What Actually Fails First in Real-World Rivian Ownership

[narmstrong79]

For four rotors/pads? seems market to me unless using a small local shop.

I'm more concerned that the pads and rotors need replacing at only 55K and less on the price.

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[Space Cowboy]

Issues/quirks:
1. Car came with multiple dents. Rivian made it right; reimbursed me for PDR but the car had been sitting there ready for delivery for 10 days --they should have noticed.
2. Screen complexity - core vehicle functions buried in menus.
3. No physical buttons for locking/unlocking.
4. Defaulting to squat/kneel mode. Looks so stupid in the R1T. Like the mode, hate that it seems to randomly re-default to doing this.
5. No way for the car to learn remote entry should be reduced at home. I shouldn't have to turn it off and on when I want it/don't want it. unlocks from well inside the house. With previous cars, the annoyance was only present within the garage or when walking past the car.
6. No factory dividers for the R1T rear seat storage.

Love the R1T, these have been my annoyances

 

[Space Cowboy]

I'm more concerned that the pads and rotors need replacing at only 55K and less on the price.

They may be a heavy braker, hard to say. This is early but not markedly so.

 

[Space Cowboy]

My biggest disappointment is that after only 85,000 miles I had to have the half shafts and brakes replaced. Brakes include the rotors as they don't turn rotors. This is a crazy high expense for a truck with such low miles. I use regen all of the time and rarely use cruise control since it relies on the brakes instead of the regen. My wife's Tesla model S went 185,000 miles over 10 yrs. and we did NO maintenance at all. Not even brakes. Just tires and wiper blades. What is wrong with Rivian and their (adventure) vehicle.

Your tesla was thousands of pounds less than your R1T. These brakes are also undersized. Also 85k isn't low mileage by any stretch.

Hopefully they continue to work on these wear issues, and sorry for the expense!

 

[Ariscottle]

Service History:
2023
-Moisture Taillight
-Wind noise from driver side window
-Half shafts needed ting washers
-Cracked plastic under C pillar trim
-Alignment issue
-Another half shaft repair with right spring "rolled over itself" and cv boot leaking

2024
-Faulty door drain plug, retained water
-Front damper replaced
-Tonneau retrofit
-v12 battery replaced
-Rear tailgate trim replaced

2025
-Front half shaft and rear half shaft serviced for creaking
-Sun visor lights replaced
-I broke my spoiler not warranty

2026
-Half shafts front and rear replaced
-Recall LH RH rear toe link knuckle fasteners
-Rear drive unit replaced

Today
-In the shop for a gangster lean
-Still enjoy this Vehicle

 

[mkhuffman]

I'm more concerned that the pads and rotors need replacing at only 55K and less on the price.

Totally expected if he has regen set to low and uses the brake pedal to slow the truck.

 

[Space Cowboy]

Totally expected if he has regen set to low and uses the brake pedal to slow the truck.

Wow, I'm reading that the brake pedal in the Rivian is primarily a friction brake. in my outgoing BMW iX had a blended brake pedal where light braking still was primarily regenerative and became progressively friction-preferred with heavier braking. That said, the regenerative braking is much less smooth than in the Rivian.

I'd imagine this means that the Rivian is prone to friction brake wear (rotors/pads) with light regen on. I will adjust my habits accordingly!

 

[Space Cowboy]

Wow, I'm reading that the brake pedal in the Rivian is primarily a friction brake. in my outgoing BMW iX had a blended brake pedal where light braking still was primarily regenerative and became progressively friction-preferred with heavier braking. That said, the regenerative braking is much less smooth than in the Rivian.

I'd imagine this means that the Rivian is prone to friction brake wear (rotors/pads) with light regen on. I will adjust my habits accordingly!

AI/Gemini summary:


The BMW iX and Rivian R1T represent two fundamentally different philosophies in EV braking design. While the BMW iX uses a highly advanced "brake-by-wire" system that prioritizes a seamless, "gas-car-like" pedal feel, the Rivian R1T utilizes a traditional hydraulic setup that prioritizes predictable mechanical feedback.

Comparison Summary

Feature	BMW iX	Rivian R1T
Brake Pedal Type	Brake-by-Wire: No physical link to brakes under normal use.	Hydraulic: Pedal is physically connected to the master cylinder.
Blended Braking	Yes: Pressing the pedal uses regen first, adding friction brakes as needed.	No (Manual): Pressing the pedal engages friction brakes immediately.
One-Pedal Drive	Selectable (B Mode).	Standard/Mandatory (High/Standard settings).
Adaptive Braking	Adaptive Mode: Uses sensors to adjust regen based on traffic.	Regen Assist: Blends friction to mimic regen when battery is cold/full.

BMW iX: The Integrated Blended System
The iX uses an Integrated Braking System where the pedal is effectively a sensor.

• Seamless Blending: When you press the brake pedal, the car calculates how much it can slow down using the electric motors (regen). It only clamps the physical brake pads if you press hard enough to exceed the motor's capacity.
• Constant Feel: Because it is electronic, the pedal feel remains the same whether the car is using 100% regen or 100% friction brakes.
• Coasting: In "D" mode, the iX allows the car to coast like a traditional luxury vehicle, using the pedal as the primary tool for both regen and friction stopping.

Rivian R1T: The Direct Mechanical System
The R1T follows a "Tesla-style" approach where the brake pedal and accelerator pedal are kept mostly separate.

• Separated Functions: Regenerative braking is tied almost entirely to the accelerator pedal (lifting off). The brake pedal is a direct line to the hydraulic pads; pressing it adds physical friction on top of whatever regen is happening.
• Tactile Feedback: Because it’s a physical link, you get true mechanical feedback through the pedal, which some off-road enthusiasts prefer for precision.
• Cruise Control Exception: When using Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), the R1T does blend systems to maintain speed, often moving the brake pedal automatically to "pre-charge" the system and ensure it's ready for a sudden stop.

Would you like me to find the steps for adjusting your R1T's "Regen Assist" settings to change how the vehicle feels when the battery is full?

 

[JRock]

Janky CarPlay connection.

 

[MT R1T]

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.

Ha. I totally agree. Nothing worse than having your windshield fog up during heavy snow and your going through menus on a touch screen to turn on the defrost while trying to stay on the road.

 

[mkhuffman]

AI/Gemini summary:


The BMW iX and Rivian R1T represent two fundamentally different philosophies in EV braking design. While the BMW iX uses a highly advanced "brake-by-wire" system that prioritizes a seamless, "gas-car-like" pedal feel, the Rivian R1T utilizes a traditional hydraulic setup that prioritizes predictable mechanical feedback.

Comparison Summary
FeatureBMW iXRivian R1TBrake Pedal TypeBrake-by-Wire: No physical link to brakes under normal use.Hydraulic: Pedal is physically connected to the master cylinder.Blended BrakingYes: Pressing the pedal uses regen first, adding friction brakes as needed.No (Manual): Pressing the pedal engages friction brakes immediately.One-Pedal DriveSelectable (B Mode).Standard/Mandatory (High/Standard settings).Adaptive BrakingAdaptive Mode: Uses sensors to adjust regen based on traffic.Regen Assist: Blends friction to mimic regen when battery is cold/full.
BMW iX: The Integrated Blended System
The iX uses an Integrated Braking System where the pedal is effectively a sensor.

• Seamless Blending: When you press the brake pedal, the car calculates how much it can slow down using the electric motors (regen). It only clamps the physical brake pads if you press hard enough to exceed the motor's capacity.
• Constant Feel: Because it is electronic, the pedal feel remains the same whether the car is using 100% regen or 100% friction brakes.
• Coasting: In "D" mode, the iX allows the car to coast like a traditional luxury vehicle, using the pedal as the primary tool for both regen and friction stopping.

Rivian R1T: The Direct Mechanical System
The R1T follows a "Tesla-style" approach where the brake pedal and accelerator pedal are kept mostly separate.

• Separated Functions: Regenerative braking is tied almost entirely to the accelerator pedal (lifting off). The brake pedal is a direct line to the hydraulic pads; pressing it adds physical friction on top of whatever regen is happening.
• Tactile Feedback: Because it’s a physical link, you get true mechanical feedback through the pedal, which some off-road enthusiasts prefer for precision.
• Cruise Control Exception: When using Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), the R1T does blend systems to maintain speed, often moving the brake pedal automatically to "pre-charge" the system and ensure it's ready for a sudden stop.

Would you like me to find the steps for adjusting your R1T's "Regen Assist" settings to change how the vehicle feels when the battery is full?

There are another couple exceptions.

• If you have brake hold turned on, the truck will engage the friction brakes just as the motors are slowing the truck to a stop. I am not sure exactly when they engage, but the friction brakes are used to hold the truck in place when stopped, enabling true 1 pedal driving.

• If you have brake assist turned on, then the truck will engage the friction brakes to simulate regen when the truck is at a high SoC. I don't like that so I have mine turned off.

As Gemini sort of pointed out, adaptive cruise does engage the friction brakes if the traffic slows more than the motors are able to slow the truck. Especially if the battery is at a high SoC.

None of those "exceptions" are really blended braking, because all of them are automatically done and are not a result of pressing the brake pedal. Pressing the brake pedal always engages the friction brakes. Always. There is no brake blending in the R1.

 

[JeremyMKE]

The aluminum body is soooo soft, I have all kinds of little dents.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

The aluminum body is soooo soft, I have all kinds of little dents.

You kinda have to adopt the "it's a truck" mentality or you'll go insane.

 

[Joe schmoe]

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.

Wait, you see them too? That’s a relief. I thought it was bad mushrooms that I found camping….

 

[mkhuffman]

Wait, you see them too? That’s a relief. I thought it was bad mushrooms that I found camping….

RIP, George.

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