person. It doesn't take an MBA to realise customers can be the best advocate or worst enemy for a brand. What are others thoughts here?

 

[Browneye]

I think he has a failed dealer person. Just not buying any of the rest of it. In fact, the whole thing smells of desperation. Even Giant bikes come out of a china factory. There's bound to be a few that escape QC. Sad but true.
If it were me, failure to honor a warranty would have prompted me to returned the bike. Or I would have fixed it myself. A crank arm is really, really simple. IMO the dealer should have fixed it on the spot, even if it meant pulling a part off another bike on the floor. That, to me, is the failure.

 

[gorse]

IMO the dealer should have fixed it on the spot, even if it meant pulling a part off another bike on the floor. That, to me, is the failure.

Which is likely how the whole crank mess began, if in fact they fitted two RH crank arms, and two RH pedals. That isn't something a factory would have done; it's a spotty teenager mistake.

 

[Peddling Pete]

So another update:
I have kept on at Giant UK but every time I ring I get a new person. I have managed to get authority from Giant, in email form that I could collect the Pedal arms and Pedals and fit them myself without voiding the warranty. So I drove the 35 mile round trip to collect the bits. I took the old stuff with me to hand in. They had an actual RH and LH set of pedal arms with new bolts. I had to choose new pedals too but despite being a Giant dealer they had no Giant pedals in stock. They tried to mug me off with a set of metal cage £10 pedals as an exchange and had no pedals for £40 in store. So I got some £49.99 Raceface pedals as they were the only black pedals they had. I had to pay the additional £10.00 too! Anyway, they are now fitted to the bike.
I explained I still wanted to take it to them in a few weeks as 1.) the rear light does not work still. I noticed when I dim the display for night time use the voltage supply to the light goes down to between 0 Volts and -2.0 Volts, so there is clearly outstanding software or hardware issues. 2.) The Ride control app does not work as the app says it is not a suitable bike but according to this forum it might need a firmware upgrade. 3.) the walk assist does not work. I have solved a really loud and annoying rattle though by checking the battery lock. There is a phillips screw that keeps the barrel in, that was loose. Once tightened the rattle disappeared.

 

[gorse]

So another update:
I have kept on at Giant UK but every time I ring I get a new person. I have managed to get authority from Giant, in email form that I could collect the Pedal arms and Pedals and fit them myself without voiding the warranty. So I drove the 35 mile round trip to collect the bits. I took the old stuff with me to hand in. They had an actual RH and LH set of pedal arms with new bolts. I had to choose new pedals too but despite being a Giant dealer they had no Giant pedals in stock. They tried to mug me off with a set of metal cage £10 pedals as an exchange and had no pedals for £40 in store. So I got some £49.99 Raceface pedals as they were the only black pedals they had. I had to pay the additional £10.00 too! Anyway, they are now fitted to the bike.
I explained I still wanted to take it to them in a few weeks as 1.) the rear light does not work still. I noticed when I dim the display for night time use the voltage supply to the light goes down to between 0 Volts and -2.0 Volts, so there is clearly outstanding software or hardware issues. 2.) The Ride control app does not work as the app says it is not a suitable bike but according to this forum it might need a firmware upgrade. 3.) the walk assist does not work. I have solved a really loud and annoying rattle though by checking the battery lock. There is a phillips screw that keeps the barrel in, that was loose. Once tightened the rattle disappeared.

Get a refund. Buy a Trek Allant+

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Buy a Trek Allant+

Yeah. To get into other problems.

 

[jabberwocky]

It honestly sounds like the problem is the shop, not the bike.

 

[PDoz]

So another update:
I have kept on at Giant UK but every time I ring I get a new person. I have managed to get authority from Giant, in email form that I could collect the Pedal arms and Pedals and fit them myself without voiding the warranty. So I drove the 35 mile round trip to collect the bits. I took the old stuff with me to hand in. They had an actual RH and LH set of pedal arms with new bolts. I had to choose new pedals too but despite being a Giant dealer they had no Giant pedals in stock. They tried to mug me off with a set of metal cage £10 pedals as an exchange and had no pedals for £40 in store. So I got some £49.99 Raceface pedals as they were the only black pedals they had. I had to pay the additional £10.00 too! Anyway, they are now fitted to the bike.
I explained I still wanted to take it to them in a few weeks as 1.) the rear light does not work still. I noticed when I dim the display for night time use the voltage supply to the light goes down to between 0 Volts and -2.0 Volts, so there is clearly outstanding software or hardware issues. 2.) The Ride control app does not work as the app says it is not a suitable bike but according to this forum it might need a firmware upgrade. 3.) the walk assist does not work. I have solved a really loud and annoying rattle though by checking the battery lock. There is a phillips screw that keeps the barrel in, that was loose. Once tightened the rattle disappeared.

Do you haveanother choice of shop?

Just a perspective on how a decent shop works - I emailed my shop last sunday asking if he had a suggestion for how I could secure the handle on some panniers I had bought for xmas, including a pic of the damage. first thing monday morning he lets me know he's forwarded details to distributor, followed by an updated email telling me he has a replacement upgraded pannier coming but if I'd like an alternative brand he will sort it out for me. i

Same deal when I snapped a chainwheel - email photo , quick response, he dealt with Giant, he volunteered to cover the cost of upgrading to a part I'd be happy with.

These bikes come from the factory without pedals attached. I simply can't understand how a competent bike mechanic would fut a R hand pedal onto the left side of a bike. I would not be allowing that mechanic to touch my bike again, and I would not return to a shop who expected me to negotiate warranty claims with giant - that's mail oder level of service!

 

[gorse]

Yeah. To get into other problems.

And, hopefully, a new shop that knows the difference between a right and left hand thread.

A work colleague had a similar sort of doofus experience with a 2020 Giant Fastroad E+ (which was also completely unsuitable - why did Giant drop the battery capacity from 500 to 375?) and eventually got a refund. Loves the Allant+, way more range, and it doesn't break down

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Gorse, that is a futile discussion. For example, the company that carries Specialized and Trek bikes in the capital city of my country provides the worst customer support. These are guys who forget inflating the tyres in a newly sold e-bike. Guys who suddenly realise they ordered a 11-42t cassette but they should have ordered the 11-46t. Guys, who then realise they forgot to order a 120-link chain for the said cassette. People who keep your bike in the workshop for two weeks. People who don't call you, don't reply phones and often e-mails, who are arrogant towards you. Delivery of the e-bike of your dreams takes them several weeks if such a bike is available at all in the distributor's country, and that country is not yours...

The same city sports a Giant dealer LBS. They deliver your desired e-bike within two days. It takes them a day to complete an upgrade or service. They always give you a phone call themselves. No wonder, their stores buzz with customers while the Specialized/Trek stores are deserted.

There are threads on this very forum where people who spent big $$$ on their Allant+ discover that there are substantial design and manufacturing faults in their e-bikes. Same can be said about Specialized, Riese & Muller and, unluckily -- Giant. Still, the best e-bike is the one that gets the best support from the LBS. Because no e-bike brand/model is perfect.

Your experiences might be different but as an active Forum member I'm too well aware what happens to e-bikes of my friends here. Now, name a faultless e-bike.

 

[jabberwocky]

The Explore E+ is a grand cheaper than the least expensive Allant, and I know plenty of people who have had issues with Trek (I’ve personally had a lot of bontrager part failures over the years). Regardless, this does seem like a dealer support issue. The big manufacturers all have their issues and rely on their dealers to handle this sort of stuff. The downside to that system is a crap dealer can really ruin the whole experience. Unless there’s a side to the story we aren’t getting, it’s hard to see this as anything but a crap dealer experience.

I know my shop would have pulled a crank off a floor bike if they needed to to get me back out the door. Swapping square taper cranks and pedals is a 5 minute job for a mildly competent wrench.