Tesla's Dangerous Doors (electronic door latches) - Can Rivian please not follow this trend?

[2kwik4u]

Neither the fob nor the RFID card requires a bluetooth connection to "enter" (nor to operate the vehicle). You don't even HAVE to have a PAAK set up.

The fob is absolutely a BT connection, not a standard RF connection. Rivian has touted this as necessary for added security pretty much since day one. That added security juice isn't worth the PIA squeeze required from the BT connection.

Here's a quick google search result:

The fob access on my Gen1 is atrocious. It will very typically leave me standing there pushing the button multiple times on the fob to enter. Rarely works if there is ANY moisture in the air or on the vehicle. Been in service twice for this and each time I get a "working as designed", which tells me the design is garbage, because that's how well it works.

The RFID card is an equally as asinine method of access for daily use. I'm not accessing an office building here. beyond that, it suffers from the same lack of ease of use that, in my opinion, is standard in the marketplace.

My Q7 was a masterclass in passive entry and operation. It required two things, the fob to be nearby and physical touch. I could walk up, and touch the door handle and it would unlock. Leaving I could touch the handle in a different spot and it would lock. If I didn't touch it, it wouldn't change states. So I could leave it unlocked in the driveway and walk around with the fob in my pocket and it wouldn't change state. It wouldn't change state while I had the fob on the key hanger in the garage. I had to both have the key AND give it a command to do anything.

Beyond that, and inline with the thread, if the 12V dies there is no PHYSICAL access INTO the vehicle. I can't use a key anywhere on the vehicle to get into it. I know, because the 12v has died on mine twice, and Rivian has sent a tow truck to physically break into the vehicle for me (which is a very nice, but would be completely unnecessary with true physical access). They literally put an airbag into the door opening, pried it open, and stuck a long steel rod into the cabin and pulled the door handle from inside. When the battery on my Audi died, I used the key like every other vehicle I've owned for the last 3 decades.

The entry and exit systems deployed by Rivian are terrible, and in my case, it's going to cost them a customer that otherwise loves the product and company.

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[2kwik4u]

Added for some sort of gee-wiz factor rather than utility because the market apparently demands an expensive vehicle have lots of gadgetry, only to cause a new problem if the vehicle loses power.

Appreciate the sanity check here. Glad I'm not the only one that has this thought process.

Things on this list for me:

• "Digital" HVAC vent control
• 12V center console access
• Entry/Exit access strategies
  • Fully electric tailgate
  • Fully Electric hood latches
  • Lack of Physical Key

 

[blueberrybeat]

The Emergency Response guide indicates that in a crash the doors are automatically unlocked (but not unlatched). link to R1T guide

On reddit, Wassym said that in a crash the doors are unlocked (including rear on R1S G2), an emergency call is made, and video of the crash is recorded:


AFAICT the question at hand vs old fashioned cars is:

1. the non-obvious way to actuate the door handles if they don't pop open
2. whether actuating the door handles in the crash requires electricity/other systems that might go down in a crash

 

[Donald Stanfield]

For me.....that will be the loss of a customer. I won't own another vehicle that requires a bluetooth connection to enter, or that requires electric power to exit.

Electric door latches are a step too far in the wrong direction and I won't own another Rivian because of it. So I'm giving my feedback with my wallet.

Why did you buy a vehicle that advertised itself as a software driven vehicle if you hate technology this much? Seems like a little pre purchase research would have solved this problem for you.

 

[BigSkies]

Why did you buy a vehicle that advertised itself as a software driven vehicle if you hate technology this much? Seems like a little pre purchase research would have solved this problem for you.

I'm not the person you're responding to, but in my case, I generally like new technology. I have minor gripes about some of the implementation, but I prefer Rivian's approach to most technology things.

It's still reasonable to object to new technology when it causes blatant safety issues prior technology didn't have.

We can all have preferences about HVAC vents and touchscreens and Airplay. None of those have trapped people in dangerous situations. Tesla's electronic door latches have demonstrably (links are upthread) caused serious injuries and fatalities.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

I'm not the person you're responding to, but in my case, I generally like new technology. I have minor gripes about some of the implementation, but I prefer Rivian's approach to most technology things.

It's still reasonable to object to new technology when it causes blatant safety issues prior technology didn't have.

We can all have preferences about HVAC vents and touchscreens and Airplay. None of those have trapped people in dangerous situations. Tesla's electronic door latches have demonstrably (links are upthread) caused serious injuries and fatalities.

That’s why I quoted the person I asked who said not only the door locks but the Bluetooth door unlock feature. That’s considered a big plus to most people who’ve bought a Rivian or a Tesla and for me, I wouldn’t buy a car without that implementation at this point. I never have to worry about a key to get into or start my vehicle.

 

[Deleted member 26425]

I...er. While Boeing has definitely not made headlines lately for their safety focus, I'm going to admit here that I feel much better about someone not being able to open the door at 30 000ft than I do about not being able to in a scenario in which the ECS fails and overpressurizes the cabin on the ground at the same time the outlet valve and all associated backups have also failed.

It reminds me of a story concerning the space shuttle where there was one hatch in the crew area that opened outwards to vacuum, meaning all anyone had to do to kill everyone on board was to open the latch. It took one brush with an astronaut making some vaguely suicidal statements for that latch to be fitted with a lot of duct tape and eventually a padlock.

Anyhow, uh. Hopefully those who design automotive door handles contend with different problems. Personally I hate electronic door handles and it was one of the reasons I opted for a late-run Gen 1 instead of a Gen 2. Even if there's redundant electronic and manual releases it smacks to me of the same energy as the motorized center console. Added for some sort of gee-wiz factor rather than utility because the market apparently demands an expensive vehicle have lots of gadgetry, only to cause a new problem if the vehicle loses power.

Speaking of, does anyone stow their glass-breaking hammers in the center console?

I have fitted my doors with explosive bolts that fire in an accident to ensure that all four doors are immediately usable in an emergency.

 

[VandalSibs]

I have fitted my doors with explosive bolts that fire in an accident to ensure that all four doors are immediately usable in an emergency.

Could try to implement this too....

 

[2kwik4u]

Why did you buy a vehicle that advertised itself as a software driven vehicle if you hate technology this much? Seems like a little pre purchase research would have solved this problem for you.

I don't hate technology this much. I hate when this level of tech doesn't work as advertised. I also like to try new things. I'll certainly be moving backwards in the level of "connected vehicle" I own moving forward.

While I knew what I was getting into, I sure as sh!t didn't think it would be this much of a clusterf^ck of a user experience.

 

[Juantana]

https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2025-tesla-dangerous-doors/?srnd=homepage-americas

EDIT: Non-paywalled link: https://archive.ph/lccr7

The article is paywalled, but somehow I got through the first time. I really don't want this to be anti-Tesla (or even anti-Rivian) rage-bait. I'm hoping for productive commentary so those at Rivian can legitimately see an alternative path to a design decision that will lead to dead customers.

Tesla made a fundamentally unsafe design decision with electronic door latches. They're bad for safety, bad for PR, and fundamentally dumb. I understand there's some cost savings involved, but it's hard to see how the price differential is worth this much of a safety differential.

While the accidents where electronic door latches cause bad outcomes are rare, those bad outcomes can be absolutely catastrophic. For those who haven't been around these catastrophic outcomes, you are lucky. I hope it remains that way, because these are the things that stay with you for the rest of your life. The few I've been adjacent to (war related and not automotive related) will be with me for the rest of my days.

I love my Gen 1 R1T. It's the best vehicle I've owned in my life. I would be the model of a repeat Rivian buyer. There's part of me that's already eying a Gen 2, but I can't financially justify it for a few more years. However, it's these electronic door latches that I'm really hung up on. I just can't buy something this fundamentally flawed.

I do own a Model Y. It's the first and last vehicle I will own with electronic door locks. It didn't even cross my mind that it would be an issue when I bought the car. But seeing the options my kids have to escape the backseat make me wish I never owned the thing.

To whatever Rivian employees are reading this: Please find a way back to mechanic door latches. Some future customers will thank you.

I 100% agree with you and I know from personal experience! I had a Tesla Model Y for 2.5 years and loved it - last February I was headed to the mountains of WV when it started to snow - Teslas do not have a "snow mode" but thats another issue/drawback. I should have pulled over and navigated the menus to turn off traction control and set regen to minimum, but as I was very close to my destination thought I could make it. coming around a curve I let off the accelerator and the car immediately started to slide on what was I guess frozen mud./snow - I was going maybe 15 mph max and my first thought was thank god I wasnt at the top of a mountain, and thank god I wasnt hitting a power pole. I honestly thought Id be able to drive away, but there was a metal culvert and the car scraped that and the airbags deployed. only a bit of front bumper damage tho. Ive prob read the owners manual 100 times but I guess in emergencies you forget. The car was literally telling me what was about to happen as I guess it disconnect the HV battery, and the 12 volt was running low. I did think to pop the frunk/hood so Id be able to jump the car later, but I got out and tried to not shut the door but I guess it latched! Thank god I had my coat on and my phone with me cause it was maybe 22 degrees, windy, snowing and I was still 6 miles from the cabin w noone to call. I finally called a contractor that lives not too far and he came and rescued me in his ATV. My medications and work laptop were locked inside w no way to get them. Luckily the next day another neighbor met me there and we were able to jump the car and get inside, but it is totally insane that a) there is no way to manually open doors wo power, and b) there is no snow mode in a Tesla! Even our little Kia Niro has a snow mode, not that Id trust a FWD in the snow. Sorry for the rambling story but at the end of the day the Model Y was totaled from sliding into a ditch at 15 mph. I put in my reservation for an R2 the day I got that news.

 

[slillie]

I'm not the person you're responding to, but in my case, I generally like new technology. I have minor gripes about some of the implementation, but I prefer Rivian's approach to most technology things.

It's still reasonable to object to new technology when it causes blatant safety issues prior technology didn't have.

We can all have preferences about HVAC vents and touchscreens and Airplay. None of those have trapped people in dangerous situations. Tesla's electronic door latches have demonstrably (links are upthread) caused serious injuries and fatalities.

The operative word here is: "Tesla." This entire thread was started over a Tesla issue and suddenly everyone is piling on Rivian.

 

[BigSkies]

That’s why I quoted the person I asked who said not only the door locks but the Bluetooth door unlock feature. That’s considered a big plus to most people who’ve bought a Rivian or a Tesla and for me, I wouldn’t buy a car without that implementation at this point. I never have to worry about a key to get into or start my vehicle.

Got it. I misread your comment. Sorry about that.

 

[2kwik4u]

That’s considered a big plus to most people who’ve bought a Rivian or a Tesla.

I've found it to be a huge "minus" for the user experience. It's something that doesn't work right, and it's the very first interaction I have with the vehicle multiple times a day. I don't even get to experience all the great things about the truck unless I wade through an awful experience to get there.

for me, I wouldn’t buy a car without that implementation at this point. I never have to worry about a key to get into or start my vehicle.

I'm quite the opposite. I'll never have another vehicle that requires a security token in an app for physical access to work properly. Likewise, I'll never have another vehicle that couples the presence of a key/device with the lock state of the vehicle. These are features that sound neat in concept, but are a constant PIA to deal with in person.

Also.....to be perfectly clear. I think there is something wrong with my truck/phone/fob configuration. I can't believe I'm in such a minority that everyone else loves these features and I hate them. I mean, I'm weird, but I'm not usually THAT weird.

 

[FreddyFugazi]

That’s why I quoted the person I asked who said not only the door locks but the Bluetooth door unlock feature. That’s considered a big plus to most people who’ve bought a Rivian or a Tesla and for me, I wouldn’t buy a car without that implementation at this point. I never have to worry about a key to get into or start my vehicle.

I thought PAAK would be great too, but in practice it is very frustrating when it doesn't work. And for some of us it doesn't work regularly. My last car had the same comfort access implementation as the person you want a response from and the Rivian feels like a big step backward for vehicle access. I just begrudgingly bought the key fob to mitigate some of this frustration and there is still much more friction than my previous vehicle. Even with the keyfob I still need to manually unlock the car at times. At least when I press the key fob unlock button it responds, unlike my phone half the time.

As for the latch issue specifically, my family members don't want to sit in the back after I explained the emergency latch situation and I do not blame them. My back seat is basically only used for dogs and gear.

Vehicle access, and the way the door handles work, is by far the worst part of the Rivian experience which is otherwise exceptional.

 

[2kwik4u]

Vehicle access, and the way the door handles work, is by far the worst part of the Rivian experience which is otherwise exceptional.

Was your last vehicle an Audi by chance? Mine was, and IMO it's a masterclass in passive vehicle access.

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