Okay, the title is catchy: 3 things I HATE about my Rivian R1T after 10,000 miles.
After spending 10,000 miles with his Rivian R1T pickup, popular YouTuber Zack Nelson of Jerry Rig Everything posted a review pointing out three things he hates about his all-electric pickup.
But he also points out some things he likes. At the start of the roughly 10-minute video, Nelson makes it clear that he’s a big R1T fan.
“…this is the most fun, the most powerful and the most capable truck I have ever driven,” he says.
And then it’s on to the stuff he hates…almost. First comes a recap of the issues he's had following nearly one year of truck ownership.
The display for the compressor went out which had to be replaced; a shock began acting up and was also replaced; the Rivian tonneau cover remains broken; and the plastic tailgate cap broke off when Nelson was unloading a wheelchair from the bed. (Nelson takes most of the blame for the busted cap.)
[Related: Electric Chevy Silverado test drive leaves Ford behind]
While Nelson may not have his exact Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) score, he did the math and figured that his truck will be cleaner than an ICE pickup after 30,000 miles if he remains charging on a grid powered by fossil fuels. Switching to a solar array at his home, he notes, will take that transition down to 25,000 miles. Kudos for taking a more thorough well-to-wheels approach on zero emissions.
Now on to the stuff Nelson hates. First up is a water leak. When it rains or snow, water finds its way into his driver’s side door and does not drain out. This even after he took it to a Rivian dealer to be repaired. You can actually hear the water sloshing around inside his door on the video below.
Second problem that he loathes is a failing transition piece between his truck bed and tailgate. A flap that folds down to cover the hinged gap between the tailgate and bed has allowed small rocks and dirt to slip past and fall down into an inaccessible cavity below the bed where it remains today. Nelson shines a light down there and point out how a plant has begun to spring forth from the fertile pile. Yes, nature will find a way.
The final issue that Nelson abhors is the truck’s wireless phone charger. Like the rest of us, Nelson will set various things down on just about any available surface when he gets into his truck. In this case, his metal tape measure needed a home and after setting it down on the charging pad he heard some odd crackling sounds and realized that the charger was trying its best to interface with primitive 20th century technology.
“I never thought my truck would get into a fight with my tools,” Nelson says.
Despite all the problems he’s had with his R1T, Nelson says he would “absolutely” buy the truck again. Who knows? Maybe before too long he'll have a crop of potatoes ready for harvest below his truck bed…but if he could only reach them.
