WFTV - Florida woman can't get out of bricked R1S for 45 min. PSA: check your emergency release access panels

[CrazyOne]

Gen2 has buttons in addition to the manual pull, and in Gen2, the manual pull is the same color as the door, rather than chrome, as well as the accelerator/brake pedals, thereby making it, potentially, harder to notice. Since I already have a Tesla, it was pretty obvious to me and my fam, but having both does seem to cover the basis, design wise and safety wise.

I wonder if Rivian will have us Gen2 folks bring our trucks in to get the manual release chromed out, ha.

Rivian won't, but Chrome wrap is probably very cheap and easy to apply.

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[bfilippo]

Rivian won't, but Chrome wrap is probably very cheap and easy to apply.

I just meant if they get sued. Which, hopefully not, but, I lived in Florida for half my life...wouldn't surprise me...

 

[CrazyOne]

I just meant if they get sued. Which, hopefully not, but, I lived in Florida for half my life...wouldn't surprise me...

I don't even think it's a frivolous lawsuit. Wife took Uber a few times and those Tesla overrides are hard to find. Almost all Ubers she took were Tesla's.

 

[Electrified Outdoors]

My two cents here: The rep on the phone should have known how to use the emergency release and instructed her on how to do so.

2nd: When taking delivery this should be something that’s gone over with the customer both for the front and the rear releases.

Disappointed this is their first experience with Rivian.

 

[COdogman]

If you watch the local news story included in this thread, the woman‘s story doesn’t seem as solid. She claims she “couldn’t get out” yet first responders said the mechanical door handle was working just fine. Also they said they didn’t even see smoke when they arrived.

So essentially her Rivian lost power and she is for some reason blaming Rivian because she forgot how door handles work

https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/rivian-in-the-news-“it-started-smoking”.37532/

 

[Paul Hackett]

Couple thoughts regarding this that may have been touched on above. I test drove a Riv R1S Gen 2 on 30 October 2024. I never had been in one prior. I "accidentally" by default when getting out of the car used the "emergency" manual door release. Took possession of my Gen 2 R1S Tri about 3 weeks later. Electric door button works fine, mechanical release works fine. It's pretty obvious, see my picture below.

With all that said, here's the story of Angela Chao who died in a Tesla in February 2025 in Austin when she was unable to get out of her car. Her situation was complicated by ETOH intoxication...

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/20/business/angela-chao-fatal-car-accident/index.html

But I think there is some legitimacy to the criticisms related to over complicating what should be and historically has been simple and or "too much" change too quickly to designs relative to collective historical muscle memory relative to car operation.

It should be noted that there are NO EMERGENCY DOOR RELEASES ON THE REAR PASSENGER DOORS.

One related example is the whole 12v battery "death-spiral" where "one" is locked out of their bricked car. This is a simple design fix with minimal cost added to the vehicle particularly compared to overall cost and the cost of time, sense of reliability and inconvenience when the 12v dies.

Fix:

1: Emergency mechanical key in a fob that unlocks the driver's door.
2: Mechanical frunk/hood release in the driver's interior foot well that allows easy access to the frunk to access "your" jumper cables in order to get a jump or access to replace your 12v battery that should be easily accessed in your F'ing frunk not inside the passenger compartment under the passenger seat!

Follow the KISS principle... keep it simple stupid or (Sir)!

 

[R1Tom]

Couple thoughts regarding this that may have been touched on above. I test drove a Riv R1S Gen 2 on 30 October 2024. I never had been in one prior. I "accidentally" by default when getting out of the car used the "emergency" manual door release. Took possession of my Gen 2 R1S Tri about 3 weeks later. Electric door button works fine, mechanical release works fine. It's pretty obvious, see my picture below.

With all that said, here's the story of Angela Chao who died in a Tesla in February 2025 in Austin when she was unable to get out of her car. Her situation was complicated by ETOH intoxication...

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/20/business/angela-chao-fatal-car-accident/index.html

But I think there is some legitimacy to the criticisms related to over complicating what should be and historically has been simple and or "too much" change too quickly to designs relative to collective historical muscle memory relative to car operation.

It should be noted that there are NO EMERGENCY DOOR RELEASES ON THE REAR PASSENGER DOORS.

One related example is the whole 12v battery "death-spiral" where "one" is locked out of their bricked car. This is a simple design fix with minimal cost added to the vehicle particularly compared to overall cost and the cost of time, sense of reliability and inconvenience when the 12v dies.

Fix:

1: Emergency mechanical key in a fob that unlocks the driver's door.
2: Mechanical frunk/hood release in the driver's interior foot well that allows easy access to the frunk to access "your" jumper cables in order to get a jump or access to replace your 12v battery that should be easily accessed in your F'ing frunk not inside the passenger compartment under the passenger seat!

Follow the KISS principle... keep it simple stupid or (Sir)!

I concur on KISS....should not need a briefing on safe exit when getting in a vehicle.

Here was one near me where 5 people recently parished in a Tesla...but hey...all these people should have RFTM like all the perfect people on here keep saying...cripes...

https://www.wmtv15news.com/2024/11/...irms-identities-5-who-died-town-verona-crash/

 

[Donald Stanfield]

I concur on KISS....should not need a briefing on safe exit when getting in a vehicle.

Here was one near me where 5 people recently parished in a Tesla...but hey...all these people should have RFTM like all the perfect people on here keep saying...cripes...

https://www.wmtv15news.com/2024/11/...irms-identities-5-who-died-town-verona-crash/

If you can't see that handle, you shouldn't be driving a car and should be wearing a helmet at all times out in public, just in case.

 

[R1Tom]

If you can't see that handle, you shouldn't be driving a car and should be wearing a helmet at all times out in public, just in case.

Rear seats? Show me that handle.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

Rear seats? Show me that handle.

Was the issue with this driver stuck in her car, the rear seats? Do you have any other black swans to discuss regarding the article?

 

[R1Tom]

Was the issue with this driver stuck in her car, the rear seats? Do you have any other black swans to discuss regarding the article?

You are right Donald....this time. Nobody died....and she was in front seat. So if you only want to discuss that...and everything else is a strawman or black swan....then feel free to stay silent on hidden emergency release levers in the rear seat area of G2 R1. Silence is clear admission that you too see that a clearly visible manual door release, just like what Rivian did for the front seat passengers and you so rightly point out is clearly visible in your comment...should also be the design for the rear seat emergency release levers.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

You are right Donald....this time. Nobody died....and she was in front seat. So if you only want to discuss that...and everything else is a strawman or black swan....then feel free to stay silent on hidden emergency release levers in the rear seat area of G2 R1. Silence is clear admission that you too see that a clearly visible manual door release, just like what Rivian did for the front seat passengers and you so rightly point out is clearly visible in your comment...should also be the design for the rear seat emergency release levers.

Do you happen to use the third row? There's no door at all back there. Are you just sentencing those people to die a fiery death? Even with an ejection seat-style handle clearly labeled with strobe lights and sirens in the second-row door your rationale still screws the third-row passengers.

 

[R1Tom]

Do you happen to use the third row? There's no door at all back there. Are you just sentencing those people to die a fiery death? Even with an ejection seat-style handle clearly labeled with strobe lights and sirens in the second-row door your rationale still screws the third-row passengers.

Yep....exactly as I thought.....you know it's a bad design. Thanks for making it clear!

 

[Donald Stanfield]

Yep....exactly as I thought.....you know it's a bad design. Thanks for making it clear!

No, I think it's a nonissue. If I were concerned about it, instead of complaining on here and making a huge ass deal over it, I would remove the latch cover and flag the handle somehow. Nothing is stopping you from taking off the hidden hatch cover if you have an issue, tying a flag of some sort to the release handle, and even putting up signs in fluorescent orange labeling the emergency release, similarly to how it's done in airplanes.

You also completely glossed over the third row, which is an issue from that standpoint in every vehicle ever made. Funny how you're fine with those passengers burning to death. You just want to make something that isn't an issue an issue and are using a case that has NOTHING to do with what you're saying to do it. That's flimsy AF guy.

 

[R1Tom]

No, I think it's a nonissue. If I were concerned about it, instead of complaining on here and making a huge ass deal over it, I would remove the latch cover and flag the handle somehow. Nothing is stopping you from taking off the hidden hatch cover if you have an issue, tying a flag of some sort to the release handle, and even putting up signs in fluorescent orange labeling the emergency release, similarly to how it's done in airplanes.

You also completely glossed over the third row, which is an issue from that standpoint in every vehicle ever made. Funny how you're fine with those passengers burning to death. You just want to make something that isn't an issue an issue and are using a case that has NOTHING to do with what you're saying to do it. That's flimsy AF guy.

No...I am not a fan of 3rd rows. Everytime I have ridden in one or I saw my kids get in somebodies vehicle 3rd row....I find some concern with exit possibilities in vehicles...but that has nothing to do with 2nd row passengers.

Back to what started this for me and where you ended up regarding that pesky second row you have now said if I am concerned I should remove the covers and paint them...more admission it is over complicated, unintuitive, and unsafe design...should have put a handle back there...in my opinion....just like Rivian chose to do with the front seats.

So let's get to that design decision and why I think it was bad. You think it is simply no big deal...just because we aren't aware of anyone dying yet I guess....

2nd row should have manual override exit handles...just like first row...

Without it my first concern is danger to passengers of vehicles. Without a clear and intuitive door release....added difficulty/complexity exists that doesn't need to exist.

My second is how this type of decision exposes Rivian to bad press and BEV in general to bad press. I received 3 emails from friends who saw the Tesla story near me and each one said something similar to this "Is your Rivian safe..etc...".

For the above 2 main reasons....safety of people...and sellability of Rivians...I stand by my comments.

Edit...

Forgot a 3rd big reason...this hidden release in the 2nd row opens Rivian up to litigation. Regardless of merits...it does open them to litigation and likely settlements paid...

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