one door is pretty horribly formed among other issues (still love the truck overall, though)

[the long way downunder]

please share the build date printed on the VIN plate (in the driver's door opening, on the B pillar)

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[rhuber]

I had a hood misalignment that I didn't notice at delivery. I am not too fussy about such things, but the gap allowed a bit of airflow to raise the hood at highway speeds, especially in a headwind. They did some adjustments and the gap is gone. I can see where they robbed peter to pay paul when fixing it, but it is minor and i'm fine with it. Overall the quality on mine seems good, and with this corrected I have no complaints.

Mine also had a "hood flutter" issue, which is a known problem with some of the trucks. The fix is additional adhesive between the hood panel and frame, and that fix seems to have worked fine. I'm not fussed about any of these issues as long as rivian makes good on fixing them and improving quality long term.

For folks with panel issues, I'm curious what VINs y'all have? I'm 35xx

 

[DaveA]

I was just too giddy to finally get the truck that I just didn't care at that point even though I did notice some of it immediately. I also received it with a couple minor scratches that the delivery guy pointed out. And I am pretty annoyed that I received it without a spare tire because I worry that I could wait a long time for that and it limits my offroad adventures somewhat. I'll give them a few days and then start making noise.
But ultimately I will take all these minor issues over mechanical issues (knock on wood).

I sympathize…was over joyed on delivery day and overlooked a lot of things and the next day really came crashing down.

 

[DaveA]

I had a hood misalignment that I didn't notice at delivery. I am not too fussy about such things, but the gap allowed a bit of airflow to raise the hood at highway speeds, especially in a headwind. They did some adjustments and the gaps is gone. I can see where they robbed peter to pay paul when fixing it, but it is minor and i'm fine with it. Overall the quality on mine seems good, and with this corrected I have no complaints.

Mine also had a "hood flutter" issue, which is a known problem with some of the trucks. The fix is additional adhesive between the hood panel and frame, and that fix seems to have worked fine. I'm not fussed about any of these issues as long as rivian makes good on fixing them and improving quality long term.

For folks with panel issues, I'm curious what VINs y'all have? I'm 35xx

15xx.

 

[the long way downunder]

I was just too giddy to finally get the truck that I just didn't care at that point even though I did notice some of it immediately. I also received it with a couple minor scratches that the delivery guy pointed out. And I am pretty annoyed that I received it without a spare tire because I worry that I could wait a long time for that and it limits my offroad adventures somewhat. I'll give them a few days and then start making noise.
But ultimately I will take all these minor issues over mechanical issues (knock on wood).

theoretically, the spare for my R1T showed up at the service center and gets "installed" (making sure the repair kit and jack are fitted correctly) next week
meanwhile, I carry two cans of "green slime" … as long as a flat is just a puncture … and I haven't ripped open a sidewall in 15 years.

 

[Zoidz]

If Rivian had to chose between ramping up or fixing the process, which one would you (people waiting) want them to choose if it meant an additional year of wait?

FTQ (First TIme Quality) is a metric some manufacturers live by. Rework always costs more, frequently alot more. It's got to be killing Rivian right now with this body panel stuff.

Rivian should have an FTQ metric that they need to exceed before the next production rate ramp up. Until you meet the metric, you don't ramp up. Otherwise you will just produce even substandard units at a higher rate, leading to increased delivery delays, reduced cash flow, unhappy customers, etc. It's a nasty cycle.

 

[the long way downunder]

15xx.

fwiw, mine is 11xx with zero paint/panel defects (and I'm a picky b@st@rd … : )

 

[the long way downunder]

FTQ (First TIme Quality) is a metric some manufacturers live by. Rework always costs more, frequently alot more. It's got to be killing Rivian right now with this body panel stuff.

Rivian should have an FTQ metric that they need to exceed before the next production rate ramp up. Until you meet the metric, you don't ramp up. Otherwise you will just produce even substandard units at a higher rate, leading to increased delivery delays, reduced cash flow, unhappy customers, etc. It's a nasty cycle.

You've hit the nail on the six sigma … I've tried to raise the topic of how they're handling quality processes with each Rivian person I've encountered and their answers have been … well, when I contracted to IBM to design software for enterprise business process re-engineering, let's just say, "this department has been flagged for further review" …

fwiw, I think there's something fishy about these quality issues … and for all the forum posts I've scanned, I'm finding very few defective vehicles. How is it that my "old" R1T is flawless and some "new" ones are showing defects that look like pre-production units?

I've had three Teslas, all defect free, but far from flawless. If any one of them was a Porsche, I'd have declined to take delivery. The latest Model 3 Performance was probably passable, but still arrived looking like a two year old used car in terms of paint presentation and the cabin trim was never designed to fit to the standards expected of a Porsche (or Mercedes or even Land Rover.)

My 11xx VIN R1T is (so far) flawless in paint and panel fit. Zero cabin trim issues. It has the A piller quarter vent window noise problem (but the fitment around the frame and seals shows no misaligned or other error.) Otherwise, aside from gaping holes in the software, everything is rock solid. Come to think of it, the suspension is squeaky over bumps at low speed. Barely audible, passengers can't hear it when I mention it. Also, the panels of the hard tonneau don't fit together flush and smooth, which is correctible. But in terms of production line issues that can't be rectified in the field, I'm mightily impressed and this very early R1 is better than any Tesla I've inspected or even heard tell.

As one prominent billionaire often observes, "production is hard."

 

[thrill]

If Rivian had to chose between ramping up or fixing the process, which one would you (people waiting) want them to choose if it meant an additional year of wait?

I want the truck to be able to roll through the Sotheby's Auction with nothing more than a touch of the dust cloth the moment it hits my driveway.

 

[ironpig]

I hope it’s better than Tesla’s first few years. My 2014 had plenty of fit and finish issues that were easy service center fixes. But they should have been ironed out in the full year of production before I got my car. Big waste of time.

 

[NY_Rob]

As bad as the panel gap and alignment issues are.. they are promising to fix them all and haven't resorted to the Tesla go-to customer pacifier line "it's within spec" as far as we know.

 

[Olsonsolar]

Now I really don't mind waiting a bit longer for my truck.

 

[Singletracker]

theoretically, the spare for my R1T showed up at the service center and gets "installed" (making sure the repair kit and jack are fitted correctly) next week
meanwhile, I carry two cans of "green slime" … as long as a flat is just a puncture … and I haven't ripped open a sidewall in 15 years.

Consider carrying a plug kit for those tread punctures. May be more affective than Slime. From years of dirt biking, my experience with tire sealants has been hit and miss. Yes, I use it, but I don’t hit the trail without those plugs. A plug kit can be the ticket for a quick and durable fix.

Back on topic, all these glaring QC issues are starting to get really concerning. How do these vehicles get out the door with such obvious issues? Surely, they can see some these problems. Are they just turning a blind eye to them? Makes me glad that I’m nearly at the back of the bus for my pre-March 1 R1S preorder. Hopefully, Rivian can sort this stuff out ASAP, so as not to lose the luster they currently have.

 

[the long way downunder]

Consider carrying a plug kit for those tread punctures. May be more affective than Slime. From years of dirt biking, my experience with tire sealants has been hit and miss. Yes, I use it, but I don’t hit the trail without those plugs. A plug kit can be the ticket for a quick and durable fix.

Back on topic, all these glaring QC issues are starting to get really concerning. How do these vehicles get out the door with such obvious issues? Surely, they can see some these problems. Are they just turning a blind eye to them? Makes me glad that I’m nearly at the back of the bus for my pre-March 1 R1S preorder. Hopefully, Rivian can sort this stuff out ASAP, so as not to lose the luster they currently have.

Right. I have a plug kit in the other pickup. Drove my old 6.0 diesel on a plugged tire for 10K+ miles … I will get all the usual gear loaded into the R1 as I set it up for its first trip. I've seen dozens of R1Ts now and looked over them in detail for my own purpose of wanting to anticipate trouble with mine, but I've not seen any defects.
I do wonder how a truck built in Feb isn't the same quality as a truck built months earlier … given Riven has built thousands and shipped hundreds, if one comes out of the body shop looking like these examples, why paint it? why not just side-line it for repair and build the next chassis? At the end of the process, do they paint the doors off the body?
I've read several reports of people being told "we found a problem with yours, it's delayed" … why were these not delayed?
[sidenote: argh … I'm going out to have a more detailed "inspection light" look over mine … ]
Here's how Porsche has painted cars for years, an electrostatic dip, then robotic downdraft booth, then hand check fit and finish.

This would mean someone eyeballed those doors and said "hey boss, this one is out of spec" and the boss has said "nope, that'll do fine" … ?
Why?
If you're making 1000 vehicles and delivering only half what you produce, why finish a defect body, just side-line it (which is what Porsche does … right up to and including damage, they'll repair and paint the single panel and still sell it as a new vehicle) and the production system builds the next VIN in the line.

 

[EarlyAdptr]

You've hit the nail on the six sigma … I've tried to raise the topic of how they're handling quality processes with each Rivian person I've encountered and their answers have been … well, when I contracted to IBM to design software for enterprise business process re-engineering, let's just say, "this department has been flagged for further review" …

fwiw, I think there's something fishy about these quality issues … and for all the forum posts I've scanned, I'm finding very few defective vehicles. How is it that my "old" R1T is flawless and some "new" ones are showing defects that look like pre-production units?

I've had three Teslas, all defect free, but far from flawless. If any one of them was a Porsche, I'd have declined to take delivery. The latest Model 3 Performance was probably passable, but still arrived looking like a two year old used car in terms of paint presentation and the cabin trim was never designed to fit to the standards expected of a Porsche (or Mercedes or even Land Rover.)

My 11xx VIN R1T is (so far) flawless in paint and panel fit. Zero cabin trim issues. It has the A piller quarter vent window noise problem (but the fitment around the frame and seals shows no misaligned or other error.) Otherwise, aside from gaping holes in the software, everything is rock solid. Come to think of it, the suspension is squeaky over bumps at low speed. Barely audible, passengers can't hear it when I mention it. Also, the panels of the hard tonneau don't fit together flush and smooth, which is correctible. But in terms of production line issues that can't be rectified in the field, I'm mightily impressed and this very early R1 is better than any Tesla I've inspected or even heard tell.

As one prominent billionaire often observes, "production is hard."

Difference between slower production rates for "older" R1T's (earlier in ramp up) and those made with the line running faster (less time for in-process inspection) perhaps?

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