Why I’m leaving the Rivian Family After Owning / Leasing 3 R1Ts

[Morgan J]

Not sure what your problems with the cameras might have been, But unspecified dependability issues aside, It sounds like your biggest issue was not being able to drive on the beach as you expected.

On this particular point I would agree. Rivian oversold the R1 offroad ability. I too had a Tacoma. And it was a much more capable vehicle off the road - especially self-extraction from sand and traction control in general.

Toyota as a company was also much more vendor modification and user repair friendly.

But In my particular case, the Tacoma was no more dependable. In the first month I was left at the side of the road in the rain due to a faulty crankshaft position sensor (CPS). These things happen.

No single vehicle is going to meet everyone's needs. As good as it was in many ways, I can't see myself ever going back to a Tacoma from the R1T. For you, a used Tacoma for the beach seems like a great idea.

Several times when I had my family in the car, I got alerts that the front and blind spot detectors were disabled. No reason. I cleaned the cam, but alerts continued. Rivian could not see the diagnostics despite me capturing them every time, and ultimately I had to bring the 120K 2026 Quad in several times just to have a hard reset, which would then fail again shortly after. The rear sensor rarely worked to help my navigate tight areas and side-view mirrors are useless because of size of wheel well... so those cams / detectors failed. Front collision failed several times, making the family uneasy. Kick-Turn just buries you in sand, which is a bummer. The worst is when the blind spot doctors don't work. No light or beep when you try to change lanes, so need to rely on family to see blind spots. It's just been an onslaught of tech issues that make the vehicle feel unsafe. Has impacted 3 family vacations, we don't have much time for those in the Summer. So it's not just beach driving, which is our favorite and we bought we were upgrading for an even better experience (as told by salesperson who misrepresented half a dozen feature), it's the safety concerns for me and my family.

Big bummer, but not the right truck for us. Did I mention Brooklyn parking is nearly impossible because of the size? Did you also find the turning radius so wide you can't make it into a parking spot without a 3 point turn in a parking lot, and a U-turn? Forget about it. Ain't gonna happen. Hey Rivian is a joke, and their Google Maps is not in sync with regular Google Maps, so it can't predict traffic and I needed to mount my phone to use WAZE or GM in order to get more accurate traffic as I go in / out of city. WAVE also detects hidden police cars and speed cams, something I find invaluable. So, there's more context besides just the beach issue.

Sponsored

 

[Morgan J]

What has bogged up service centers has been the Gen 1 suspension issues, half-shafts and panel adjustment appointments, along with expected first Gen gremlins. R2 is so simplified drivetrain wise that probably 75% of the problems Gen 1s had has now been eliminated in R2. AI robots now review the fit and finish of the panels, so they eliminated that potential bottleneck of panel adjustments. That's the hope anyway.

Service is terrible. Most times they can't even find the tech issues, and sent it back with same issue. They didn't even know how to get phone to connect to the car after a system reset, and it ended up being a simple toggle in vehicle settings. How could a service rep not know that? Gear tunnels don't line up. Dashboard rattles no matter what they try to do. And if your car is in service more than it's in your possession, that high lease rate really starts to eat at you because I'm paying the lease for the car to sit in service. I was also told Kick-Turn would come with the 2026 Quad, but it didn't come until halfway through my 2 year-lease, so I didn't get to use the feature I upgraded for until 12 months into lease, only to learn that it simply digs you into loose dirt or sand.... and then you need to use rescue tracks. A few places I found it did operate, but didn't outweigh all the other issues.

 

[MountainBikeDude]

Software, even the absolute best on the planet, cannot defy physics.
Your old Tacoma didn't sink in soft sand because it was probably about half as heavy as the Rivian, with a similar size tire contact patch at 20 psi. You could also probably air down to around 8-15 psi in the Taco without popping the bead, can't do that in a Rivian (simply too heavy)

To be honest, I can't understand why both Rivian and Tesla chose to market these vehicles as 'extreme off road capable' - the physics of a 8,000+ pound vehicle on sand or soft mud dictates they will sink. I used to try and 'off road' 3/4 and 1 ton trucks, until I learned every time they'd sink in sand or mud, or slide off the road. Weight is an enemy off road, it's why the Jeep, Toyotas, vintage Land Rovers/land cruisers, etc all did so well, they all weigh almost nothing.

I find it annoying that these things are sold as ultimate adventure vehicles - they're not. They're great on the road - they're quiet, comfortable, etc. That does not make them good at leaving pavement. Do they handle dirt fire roads, gravel, yeah...

Do folks on here take them actually offroad? Absolutely. And they'll no doubt reply to this comment and inform me how stupid I am for insinuating they aren't meant for extreme off road service.

Lots of people here take these off-road, and many times they've made it out without issues - but weight is the enemy in those conditions, and a lighter vehicle with good ground clearance and 4wd will do better universally.

On your off-road comments, I think the point is that it's able to handle both on and off road environments proficiently, weight aside. We all know it's not a purpose built off road vehicle, nor is it a purpose built canyon carver, but it's as close as one can get to both ends of that spectrum, in a singular vehicle. Co worker has an aftermarket suspension on his 4Runner, loves it off road, hates it in the city.

I don't think they've missed the mark on their adventure advertising, I think it hits right within it's capabilities and the demographic they're aiming for. The weekend adventurer that leaves the city and heads outdoors for the weekend or evening to cycle, camp, etc. They can surely do things beyond that, and have to showcase the capability of the platform, in getting to more remote places, much the same as Tesla did with the Model S in showing that range and speed were fully achievable in an EV, something everyone at the time thought was a pipedream.

The problem is, the systems that make it possible are complex, or at least complex enough that the driveway mechanic can barely approach a part replacement themselves without bespoke purpose built multi-thousand dollar equipment. The current lack of owner repairability is something I'm grappling with as I continue to edge closer to the end of my comprehensive warranty.

My 3 out of warranty concerns
- Damper replacements (it's going to happen)
- Half Shaft replacements (also going to happen)
- HVAC drain plug issue (no hints of it, but I'm cautiously optimistic)

On the warranty, I don't think I've personally ever cared so much about a warranty in my life, part of that was buying a Gen 1 product from an unknown in the space, but the other factor is complexity, and service center repair dependability that has me still back and forth about long term out of warranty ownership.

To full circle this, my wife and I have been chatting more and more about what to do once we get to the end of the warranty, we've discussed it more both jokingly and seriously and keep coming back to the same consensus, that our R1T being is the most adapted vehicle to our use cases. Neither of us is interested in a gas vehicle, and with so many walking away from the EV space (short term mindsets) there really haven't been any other like for like options, or they've been discontinued.

So begins the Rivian out of warranty part replacement fund.

 

[MountainBikeDude]

I was also told Kick-Turn would come with the 2026 Quad, but it didn't come until halfway through my 2 year-lease, so I didn't get to use the feature I upgraded for until 12 months into lease, only to learn that it simply digs you into loose dirt or sand.... and then you need to use rescue tracks. A few places I found it did operate, but didn't outweigh all the other issues.

How did you think 4 wheels doing burnouts on a soft surface would go? Of course it's going to dig down until it hits a hard surface or is high centered.

On the proximity sensors, they don't rely on visual cameras, they rely on exterior and forward facing ultrasonic and radar sensors. Not saying there may have been issue with some of yours, but, if you have anything like a bike rack or tailgate pad with bikes hanging over, it will cause the sensors to pick up things unless you deactivate them in the settings.

 

[Zathras]

@Morgan J Very good breakup letter. Bravo

This is adaptive, high-functioning behavior. The person demonstrates good reflective capacity, emotional regulation, and ability to prioritize relational (family) safety over sunk-cost fallacy or brand loyalty. There are no clear signs of personality pathology, paranoia, or externalizing blame exclusively onto the company. Instead, we see a psychologically healthy individual using narrative, community, and concrete action to metabolize disappointment, protect attachment bonds, and restore a coherent, agentic self-narrative.

In short: this is what it looks like when a competent adult who once idealized an object experiences repeated betrayal of that ideal, feels their family’s safety compromised, and chooses to grieve cleanly, set a boundary, and move forward—while still leaving the psychological door slightly ajar.

Sounds more like AI hallucinations, like this post.

I would never drive a vehicle on sand. I remember old rusted out trucks in my youth and never want that to happen to my Rivian. Off road, yes. Salty sand? No thanks.

 

[Outdoors]

Sounds more like AI hallucinations, like this post.

I would never drive a vehicle on sand. I remember old rusted out trucks in my youth and never want that to happen to my Rivian. Off road, yes. Salty sand? No thanks.

That's funny. I have always looked at these types of posts for years on many types of products. Why people post them, and what in short they are trying to accomplish. Thanks for your applause. Not many are capable of understanding my sentences. You must be more than capable.

 

[Zathras]

I'm not worried about that as long as RJ is in charge. He's not a typical CEO devoted solely to money.

 

[freshpow]

Safe travels @OP. I will always remember you for this line "Changing lanes on a highway with ZERO blind-spot detection — a feature that comes standard on a $30K Nissan — was hands down the most anxiety I’ve EVER experienced behind the wheel." Amen.

 

[RandomMcRandomFace]

Can we ban these “goodbye” posts? They add zero value and end up being a battle with the OP and people trying to counter the positions for page after page of nonsense (you can’t park in Brooklyn with a car who’s size is well known - wow, keen insight). No one (literally) cares that you are trading in your Rivian. So what is the point of this?

 

[DuoRivians]

I'm not worried about that as long as RJ is in charge. He's not a typical CEO devoted solely to money.

Have you seen his new pay package?

 

[R1TCntrlMaIzzy]

To each their own, and no doubt you had several issues. But, how many posts are you going to write about the same freaking issues?? To me you seem to be seeking attention.

You will still need to use your mirrors and learn how to drive a vehicle in the sand, though a lighter vehicle should be better.

Your current experiences with Rivian have been bad, unsafe, so move on.

 

[ndmiller]

Just like any vehicle I've owned it's good until it isn't. Once I have an issue where the inconvenience > vehicle worth, I'm out. Hasn't happened yet, but if it does I call Carvana the same day and move on. I'll go buy something else in cash and see how that works.....Thinking a Sprinter Adventure Van 3.0L Diesel AWD.

It's a vehicle period, not a lifestyle or pop culture or anything else. At this point in life, time is the most important commodity.

 

[ndmiller]

Can we ban these “goodbye” posts?

Posts without worth outnumber posts with worth 4-5 to 1 in this forum if you hadn't noticed. OP started this in Dec 25. But still here posting he's leaving. I'd have been gone in December.

Three Rivians. Three Ruined Vacations. A $120K Safety Failure.

 

[TexasBob]

I'm not worried about that as long as RJ is in charge. He's not a typical CEO devoted solely to money.

Ok this ^^^ demands a bs detector response. RJ's pay package hands him over $1.5 billion (above and beyond his original equity stake) if he achieves a "stretch" goal of losing money for all people who invested in Rivian when you went public (I would be happy to deliver you a guaranteed money-losing investment for a mere 1/10th of that). He gets over $2.5 billion if he delivers a return lower than what his investors would have gotten if they put money in an FDIC insured high yield savings account. (Again, I will guarantee you that return for 1/100th of that pay!)

Wait, RJ is that you? Are you trolling us?

 

[Zathras]

Ok this ^^^ demands a bs detector response. RJ's pay package hands him over $1.5 billion (above and beyond his original equity stake) if he achieves a "stretch" goal of losing money for all people who invested in Rivian when you went public (I would be happy to deliver you a guaranteed money-losing investment for a mere 1/10th of that). He gets over $2.5 billion if he delivers a return lower than what his investors would have gotten if they put money in an FDIC insured high yield savings account. (Again, I will guarantee you that return for 1/100th of that pay!)

Wait, RJ is that you? Are you trolling us?

I’ve got a reading comprehension course tip to help since you seem to need it.

Sponsored