Question for Arizona Rivian Owners

[KirkB66]

I am considering buying / leasing a Gen2 Rivian (most likely R1T). I am in Gilbert Arizona. and I am new to BEV ownership. I have been in this forum for a while now and between this forum and additional research it seems that there are still reliability and service concerns with Rivian. I am interested to get input from current AZ Rivian owners as far as their experience with the car and when there has been issues, what has been your experience with Rivian service in AZ? Thanks in advance!

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[ScottnAZ]

Picked up my R1T in July 22’, and knock on wood it’s been solid.

Living in Chandler, it’s a bit of a haul out to the SC, but the few times I’ve had to have been fine. Currently, my front air suspension is leaking overnight, so I do have an upcoming service appointment; which was 90-days out, so scheduling is probably still the major drawback to the service center in PHX (although I think that’s pretty much a nation wide issue still). At the same time, however, this current issue doesn’t keep me from driving the truck, so I’m sure they didn’t consider it an overly urgent issue.

I assume you’ve been up to checkout the Rivian Hub @ Kierland?

Frankly, the biggest issue has been charging, at home, during the summer months. My garage is insulated, and I charge during off-peak times overnight, but I still have very slow charge time during the summer.

 

[VSG]

Many people will understandably not buy the first model year of any vehicle, from any manufacturer, due to reliability concerns. I personally *have* done this four times, and only one of those turned out to be a problem vehicle (ironically, the problem vehicle was a Consumer Reports "Top pick" recommended buy, so ...)

Rivian is still a new manufacturer with their first vehicle model. There is a higher risk that you will have a problem with your vehicle than there is with a model from an established manufacturer. That's not to imply that a vehicle from an established manufacturer will be problem-free either, and it doesn't mean that a huge percentage of Rivian's will have problems - even the least reliable vehicles being sold these days are leaps and bounds more reliable than the average vehicle that was sold 20 or 30 years ago. Although they're also more complex, and have more ways to fail.

So it is important to consider how you can get any problems addressed, should you have them. Rivian is very good about fixing things under warranty IMO, and in many cases they go above and beyond what I would expect from other manufacturers.

If you live near a service center like I do, then there is little cause for concern other than long wait times for service because Rivian *will* fix your car if it has a problem.

But if you live in a state like Arizona which forbids Rivian from operating a service center, then you are going to have to make a judgement based on your own risk tolerance. If something happens, are you willing to deal with a service center hundreds of miles away? Because that's the tradeoff you will be making.

My Rivian has been trouble free for 2+ years / 25k miles. I only go to the service center for tire rotations, but you can get those anywhere these days. I like to use the service center because they will check other things that a place like Discount Tire can't. And I *absolutely* considered proximity to the service center before I decided to purchase a Rivian. I'm lucky to be pretty close to a service center, so that greatly influeced my decision. If I lived hundreds of miles away from a service center I may have made a different decision. But I am absolutely positive now that I would have regretted NOT buying my Rivian.

I feel that Rivians have become more reliable over the years, since Rivian addresses manufacturing and design issues that have been identified. There are many thing that used go wrong with some small frequency that don't seem to be much of a problem any more. Of course there are new things cropping up too, but they have made major changes over the years to improve reliability.

To be clear, the number of people with issues are a minority, but a larger minority than is desired. I feel that a lot of the issues are things that wouldn't even be mentioned or noticed other vehicles - Rivian owners seem to be more picky and vocal than most.

So I can't tell you what to do, I can just spell out some of the tradeoffs. But my Rivian is the best vehicle I have ever owned, and it is a huge improvement over my previous favorite vehicle, and I really would have regretted it if I put off buying my Rivian out of fear of ... whatever.

 

[madhat]

Gilbert as well. Bought 22 R1T in March. Been fantastic; haven’t had to book a service appointment yet. (At 23k now, 8k when I got it)

As Scott said, summer charging is challenge; installed garage is a mixed bag. Takes longer to get hot, but also takes longer to cool off. During peak summer I would have to make sure to charge at least 7 hours to get my daily commute 30% charge as the battery and charger would get too warm and drop to at best 5kWh charging. When it’s 120 out and I pull into the garage around 4-5pm, it’s still well over 100 in there when I start charging at 11 and even when I leave at 7am! Therefore, I’ve installed a garage purge fan. I have a custom program on a thermostat with an indoor and outdoor thermocouple that turns on the exhaust fan anytime the indoor temp is higher than outdoor. It pulls air in from a wall louver through a 2” deep filter grille, across the garage to another grille, then out through another wall louver. That allows the garage to get down to at least ambient temps in the morning allowing it to not overheat as much. That, or consider a mini split or open your house to the garage and run a fan to cool it down some using your tempered air.

A roof shade is a very good idea as well. Also, SRP is going to be ditching the electric car TOU plan…interested to see how much more expensive charging will be then…(supposedly can be grandfathered in until end of 2029).

 

[madhat]

Many people will understandably not buy the first model year of any vehicle, from any manufacturer, due to reliability concerns. I personally *have* done this four times, and only one of those turned out to be a problem vehicle (ironically, the problem vehicle was a Consumer Reports "Top pick" recommended buy, so ...)

Rivian is still a new manufacturer with their first vehicle model. There is a higher risk that you will have a problem with your vehicle than there is with a model from an established manufacturer. That's not to imply that a vehicle from an established manufacturer will be problem-free either, and it doesn't mean that a huge percentage of Rivian's will have problems - even the least reliable vehicles being sold these days are leaps and bounds more reliable than the average vehicle that was sold 20 or 30 years ago. Although they're also more complex, and have more ways to fail.

So it is important to consider how you can get any problems addressed, should you have them. Rivian is very good about fixing things under warranty IMO, and in many cases they go above and beyond what I would expect from other manufacturers.

If you live near a service center like I do, then there is little cause for concern other than long wait times for service because Rivian *will* fix your car if it has a problem.

But if you live in a state like Arizona which forbids Rivian from operating a service center, then you are going to have to make a judgement based on your own risk tolerance. If something happens, are you willing to deal with a service center hundreds of miles away? Because that's the tradeoff you will be making.

My Rivian has been trouble free for 2+ years / 25k miles. I only go to the service center for tire rotations, but you can get those anywhere these days. I like to use the service center because they will check other things that a place like Discount Tire can't. And I *absolutely* considered proximity to the service center before I decided to purchase a Rivian. I'm lucky to be pretty close to a service center, so that greatly influeced my decision. If I lived hundreds of miles away from a service center I may have made a different decision. But I am absolutely positive now that I would have regretted NOT buying my Rivian.

I feel that Rivians have become more reliable over the years, since Rivian addresses manufacturing and design issues that have been identified. There are many thing that used go wrong with some small frequency that don't seem to be much of a problem any more. Of course there are new things cropping up too, but they have made major changes over the years to improve reliability.

To be clear, the number of people with issues are a minority, but a larger minority than is desired. I feel that a lot of the issues are things that wouldn't even be mentioned or noticed other vehicles - Rivian owners seem to be more picky and vocal than most.

So I can't tell you what to do, I can just spell out some of the tradeoffs. But my Rivian is the best vehicle I have ever owned, and it is a huge improvement over my previous favorite vehicle, and I really would have regretted it if I put off buying my Rivian out of fear of ... whatever.

Umm…Arizona doesn’t allow service centers??
https://maps.google.com/maps/place/...e5?entry=s&sa=X&ved=1t:8290&hl=en-US&ictx=111
My understanding is this is one, and I went there last April for a test drive.

 

[VSG]

Yes, Arizona by law does not allow Rivian (or Tesla) to open and operate a service center. This is one of those protectionist dealership laws that have taken hold in a dozen or so states.

Tesla managed to get around this in AZ only recently (last year I think), by coming to an agreement to build a service center on tribal lands which are out of the state's jurisdiction. Tesla is grandfathered in some other states because they had already opened service centers before the laws were passed.

I don't know what the situation is with the Phoenix service center. I don't know how Rivian is circumventing the legal restrictions. But Rivian has been pushing back on these restrictions nationwide, so it wouldn't surprise me if they just built the service center and are prepared to defend against the inevitable lawsuits from traditional dealerships - just as they did in CT.

EDIT: Sorry, my bad, I was confusing Arizona with New Mexico. What I said was true for New Mexico.

 

[LNJ]

No issue with my Rivian ownership in AZ. It’s been solid. Every new car is gonna have little issues, Rivian is not an exception. They are pretty good about fixing any issues though. But the service center is pretty slammed. Usually booked 3 months out, unless it’s a safety thing then they try to get you in asap. Yes, AZ does have a service center. It think people are confusing a dealership with a service center. Rivian doesn’t have a dealership. They do have a service center. I did a demo drive there, picked my Rivian up there, and I also just had the tonneau installed there two weeks ago. And from what I understand a new, larger service center is set to open in Tempe soon.

As for AC charging in the summer. It will derate if the charge handle / port gets too warm. When my garage is hot, I put floor fan pointed right at the charger handle which helps cool the handle enough to not derate charging speed. That’s overnight, not sure if that’d work in the dead of day heat. Yeah it’s a workaround and an extra step but does the trick and not that big of a deal for me.

The positives by far outweigh the little things for me.

 

[cjbot3000]

Tucson here, Gen 1 R1T. Been over 2 years and I have a few observations.

1) Service center is super. Yeah, the wait time is not great (like all of them) but I've been impressed by their level of service and willingness to work the issues with you.

I also utilize their mobile service as much as possible and the guys that service Tucson are rock stars

2) I wish the AC blew with ferocity, but it works just fine

3) get a sunroof shade. I have heatshield brand that's ugly but works well

4) if you plan on leaving pavement, get the tires for it. I have the old 21s and regretted it. I can't wait for these to wear down so I can replace them with the Michelin defenders. I know these tires are no longer offered, but the natural environment here is no joke when you're putting 7.5k lbs over sharp rocks whether you air down or not. I've had 4 flats (3 had to be replaced) in 2 years after having 0 punctures in the last 10 years prior to my Rivian with no change in driving habits.

5) need more chargers!!!!!!!! It's better in Phoenix and northward, but is hellish down here in the SE corner and Eastern AZ in general. It's doable but can be difficult.


I'm not sure what home charging issues people are having.... I charge at 40A at times, summer or no, but I guess the Phoenix Metro is a couple degrees hotter than Tucson...

 

[madhat]

Tucson here, Gen 1 R1T. Been over 2 years and I have a few observations.

1) Service center is super. Yeah, the wait time is not great (like all of them) but I've been impressed by their level of service and willingness to work the issues with you.

I also utilize their mobile service as much as possible and the guys that service Tucson are rock stars

2) I wish the AC blew with ferocity, but it works just fine

3) get a sunroof shade. I have heatshield brand that's ugly but works well

4) if you plan on leaving pavement, get the tires for it. I have the old 21s and regretted it. I can't wait for these to wear down so I can replace them with the Michelin defenders. I know these tires are no longer offered, but the natural environment here is no joke when you're putting 7.5k lbs over sharp rocks whether you air down or not. I've had 4 flats (3 had to be replaced) in 2 years after having 0 punctures in the last 10 years prior to my Rivian with no change in driving habits.

5) need more chargers!!!!!!!! It's better in Phoenix and northward, but is hellish down here in the SE corner and Eastern AZ in general. It's doable but can be difficult.


I'm not sure what home charging issues people are having.... I charge at 40A at times, summer or no, but I guess the Phoenix Metro is a couple degrees hotter than Tucson...

I’m in an area that’s easily 5 degrees cooler than many parts of Gilbert, even more compared to Phoenix. (Thanks man made “lakes” and trees!)
My charger is a Tesla charger with J1772 connector. I get 40A when the garage is less than 100F. I installed it with 4ga wires to limit heat generated in the wires since they’re in the attic. Is your garage insulated? High ceiling? My garage is a tiny 3 car (rivian just fits) with 8 foot ceilings…I gave up a two post lift and 16ft ceilings to move here. With that ceiling height the stratification effect would have been enough to not have charging issues either.

 

[azbill]

Service times are long, even for something as simple as a new windshield. My tonneau just failed in Nov, one of the early ones, no parts or appointment until late Feb.

 

[cjbot3000]

I’m in an area that’s easily 5 degrees cooler than many parts of Gilbert, even more compared to Phoenix. (Thanks man made “lakes” and trees!)
My charger is a Tesla charger with J1772 connector. I get 40A when the garage is less than 100F. I installed it with 4ga wires to limit heat generated in the wires since they’re in the attic. Is your garage insulated? High ceiling? My garage is a tiny 3 car (rivian just fits) with 8 foot ceilings…I gave up a two post lift and 16ft ceilings to move here. With that ceiling height the stratification effect would have been enough to not have charging issues either.

Same garage here. I think I have 6ga in attic, uninsulated.

I went to double check the history on my charger during the hot months but the app is kinda hot garbage and only sometimes captures the delivery rate.

But one thing I noticed is that most of my charges are only 1-2 hours because we charge every night to 70% and don't drive very much on any given day

So... Maybe that's part of it, but I've never had an issue juicing up to 99% for an extended adventure in charging desert East of Tucson. I've never ever noticed a de-rate at home regardless of time of day or hellish garage temperatures, even when the vehicle vents the windows for the screens

I've been trying to find a way to keep the garage cooler just for the sake of my battery, but I've never seen an issue charging less than 40A

 

[cjbot3000]

Service times are long, even for something as simple as a new windshield. My tonneau just failed in Nov, one of the early ones, no parts or appointment until late Feb.

Wow, my tonneau failed last month and I just got home 15 mins ago from having it replaced. On a Saturday, even.

 

[cjbot3000]

Same garage here. I think I have 6ga in attic, uninsulated.

I went to double check the history on my charger during the hot months but the app is kinda hot garbage and only sometimes captures the delivery rate.

But one thing I noticed is that most of my charges are only 1-2 hours because we charge every night to 70% and don't drive very much on any given day

So... Maybe that's part of it, but I've never had an issue juicing up to 99% for an extended adventure in charging desert East of Tucson. I've never ever noticed a de-rate at home regardless of time of day or hellish garage temperatures, even when the vehicle vents the windows for the screens

I've been trying to find a way to keep the garage cooler just for the sake of my battery, but I've never seen an issue charging less than 40A

Okay so I'm gonna eat my words

While my charger app blows, I just found out I can see my history in the Rivian app and based on the delivered energy vs time charging it does appear to charge much slower in July/August.

I just plug it in and go to bed so I never realized, and just never seen an issue the few times a year I charge higher during the day

 

[Mark_AZR1T]

Welcome to the forums! I'm in Gilbert as well and have 52,000 miles on my R1T, which I've owned since Mar 2022. My experience has been nearly flawless, so much so, we bought an R1S as well, which has (knock on wood) never had a service visit.

Ceramic window tint all windows and if you are heat sensitive the front windshield as well. My wife has a sunscreen for the roof and I don't. The Phoenix service center is approximately 40-45 miles away, but don't worry.

The TEMPE service center (3x larger) will be open late Feb., early March (it's already being fitted out). When you get a charger only do a hard-wire with a 60A breaker, so you can charge at the full 48A. It's worth the speed of charge. I have a certified electrician that does the install for a very fair value, and super professional if you need someone.

If you are on SRP, get on a EV plan and when you charge at night you'll pay between 5.6 cents and 9 cents a KWh to charge (dirt cheap) at home. I can answer any question you have, as well as other locals.....

Mark

 

[KirkB66]

Picked up my R1T in July 22’, and knock on wood it’s been solid.

Living in Chandler, it’s a bit of a haul out to the SC, but the few times I’ve had to have been fine. Currently, my front air suspension is leaking overnight, so I do have an upcoming service appointment; which was 90-days out, so scheduling is probably still the major drawback to the service center in PHX (although I think that’s pretty much a nation wide issue still). At the same time, however, this current issue doesn’t keep me from driving the truck, so I’m sure they didn’t consider it an overly urgent issue.

I assume you’ve been up to checkout the Rivian Hub @ Kierland?

Frankly, the biggest issue has been charging, at home, during the summer months. My garage is insulated, and I charge during off-peak times overnight, but I still have very slow charge time during the summer.

Thanks! I really appreciate your response. I have not been up to the Hub at Kierland yet. But I am doing a demo drive in Gilbert tomorrow. The summer charging seems to be a consistent issue when we hit those sweltering summer temps and the garage temps sore even higher. I assume that would be the same with all EV's.

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