Consumer Reports Ranks This Brand The Worst In Terms Of New Car Reliability

Cars have never stopped evolving when it comes to powertrains, interior tech, safety features, and really, every other aspect that makes a car what it is. The auto industry is driven by this sense of innovation, and always has been.  But the last 10 years specifically have seen a massive change in the types of vehicles on the road – and also the problems that can arise from them. 

Gasoline cars have grown more complex and more tech-laden with each model year, and more recently, they've been joined by a growing number of electric and plug-in-hybrid vehicles that bring with them their own set of both promises and potential problems. Further complicating things is the arrival of new brands on the market, with these startups often lacking the infrastructure and the legacy know-how when it comes to servicing. And that's exactly what brings us to Consumer Reports' most recent rankings for new car reliability, where electric truck and SUV maker Rivian finished dead last. 

Rivian's R1S SUV and R1T pickup truck are technical marvels in many ways, with a high-tech mix of rugged truck capability and supercar-like performance, but are these reliability issues dealbreakers for the brand? This is where the story gets more complicated, not just because the problems themselves can vary widely in their severity, but also because there's hope that may just be growing pains as the EV startup works to grab a larger footing in the market.

While Rivian's ranking at the bottom of the list is not a great development for the company, it's important to put things into context and look at what 'reliability' means when talking about a brand-new electric vehicle. Back in the '90s or 2000s, if a new car was considered 'unreliable,' it may have meant things like being stranded on the side of the road, a major mechanical failure, or other problems that could leave a car sitting in a dealer service department for weeks. 

In some instances, it could be a relatively minor problem like an interior rattle, a software glitch, or any number of small issues that might be expected from a new model from a new company. There have, however, been some cases of extensive Rivian failures, including one R1S owner who needed to have his entire battery and drive units replaced – though he was very pleased with how Rivian's service center handled the issue. 

And that last part actually ties into something that puts Rivian's issues into a better context. Though the R1S and R1T might be considered some of the least reliable EV trucks on the market, Rivian owners are still generally very satisfied with their vehicles. Consumer Reports' rankings of owner satisfaction show Rivian in the number one spot, with 85% of owners saying they would buy one again. This suggests that overall, the reliability issues might not be as severe as the low ranking suggests.

Beyond the strange inverse between Rivian's placement in CR's reliability and owner satisfaction ratings, there's a hope that Rivian's reliability issues are just growing pains for a company that's only been selling vehicles for a few years. Tesla, for example, has previously earned low reliability scores from Consumer Reports, but has improved significantly; Tesla currently sits at number nine in CR's rankings, ahead of brands like Ford and Chevrolet. 

Though it hasn't been smooth-sailing for Rivian financially, with lots of vehicles on the road with satisfied owners, the company still made it much further than most of the failed EV startups out there, many of which never even made it off the launchpad. The coming years are going to be crucial for Rivian as the company works to gain its financial footing, address these issues on the R1S and R1T, and also works on the rollout of its upcoming R3-series electric crossovers. 

Rivian hopes the R3 and the mid-sized R2 will bring the same blend of style, tech, and capability from its large vehicles into the smaller, cheaper segments, but there's still a long way to go until then. Things have changed immensely in the EV world in the last couple of years, and it will be very interesting to see how Rivian navigates the uncertain waters of the late 2020s.