The Rivian R1T blazed a new trail as the first production all-electric pickup truck sold in the United States, beating out Ford, Tesla and General Motors when it debuted in 2021. The automaker’s deep-pocketed investors include Amazon, while Ford sold a majority stake in 2023. The three-row R1S SUV, which shares its platform with the R1T, was launched about a year later. The relative newness of the brand creates a good-news-bad-news situation for assessing reliability.
For now, Consumer Reports (CR) only has two models on the street to worry about (and that’s good news). The cuter, smaller Rivian R2 has yet to reach customers. The downside, however, is that CR doesn’t have enough data to report on every model year of the R1T and R1S. The result was a haphazard approach — blamed on so few Rivian owners filling out the survey.
However, when looking at reliability scores for models and model years and the details available, bad news does emerge. One word best sums up the findings: poor. Details below. However, when looking at Rivian’s overall reliability, the clouds get even darker, according to CR. In its most recent evaluation, the organization ranked Rivian last among 22 car brands for reliability. In fact, it was the only manufacturer with an average predicted reliability score in the poor range. While Cadillac ranked 21st, GM’s luxury division eked out a below-average ranking. Let’s break down the reliability of each of Rivian’s current models.
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Rivian R1T reliability
There was a teal Rivian R1T truck parked in the parking lot. – Jetcityimage/Getty Images
If you’re hoping to see how reliable the 2021 or 2024 Rivian R1T will be, you’ll be disappointed. CR does not have data for these years. The first year of the reliability rankings is 2022. It just received a below-average rating and was the least reliable Rivian (between the R1T and R1S). From there, the numbers keep falling, with the 2023 R1T ranking poorly in reliability. Despite lower scores, the 2022 and 2023 R1T still ranked high in owner satisfaction.
For the 2025 Rivian R1T, CR switches to a predictive model as predicted reliability comes into the discussion. The organization’s crystal ball, however, dashed hopes for a better outcome. This version also ranks poorly. It’s worth noting that no all-electric pickup truck has an above-average reliability rating starting in 2025. However, the Chevrolet Silverado EV, Ford F-150 Lightning, and Tesla Cybertruck still rank better than the R1T in terms of reliability.
There’s no word yet on the reliability of the 2026 Rivian R1T, which features a quad-motor setup with over 1,000 horsepower.
Rivian R1S Reliability
A gray Rivian R1S SUV is parked on the street. – Let’s Dance/Shutterstock
According to CR’s scoring system, the 2023 R1S ranks in the single digits, just like its pickup truck siblings. CR has zero reliability details for the 2022 and 2024 versions of the R1S. By 2025, predicted reliability metrics will still only require a single number.
Looking at the hundreds of nameplates listed in CR’s 2025 model year rankings (many of which don’t have reliability scores), the R1S isn’t the only one with a single-digit reliability score. In fact, the updated 2025 Rivian R1S isn’t even the worst. The Cadillac Lyriq and Chevrolet Blazer EV versions from the same year can be said to be a shame. The Lucid Air and Ford F-150 Hybrid sit between these GM products and the R1S. For some models, electrification is not yet the path to reliability.
Back to the R1S, Consumer Reports ranked four three-row SUV competitors with high reliability ratings (below average to average). These include the Kia EV9, Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, Volkswagen ID Buzz (yes, CR includes the ID Buzz with SUV), and Tesla Model X. However, like the R1T, the R1S has higher predicted owner satisfaction scores, something none of its EV rivals can claim.
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