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SANZC02

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Rivian 2 year Anniversary with my R1S

Two years ago today I was in Normal Illinois picking up my R1S, here is a summary of my 2 year journey. Spoiler alert for those not having time for a long post, the vehicle has treated me spectacular and still look for places to drive.

28,258 miles, 2.42 m/kWh lifetime, still on original Perrelli 22s

Service History

4/6/2023 Service El Segundo - ADAS module failing on OTA installs, resolved, loaner R1T

7/1/2023 Service Costa Mesa - Air suspension slow leak, resolved, loaner R1T

7/19/2023 Mobile Service - Recall to replace R1S backup light lenses

11/29/2023 Mobile Service - R1S spare tire kit installed

Major trips

1-26-2023 Took Delivery at factory in Normal, IL - Started a round about drive back to SoCal through New England and the Florida Panhandle. 5500 mile maiden voyage. 36 DCFC charging sessions (33 EA, 3EVgo), 23 different states

8/18/2024 Started 7400 mile trip, 30 States, 47 DCFC chargers (Ran Stations - 16, EA Stations - 23, Tesla - 6, ChargePoint - 1, ENGLIX - 1)



After Market Add-on

2-16-2024 Installed EV-Sportline running boards, really made getting in and out of the R1S much better. They are almost 1 year old, were easy to self install, and still look great.

General Experience Review

Seems like a lot of people only post negative experiences. Thought I would add my experience after 2 full years which has been very positive. I picked the vehicle up in January 2023 but it is an early 2022 vin (1663) built in October 2022.

Iā€™ll start with the bad, there were 2 service visits (listed above) in the first 6 months, the dates are the service visits but it did take almost 3 weeks to get the appointments. Neither issue impacted my use of the vehicle so the service delay was just a minor inconvenience. First issue the ADAS module was causing the OTA to report a failure, everything still worked fine but could not get the newer OTAs until the module was replaced. Second issue the Suspension had a slow leak, the right side would droop about an inch over night but corrected itself as I started driving and worked fine. There have been no issues in the past 19 months and 20k miles.

Iā€™m happy with the efficiency, trips pretty much cost about the same as the trips in my Jeep GC. Lifetime average is 2.4 m/kWh, the 2 long trips it was slightly less at 2.25. I drive posted highway speed limits on limits 75 and under, higher limits I usually max at 78 mph, that seems to be the spot I see the largest drop in efficiency. I do use conserve in low on longer highway stretches switching on once on the highway and off before exiting. All other driving is pretty much All-purpose standard height.

I installed solar on my main residence 3 years ago in preparation for getting the R1S. With my NEM credits I have not had to pay anything to SCE in the 2 years I have had the R1S so overall the R1S is cheaper to run than the Jeep was. Fuel and Electricity in SoCal is pretty expensive so even with not doing a lot of miles day to day I was still spending about $200 a month on fuel in the Jeep. Because of the high costs of Electricity and number of sunny days here in SoCal the Solar ROI for me is about 52 months, Iā€™m 41 months in and still tracking to that projected ROI.

I read a lot of posts about issues with Driver+, HVAC, entertainment, PaaK, etc., I have not had those experiences. Is everything 100% perfect, of course not, but there is nothing in my experience that I can complain about. I use Driver+ but only on open stretches of highway, I did find it improved quite a bit between my initial trip on 1/26/2023 and 8/18/2024.

With the OTAs there have been many improvements in the past 2 years that have been useful to me. Some that I really appreciated were, pet mode, ability to turn fans on in the third row when pups are back there, garage door opener, Birds Eye view, Tesla SC access, remote camera access. Iā€™m sure there are others but once you get them you forget they were not originally there.

Iā€™ve had a Tesla Model S since 2016 so early tire replacement was expected, I only get about 30k miles out of the tires on the Tesla. I am surprised at 28.5k miles Iā€™m still on the original tires, my expectation was I would get 25k miles because of the high torque and weight of the R1S, I think I could get 33k miles if I pushed it but will probably replace them at 30k. Iā€™ve already started researching and appreciate the threads on this forum discussing various opinions/experiences on what people have used as replacements.

Overall my experience has been very positive. Based on a lot of negative posts I was a bit hesitant to starting a 5500 mile drive the day I took delivery but did it anyway. It was a good trip and a great way to get acquainted with my new ride. There are a lot of horror stories about DCFC charging, I just have not really experienced that. As you can see above I have taken 2 major trips that totaled 83 DCFC sessions, only 1 time at a Tesla SC would my session not start, I had to drive about 3 miles down the road to an EA station to charge. Iā€™ve have seen chargers not working and occasionally some de-rated chargers but over all my charging experience has been great. Most of my sessions on a trip are in the 25-30 minute range except for the rare occasion I need to go to 90% for a longer stretch. Most of the stops by the time I take a bio break, grab a snack or drink and stretch my legs it is time to go, not much time sitting and waiting.

I could not be happier with my vehicle, originally I was configured with ElCap on bright 22s but after seeing Launch Green on the dark 22s I had to make the change, still glad I did, love the look of the vehicle. Iā€™ve been so happy with it I was a day 1 reservation holder for the R2 to replace the Tesla.

If you are still reading this long post sorry, kind of just kept going but, I wanted to let people know that there are people having some great experiences with their Rivian. I have zero regrets taking a chance on a brand new company launching these incredible machines.

Delivery Day in Normal, January 2023
Rivian R1T R1S 2 Year Anniversary review with my Rivian R1S IMG_8563
Rivian R1T R1S 2 Year Anniversary review with my Rivian R1S IMG_8571


December, 2024
Rivian R1T R1S 2 Year Anniversary review with my Rivian R1S FullSizeRender
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iansriv

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Bob, very well written. Thank you for the update. I remember when you were a wee lad back in 2023 and got the R1. I've had very similar experience with my R1. The best part of the post is how you just got the car and drove 5k miles! Brilliant! Wish you all the best mate!
 

COdogman

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Did you two celebrate with dinner at Golden Corral and a 12 pack of PBR?
 

BTOR

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Rivian 2 year Anniversary with my R1S

Two years ago today I was in Normal Illinois picking up my R1S, here is a summary of my 2 year journey. Spoiler alert for those not having time for a long post, the vehicle has treated me spectacular and still look for places to drive.

28,258 miles, 2.42 m/kWh lifetime, still on original Perrelli 22s

Service History

4/6/2023 Service El Segundo - ADAS module failing on OTA installs, resolved, loaner R1T

7/1/2023 Service Costa Mesa - Air suspension slow leak, resolved, loaner R1T

7/19/2023 Mobile Service - Recall to replace R1S backup light lenses

11/29/2023 Mobile Service - R1S spare tire kit installed

Major trips

1-26-2023 Took Delivery at factory in Normal, IL - Started a round about drive back to SoCal through New England and the Florida Panhandle. 5500 mile maiden voyage. 36 DCFC charging sessions (33 EA, 3EVgo), 23 different states

8/18/2024 Started 7400 mile trip, 30 States, 47 DCFC chargers (Ran Stations - 16, EA Stations - 23, Tesla - 6, ChargePoint - 1, ENGLIX - 1)



After Market Add-on

2-16-2024 Installed EV-Sportline running boards, really made getting in and out of the R1S much better. They are almost 1 year old, were easy to self install, and still look great.

General Experience Review

Seems like a lot of people only post negative experiences. Thought I would add my experience after 2 full years which has been very positive. I picked the vehicle up in January 2023 but it is an early 2022 vin (1663) built in October 2022.

Iā€™ll start with the bad, there were 2 service visits (listed above) in the first 6 months, the dates are the service visits but it did take almost 3 weeks to get the appointments. Neither issue impacted my use of the vehicle so the service delay was just a minor inconvenience. First issue the ADAS module was causing the OTA to report a failure, everything still worked fine but could not get the newer OTAs until the module was replaced. Second issue the Suspension had a slow leak, the right side would droop about an inch over night but corrected itself as I started driving and worked fine. There have been no issues in the past 19 months and 20k miles.

Iā€™m happy with the efficiency, trips pretty much cost about the same as the trips in my Jeep GC. Lifetime average is 2.4 m/kWh, the 2 long trips it was slightly less at 2.25. I drive posted highway speed limits on limits 75 and under, higher limits I usually max at 78 mph, that seems to be the spot I see the largest drop in efficiency. I do use conserve in low on longer highway stretches switching on once on the highway and off before exiting. All other driving is pretty much All-purpose standard height.

I installed solar on my main residence 3 years ago in preparation for getting the R1S. With my NEM credits I have not had to pay anything to SCE in the 2 years I have had the R1S so overall the R1S is cheaper to run than the Jeep was. Fuel and Electricity in SoCal is pretty expensive so even with not doing a lot of miles day to day I was still spending about $200 a month on fuel in the Jeep. Because of the high costs of Electricity and number of sunny days here in SoCal the Solar ROI for me is about 52 months, Iā€™m 41 months in and still tracking to that projected ROI.

I read a lot of posts about issues with Driver+, HVAC, entertainment, PaaK, etc., I have not had those experiences. Is everything 100% perfect, of course not, but there is nothing in my experience that I can complain about. I use Driver+ but only on open stretches of highway, I did find it improved quite a bit between my initial trip on 1/26/2023 and 8/18/2024.

With the OTAs there have been many improvements in the past 2 years that have been useful to me. Some that I really appreciated were, pet mode, ability to turn fans on in the third row when pups are back there, garage door opener, Birds Eye view, Tesla SC access, remote camera access. Iā€™m sure there are others but once you get them you forget they were not originally there.

Iā€™ve had a Tesla Model S since 2016 so early tire replacement was expected, I only get about 30k miles out of the tires on the Tesla. I am surprised at 28.5k miles Iā€™m still on the original tires, my expectation was I would get 25k miles because of the high torque and weight of the R1S, I think I could get 33k miles if I pushed it but will probably replace them at 30k. Iā€™ve already started researching and appreciate the threads on this forum discussing various opinions/experiences on what people have used as replacements.

Overall my experience has been very positive. Based on a lot of negative posts I was a bit hesitant to starting a 5500 mile drive the day I took delivery but did it anyway. It was a good trip and a great way to get acquainted with my new ride. There are a lot of horror stories about DCFC charging, I just have not really experienced that. As you can see above I have taken 2 major trips that totaled 83 DCFC sessions, only 1 time at a Tesla SC would my session not start, I had to drive about 3 miles down the road to an EA station to charge. Iā€™ve have seen chargers not working and occasionally some de-rated chargers but over all my charging experience has been great. Most of my sessions on a trip are in the 25-30 minute range except for the rare occasion I need to go to 90% for a longer stretch. Most of the stops by the time I take a bio break, grab a snack or drink and stretch my legs it is time to go, not much time sitting and waiting.

I could not be happier with my vehicle, originally I was configured with ElCap on bright 22s but after seeing Launch Green on the dark 22s I had to make the change, still glad I did, love the look of the vehicle. Iā€™ve been so happy with it I was a day 1 reservation holder for the R2 to replace the Tesla.

If you are still reading this long post sorry, kind of just kept going but, I wanted to let people know that there are people having some great experiences with their Rivian. I have zero regrets taking a chance on a brand new company launching these incredible machines.

Delivery Day in Normal, January 2023
IMG_8563.jpeg
IMG_8571.jpeg


December, 2024
FullSizeRender.jpeg
SANCZ02,

Thank you for this detailed update on your R1S experience. I sooooo much appreciate it. Often times I just delete my daily Forum update as it seems to be filled with disheartening news by Rivian ownerā€™s negative experiences.

Being a relatively new owner, I had begun to question my decision to rid our household of 2 ICE SUVā€™s and replace them with our R1S. Equally, I have my first long trip planned next month to SoCal (no where as long as your two trips). I have developed a mild anxiety about the trip should I encounter a ā€œmajorā€ issue somewhere remote relative to a Rivian SC.

However, your post has eased those thoughts and concerns, and I appreciate that. I also know that there are way more owners out there that have had a great experience like you, we just donā€™t hear about them in the Forum. I appreciate the Forum as an owner as it is a very helpful tool. I do believe the majority of the members are well meaning and only want to inform. But statistically, the Forum likely doesnā€™t represent the masses, but a minority and it can get a bit depressing.

Thanks again for ā€œbrighteningā€ things up!
 

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SANCZ02,

Thank you for this detailed update on your R1S experience. I sooooo much appreciate it. Often times I just delete my daily Forum update as it seems to be filled with disheartening news by Rivian ownerā€™s negative experiences.

Being a relatively new owner, I had begun to question my decision to rid our household of 2 ICE SUVā€™s and replace them with our R1S. Equally, I have my first long trip planned next month to SoCal (no where as long as your two trips). I have developed a mild anxiety about the trip should I encounter a ā€œmajorā€ issue somewhere remote relative to a Rivian SC.

However, your post has eased those thoughts and concerns, and I appreciate that. I also know that there are way more owners out there that have had a great experience like you, we just donā€™t hear about them in the Forum. I appreciate the Forum as an owner as it is a very helpful tool. I do believe the majority of the members are well meaning and only want to inform. But statistically, the Forum likely doesnā€™t represent the masses, but a minority and it can get a bit depressing.

Thanks again for ā€œbrighteningā€ things up!
I've taken 3-2K mile road trips in my Gen 1, and I have another one scheduled for March for my Gen 2.
 

savethemanual

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Thanks for this great update, sounds like you've had some amazing adventures!

I'm wondering if there are more issues with the later builds, as they ramped up production numbers. Just an observation.
 

Tim-in-CA

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Nice ... did you get it Cotton to celebrate the 2nd Year Anniversary?
 

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gsqrd

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My 2yr old R1S 12/14/22 with 27K, very similar experience. No problems but had the recall for BU lites. My 22 pirellis were pretty bare at 22k. Put Mich defenders(115) then. Love em.
 

Harvest

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Nice write up, glad to hear you've enjoyed your R1S so much. I could say much the same about my R1T that I got in October 22, except I've had no mechanical issues other than the front hood would not power close several months after I got the vehicle (it would manually close), turned out to be just a tiny issue with the trim that was fixed quickly by mobile service. I haven't really had any software issues either other than an occasion where one window wouldn't shut the last 1/4 inch and I had to go through a reset procedure.

I have less miles at 18,000 but still very happy with my truck after two years and four months.
 
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Franksmartin

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Iā€™ve had mine 2 years this month also - LE R1S 34xx VIN. Only been to SC once for camera replacement and that was in the first month of ownership. My 20ā€ AT tires suddenly wore unevenly after being fine for the first 15k miles and are now toast with 22k, somehow my alignment got off.

Otherwise it has been awesome no issues that a soft or hard reset couldnā€™t fix.
 

fxstein

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Awesome update. Similar experience here on my 2023 R1T Quad. Two minor issues so far and a 12V battery recall. (I am on the single battery setup). My 2 year anniversary is coming up in March.
In fact I am so happy with the truck that I decided to bring it with me to Europe this spring. Still a bit of a gamble, but I just love this truck.
 
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RivianRiverRat

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another positive note for Rivian:
R1T was 25 months old yesterday
49,350 miles - I'm subject to drive around 100 miles a day - hoping to slow down on the mileage accumulation by the end of this year
wore out the original 20 Pirellis at about 34K - pleased with replacement Bridgestone Revo 3s
no vacation/sight-seeing trips yet
no warranty work or major build repairs - only reason I had been to Franklin TN service center was for tire rotations and a rock to the windshield
I would say that any of the software issues/perceived errors that I was concerned about were user error
Any charging errors have been user errors or 3rd party hardware/software errors (EA)
I knew going into this deal I would need to keep the vehicle long term - 10 years/250K miles
Most expensive and best driving vehicle I have ever owned
waiting/counting the days for the R2 delivery for my better half
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