Broken tonneau, cracked roofs, pooling water, keys not working....taking delivery now seems like a joke.

[crashmtb]

People generally report negative experiences more often than they might a positive one. if all’s well, most will just carry on without posting about it on the internet.


vehicle-specific forums are especially bad for this.

Sponsored

 

[mini2nut]

100% factual. Most do not understand this.

 

[Count Orlok]

I'm continuing to read an over abundance of messages about Rivians being delivered with broken tonneau, cracked roofs, keys not working, and a laundry list of other issues. Why on gods green earth would you accept that trash product?

I don't mean to be disrespectful, but we look like dummies to outsiders. No person, buying any brand, should accept garbage broken products on day one.

How desperate do you need to be to accept delivery on a truck with a broken power tonneau on day 1? That's ludicrous. Even then, most of you know things are going to break and factor that in your purchase. Beta testing at its finest...cool if you want in on that. "I'm using my tonneau cover as little as possible"...that sounds idiotic.

I'm reviewing with my guide today and may postpone this thing for another 12 month. I have no probelem just keeping my current car. Rivian needs to get their shi* together.

you have a guide???!! LUCKY!!

 

[ironpig]

5k miles in, no issues. Tonneau cover can be finicky, but generally works.

I know 6 other Rivian owners in my area, and all of them ZERO issues other than finicky tonneau covers.

The internet is always a biased sample.

Same here - no issues other than tonneau which I fixed last night with dry lubricant and it's currently working.

 

[SASSquatch]

It is established that reviews are generally tilted towards a negative bias because people who have positive experiences don't feel compelled to make a big scene about it but people with negative experiences feel aggrieved and feel compelled to vent.

The sample size of actual Rivian owners on this forum vs. the population of all Rivian owners is too small a sample to draw conclusions from.

That said, none of what I said should be interpreted as providing an excuse for Rivian. The issues people have experienced have been significant and have created negative experiences and negative press for Rivian - all things that hurt their brand image especially at a very fragile time in their development as a new EV OEM.

The hard truth is that everyone taking delivery of an R1T this early in production is a beta tester, but that doesn't mean they expect to be one or SHOULD be one. Rivian is producing a luxury product and selling it at a luxury price. With that comes expectations for initial quality and reliability - and most people aren't going to give you any slack for being a new OEM when it's THEIR hard earned money that they've given you.

I've lived the first model year trauma many times in my past. I intentionally waited to put down my reservation because I expected the types of issues some folks are experiencing - and everyone who is taking delivery of an R1T in the first model year run is doing God's work dealing with all of the inevitable gremlins so that those of us that are 12 months or longer down the road may not have too (as much).

To the OP: If you are unwilling to potentially deal with some growing pains then I highly encourage you to delay your order. You will have a much better experience in 6-12 months if you aren't absolutely hellbent on getting an R1T or R1S right away.

 

[C.R. Rivian]

It is established that reviews are generally tilted towards a negative bias because people who have positive experiences don't feel compelled to make a big scene about it but people with negative experiences feel aggrieved and feel compelled to vent.

The sample size of actual Rivian owners on this forum vs. the population of all Rivian owners is too small a sample to draw conclusions from.

That said, none of what I said should be interpreted as providing an excuse for Rivian. The issues people have experienced have been significant and have created negative experiences and negative press for Rivian - all things that hurt their brand image especially at a very fragile time in their development as a new EV OEM.

The hard truth is that everyone taking delivery of an R1T this early in production is a beta tester, but that doesn't mean they expect to be one or SHOULD be one. Rivian is producing a luxury product and selling it at a luxury price. With that comes expectations for initial quality and reliability - and most people aren't going to give you any slack for being a new OEM when it's THEIR hard earned money that they've given you.

I've lived the first model year trauma many times in my past. I intentionally waited to put down my reservation because I expected the types of issues some folks are experiencing - and everyone who is taking delivery of an R1T in the first model year run is doing God's work dealing with all of the inevitable gremlins so that those of us that are 12 months or longer down the road may not have too (as much).

To the OP: If you are unwilling to potentially deal with some growing pains then I highly encourage you to delay your order. You will have a much better experience in 6-12 months if you aren't absolutely hellbent on getting an R1T or R1S right away.

Final testing and quality control happens during the warranty period...that's kinda standard, particularly in a new model. Yep, Rivian should watch its step...reputation matters. That said, my Rivian experience with issues way beats my other bad ones (as a septuagenarian, I've got stories to tell). Bought one of the 1st Plymouth minivans with a V6. They used the same motor mount as the 4 cylinder...start your car and have the motor drop...and their taking responsibility, care to pull teeth? Bad alignment on a new Honda, massive torque steer. The dealer solution? They lowered the tire pressure on one side and called it fixed. That didn't stand, but too many hours out of too many days. VW: had a W8 4 motion wagon, absolute pocket rocket, till faults in the electrical system that they couldn't figure out (5 or 6 tries) ending with brake failure and invoking the lemon law. Suffice it to say that my issues with the R1T have, so far, been fixed with no run around. That cuts a lot of slack for me.

 

[bummin]

I'm continuing to read an over abundance of messages about Rivians being delivered with broken tonneau, cracked roofs, keys not working, and a laundry list of other issues. Why on gods green earth would you accept that trash product?

I don't mean to be disrespectful, but we look like dummies to outsiders. No person, buying any brand, should accept garbage broken products on day one.

How desperate do you need to be to accept delivery on a truck with a broken power tonneau on day 1? That's ludicrous. Even then, most of you know things are going to break and factor that in your purchase. Beta testing at its finest...cool if you want in on that. "I'm using my tonneau cover as little as possible"...that sounds idiotic.

I'm reviewing with my guide today and may postpone this thing for another 12 month. I have no probelem just keeping my current car. Rivian needs to get their shi* together.

Having been in the auto industry for years, Rivian is doing remarkably well for a new company. During launch of Dodge Caravans in the 80’s, I would winch new vans off the delivery truck for seized transmissions every week for months.
I am currently sitting in service at Ram with a 2-3 hour quote to replace a drivers side mirror. 3 bolts, 1 connector, 1 trim panel, 15 min job tops. It took me 1 month to get appointment, another 3 weeks for parts to come in.
My experience last week at Denver service on my R1T was awesome. Small corrections made within minutes of my arrival. All vehicles will suffer issues, it is about how a company responds to your needs, Rivian has been amazing to date. Waiting may be good for your situation, but given the response of service department, my guide Kylie, they more than make up for the small inconvenience of issues to date.
It wouldn’t be appropriate it to complain in a post, so Denver service department was still waiting on their coffee machine, I had to walk several blocks for great coffee and customer service.

I'm continuing to read an over abundance of messages about Rivians being delivered with broken tonneau, cracked roofs, keys not working, and a laundry list of other issues. Why on gods green earth would you accept that trash product?

I don't mean to be disrespectful, but we look like dummies to outsiders. No person, buying any brand, should accept garbage broken products on day one.

How desperate do you need to be to accept delivery on a truck with a broken power tonneau on day 1? That's ludicrous. Even then, most of you know things are going to break and factor that in your purchase. Beta testing at its finest...cool if you want in on that. "I'm using my tonneau cover as little as possible"...that sounds idiotic.

I'm reviewing with my guide today and may postpone this thing for another 12 month. I have no probelem just keeping my current car. Rivian needs to get their shi* together.

I was sitting in a Ram service center today when I read this post and it got me thinking. I had to wait almost a month to get an appointment to verify my side mirror was in fact failing at the pivot joint. After being told "Yes, your mirror needs replacing" I wait 3 weeks for the part, and 2hrs to have it installed under warranty.

Now I think back to my 1st contact from Rivian support about a campaign to verify proper bolt torquing. Serious, a MFG called me proactively!?! The came to me, checked the bolts, gave me a clean bill of health. Last week I was in Denver center for a few small issues, interior door handle rattle, RR window trim loose, check seat fan as it is too damn quiet for me to hear. I upload photos of loose trim when I schedule, and WHAT? Part is there on arrival for just 1 appointment. Everything repaired before I finished the article I was reading with my coffee.

I have been in and around the auto industry for about 40 years. I used to winch Dodge Caravans off the delivery trucks because transmissions froze in transit from factory. I have been a manager for Ford, Chevy, Toyota, and Suzuki, and not one of them didn't have their share of issues, and never has a company before called me with a concern after my purchase in almost 50 vehicles purchased/leased except Rivian.

For a 1st vehicle, which by all rights is a home run for any manufacturer, the way they interact with customers is incredible. From the service reps on the phone, to the staff at Denver center, to Kylie and Olivia who were my guides, stellar experience and honestly better than I did back then.

But.... no post would be complete without a bit of bitching, so I had to walk to get a great cup of coffee down the street as Denver facility had not gotten their coffee machine yet. Things will break, disappointment will happen, but how you respond to the issue makes all the difference. I look forward to seeing them again to pickup my R1S. Except for the long wait for my R1T, best ownership experience to date.

 

[SASSquatch]

Final testing and quality control happens during the warranty period...that's kinda standard, particularly in a new model. Yep, Rivian should watch its step...reputation matters. That said, my Rivian experience with issues way beats my other bad ones (as a septuagenarian, I've got stories to tell). Bought one of the 1st Plymouth minivans with a V6. They used the same motor mount as the 4 cylinder...start your car and have the motor drop...and their taking responsibility, care to pull teeth? Bad alignment on a new Honda, massive torque steer. The dealer solution? They lowered the tire pressure on one side and called it fixed. That didn't stand, but too many hours out of too many days. VW: had a W8 4 motion wagon, absolute pocket rocket, till faults in the electrical system that they couldn't figure out (5 or 6 tries) ending with brake failure and invoking the lemon law. Suffice it to say that my issues with the R1T have, so far, been fixed with no run around. That cuts a lot of slack for me.

I'm not a septuagenarian, but I have owned and operated a dozen vehicles over the last 30 years and I have experienced my fair share of issues - some of them much worse than what I have seen with reports on this forum for the R1T from much more well established OEMs like Ford, Nissan, and BMW.

Rivian is in a precarious position because they have intense scrutiny not just because they are a new OEM, but that they are a new EV OEM and they created a new category: Luxury Adventure Vehicle. Every OEM, new or not, is going to have build issues as they are scaling up. Look at Tesla and early Model 3 and Model Y builds (maybe even today, frankly) as an example.

The thing that Rivian absolutely needs to avoid and I am hopeful that they will avoid, is the horrific reputation for service that Tesla, as the other new EV OEM, has developed over the years.

When Tesla first put out the Model S and X they treated their customers like royalty - much like Rivian is now. But as soon as they ran out of runway with cash flow, they made life miserable for customers trying to get service for cars that had serious and pervasive build issues.

Rivian is in a unique position relative to Tesla in their early days. Tesla was fighting the existing ICE OEMs who all wanted them to fail. The environment now, much to Tesla's credit, has completely changed. Now ICE OEMs are forming partnerships to try and reduce risk, and developing roadmaps for a fully electrified product line in the future.

Rivian is also very well capitalized relative to Tesla along with having investors with deep pockets, including Amazon. I hope that all of that translates to a commitment to customer service to their current and future customers in ways Tesla has failed miserably in my view. As long as you treat the customer right, they will be much more inclined to tolerate the growing pains that come with launching an entirely new category of vehicle.

Tesla's secret sauce is that despite the issues, owners generally loved their vehicles. I think Rivian has that and then some.

 

[Rivian_Hugh_III]

I'm continuing to read an over abundance of messages about Rivians being delivered with broken tonneau, cracked roofs, keys not working, and a laundry list of other issues. Why on gods green earth would you accept that trash product?

I don't mean to be disrespectful, but we look like dummies to outsiders. No person, buying any brand, should accept garbage broken products on day one.

How desperate do you need to be to accept delivery on a truck with a broken power tonneau on day 1? That's ludicrous. Even then, most of you know things are going to break and factor that in your purchase. Beta testing at its finest...cool if you want in on that. "I'm using my tonneau cover as little as possible"...that sounds idiotic.

I'm reviewing with my guide today and may postpone this thing for another 12 month. I have no probelem just keeping my current car. Rivian needs to get their shi* together.

Yes you look disrespectful. Why are you writing so many negative posts? Did you mess your shorts?

 

[Tahoe Man]

It is established that reviews are generally tilted towards a negative bias because people who have positive experiences don't feel compelled to make a big scene about it but people with negative experiences feel aggrieved and feel compelled to vent.

The sample size of actual Rivian owners on this forum vs. the population of all Rivian owners is too small a sample to draw conclusions from.

That said, none of what I said should be interpreted as providing an excuse for Rivian. The issues people have experienced have been significant and have created negative experiences and negative press for Rivian - all things that hurt their brand image especially at a very fragile time in their development as a new EV OEM.

The hard truth is that everyone taking delivery of an R1T this early in production is a beta tester, but that doesn't mean they expect to be one or SHOULD be one. Rivian is producing a luxury product and selling it at a luxury price. With that comes expectations for initial quality and reliability - and most people aren't going to give you any slack for being a new OEM when it's THEIR hard earned money that they've given you.

I've lived the first model year trauma many times in my past. I intentionally waited to put down my reservation because I expected the types of issues some folks are experiencing - and everyone who is taking delivery of an R1T in the first model year run is doing God's work dealing with all of the inevitable gremlins so that those of us that are 12 months or longer down the road may not have too (as much).

To the OP: If you are unwilling to potentially deal with some growing pains then I highly encourage you to delay your order. You will have a much better experience in 6-12 months if you aren't absolutely hellbent on getting an R1T or R1S right away.

Frankly I've found this forum to be biased towards the positive. Buyers getting their new trucks/toys are in the honeymoon phase until the novelty wears off, we all know that's common...so its just as important to be aware of that too when making a purchase decision.

 

[ERguy]

Mine has a few issues, but wouldn't trade it for anything else. Not desperate. Just reality. Nothing in automotive world is close right now. I cant seem to drive it enough. Just all out fun.

If perfection is what you desire, give the Lexus or Acura dealers a look. I had good luck there with vehicles that were built really well. Not even in same game funwise to the Rivian, but solid built machines.

Although your point is valid, the OP is absolutely correct.

It is not normal for brand new vehicles to have so many defects.

Your truck shouldn't have a "few issues" as soon as it's delivered.

If you think the fact that most people have some issues with the truck at the time of delivery or shortly after is meeting industry standards, then you are being much more forgiving of Rivian than you should be.

It's not normal.

That being said, it's expected this early in production.

I'll keep my spot in line and hope the quality is a little better by the time I take delivery.

 

[VHRivian]

Although your point is valid, the OP is absolutely correct.

It is not normal for brand new vehicles to have so many defects.

Your truck shouldn't have a "few issues" as soon as it's delivered.

If you think the fact that most people have some issues with the truck at the time of delivery or shortly after is meeting industry standards, then you are being much more forgiving of Rivian than you should be.

It's not normal.

That being said, it's expected this early in production.

I'll keep my spot in line and hope the quality is a little better by the time I take delivery.

I think you must have had better experiences with new vehicles than most others. I completely disagree with you based on my many experiences with issues on brand new vehicles from many other manufacturers.

 

[Dark-Fx]

It is not normal for brand new vehicles to have so many defects.

Either your definition of what counts as a defect is different than mine, or you have been exceptionally lucky with your new vehicle purchases.

 

[R1Tom]

Although your point is valid, the OP is absolutely correct.

It is not normal for brand new vehicles to have so many defects.

Your truck shouldn't have a "few issues" as soon as it's delivered.

If you think the fact that most people have some issues with the truck at the time of delivery or shortly after is meeting industry standards, then you are being much more forgiving of Rivian than you should be.

It's not normal.

That being said, it's expected this early in production.

I'll keep my spot in line and hope the quality is a little better by the time I take delivery.

I don't believe I have ever had a new vehicle that didn't need at least one thing addressed. Sure...striving for perfection is what should be the goal.

After many years of being severely disappointed and under-serviced by Ford and Jeep, I moved to Lexus and Acura. They were generally better and when not, the service departments were top notch.

But even my Acuras and Lexus had, bad wheel bearings, noisy sun roofs, blown audio system speakers, bad lower control arm bushings, faulty cv joint boots, bad brake pad material, etc... One, my latest RDX, even would throw a check engine light and go into limp mode, till I power cycled it, one on side of an interstate. About a year later, they finally figured out they had an intercooler issue that would allow moisture to get pulled into the intake and hit the air sensor. But it took a year...before they figured that out. In a 2019 RDX.

So, thinking a highly complex, and in Rivian case, a truly ground breaking machine, would be perfect, is at best, overly optimistic. But...they should keep improving and get as close to that as possible, for sure.

 

[Ripped]

Typically no manufacturer wants to have a broad slate of defects as the cost to repair is enormous.

For a non-legacy start-up, I'd say Rivian is doing remarkably well. Are there issues, yeah for sure, No doubt as the issues are reported there are fixes taking place and modifications to the assembly process.

The tonneau cover is a bit of making a standard part too fancy, but they already addressed the issue in future builds, adding a couple of options. I'm not privy to the fixes on the existing model so won't comment.

(Speaking of over engineering) Incidentally I read mercedes is giving owners a 1K credit for a non-working steering column.

Door drainage is an easy qc fix. (My F150 had this when the drain got clogged. I suspect an over abundance of coating or sound proofing plugging the drain holes during assembly or post manufacturing. Same for the a/c drainage.

Glass roof; Yeah that is a tougher fix, which probably requires an updated spec from the part supplier. I'd say it should be tempered instead of lami-glass, or at least one layer tempered. and as others have stated -tinted.

So I'll flip that around and say that my 80K F150 I've spent thousands in post warranty repairs

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