Rivian software is (still) an embarrassment and needs to get better fast before R2

[CampfireWisdom]

@Dark-Fx appreciate the love. I will have you know I’m a well-known member… so says the forum. Spreading love, one post at a time…

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[Supratachophobia]

@Dark-Fx appreciate the love. I will have you know I’m a well-known member… so says the forum. Spreading love, one post at a time…

I dont know who you are and at this point, I'm too afraid to ask.

 

[cjust2006]

Dropping my two cents... Just rented a Tesla, with FSD, and holy crap, the software is good. Not even talking about the FSD part, which was incredible (Houston to San Antonio and back with nothing more than speed adjustments), but the overall design, function, and reliability of functions makes me realize Rivian potential and they gotta get on it. If Tesla made a truck that I didn't absolutely hate the appearance of, I'd have one. That honestly probably saved Rivian.

 

[CampfireWisdom]

I dont know who you are and at this point, I'm too afraid to ask.

Haha… I’m not a Hurricanes fan, so we’re good

 

[Supratachophobia]

Haha… I’m not a Hurricanes fan, so we’re good

"Oh geez Rick, I never get the sports references."

 

[Zoidz]

.

. I’m just sick of the brigading fanatics that pop up in every single thread like this (of which there are many) and try gaslight away the issues.

The majority of the responses here are “I have not experienced all these problems” or similar. That’s not gaslighting. They are valid responses considering the OP’s tone and assertion. Having just now read through this entire 8 page thread, do you realize you are actively fueling the drama you claim you are sick of?

 

[cohall]

The software’s pretty great, actually. And it gets better almost every month. Pretty amazing. I have none of the issues you describe, except for number 6. Sounds like you might have a hardware problem, or just a lemon. It happens.

Regarding point #6 - simply clicking on the “restore” button after you've selected yourself as the driver puts everything right back into the proper position. No need to adjust anything again.

 

[carsly]

Rivian’s Ui is top notch - colors, shading, fonts, styles.

Rivian’s UX is okay, but needs work - lack of a home screen, sidebar for audio on passenger side of screen only, app switching can be laggy (2025 Gen 2), no text integration, no voice controls, PAAK no better with .46 and my iPhone 16 Pro ( yes, the digital key is showing in Apple Wallet). Honestly, still better than almost any OEM except Tesla

Software QA needs work. Updates still break things that were working previously but trend is favorable.

Driving experience is mediocre. Suspension and audio are still rental car grade. pedal modulation at low speeds is not smooth still. Handling, while improved, is either bouncy or rock hard - maybe we have terrible roads in NJ ) we definitely have terrible roads in NJ) but the suspension still has issues adapting fast enough to successive, irregular, bumps common on pothole filled/ patched roads here with the vehicle getting unsettled. Steering feel is effectively non-existent, especially on center. From a driving perspective this is closer to a five year old rental car with shot suspension and steering rack than a new $90+k SUV. Don’t get me started on audio quality which, while improved, doesn’t match other SUV’s at this price point - closer to a $40-50k vehicle system. Rearview camera is awesome, blind spot cameras plagued with otherworldly distortion due to fisheye effects, this may hamper Rivian’s self-driving ambitions if not addressed.

So am I now labelled a hater? I own shares in the company and want them to get better, faster, but worry they have taken on too much, too soon - juices? bikes? VW? How about getting really, really good at one thing first?

I don’t think a mass market R2 audience who expect a “get in and go” experience like in a Model Y is going to have a high degree of patience with all the bugs, confounding UX, and mediocre drivability. There is still time for Rivian to dial things in and screw them down tight, but in an increasingly competitive EV market with headwinds driven by cheap gas the 2026 challenge is a large one. Hopefully Rivian is up to the moment.

PS my service appointment to remedy the cold weather recall related to headlights becoming inoperable was indefinitely delayed due to parts not being available. It has been sub- freezing day and night for much of the last few weeks here and if I lose my headlights rendering the vehicle unsafe to drive I reserve the right to amend this post. And no, this is not something I should have to worry about which is why I scheduled the appointment to have this recall addressed.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

Rivian’s Ui is top notch - colors, shading, fonts, styles.

Rivian’s UX is okay, but needs work - lack of a home screen, sidebar for audio on passenger side of screen only, app switching can be laggy (2025 Gen 2), no text integration, no voice controls, PAAK no better with .46 and my iPhone 16 Pro ( yes, the digital key is showing in Apple Wallet). Honestly, still better than almost any OEM except Tesla

Software QA needs work. Updates still break things that were working previously but trend is favorable.

Driving experience is mediocre. Suspension and audio are still rental car grade. pedal modulation at low speeds is not smooth still. Handling, while improved, is either bouncy or rock hard - maybe we have terrible roads in NJ ) we definitely have terrible roads in NJ) but the suspension still has issues adapting fast enough to successive, irregular, bumps common on pothole filled/ patched roads here with the vehicle getting unsettled. Steering feel is effectively non-existent, especially on center. From a driving perspective this is closer to a five year old rental car with shot suspension and steering rack than a new $90+k SUV. Don’t get me started on audio quality which, while improved, doesn’t match other SUV’s at this price point - closer to a $40-50k vehicle system. Rearview camera is awesome, blind spot cameras plagued with otherworldly distortion due to fisheye effects, this may hamper Rivian’s self-driving ambitions if not addressed.

So am I now labelled a hater? I own shares in the company and want them to get better, faster, but worry they have taken on too much, too soon - juices? bikes? VW? How about getting really, really good at one thing first?

I don’t think a mass market R2 audience who expect a “get in and go” experience like in a Model Y is going to have a high degree of patience with all the bugs, confounding UX, and mediocre drivability. There is still time for Rivian to dial things in and screw them down tight, but in an increasingly competitive EV market with headwinds driven by cheap gas the 2026 challenge is a large one. Hopefully Rivian is up to the moment.

PS my service appointment to remedy the cold weather recall related to headlights becoming inoperable was indefinitely delayed due to parts not being available. It has been sub- freezing day and night for much of the last few weeks here and if I lose my headlights rendering the vehicle unsafe to drive I reserve the right to amend this post. And no, this is not something I should have to worry about which is why I scheduled the appointment to have this recall addressed.

Who labeled you a hater? I think some people are unclear what makes a hater or someone who gets flack from established members here. It is NOT people who express reasonable opinions and expectations, even when those opinions have a negative tone.

Haters are the immature jerks who over dramatize issues and use inflammatory language to sensationalize problems. Just look at the title of this OP. “Rivian’s software is an embarrassment” what’s the purpose of such language if not to cause trouble or act like a petulant little shit?

When you come on a forum dedicated to discussing a special interest just to piss and moan in a non constructive way you’re trolling or have a maturity problem. I didn’t see any of that in your post, it was measured and reasonable. Tons of people have posted their issues on here without being flamed.

 

[ThumprMN]

 

[Zorg]

Won't read all 8 pages, but kneel mode doesn't work if parked on an incline. Otherwise, works fine but not very quickly.

 

[iansriv]

Rivian’s Ui is top notch - colors, shading, fonts, styles.

Rivian’s UX is okay, but needs work - lack of a home screen, sidebar for audio on passenger side of screen only, app switching can be laggy (2025 Gen 2), no text integration, no voice controls, PAAK no better with .46 and my iPhone 16 Pro ( yes, the digital key is showing in Apple Wallet). Honestly, still better than almost any OEM except Tesla

Software QA needs work. Updates still break things that were working previously but trend is favorable.

Driving experience is mediocre. Suspension and audio are still rental car grade. pedal modulation at low speeds is not smooth still. Handling, while improved, is either bouncy or rock hard - maybe we have terrible roads in NJ ) we definitely have terrible roads in NJ) but the suspension still has issues adapting fast enough to successive, irregular, bumps common on pothole filled/ patched roads here with the vehicle getting unsettled. Steering feel is effectively non-existent, especially on center. From a driving perspective this is closer to a five year old rental car with shot suspension and steering rack than a new $90+k SUV. Don’t get me started on audio quality which, while improved, doesn’t match other SUV’s at this price point - closer to a $40-50k vehicle system. Rearview camera is awesome, blind spot cameras plagued with otherworldly distortion due to fisheye effects, this may hamper Rivian’s self-driving ambitions if not addressed.

So am I now labelled a hater? I own shares in the company and want them to get better, faster, but worry they have taken on too much, too soon - juices? bikes? VW? How about getting really, really good at one thing first?

I don’t think a mass market R2 audience who expect a “get in and go” experience like in a Model Y is going to have a high degree of patience with all the bugs, confounding UX, and mediocre drivability. There is still time for Rivian to dial things in and screw them down tight, but in an increasingly competitive EV market with headwinds driven by cheap gas the 2026 challenge is a large one. Hopefully Rivian is up to the moment.

PS my service appointment to remedy the cold weather recall related to headlights becoming inoperable was indefinitely delayed due to parts not being available. It has been sub- freezing day and night for much of the last few weeks here and if I lose my headlights rendering the vehicle unsafe to drive I reserve the right to amend this post. And no, this is not something I should have to worry about which is why I scheduled the appointment to have this recall addressed.

Firstly, I don't consider you a hater. I can understand your viewpoint on the UX but, we all knew what we were getting at the time of purchase (no text integration etc). My G1 R1S driving experience has been great. This is my first SUV after only owning sports cars. Not only is the handling great for an SUV but great overall. I'm running 20s but have had similar experiences in my friend's R1 on 22s. I strongly believe the R2 is going to be a great experience for most because Rivian knows that everything is dependent on on the R2.

I will agree that the cold weather headlight issues has been a known one for quite some time and Rivian needs to address it. I'll also throw in the 12v batter issue that Rivian needs to address.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and being open to a constructive discussion. Cheers.

 

[Zoidz]

Won't read all 8 pages, but kneel mode doesn't work if parked on an incline. Otherwise, works fine but not very quickly.

Kneel and self leveling not working on an incline is Rivian's intended behavior.

 

[skyguyscott]

Kneel and self leveling not working on an incline is Rivian's intended behavior.

Then again, self-leveling is superfluous when parked on level ground, of course

 

[Zorg]

Kneel and self leveling not working on an incline is Rivian's intended behavior.

I know.

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