Armchair mechanics unite!!

2025 R1T: im getting a loud popping sound from the back area after the vehicle has been sitting for some time and I drive in reverse. Imagine if the wheels were encased in ice and you broke apart the ice by driving.

Service center couldnt recreate the scenario, but I'm not overly confident they drive test them.

Anyone else run into the issue?

I’ve got a 2026 R1S Max Pack. Before leaving for a 2‑week vacation, I charged it to 80% (~331 miles) and turned off Gear Guard and auto cabin ventilation.

Came back and the battery was down to 23%, which feels like a pretty big drop.

For comparison, I never saw anywhere near this level of drain with my Model Y.

Is this expected for the R1S, or should I be looking into something?

Hi, did anyone try Ohmmu sodium phosphate battery in their r1s or r1t? I'm wondering if anybody has any experience with it, before I order it.

Edit: For the record, I love this truck and I'd buy it again... But it's far from perfect. Can't wait for R2! If not for the over designed suspension and the bosche drive units, the service history would be about a quarter what it is, if not less.

About the truck, we took delivery of our R1T quad at the end of March 2022. This is it's story...in shop visits:

So I've always tracked my vehicle maintenance and service history in a spreadsheet, and as I was updating the document today (after dropping off the truck for it's latest SC visit) I clicked on the little "analyze this data" AI assistant button and so just thought I'd share the results here.

TL;DR - if you are keeping your Rivian after the factory warranty, buy an extended one! I almost never vouch for extended warranties on anything, but mine took less than 5k miles of driving to pay for itself!

First, my mileage over time (as charted at the beginning of each service visit)

18 shop visits for an actual failed part/parts. I recorded 12v battery as typical maintenance, and a bunch of minor issues as degradations.

The AI Summary:
"The data provides a comprehensive record of the service history for a Rivian vehicle from April 2022 to May 2026, covering approximately 80,000 miles.

Key Takeaways

• High Service Frequency for Failures: The vehicle had 31 service appointments over four years, with "Failure" being the most frequent category, accounting for 15 visits. Other significant categories include "Degradation" (8 visits) and "Failure - Shop Error" (3 visits).
• Significant Time Out of Service: The vehicle spent a total of 91 days in the shop, with 95 total days out of service. This indicates a substantial amount of downtime relative to the ownership period.
• Escalating Costs: While many early services were covered under warranty (no direct individual cost), the total recorded out of pocket cost quickly reached $11,781.30. The majority of this expense occurred in the final three visits between late 2025 and 2026, involving major components like rear dampers, air springs, and drive unit seals.

Service Details

• Service Categories:
  • Failure (15): Included issues such as charge port door misalignment, drive unit replacements (Rear and LR), and suspension failures.
  • Degradation (8): Involved suspension noises, weather stripping issues, and drivetrain lash.
  • Failure - Shop Error (3): Appointments required to fix issues introduced or not resolved during previous service visits (e.g., air in suspension system, rattling lines).
  • Other: 2 Recalls, 1 Maintenance (12v battery), and 1 Purchase (spare tire).
• Odometer and Timeline: The vehicle's mileage grew steadily, with service events occurring more frequently as the odometer surpassed 40,000 miles. The most recent service was at 79,250 miles for a failed bushing.
• Common Issues: Recurring problems included weather stripping/door seals (replaced multiple times), suspension noises/alignments, and drive unit/axle issues."

I just wanted to add this to the corpus of information online out there for potential buyers.

I've owned two Rivians at this point:

• A very early 2022 launch edition
• A 2024 Gen1 R1S

I've put over 120,000 miles on my Rivians between the two. I love these trucks.

Last fall, I moved from my house in town up into the mountains. The last four miles on the road to my house are a dirt forest road, maintained occasionally. Plenty of bumps and washboarding. I generally drive into town twice a day (so, 16 miles a day on dirt).

In the last seven months, my R1S has become a creak and rattle machine. Everything feels loose, the drivetrain feels sloppy, it just was not put together for this. More and more, I find myself driving my 22-year-old Land Cruiser that's as stout as an ox.

All this to say: I think the Rivians are absolutely fantastic vehicles and they are highly capable off-road, but after the experience I've had the last few months, I would not recommend them if you are going into the dirt daily.

YMMV

“Hey Rivian, is this the quickest route to my destination?”
“Checking for quickest route is not supported.”

“Hey Rivian, tell me a story about a cow.”
“Bessie the cow lived in a pasture eating fresh clovers…”

I beg your finest pardon? We may have lost the plot with AI ‘assistant’. 🤷🏻‍♂️

(Not complaining. I love my Rivian. Just a humorous interaction.)

I’ve been an R2 reservation holder since March 2024, and I genuinely love the styling and overall Rivian vehicle experience. I currently own a 2024 Tesla Model Y and am planning to transition to a fully electric household.

I keep seeing posts comparing the R2 to the BMW iX3 and Volvo EX60. One of the biggest complaints seems to be the range and the 28-minute charging time, especially compared to the 21-minute charging times being quoted for BMW and Volvo.

I drive nearly 120 miles every day for work and also take a few road trips each year. Not once have I experienced range anxiety or found myself wishing for charging speeds faster than what my Model Y already offers.

I find it hard to believe that most people are regularly driving 230–250 miles nonstop and then immediately needing to drive another 250 miles after only a 10-minute break. The charging infrastructure across the U.S. has expanded tremendously, and for most real-world driving scenarios, range anxiety just doesn’t feel like a major issue anymore.

So what am I missing? Why are so many people upset that the R2 offers around 330 miles of range and a 28-minute charge time?

Hi all, just purchased a new 2026 R1S tri. I’m new to EVs, this will be my first. I have a new house build with 240V outlets in place. What chargers do I need? I hear the car also does not come with a portable charger? Thank you in advance.

Also, are there any cool accessories you recommend?

I’ve noticed over the last couple of weeks as the weather has become warmer where I live that the AC has a sour smell when it first starts up. Does anyone know what this is and how to remedy it?