The 2023 Rivian R1T Had a Rough Start
The Rivian R1T is among the most exciting and innovative vehicles we have ever seen. The seemingly endless never-before-seen options, powerful electric motor, and monster off-roading ability make the 2023 Rivian R1T significant, despite anything else. The number of new features paired with rushed production from a brand new company left reviewers doubting the R1T’s reliability.
Is the Rivian R1T reliable?
This question was tough at first. The R1T was a brand-new truck from a brand-new company. Consumer Reports says that due to this lack of data and the growing pains typically associated with automotive startups, it is unlikely that Rivian’s first production vehicle, the R1T electric pickup truck, will be reliable.
Consumer Reports explains more specifically how reliability ratings work in general and then how its rating applies to the 2023 Rivian R1T:
“Consumer Reports obtains its reliability data from a questionnaire that is sent to subscribers. In the questionnaire, we ask subscribers to note any problems with their cars that occurred in the past 12 months. They are asked to identify problems that they considered serious (because of cost, failure, safety, or downtime).
A typical model has about 200 to 400 samples for each model year. For some model years, typically those of older or less popular cars, we do not have a large enough sample size to provide results of statistical confidence.”
This reasoning is backed up, at least anecdotally, by members of the Rivian Owners Forum. If you scroll the page you’ll find numerous complaints of issues from poor window seals to faulty tech. Granted, these claims are unverified and only really count as context. Still, there are bigger questions about reliability and support from the EV startup.
Is the Rivian R1T a good pickup truck?
Despite CR’s reliability assumption, the Rivian reviews are nearly all gushing. The reviewers, from Car & Driver to Gear Junkies, found plenty to love about the first electric pickup truck. It is quiet, well-appointed, fast, great off-road, extremely efficient, comfortable, and well across the board on safety. Considering all the available data, the Rivian R1T is an excellent pickup truck.
If the truck proves to be reliable over the coming years, as more people buy and drive them, publications like Consumer Reports and J.D. Power will likely amend their ratings on the truck.
Can you buy a 2023 Rivian R1T?
While the 2022 and 2023 models are available for reservations at Rivian’s online portal, deliveries on new reservations won’t happen until 2024, according to Rivian.
This is a trend we are all too familiar with at this point. Anything new and noteworthy in the car world comes with a lengthy wait. The base MSRP for the 2023 Rivian R1T starts at $73,000 and can climb depending on what extra bits you’d like.
