What Actually Fails First in Real-World Rivian Ownership

[electruck4x4]

There’s a lot of talk about range and performance.

From what we see, the first “pain points” aren’t mechanical. They’re practical.

• Small cosmetic wear that adds up
• Lifting equipment confidence
• Tire pressure inconsistencies after rotations
• Minor annoyances that turn into daily friction

One customer told us the first thing that bothered him wasn’t range. It was realizing he didn’t have a proper roadside setup if he needed it.

Ownership comfort isn’t about big mods.

It’s about removing small stress points.

Curious what your first “this is annoying” moment was.

— Team Electruck

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[iamnid]

The paint (on my particular R1S) is very bad. I only handwash and have used the same method for my last 4+ cars. The paint is covered in swirls and blemishes that I never experienced with my other vehicles.

The rattles -- too many to count. The doors rattle, the seats make a rattling sound, the suspension is clunky.

The app -- it hardly ever works when I want to use it. There's almost always connection errors or I have to keep trying to do what I want until it finally wakes up the vehicle. It's very inconsistent and unreliable.

 

[cwintermeyer]

Admittedly, it's the epitome of a first world problem, but I've come to realize that not having physical controls for temp up/down and vents open/close/direction is stupidly annoying.

 

[Luxus]

I've only had it a short time but the first annoying thing was how loud the heat pump is while parked inside my garage and I am not in the truck. Fortunately from inside the truck, it's not that noticeable.

Once or twice the truck did not automatically unlock when I walked up to it. Had to pull my phone out to use the app to unlock it.

 

[tkauftheil]

My only two gripes is the clock location. It’s only good if you are a passenger. lol.

My biggest gripe is the rear view mirror not having articulation on both ends of the post. I wish I could tilt it down at the base. My view always seems to be looking down at the road only 2 Carlin’s behind me. Sometimes I’d like to see further back. Like if that statie I passed is coming for me.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Gas Stations.

 

[Glembi2]

My first annoying moment was letting range anxiety get the better of me. Turning off the heat at 4 am in sub freezing temps was not a good idea. That day I learned to quell the range anxiety fear and charge when needed.

 

[Airnet]

The rear view mirror should be a screen and camera so I don't have to keep adjusting the mirror after the wife and I swap. Most high end cars use a camera now, not a mirror. The mirror is also useless when someone sits in the middle of the 2nd row.

First world problems.

 

[Mos Eisley]

The rear view mirror should be a screen and camera so I don't have to keep adjusting the mirror after the wife and I swap. Most high end cars use a camera now, not a mirror. The mirror is also useless when someone sits in the middle of the 2nd row.

First world problems.

No please! Every vehicle I have been in with a camera instead of an analog mirror (Toyota being the worst) induces vertigo in me and LESS confidence in using it as the FOV is unnatural. Glad to hear RJ reiterate in a video I watched this week that it is the one thing he adamantly pushes back against with his designers.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

There’s a lot of talk about range and performance.

From what we see, the first “pain points” aren’t mechanical. They’re practical.

• Small cosmetic wear that adds up
• Lifting equipment confidence
• Tire pressure inconsistencies after rotations
• Minor annoyances that turn into daily friction

One customer told us the first thing that bothered him wasn’t range. It was realizing he didn’t have a proper roadside setup if he needed it.

Ownership comfort isn’t about big mods.

It’s about removing small stress points.

Curious what your first “this is annoying” moment was.

— Team Electruck

Tires, but I wouldn't call that a Failure. It's normal wear and tear IMO.

True Failure? With a capital F, is easily the Alexa integration.

Alexa, take me to Home Depot. Sure, it uses Google Maps. Sure google knows there's one half a mile away and shows it when I type it in, but Alexa finds the one in Nebraska and gives me the option of that one or the one in Quebec.

Alexa, take me home. Does it take me home to where I programmed it in the truck? No, it takes me home to when I set it on Amazons servers back in college...(Non-Alexa user at home)

Alexa, play....it can't do that on Apple Music.

Build your own, switch to another, or use CarPlay. It doesn't really matter to me, just make your voice assistant work. I find myself getting annoyed at poking at screens and complaining about the lack of physical buttons not because I desire them but because the Alexa voice assistant is downright terrible. (I have no such gripes about Tesla's lack of CarPlay for example)

 

[jackfu]

No please! Every vehicle I have been in with a camera instead of an analog mirror (Toyota being the worst) induces vertigo in me and LESS confidence in using it as the FOV is unnatural. Glad to hear RJ reiterate in a video I watched this week that it is the one thing he adamantly pushes back against with his designers.

This. The camera rear view mirrors feel very unnatural for vision and does make quite a number of people sick.

 

[Newtonrj]

Compass. Minor gripe. Why does location specific needs like a garage door opener permanently exist on the banner of the center screen but the compass is all over the place! Different formats, minimized if directions mode, moved down or gone in center screen in different apps. This is an adventure vehicle. Maps and compass . All the time, please

 

[BCondrey]

This feels like a troll post. What is a roadside setup? People have problems with the tire jack? Or is this vendor doing a sales pitch? Pass.

 

[Gigabit]

I have learned the philosophy that there is no free lunch. I take this to mean you don't ever solve issues, you only transfer one issue for another issue. The point of design is to move the those issues to a point that it affects the least amount of people.

 

[nc10]

Not sure this counts, but, the cost of minor bodywork repairs is overwhelming. I know it is a problem on all cars, but a lot moreso on Rivians.

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