Rivian R1T CV axle failure missed by service center

[zefram47]

Ironically, your video potentially helped identify an issue with one of the CV axles on my Corvette.

So the play in the axle that I noted wound up being a loose axle nut. Rivan folks with axle play might want to check that.

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[NachoRivian]

Thanks for the time you spent making the video. Spent some time under the truck today investigating what I assume is the same rattle several others have experienced.

The only thing I found that seems off is the driver's side plunge joint. There's definitely some looseness, especially compared to the passenger side (which seems tight). I tested this at high and standard heights.

Originally the noise was in low speed conserve mode, and now it's noticeable at all heights/modes.

 

[HJP1]

Guys what are the serial # series of those with issues, mine was delivered last week with a 9900 series and so far I have not noticed any unusual noises?

 

[joelster]

Well… I got my truck back this morning. Still clunking on start and stop. No improvement.

This is from the work order:

“Cause:- Both front axles are missing moly lube on hub shafts causing axle to contact the hub surface onacceleration and deceleration.

Correction/Remedy:- Halfshaft, Front, LH (Remove and Replace)- Noise Vibration and Harshness General Diagnostic”

While this may have been true, it did nothing to correct the issue.

I guess I will either submit another ticket or just drive with the radio cranked...

 

[crashmtb]

I should hope not, but are there any potential issues with voiding warranties by doing anything to your mechanical components like re-torqueing the bolts or applying lock tight? Has there been any "right to work" precedence set?

The Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act has been in effect since 1975.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Guys what are the serial # series of those with issues, mine was delivered last week with a 9900 series and so far I have not noticed any unusual noises?

Mine seems like it has gotten noiser over time. I'm a 32XX vin and have 6600 hard miles on my truck. Upper ball joint nuts still look and feel tight but I haven't checked how the CV joints feel or any other bolts.

 

[R1Tom]

Mine sounds like a wood pecker about 20 yards away....on certain surfaces with certain types of impacts.

 

[HJP1]

After reading this thread I did go under the front and although I am far from a mechanic I grabbed every part I could reach on the front assembly and tried to see if anything seemed loose, I could not feel anything obvious. I spoke to service on another issue (nothing mechanical) and asked if this was a known issue, he said he did not know of anything suggesting that it was not. He did say if it was a problem with a number of vehicles they would have issued a bulletin. I hope it is a very isolated occurrence???

 

[RivianBowerbird]

A service center guy told me today that a single click upon engagement of the drivetrain is normal. A squeak + click (or repeated clicks) is not normal. He also said a small amount of movement from the halfshaft is normal as well.

 

[Mysta]

I observed a clunking noise as described, but I also started getting intermittent winding squeak going at low speeds. Observed at all suspensions heights. Would come and go away. My service center originally said it was normal behavior; however, I rejected that idea after it continued to progressively get worse and I took to complaining on Twitter.




Several other owners replied with the same noise discovered on their vehicles with varying levels of severity. Some service centers tried to re-lube the CVs, others (like mine) did nothing and said it was normal behavior.




For good or bad it raised enough ears at Rivian that my guide reached out and scheduled service immediately. My service center couldn't diagnose the issue immediately and requested an engineer fly out to Salt Lake to take a look. I don't know if they plan to make parts changes or if they already have and there's a series of VINs affected, but they replaced my CVs and bearing hubs. A pretty major job but I can report the sounds are gone. I still get normal squeaky suspension noise, but that's it. Who knows if this is a permanent fix or if things will gradually break once again.

Hopefully, they didn't address my issue because "grumpy kinda-well-known YouTube man complaining" and they actually intend to help all customers with the issue. Please update me with what your SCs indicate to you. Would love to know and maybe I can help rally up some public support. Thanks.

Any news? Mine started doing a bit of a creak as i hit accel and let off at low speeds, doesn’t seem to creak at high speeds and over speed bumps.

 

[G_Land79]

Any news? Mine started doing a bit of a creak as i hit accel and let off at low speeds, doesn’t seem to creak at high speeds and over speed bumps.

I'm taking mine in for the creak in about 3 weeks. Seems to be a solid fix out there for it (re torqued bolts and more grease). It may not fix all the thunks if you have those (I think a new designed CV shaft is needed for that).

Sounds like the creaks may come due to a lot of high torque load. I have done a good deal of brake holding launches and I now have the creaking. Friends who have never launched don't have the creaking. Service says it is not an issue to keep driving on it in the mean time though and everything is handling fine still for me. Annoying but not super concerned.

 

[Dirty_B]

OBTW, had same sound. RVA SC knew exact fix, done 1 day. Someone needs to educate your service center. They replaced and torqued the axle bolts on front half shafts.

Well, about 200mi after service from 'creaking' I now have clunking in both if not all shafts when starting and stopping. I'm so friggin over Rivian crap. Radio / media center has not worked properly for 2 months.... Crickets - engineering is reviewing. So I fear engineering will be reviewing my clunking for a bit as well. Just put in a service request, so we'll see. But after a call with corporate about radio yesterday, soonest RVA SC appt was October for a June issue so I can only imagine when an August issue will get into the shop... Hello 2023.

 

[Mysta]

I'm taking mine in for the creak in about 3 weeks. Seems to be a solid fix out there for it (re torqued bolts and more grease). It may not fix all the thunks if you have those (I think a new designed CV shaft is needed for that).

Sounds like the creaks may come due to a lot of high torque load. I have done a good deal of brake holding launches and I now have the creaking. Friends who have never launched don't have the creaking. Service says it is not an issue to keep driving on it in the mean time though and everything is handling fine still for me. Annoying but not super concerned.

Cool, I have a service mobile tech coming Tues for something else(just a small door alignment fix) - hopefully they can squeeze this in, no thunks for me just that moderate squeaking.

 

[Mike Hunt]

Getting my CV joints fixed

 

[PracticalRivian]

So the Google front page popped up this thread as a suggestion for me and I was surprised to see my YouTube video linked, haha! I am the creator of the original video on the front in clunking noises.

To date my truck has been to Atlanta twice. The first time I drove it the 3.5hrs there, drove a rental home, then drove the rental back to pick it up. Nothing at all was done to fix the clunking issue.

I waited 2 weeks listening to the clunking and then made that video. I sent the video link to Rivian and they lined me up with an early production loaner. My truck went back to Atlanta but this time they brought me the loaner and picked up my truck.

After a few days the service team in Atlanta called, said they'd checked everything, thoroughly driven my truck, driven other trucks, and they all made the same noise. I asked them how they were able to adequately test drive and diagnose a potential problem while putting only 2 miles on my truck and the fall back was that well we drove other trucks and they all sound the same.

I told the service manager that just because they all sound the same does not mean that it is a normal noise, it means it is a common noise. I requested a call from Rivian engineering and they obliged.

The engineer assured me that he thoroughly investigated the issue and that the noise and clunking is normal. We said that because the truck is so performance oriented that it's more racecar-ish and less luxury like. He assured me again that it was "as designed and acceptable". I then informed him that the loaner I'd been driving which was built in January, 2022 did not make the clunking noises that mine makes. I asked him why, if the noise is a side effect of proper design, does the loaner not also make the noise? He had no answer but assured me he's dig further and get back to me with an answer...... It's been 2 weeks now.

So my truck came back to me again with nothing done to it other than super greasy arm crud on the center arm rest. In the last 2 weeks the clunking has not gotten significantly worse but it's just as strong as before. 5 days ago and again yesterday I experienced a loud pop from the driver's side while turning sharply coming out of parking with moderate throttle. I submitted a ticket for that and told them it was just me documenting the worsening conditions in the front suspension/drivetrain and that I was planning on just driving the truck until it catastrophically fails since "all is normal and as designed". I have not heard from service about that ticket.

I'll try to keep you guys updated here if I make progress on figuring out what is making the clunking.

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