Thinking about returning R1T, need some help.

[R1Tom]

It’s really important to remember that a forum is going to host more complaints than usual. Of the 15000 or so Rivians that were delivered last year, the majority of people are happy with their trucks. And most of those who have had some issues are also still happy with their Rivian. Rivian has many areas they need to improve on, but they are a new company trying to climb a big hill. I think all of us who got on this train understood that.

This is an honest question...and not meant to be combative.

I personally feel we should be seeing more improvements to both the consistency of intitial build quality as well as a more substantial service build up to accommodate the increasing numbers of trucks being sold and delivered.

At what point do you feel that the company should have climbed that big hill, enough that one would say that big hill reasoning is no longer valid? Meaning when would an average vehicle buyer, not an enthusiast like me, that is willing to deal with build quality issues, long service leadtimes, etc..., be comfortable purchasing a Rivian without needing to feel like an early adopter that should have know better and should have expected long service times and quality issues?

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[Inkedsphynx]

When they've been delivering for a few years, at least. Compare to Tesla. The issues were rampant their first few years. They *still* have these same issues and worse, though to a lesser degree, all these years later. 15k vehicles on the road is really not that many, and not nearly enough to consider a manufacturer having come out of their initial/early phases, in my opinion.

 

[COdogman]

This is an honest question...and not meant to be combative.

I personally feel we should be seeing more improvements to both the consistency of intitial build quality as well as a more substantial service build up to accommodate the increasing numbers of trucks being sold and delivered.

At what point do you feel that the company should have climbed that big hill, enough that one would say that big hill reasoning is no longer valid? Meaning when would an average vehicle buyer, not an enthusiast like me, that is willing to deal with build quality issues, long service leadtimes, etc..., be comfortable purchasing a Rivian without needing to feel like an early adopter that should have know better and should have expected long service times and quality issues?

That's a great and fair question and I don't have any answers. IMHO I see plenty of things Rivian needs to improve on. I also see plenty of things they have improved on already, so if we are being fair then we need to accept both, right? Hold them accountable for the bad and also applaud them for the things they have gotten better at.

It's also fair to compare them to their competition. Ford's initial build quality will be much better for an F-150 than a Rivian and it probably will be the case for a long time. They have been around a lot longer to perfect those processes. That doesn't mean the long term quality will hold up for things like their battery tech, etc. We just don't know how that will go yet. We do know that when Ford releases a brand new platform they have some of the same quality struggles we see Rivian go through. I'm thinking of the Mach-E and the Bronco. GM has also had their fair share of quality issues on the Hummer.

It also took Tesla quite some time to get to a point where they were considered solid on all those points, yet we still see lots of complaints about build quality. But their battery, motors, and other drivetrain parts seem to be high quality so people generally end up very pleased because they didn't have major issues with their cars.

I guess my point is that everyone will have their own expected timeline for them to accomplish the goals you mentioned. I don't think it's acceptable for them to deliver trucks with obvious flaws in the main display or doors that won't close, but I also don't expect them to catch every case of wind noise before delivery. Maybe others do. In my mind they are headed in the right direction and that's enough for me. It might not be enough for you or someone else. And that's ok.?‍

 

[bd5400]

Were you able to take pictures? I’m curious how bad it looks and wondering if it’s something that’s a fairly easy adjustment with the door hinge. I recall others have had door alignment concerns fixed relatively easily, but what you’re describing sounds unusually bad.

 

[mabowden]

It shouldn't be ONLY the customer's job, but every customer should be reviewing anything they purchase to determine if it was delivered in the promised, and an acceptable, state. This is definitely one of those two-way street situations.

EDIT: For an issue as egregious as this, the customer should have caught it and said something during delivery. How did you get in the truck and not notice it if it's this bad? If it wasn't noticeable when you got in the truck and it developed afterwards, then everyone blaming QC and PDI is in the wrong.

He probably did notice and said something. That doesn't mean it gets fixed right away. I had an issue on delivery, the delivery agent showed me how to file a ticket. The nearest fix date was 50 days out.

You then have to ask yourself, is this an issue worth returning the truck for? Keep in mind Rivian doesn't have an exchange policy (Maybe they have in a couple instances, but I bet that gets rarer over time), but a return policy.

 

[Inkedsphynx]

He probably did notice and said something. That doesn't mean it gets fixed right away. I had an issue on delivery, the delivery agent showed me how to file a ticket. The nearest fix date was 50 days out.

You then have to ask yourself, is this an issue worth returning the truck for? Keep in mind Rivian doesn't have an exchange policy (Maybe they have in a couple instances, but I bet that gets rarer over time), but a return policy.

If the issue was noticed and is an issue severe enough to warrant returning the truck, then the question is why accept delivery at all? You aren't obligated to anything until you sign the delivery paperwork. I'd have told them to roll it back up on the loader and find me another one rather than take something that is so defective I'd consider returning it a few days later.

 

[Ngkgb]

As I’ve said in other posts. Mine was delivered with a small dent on the tailgate. Truly unbelievable.

 

[mabowden]

If the issue was noticed and is an issue severe enough to warrant returning the truck, then the question is why accept delivery at all? You aren't obligated to anything until you sign the delivery paperwork. I'd have told them to roll it back up on the loader and find me another one rather than take something that is so defective I'd consider returning it a few days later.

It doesn't always work out this way. Like I said, Rivian doesn't have an exchange policy. Just a return policy. They might work with you, they might not. I've only heard them work with folks when they cannot fix the issue. In OP's case, they haven't even tried. I'm in the same boat as OP with a less severe issue. There was no, "oh let's just switch this out for you" process.

Also, we haven't seen how bad the gaps OP is talking about yet, so take it with a grain of salt until you see it.

I personally decided I would rather have the truck now and wait for service. My issues aren't as bad as what OP describes, and I live 20 minutes away from the Costa Mesa service center. I feel for OP though being super far away from a service center, but If I lived that far away I probably would not have gotten this truck...

 

[NY_Rob]

If the door isn't closing enough, in most vehicles you can adjust the strike plate via the two large Torx bolt heads on the striker faceplate. If I waited 1.5yrs to get the truck, I'd get out my hand tools and give it a go myself and if it then still failed to close adequately I'd consider taking it further. I've made this adjustment on cars I've owned before where the door trailing edge sits proud... it's about as simple of an adjustment as there is.

 

[waitinginvain]

Where are these comments about “most people” being happy come from? People posting 50-70 day wait times are indicative of widespread issues plaguing many owners. Most owners aren’t posting on forums at all, so we have no data on them other than those service wait times.

I’ve seen very few people posting on here that they’ve had a problem-free truck except for the 0-500 mile afterglows. It seems like the only thing rivian is executing well on right now are expediting deliveries - but at what cost?

I’m extremely apprehensive about competing my pre-march order. On the bright side, I feel pretty good about the car I have now, which is probably a good thing. Fingers crossed I can delay my order until we see some turnaround on quality

 

[kizamybute']

First thing I would do is tell Rivian Service, because they can't get you in for 70 days, you're going to return the truck instead since you can't gamble away the return option after 7 days. It "might" bring a sense of urgency to the service center to get you in ASAP.

Fortunately, haven't heard of your issue being too common. Minor panel gaps are common and generally easily fixed by service. Yours sounds quite a bit more severe, but have to assume, it was just something with the way the door was mounted and likely could be fixed as well. But, I understand the concern and not wanting to give away the return capability. If it isn't fixable, would be the first I've personally heard of and would have had to be a very rare isolated case where the side panel of the truck was molded improperly, which seems unlikely. But, anything is possible.

If you do go with the return, if you still want a Rivian (They are amazing vehicles), go find one on Cars & Bids or Ebay and skip the wait. Or, if you don't mind waiting, hop back in line for a new one. It will be worth the wait. Aside from your issue, if you choose to return it, let them know why and at least ask, if there's anyway to get you bumped up the list. Call your Rivian guide. Probably not, but doesn't hurt to ask. Would certainly be on the phone seeking management persons to discuss the issue with. But, do it ASAP to give some time for the process to work itself out.

Best of luck to you.

 

[computertom]

It shouldn’t be the customer’s job to do QC checks. This is why there is a PDI process for all new vehicles.

My truck was in QC for well over a week at the SC and then arrived with a few very glaring misses. Makes me wonder what they actually caught during that time!

I still think you should return the truck… they have incentive to stick you with the truck and the hassle to fix their issues. Pass!

 

[iansriv]

Very sorry you're going through this. I'm afraid I'd return it within the 7days/1k miles so there's no room for "misunderstandings." I agree that most car manufacturers will have issues regardless of maturity. Rivian is no exception and they have a return policy. I have a friend that owns a body shop and I plan to take him along when I pick up my R1.

 

[LoneStar]

pics

 

[Tucker74]

If the issue was noticed and is an issue severe enough to warrant returning the truck, then the question is why accept delivery at all? You aren't obligated to anything until you sign the delivery paperwork. I'd have told them to roll it back up on the loader and find me another one rather than take something that is so defective I'd consider returning it a few days later.

Not how the process works, by the time you get to delivery you have purchased the truck. You sign a few documents for registration (power of attorney), but that’s it on delivery. That also takes place in the SC before you see the truck.

Where are these comments about “most people” being happy come from? People posting 50-70 day wait times are indicative of widespread issues plaguing many owners. Most owners aren’t posting on forums at all, so we have no data on them other than those service wait times.

People are 90% more likely to talk about a bad experience than a good one, this is marketing 101. I haven’t had any issues with my R1T post delivery. I feel bad for folks that have waited this long and are having issues however ? Gonna go knock on some wood …

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