Rivian executive acknowledges R1S AC noise problem

[av8or]

Have you checked this?

I have noticed with mine that it changes pitch when going on and off the accelerator which would make sense if the compressor is able to move that much. I don’t feel like the compressor noise is too bad, it’s the lack of isolation from the vibration. In my truck the vibration is getting transferred to the chassis somehow. Probably that ground wire on mine. Mobile service is coming on 7/11, and I’ll post here what they say.

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[docwhiz]

Electric cars are so quiet that any noise is noticable.
It should be easy to quiet to compressor.

 

[Count Orlok]

who would have thought that designing a car like a greenhouse would cause the AC to run hard?

 

[SASSquatch]

Personally, I wouldn’t consider Rivian a luxury brand, rather an adventure brand. But, your comments are still valid for pretty much any new vehicle.

I second the notion that I don't consider Rivian to be a luxury brand - they never claimed to be.

@JWreck is citing his experience dealing with an established luxury brand that has low volumes and high profit margins on each vehicle.

I'm sorry, but there is zero comparison to a brand like Rivian that is a startup and is trying to establish high volume sales to survive like Tesla did in its early days.

Each OEM has their own standards for tolerances and what is deemed "acceptable and within spec." Our collective hope is that Rivian has higher standards, but at the end of the day, if it isn't safety issue, its an annoyance and right now Rivian can't afford to deal with annoyances unless it hurts their bottom line - sales volume.

That's just reality. If you don't want to deal with a startup and be an early adopter, then maybe the Rivian brand isn't for you right now. Maybe wait a few years.

 

[bbonkk]

Last night, just before 7:00, I received a call from the Rivian Southwest territory manager. During our conversation, she acknowledged the widespread issue with AC motor noise in the R1S that occurs in hot weather. I expressed my frustration, explaining that our vehicle has become so loud that we avoid driving it unless absolutely necessary. To me, this clearly indicates a defective design, but she quickly refuted my claim.

Her response seemed rehearsed, as if carefully crafted by their legal team. She assured me that the vehicle is operating as designed, providing cooling and posing no safety risk. I shared my experience of driving two other R1S vehicles in Dallas, both of which did not have this noise issue. She stated they are among the "lucky ones."

Interestingly, it seems that my persistence in reaching out to various executives within the company, including RJ himself, has finally prompted a response. I had already taken the vehicle to the Dallas service center twice for repairs, only to be told repeatedly that nothing was wrong with it.

It's incredibly frustrating to own an $80K vehicle that sounds like it's about to explode. I wish good luck to everyone in hot climates this summer, as this problem has escalated from being intermittent to nearly constant. The noise is unbelievably loud, both inside and outside the vehicle. I have attached videos to highlight the severity of the issue.

Mine makes that noise when I was DC fast charging a few times. This was the battery conditioning taking place. It was a cool night in the 60's and It was not overly hot or cold. This pre conditioning can happen to cool or heat the battery. I wonder if its a problem because its the pre conditioning is just keeping the battery at the proper temp to DCFC. Even when I left the charger it was super loud for a few minutes. I have a Ford Lightning and when the air dam fault happens the fan runs wild because the air cannot reach the coil easily. This was fixed in an up date. Not sure if the rivian has an air dam. I would look thru the small grill near the bumper and see if you can see the coil. When the HVAC is running that causes the compressor to run faster. Even on the lowest setting mine makes way too much noise. I have the AT 20s so that covers that noise a bit while driving. When its nice out I just shut down the HVAC. I plan to test a newer R1S to see if they are any quieter.

 

[Harrison]

Maybe the refrigerant is not filled properly? Too much or too little so it needs to run the compressor harder.

 

[iansriv]

Not sure if this was mentioned but, have you considered lemon law?

 

[freejack]

Here's a video of mine while charging at an EA charger. Temperature was around 70F outside. The pitch of the noise is exactly the same as the poster above.

 

[Jayhawkeye]

the person who posted this said the noise is gone after moving the wire. How do you get to the wire?

 

[docwhiz]

Not sure if this was mentioned but, have you considered lemon law?

It's working. Not defective.
Yes, it makes too much noise but that can be easily fixed.

 

[HaveBlue]

the person who posted this said the noise is gone after moving the wire. How do you get to the wire?

Looks like removing the cabin filter cover in the frunk

 

[Bartocamazin]

Posting for the first time because I have the same problem. It is the a/c. It happens in hot/humid conditions, so pretty much everyday in Florida. When you turn off the a/c the noise stops. The car was still running in the video so you can hear it from outside. It is louder than it comes across in the video. It is not a minor issue, you can hear it through loud music. When you pull up, everyone turns there head because they hear it. I have to turn off the a/c when I come to a stop because it is embarrassing. A very bad look for rivian. Needs a fix asap. I have a ticket in, but the closest service center is 3 hours way. I do want to go and then they say it is fine, that would waste 2 days with the drop off and pickup.

 

[SeaGeo]

The problem is certain of the designs are defective (ie A/C, half shafts) and therefore the vehicle is defective.

Out of curiosity, what's your definition of defective?

 

[Bartocamazin]

They refuse to make any repairs because the vehicle is operating as designed. She said they are looking into the issue but would not provide specifics. It felt like she was very careful with her words.

Can you share the contact info of some of the execs you contacted? We should all reach out to thm

 

[docwhiz]

Out of curiosity, what's your definition of defective?

Defective = Doesn't make cold air
(As an aside, my 2015 Tesla had a noisy AC (common problem) which was fixed by adding sound insulation.)

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