Rivian software is (still) an embarrassment and needs to get better fast before R2

[ATLRivvy]

So quote someone calling it crazy since that is the word you chose to use to characterize their comment(s).

You keep saying things then denying it or claiming that it meant something other than what it clearly means. You know, like when you called those who disagree with you "brigading fanatics" then denied it? Not sure why that keeps happening.... I guess that's your version of "you doing you"?

Sigh. I obviously didnt mean literally calling it the word crazy - that's a characterization of the line of quotes I made in the response to you. Context.

And yeah I deny saying anyone who disagrees with me is a brigading fanatic because thats not what I said. I said that I label anyone disagreeing with the specific point (relatively minor issues at high frequency compound into bad experience) is a fanatic. Read the posts you are responding to. Its written explicitly.

Im not even sure what point you are making here - are you arguing that its NOT true that many owners have experienced software instability? Are you arguing thats its NOT understandable that someone experiencing a variety of high-frequency but relatively minor bugs is having a bad experience? Are you arguing that any buyer implicitly agrees to forgive Rivian (a public company making expensive vehicles) for said relatively minor bugs at high frequency and therefore shouldnt complain?

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[COdogman]

Sigh. I obviously didnt mean literally calling it the word crazy - that's a characterization of the line of quotes I made in the response to you. Context.

And yeah I deny saying anyone who disagrees with me is a brigading fanatic because thats not what I said. I said that I label anyone disagreeing with the specific point (relatively minor issues at high frequency compound into bad experience) is a fanatic. Read the posts you are responding to. Its written explicitly.

Im not even sure what point you are making here - are you arguing that its NOT true that many owners have experienced software instability? Are you arguing thats its NOT understandable that someone experiencing a variety of high-frequency but relatively minor bugs is having a bad experience? Are you arguing that any buyer implicitly agrees to forgive Rivian (a public company making expensive vehicles) for said relatively minor bugs at high frequency and therefore shouldnt complain?

Again, no one ever said people couldn't complain about anything they feel like complaining about. I'm just not sure why you need to keep misrepresenting the comments that either oppose or simply share they haven't experienced the same thing the complaint is about.

And you did say exactly what you are now denying. It's very clear. Not even sure why you are pretending you didn't. If you didn't mean to say it, then just say that....

I’m not really here to defend OP specifically. I’m just sick of the brigading fanatics that pop up in every single thread like this (of which there are many) and try gaslight away the issues. This isn’t a startup building bleeding edge tech, it’s a public company chasing from behind in a crowded market.

 

[Stevetom84]

I was going to stay out of this discussion, but here is my take:

As vehicles become more and more reliant on software, there are going to bugs and glitches, particularly when the vehicle is getting updated roughly every month. Ideally updates are well tested and issues are avoided as much as possible, however there simply can't be the testing necessary to completely validate all configurations, all climates, all phones, all apps, etc and keep up with a monthly update. I'm not a software developer or anything, but I'm assuming when they are testing an update, work on the next update is already happening. It's somewhat understandable how glitches/annoyances can be introduced when testing for an updated is ongoing while work for the next one is in progress.

I've had my 5### VIN R1T for roughly 2.5 years and while there have been some annoyances at times, there has been nothing catastrophic or persistent to the point I would ditch the vehicle.

• I've been lucky that I haven't had persistent PAAK issues. I have it off at home to keep from having inadvertent lock/unlocks with the primary bedroom being near the garage. There was an update that caused the PAAK to take longer to recognize and unlock, but it was corrected in a future update. A bit annoying for a month or so, but not a big deal. There are some that have reported persistent issues that could be a result of vehicle hardware issues, phone hardware issues, software issues, or user error.
• I had Apple music for a bit and at the beginning when it was integrated there were some issues with volume and some inconsistencies with staying signed in. I no longer use Apple music, so not sure if it's still a problem.
• For Sirius XM every once and awhile (maybe once every few months) it gets stuck in state where it's "off line". Sometimes switching between music apps would fix it, others it would basically reset once the vehicle went to sleep. An infotainment reset would also fix it. Annoying when it happens, but it's not persistent enough for me to worry about.
• The suspension is probably my biggest worry with the vehicle long term. For that reason, I don't use kneel mode and general try to minimize changing the height settings unless it's needed (off road) or i'll be using the same setting for an extended time (low for long distance highway driving). My worry about the suspension is the primary reason I purchased an extended warranty since I plan to keep the truck long term.
• I researched my Gear Guard setup and went with a known compatible drive and cord. I haven't had any issues.
• I'm the primary driver of my R1T and seldomly drive our Volvo EV. To me it's not a big issue to have to manually switch profiles. On our Volvo the profiles should be based on key used, but there are glitches that more often than not the profile isn't automatically switched and if the primary key is detected in the car it will always default to it (as it should).

While I love my R1T and I would buy again, Rivian isn't without issues. While I consider some bugs/glitches/annoyances part of the relatively quickly evolving software, some may see these as deal killers and that's perfectly fine for them. If switching profiles, Apple music, etc are what's important to you and Rivian isn't working out, find something that better suits you. As more companies work on there own infotainment and ditch apple car play/android auto, there will be a risk of glitches/annoyances being introduced.

In my mind what isn't acceptable and Rivian needs to do a better job ensuring doesn't happen, is when an update causes issues with the drivability of the vehicle or has the potential to leave people stranded. I haven't been hit with these, but a couple that come to mind include:

• A couple years ago there was an update that basically bricked some vehicles. That update was quickly pulled and if I remember correctly Rivian had a fix within 24 hours and in only a few instances to the fix require a SC visit. This hasn't happened since and happened when there was a relatively few amount of Rivian's out there, but something like that happening when the R2 is out and a ton of people are impacted would be catastrophic to the brand.
• The previous update that caused some with LFP batteries (I believe) to not accurately depict the SOC with some reports of once you got down to like 20%, it then quickly dropped to 0%. The obvious temporary fix is to ensure you stay above 20%, but unless you are in the know, this isn't obvious. Maybe Rivian sent a notification to impacted vehicles, but if not they should develop a system that notifications can be pushed to lessen the potential impact until the software issue is resolved.
• Not really update related, but there seems to be far to many people impacted by persistent 12V battery issues. I've only had mine replaced once and they have introduced monitoring software to help detect issues before it impacts drivability, but there are some that have had 3 or more replacements in a 12 month period. My R1T is an early one with 2 batteries that I understand costs close to $1,000 to replace. After suspension, it's probably my next biggest worry long term.

Then there are things that seem to take to long to get introduced, such as integrated texting. I understand that is coming early this year, but it's taken to long. In addition, while a battery concern is valid, being able to set Gear Guard to recognize/record vehicles in addition to people should be an option. There are to many reports of hit and runs that could have been captured if the option was available.

I love my R1T, would buy again, and would recommend Rivian to others looking for a unique and capable EV that is continuously improved. However if it's not for you and your not happy with it, more power to you to find something that better suites you.

 

[ATLRivvy]

Again, no one ever said people couldn't complain about anything they feel like complaining about. I'm just not sure why you need to keep misrepresenting the comments that either oppose or simply share they haven't experienced the same thing the complaint is about.

And you did say exactly what you are now denying. It's very clear. Not even sure why you are pretending you didn't. If you didn't mean to say it, then just say that....

Are you actually reading the stuff that you are quoting? Nowhere in that quote am I saying that everyone who disagrees with me is a fanatic. It’s very clearly referring to the subset of people of the type I described (I.e. those who try to gaslight away the issues with type of excuses described in my last reply). If you don’t fall into that subset then you can move right along - I’m still not even sure what point you are arguing anyway, I’ve explicitly stated mine several times.

 

[COdogman]

Are you actually reading the stuff that you are quoting? Nowhere in that quote am I saying that everyone who disagrees with me is a fanatic. It’s very clearly referring to the subset of people of the type I described (I.e. those who try to gaslight away the issues with type of excuses described in my last reply). If you don’t fall into that subset then you can move right along - I’m still not even sure what point you are arguing anyway, I’ve explicitly stated mine several times.

Well, instead of vaguely saying it may or may not apply to someone who disagrees with you, maybe YOU could be specific about who you are referring to? Of course according to you it's someone else's fault that your comment wasn't understood and on top of it you claim that you are being "explicit" in the process

 

[CampfireWisdom]

Friends, Rivians, Countrymen… lend me your ears…

These forums should be flame-free. I am a future R1T owner and a big fan of the brand but it is really unbecoming that some members of our community attack people when they post their frustrations. Thank you to those of you who see these moments as opportunities to connect as opposed to sowing seeds of division.

Greg

 

[Dark-Fx]

A couple years ago there was an update that basically bricked some vehicles.

People throw the word "brick" around without care about what it really means. All of the vehicles that got the bad infotainment update were still drivable. I don't know anyone that drives a literal brick.

The previous update that caused some with LFP batteries (I believe) to not accurately depict the SOC with some reports of once you got down to like 20%, it then quickly dropped to 0%. The obvious temporary fix is to ensure you stay above 20%, but unless you are in the know, this isn't obvious. Maybe Rivian sent a notification to impacted vehicles, but if not they should develop a system that notifications can be pushed to lessen the potential impact until the software issue is resolved.

Speculation here, but I suspect the cause was the inability to adjust rapidly enough to the different weather conditions. We had a more gradual shift into cold temps the previous season, and much fewer LFP based Rivians in the field.

Not really update related, but there seems to be far to many people impacted by persistent 12V battery issues. I've only had mine replaced once and they have introduced monitoring software to help detect issues before it impacts drivability, but there are some that have had 3 or more replacements in a 12 month period. My R1T is an early one with 2 batteries that I understand costs close to $1,000 to replace. After suspension, it's probably my next biggest worry long term.

I had the 12V replaced on my '22 R1T but our 23 R1S is still on the original. Lead acid batteries can last a long time with a lot of abuse, as long as they aren't allowed to drop into a low state of charge. It only takes a few of these to effectively ruin them.

Friends, Rivians, Countrymen… lend me your ears…

These forums should be flame-free. I am a future R1T owner and a big fan of the brand but it is really unbecoming that some members of our community attack people when they post their frustrations. Thank you to those of you who see these moments as opportunities to connect as opposed to sowing seeds of division.

Greg

Thanks for the input, Greg. Hopefully you'll be a Rivian owner soon and can actually provide useful input. Just don't pretend that your experience after two weeks reflects everyone else's.

 

[Supratachophobia]

I've had my Rivian for less than 2 weeks, and I already almost can't take it anymore because of the software issues.

Disclaimer/context: I'm a big Rivian fan and have been rooting for them for years. I want them to succeed. I'm also a software architect, recovering developer, and CTO...I am fully aware of how hard it is to build and deliver complex software (not for embedded systems in a vehicle specifically, but I have some similar experience) for your current customers while also building for the future.

I just had to step back and take off the rose-colored glasses we sometimes have as fans of Rivian, because after experiencing the below I don't think I can look a normal person (non-early-adopter type) in the eye and recommend a Rivian.

All of the below issues have persisted after multiple resets of both vehicle and phone, and deletion/reinstallation of the Rivian iOS app.

1. About 70% of the time, the vehicle will not proximity unlock via phone key unless I pull out my phone (iPhone 17) and open the Rivian app. Yes, all the background permissions/Bluetooth settings etc are enabled. Insane that simply unlocking the car is still a problem in 2025. "UWB is supposed to make this better" -- yeah that would be great, if I could actually get the setup prompt. I can't. Besides, Tesla's been doing reliable unlocking via Bluetooth for years.
2. Apple Music stops after every 2-3 songs. It just stops playing until I tap Play again. Sometimes it just refuses to play that song and I have to keep skipping until one will start. Today, I got in the car and it just outright refused to start anything from Apple Music. Frustrating/annoying.
3. FM radio hasn't worked properly a single time. Oh it plays...but the UI is completely broken; we can't control it. It shows the radio as "off" when it's really on, or it stays locked on a single station regardless of what other buttons you push to change it, or sometimes it will change the station but the UI still shows that it's on a different station. Ridiculous.
4. Kneel when Parked only works about half of the time.
5. I can't get it to prefer my profile over my wife's when we both approach the car at the same time.
6. When I do select my profile, half the time it doesn't return my seat to my position. So then I have to re-setup my seat position.
7. Gear Guard setup just...won't. I have what is supposedly a proven compatible storage device, but when it tells me to plug it in, I do, and then nothing happens. No error message, no feedback, no additional information. The setup screen just closes.

There are yet more serious bugs that I (thankfully) have not experienced, like the slow level 2 charging or -- worse -- the wildly inaccurate arrival SoC estimates people have been reporting with the most recent update (2025.46.0). But those bugs are still indirectly affecting me even though I haven't experienced them, because we're leaving on a roadtrip soon, and I'm worried that these bugs might hit me — I'm afraid I won't be able to trust the arrival SoC, for example. Not a relaxing way to start a trip.

And that's the crux of it -- trust. I don't trust that the software in this $100k vehicle is going to work at any given moment, even for basic stuff like unlocking the car. Conversely, in three years, I haven't had any of the above issues in our Tesla, except for one time it wouldn't unlock until I opened the app on my phone. One. Single. Time. Everything else has been absolutely flawless in that vehicle -- audio, driver profile selection, the dashcam system, charging management, all of it. Based on that contrasting experience, I probably won't use my day one R2 reservation to replace our Model Y, and we'll be keeping the Model Y primarily because it's just reliable, and the Rivian isn't.

"It'll get better in the next update" or "it's come so far!" isn't acceptable after five years when we're talking about basic functionality that has been working fine in cars for decades — proximity unlock and FM radio, for example. "It's buggy because it's better tech and still new," again, isn't acceptable after this much time and for how expensive this vehicle is.

I know it's hard. I know it's new. Not an excuse anymore.

As a Rivian investor, I'm honestly more worried about next year now that I own a Rivian. If the mass market R2 experiences these types and volume of bugs, the Rivian brand will be tarnished and the R2 launch will be compromised. (Ironically, studies have shown that people who buy mid-market cars tend to have even less patience for reliability issues than people who buy $100k+ cars, due to lifestyle factors and a few other things.)

I don't post this to sh!t on Rivian, quite the opposite...I'm still rooting for them. But being honest about where things stand is important. They probably know all this, I'm surely not revealing anything that's new to anyone, but just as a reality check of where the overall current customer experience stands (for some people)...it's not great.

Let's hope for a better 2026 with software!

I get it fellow owner. Imagine my surprise when Rivian fixed the cold weather charging issue only to break the navigation.

But I can confidantly say that going-on over a decade of EV OTA updates, things do get addressed over time. Now, Rivian hasn't been as solid as Tesla with regards to testing things so they don't break for the consumer. And while I want to give them grace on this, they've been doing it long enough they should know better.

But Rivian releases updates a lot more frequently than tesla ever did. That's the choice they've made and that are the consequences.

Tesla did have it right with their EAP (early access program) that selected a subset of owners to test updates in the real world prior to release. This is why it took longer but the updates were more stable with regards to breaking things.

 

[Supratachophobia]

Well, you just complained to me.

He gave us anecdotal information, not complaining.

 

[Supratachophobia]

Not trying to dismiss your experience, but my dude, drink some decaf & relax. I've had my Rivian for just over 3mos & I've yet to experience ANY of the issues you described.

• Proximity lock/unlock, Apple, Spotify, FM Radio all work whenever called upon.
• Kneel mode - is this really a software issue or user error? KM will stop if anyone opens the door before it is completed
• Profile - n/a for me; wife drives her company car M-F, otherwise I drive
• GG - setup for Samsung 2TB hard drive was flawless

You come across as melodramatic ranting about "more serious bugs" you admittedly have never experienced. Rivian isn't perfect, but what car company is? Heck, I'm playfully disappointed we didn't get a Xmas-themed light show in the .46.0 update. Nevertheless, each of the 3 updates I've experienced so far, has improved my vehicle experience. So yes, lets hope 2026 software continues to get better & better with every release

Proximity unlock after Halloween and before 46 update was hot hot garage. You cannot change my mind on this. That was just my experience. It's been almost Tesla key-fob reliable since then.

 

[Supratachophobia]

“No offense”…
Lol

It's like saying, "I'm not racist, but....."

Yeah, whatever comes next is definitely going to be racist.

 

[Stevetom84]

People throw the word "brick" around without care about what it really means. All of the vehicles that got the bad infotainment update were still drivable. I don't know anyone that drives a literal brick.




Speculation here, but I suspect the cause was the inability to adjust rapidly enough to the different weather conditions. We had a more gradual shift into cold temps the previous season, and much fewer LFP based Rivians in the field.


I had the 12V replaced on my '22 R1T but our 23 R1S is still on the original. Lead acid batteries can last a long time with a lot of abuse, as long as they aren't allowed to drop into a low state of charge. It only takes a few of these to effectively ruin them.


Thanks for the input, Greg. Hopefully you'll be a Rivian owner soon and can actually provide useful input. Just don't pretend that your experience after two weeks reflects everyone else's.

I agree brick wasn't the most appropriate term. If I remember correctly you could drive, but all infotainment systems were non-functional. Understandably, it left some not trusting what did and didn't work until a fix was in place.

Rivian did a good job identifying the issue quickly and pushing a OTA update to correct within something like 24 hours. I'm sure they now have safeguards of some sort to ensure that doesn't happen again.

 

[Sgt Beavis]

This week, I really tried out the self driving thing. Twice I drove from Denver to Colorado Springs. Honestly, not bad at all. After getting to CS limits, I went back to manual driving, but it was definitely a more relaxing drive.

Beyond that, the last update has been a little buggy. Apple Music, as usual, stems to still have issues. This update has caused all album art to disappear. I also got an error that put the R1S into Turtle Mode. However a hard reboot resolved that. Also, after the update, my compressor display started working. It had been inoperative since November.

Overall, I still regret trading my Gen 1 R1T in for a Gen 2 R1S. But at least things are starting to get better.

 

[BCondrey]

Wow such drama. I haven't had any of the 7 issues you mention. Sounds like you should sell the Rivian. I mean you are pretty close to "not being able to take it anymore".

 

[BCondrey]

Did you read the part in bold? Multiple resets, while troubleshooting on my own and with Rivian.

Wow guys. Didn’t think everyone here would get so defensive.

Honestly, what did you expect? Do you really think EVERYONE has all these issues? I'm not clear on what you wanted to accomplish with your post. You related your experience. You have a ton of people relating theirs. People are matching your drama with drama of their own. About the R2 point... CTOs across the land may be disappointed, but I hope the new R2 owners have the same experience I have had with both my R1Ts. The software defined vehicle improves after you buy it. My truck is so much better now than when I first got it. Many new features added, bugs fixed, new software every 6 weeks or so. As a long-time CIO, I love it.

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