What’s a few software glitches, powertrain issues and battery faults between you and a car you truly love?
Two recently released studies from Consumer Reports might be called good news and bad news for Rivian. In two new surveys, the California-based electric vehicle startup found itself at the top of one list and the bottom of another: first in overall owner satisfaction, yet dead last in reliability among the brands the nonprofit magazine was able to test.
This marks the second consecutive year that Rivian’s R1S and R1T scored top honors in owner satisfaction, which is based on survey responses from Consumer Reports members who are asked if their new vehicles “met or failed to meet customers’ expectations in various important ways.” A whopping 86% of Rivian owners who responded to the survey also indicated they would buy from the brand again.
“We’ve presented the brands that most satisfy owners in specific areas: overall comfort, driving enjoyment, cabin storage, usability, and ownership cost,” Consumer Reports said. Rivian led the 2024 survey, followed by BMW, Tesla, Porsche and Lexus, in that order.
Photo by: InsideEVs
Photo by: InsideEVs
But as the publication notes, that doesn’t necessarily mean a problem-free driving experience. Subaru was ranked CR’s most overall reliable brand but was only midpack in terms of owner satisfaction. BMW too only finished in the middle of the reliability surveys, while Chevrolet—the top non-luxury brand in satisfaction—was even lower when it came to reliability. (If you want a car that ranks high in both, get a Lexus.)
Owners ranked their Rivians high for comfort, speed, drivability and ease of use. They may also have been won over by the cars’ specs. While their large size and brick-like shape can hurt their electric efficiency, Rivian’s EVs offer between 260 to 400 miles of range or more and boast some of the most advanced software features available in the U.S. EV market, including continual over-the-air updates.
Photo by: InsideEVs
But as we reported earlier this week, because they represent a new type of technology that’s less ironed out than the purely internal combustion vehicles made over the last century, EVs and hybrids do seem to have more issues than their conventional counterparts. Thankfully, CR told InsideEVs in an email, that’s changing quickly. “On average, EVs from the past three model years have had 42% more problems than gas-only cars, according to our exclusive survey data. That might sound like a lot, but the figure represents a significant improvement over our previous year’s survey results when EVs had 79% more problems than gas-only cars.”
Rivian’s issues were not uncommon to some new EVs: problems with charging systems and electric motors, frustrations with in-cabin technology like the central touchscreen, climate system headaches and more. Yet some of Rivian’s quality problems also speak to the nature of being a startup that’s new to making cars: paint and trim issues, noises and leaks, hardware issues and more. “All of that confirms what our survey data has told us for years,” CR said. “Tried-and-true designs tend to be more reliable, and consumers would be wise to wait a few years before purchasing a vehicle that’s been designed—or redesigned—from scratch.” (CR lacked sufficient owner data for other newcomers like Polestar and Lucid.)
Photo by: InsideEVs
The publication certainly isn’t wrong there and another EV startup is a good example. For years, Tesla also ranked at the top of owner satisfaction surveys but the bottom of reliability and quality reports. Yet while it still struggles with new model launches, Tesla’s overall build quality has gotten much better over the years; cars like the Model 3 and Model Y scored “average” in CR reliability reports. The brand as a whole still ranks toward the bottom of CR’s rankings, however, but above traditional automakers like Volkswagen and Jeep.
The takeaway here? People love what their Rivians can do for them, but like many startups, the company has a ways to go to improve its overall build quality and how seamless its user experience can be. Hopefully Rivian can do this as it continues to ramp up its Normal, Illinois plant and expands into an all-new one in Georgia.
Do you own a Rivian? What’s your experience been with it, good or bad? Let us know in the comments.
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