Rivian Reviews

**1. Delivery Day** I took an entire day off work because I was so excited to pick up my new Rivian. My scheduled pickup time was 11:00 AM. I arrived around that time, signed the paperwork they gave me, and waited. At 12:00 PM, after waiting patiently for about 40 minutes, I asked how much longer it would take. I was told the vehicle was being prepared and they were making sure everything was "good to go." At approximately 1:00 PM, I was finally told that I could NOT take delivery because there was an issue with the vehicle. This was extremely frustrating because Rivian had already sent me messages telling me the vehicle was ready for pickup. When I asked what had happened and when I could pick it up, I was not given a clear explanation or timeline. I was simply told that they would text me when they knew more.

**2. Second Delivery Attempt** The next day, I received a message that the vehicle was ready, so I once again had to take time away from work to go pick it up. During the delivery walkthrough, I immediately noticed that the vehicle had not been properly cleaned. It was very obvious that the truck had been sitting there for some time and had not been properly prepared for delivery. I mentioned this, and instead of having someone properly clean the vehicle, the employee doing the delivery simply grabbed a towel and started wiping it down. At that point, I told her not to worry about it and that I would clean it myself. Because of the problems surrounding my delivery, she offered me a gift and told me she would request a speaker for me. I accepted that solution and was happy to move forward.

**3. Speaker Promise and Lack of Communication.** About a month later, I contacted Rivian because I had heard nothing about the speaker. I was told that they were out of stock. I responded that I was completely fine waiting and simply asked when they expected to receive more. I never received a response. **4. Alignment/Tire Issue on a Brand-New Vehicle** Within the first month or two of ownership, I noticed scratches on my right tire and that the vehicle was pulling to the right when driving on a straight road. I was concerned because this was a brand-new vehicle, and I had not hit a curb or done anything that should have caused an alignment issue. I brought the vehicle to Rivian's service center. Initially, they checked it and essentially told me that there was no issue and that I was imagining it. I insisted that they properly test the alignment using a machine. They eventually asked me to leave the vehicle with them for the day.

The next day, I received a message saying they had, in fact, found an issue and were going to fix it. The vehicle ended up staying at the service center for two days. Fortunately, I was not charged for the repair. However, I was never given a satisfactory explanation as to how a brand-new vehicle had an alignment issue in the first place. While picking up the vehicle, I also followed up about the speaker. I was then told that Rivian would not be sending me the speaker and that I should choose something else instead. After all of the previous issues, I was frustrated, but I agreed to choose crossbars instead.

**5. Repeated Paperwork Errors and Registration Problems** Perhaps the biggest red flag throughout this entire experience has been Rivian's handling of my paperwork. I was repeatedly sent documents to sign because of issues on Rivian's end. I understand that mistakes happen, and I would have been completely reasonable about this if it happened once. But I had to sign and return documents approximately four separate times. Each time, Rivian sent me a UPS return label, and I had to take care of sending the paperwork back.

At this point, I have spent far too much of my own time dealing with administrative problems that were not caused by me. Now, the situation has become even more serious. My temporary tag expires today. I have repeatedly contacted Rivian asking for an update on my title and registration. The response has essentially been that they are "working on it." Rivian then told me to check with the DMV to see if they could issue me another temporary tag. I contacted the DMV, and they cannot issue me another temporary tag without the title information they are waiting on from Rivian. So because Rivian has not completed its paperwork properly, I may soon be unable to legally drive the vehicle I purchased from them. This is not a minor inconvenience. I purchased an expensive brand-new vehicle, and I am now potentially going to be unable to drive it because of an administrative issue on Rivian's end.

**6. Even the Replacement Gift Was Never Resolved** Three weeks after choosing the crossbars, I followed up again to ask about their status. Once again, I was told that Rivian would not send me anything because too much time had passed since delivery. This is incredibly frustrating because the original delay was not caused by me. I was initially promised a speaker, waited approximately a month for an update, was told it was out of stock, received no response when I said I was willing to wait, and was eventually told to choose something else. I chose the crossbars based on Rivian's own offer, yet I am now being told that nothing will be provided because too much time has passed.

**Overall Experience** I have been driving EVs for approximately six years and have owned two Teslas before purchasing my Rivian. I understand that no company is perfect, and I have experienced issues with Tesla as well. The difference is how the company handles those problems. With Tesla, even when something went wrong, I generally felt that they were trying to find a solution. I was not repeatedly given conflicting information, left without updates, or put in a position where I might not be able to drive my vehicle because of the manufacturer's paperwork issues. For anyone considering a Rivian versus a Tesla, especially someone buying their first EV, my personal recommendation based on my experience would be **Tesla without hesitation**.

I genuinely wanted Rivian to succeed. I was excited about the brand, excited about the truck, and wanted to have a great ownership experience. Instead, I have spent months chasing Rivian for answers about delivery problems, vehicle issues, promised items, paperwork, and now my registration. The vehicle itself is not the only thing a company sells. The ownership experience matters, especially when you're spending this much money on a new vehicle.

**I am extremely disappointed with how Rivian has handled this entire situation.** At minimum, I expect Rivian to resolve my title/registration issue immediately so that I can legally continue driving the vehicle I purchased, provide a clear explanation of what caused the repeated paperwork problems, and honor the replacement item that was offered to me as compensation for the problems surrounding my delivery.

Of course the existing service call for was closed, leaving me with no ability to connect to the prior conversation. I can’t even express my frustration. I have waited 2 months to get the car fixed, did follow up to no avail. Any body work is immensely expensive, a minor accident turns into something major. Expensive and takes a long time first to get your car in for service second to get it repaired. We since sold the car and bought another electric from a more experienced car company.