Rivian reliability is a problem

[JasonK]

I have wanted a EV for years now and I have looked at the many options out there. I eventually decided I liked the Rivian the best. And when I learned that they were making the an affordable model I was all in and put down a reservation on the first day. Many of my family and friends try to talk me out of getting an EV because of all the issues they have and the negative publicity that always seems to be out there. I have just wanted to get one just to prove them wrong. But when I see Consumer reports vehicle reliability reports and Rivian is at he very bottom by a long ways I get discouraged and worry that I will end up with a problem vehicle. My friends and family are just going to be saying "I told you!". I still have high hopes that Rivian is going to learn from the past issues and start making reliable EVs. When I first saw this data last year I thought it must be because of all the issues with the retractable tonneau cover on the bed. But If you click on Rivian on the web site you can see it is the R1S that is the least reliable. I hope to see big improvements in reliability over the next 2 years or I will not be buying.
This is a screen shot of the ratings as ai was not sure if I could post a link to their site in this post or if non members would see it.

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[JasonK]

Not sure why that screen shot posted twice.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Consumer reports is garbage these days. They should stick to vacuums.

 

[DayTripping]

Most people don't have major issues, but there have been some. I think the R2 will be a simpler design and they should learn from their mistakes with the R1 platform.

I have had issues with mine, but most of them so far have been minor. I have an R2 reservation as well. My original plan was to get a CyberTruck. I didn't like it after driving it. I ended up buying an R1T. I. may just drive my R1T until the R2 came in. I like my R1T enough I may not follow through with the R2.

 

[Doug]

Not all Rivian have had issues. Because it is a new company the issues that people do have are publicized more. Also, with the price point people tend to be pickier and have higher expectations. I have had two trouble free years so far with ours.

 

[electruck]

Is it really a problem? It's definitely a marketing problem for Rivian. But even the least reliable vehicles on the market are still pretty reliable these days and every brand has problems. Just this morning i was reading about an ICE Bronco that had to be lemoned. Yet I've had nearly 2 years in my R1S with zero problems.

 

[sd250]

Consumer Reports should really categorize the issues when they report "reliability" data like this.
Rivian scored poorly on their reliability metric, but scored very high on their customer satisfaction metric.

We had about 5 "issues" we found after delivery that took a long time to address. Mostly because I was waiting for a closer service center to open up. The issues were all minor that we were able to put up with until they were eventually addressed by Rivian. Those issues didn't take away from how great the truck is to use and to drive.

 

[Hereforthesnacks]

I don’t mind if a car is less “reliable.” What I do mind is when a simple or complex fix takes 3 months for an appointment.

Rivian doesn’t have a reliability issue. It has a service issue.

 

[TollKeeper]

I don’t mind if a car is less “reliable.” What I do mind is when a simple or complex fix takes 3 months for an appointment.

Rivian doesn’t have a reliability issue. It has a service issue.

I tend to agree with you on this one. Service centers being to small, or not enough mechanics, or both.

They do seem to be addressing the issues as they crop out.

My R1 has been relatively problem free, and all the problems it has had has not made it undriveable. I too have a R2 on reserve.

That said, Rivians biggest problem for me... Promises not kept. XM radio, Youtube, etc, or taking away features (12v plugs), etc.

Thanks for reminding me, need to schedule for a mobile service. This dash rattle is driving me batty.

 

[Killer95Stang]

Can we just merge this with other the CR post. We don't need another doom and gloom thread .

Also, got see an R1 with the newest beta OTA yesterday. It had XM and Chromecast with YouTube. It might not be on the next OTA, but it is definitely getting close.

 

[dleepnw]

We don't know how they gather the data, what data they have, how much data they have so there's that. Lets assume they have "good" data that's statistically significant.

What you fail to mention/notice is that CR also reported that Rivian has the highest owner satisfaction. Perfect 5/5 score. No other brand has that.

Seems to be some contradiction here. How can the potentially worst reliable car have the highest owner satisfaction? I think its pretty simple: Rivian makes incredible vehicles. Owners with minor problems don't care or don't care enough that it makes the vehicle or ownership dissatisfying. Sure, service times are not great is some locations right now, but again it doesn't outweigh what an incredible vehicle they know they have. And I'm sure there's some with major problems but that's true for any manufacturer. You read what's been happening with Toyota these days?

I wouldn't worry. Rivian continues to improve the vehicles. The R2 will be amazing. Its their "Model 3" moment, they know they have to get it right and they probably will.

 

[Glembi2]

Statistics can lie. We do not know what qualifies as an issue in the chart. Maybe there is something in the text. I’ve taken my R1S for minor things, not because my other vehicles are better, but because they do not spark the same level of joy driving as does my R1. I want to get the minor things addressed on my R1 but only get the bigger stuff fixed on the others.

For me, the satisfaction of the R1 is what it gets right and what it does that no other vehicle I’ve owned can do and consistently use (true vehicle camping, 15” of ground clearance, 0-60 in eyeball-hurting acceleration, tons of space, 12v and 120v outlets etc)

Plus, the folks at the Gaithersburg MD shop and mobile service in the DMV are rockstars!

Just hit 1 year of ownership yesterday and am still stoked every time I drive it.

 

[lefkonj]

I don't believe reliability is a problem I think service is. I love my R1S and while I had a few bumps in the beginning since then it has been amazing, almost 2 years now. Consumer reports rates reliability how? Drive unit failure or someone opening a service ticket to adjust a rattle in the rear seats? While they are both 'problems' they are not the same at all. To me reliability has to do with vehicle functionality not minor things.

Having said that when I called service to get a mobile appointment for my flat tire I was told 19 days, and for a in person service center it was more than 30. That is crazy. The Edison NJ center has been targeted to open since November 2021, still not done. This is my biggest problem, period end of story move on nothing else to see here.

 

[Bruins06]

My R1T has had several small issues, but most are very minor, easily repaired. I love this trucks performance and utility, well worth the minor inconvenience of the small repairs, no regrets purchasing the truck. In fact, if I were to total my R1T today, I would replace it with another R1T. For my needs(wants), there is nothing better in the market right now.

 

[Brian-MS90D]

IMO if one is looking for near zero "problems" then it's best to stick with one of the high production volumes ICE vehicles from Honda or Toyota. They are pretty reliable and probably more importantly, any issue that does crop up can be resolved FAST and AFFORDABLY.

There is no "issue" unique to Rivian. There are realities around purchasing both a low production volume vehicle and from a new company. There will be some quality issues. Repairing those issues can take longer. Out of warranty, repairs will certainly be more expensive (than a Honda Civic, for example).

The same was true when I got my Tesla Model S in 2017 (some issues & pricey parts). And then, the Model Y in 2021 was much better (fewer to no issues and more affordable parts).

The same was true when I had a Land Rover LR3. Lots of issues and very expensive parts. It's a low production volume vehicle from a small company.

EV's are still in the early adopter phase. Don't buy one if it doesn't excite you and you can't live with some unique headaches. On top of that, Rivian is a small start up company. Expecting anything different is unrealistic.

Now, if Rivian doesn't improve with the roll out of the R2? Then that's a problem. Until then, the realities of new company, small volume manufacturing are going to be present. However, it is not unique to EV's or Rivian at all.

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