Someone, talk me out of dumping my R1T

[Jonger1150]

I know this topic has probably been beaten to death, but can the 12V be changed manually if the vehicle is out of warranty? I mean, it's a $100 a year expense if we can. Or...... is there some error code that will continue to stay visible?

If there is a topic on this -- send me a link.

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[Ndbigblue]

my 12v was less than 1.5 years old and died. No warranty provided. I had to pay out of pocket.

 

[BanditTA]

The 12V battery issue is not limited to Rivian EVs either. Our Kia EV6 GT bricked twice due to the 12V and then completely fried its main computer at one point. Our Tesla Model 3 had its 12V die within the first 6 months. Hopefully our BMW I4 doesn’t have this issue - so far so good in the first year.

12V Battery quality i do think has gone down over the last decade. Our Jeep has gone thru 2 main batteries and 3 auxiliary batteries in the course of 4 years too.

I am currently shopping for an R1T still but hopefully the DIY replacement isn’t that bad.

 

[kozak79]

I dumped my 2022 R1T for a 2025 R1T. Never looked back.

P.S. I had a Lexus 250h, and it had one of the first 12v Gel Batteries. Died while we were out for dinner over an hour away from home (the car was only a few months old). Had to get it flatbed towed and get a very expensive taxi home. Not a Rivian issue.

 

[RWerksman]

I've had two R1Ts over the course of 4 years. Zero 12V failures. Zero 12V failures on any vehicle that I've ever owned. I've always parked indoors in a somewhat heated garage - maybe that's a contributor?

My point is that it's not an automatic replacement every 18 months, despite it happening that frequent for you. I do know that they are planning on adding more service related items to the app, 12V change being specifically mentioned as one.

 

[SANZC02]

I love my R1S, it is not going anywhere.

That being said only you can decide your R1T’s future. Here is your quandary, the only way to know if you made the right decision is to make the decision.

A good trick if you are having trouble deciding between 2 options, flip a coin and see how you feel about the outcome. It should tell you what the heart wants, if it comes up sell the truck and your good with it problem solved.

 

[tmbm50]

I've said a dozen times over the last 3 months after getting my 2025 R1T...the 12v will die, they put tiny tiny 12v in these. They discharge and charge a dozen times a day. No battery this size can take that for long.

But I'm used to it. My Tesla X ate a battery EVERY SINGLE YEAR.

Your Options
1. Replace it yourself each year...its not hard and the battery is like 100 bucks.
2. Replace with an Ohmu sodium. Should last 3-4 years.
3. Do nothing and pay for Rivian mobile to replace every year. You can proactively do it..think of like oil changes for your ICE.
4. I added a 2nd battery to my R1T...because if it needs service I can easy disconnect it so they never know.
5. Sell it, and wait until Rivian moves to a lithium 16v like Tesla eventually did.

 

[dleepnw]

There's definitely some pros and cons of keeping your Gen1. Insane capability, true swiss army knife of a vehicle that nothing else can match. You got the early pricing, which makes the capability even more valuable. If you got the Meridian sound system, then theres nothing else Rivian has released thats even close (if audio is important to you) 12v does seem to be an issue, though mine had none in 3 years. Software takes one step forward and two steps back. Autonomy is not what was advertised (Gen1). Repairs and maintenance are going to be expensive post warranty.

I decided to sell mine because of how much I knew I'd have to pay out of warranty. Mine's been to service 10-11 times for various minor things and a couple of major ones. All in it was over $30k ($20k for the major stuff), which of course was covered under warranty. I don't want to deal with that even in the amazing Gen1 vehicle that it is. I'll probably take a look at Gen3 once its out but the price is prohibitive so considering the Lidar Gen2 R2 or the R3X.

 

[TollKeeper]

I wish I could be the voice of reason (to stay with Rivian), but alas, I cant.

Dampers at nearly $6000 a piece out of warranty is just ludicris.

I am also thinking about leaving Rivian. Mine is for different reasons thou.

My biggest hang up.. That 835/915 power rating. It puts a smile on my face everytime!

The F150, Sierra/Silverado, EV9, and Hummer all have me intrigued thou. The radio in the EV9 sucks (even the top tier), but the seats are nice. I have not tried the rest yet.

 

[RivAW]

One way to think about it is the maintenance issues with a Rivian are just different than other cars. $700 a year for a battery is less than oil and filters on my former SUVs and that’s not even getting to brakes. Based on your experience, if it were me, I would keep the Rivian.

It's doubtful you paid $700 a year in oil changes unless you were driving ALOT. Also, being in need of an oil change is far different from having your vehicle bricked (possibly without warning) and requiring a tow and SC visit....

 

[emoore]

This is nothingburger. Learn how to diy battery replacement?

Nearly impossible to DIY on a Rivian unfortunately.

 

[SANZC02]

It's doubtful you paid $700 a year in oil changes unless you were driving ALOT. Also, being in need of an oil change is far different from having your vehicle bricked (possibly without warning) and requiring a tow and SC visit....

My buddy had a fuel pump die twice on his Ford F150 bricking it and requiring a tow to a service center…. I guess anything can break. That is 2 more times than my Tesla (10 years) and Rivian (3 years) has been towed away.

 

[Time2Roll]

Next time diy the 12v and go lithium. https://www.ohmmu.com/rivian-r1s-and-r1t-video

 

[lefkonj]

Like most things not everyone is happy with their experience. I had the 12V drained by a faulty charge door motor, rivian covered all the costs to tow it, rental car, 12 replacement and the motor for the charge port door. After 3 years love my vehicle would buy it again and again.

 

[strykerwsu]

my 12v was less than 1.5 years old and died. No warranty provided. I had to pay out of pocket.

Rivian preemptively came to my garage and changed out both 12v within a month after both my R1's were over 2.5 year old. Not sure what the difference would be. Mine are a 2022 and 2023. I know they did change warranty later on? Maybe the 2 vehicle owner perk lol.

12v are the Achilles of a lot of EV's. I have a bluetooth monitor on my Charger Daytona and installed a special cutoff switch so that I don't have to undo the negative terminal with a wrench to reset it. Once I've done that I have had no issues, just ensure I start the car and run for a while if SOC gets below 70%,.

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