Taking Delivery
Delivery from the Las Vegas service center was smooth overall. Before pickup, I used a Rivian delivery inspection checklist that helped me go through the vehicle far more carefully than I probably would have on my own.
I highly recommend using a delivery checklist. Rivian Delivery Checklist →
With the help of the checklist, I noticed several issues immediately — rear passenger door alignment, a wood veneer defect, excessive air compressor humming, rear passenger doors that were difficult to close, and a heater that wouldn’t warm the cabin properly. Rivian made the service request process easy through the app, and I scheduled the first service appointment that same day. While I would have preferred a perfect delivery, having a clear process for documenting issues right away made a real difference.
Service Experience
I visited the Rivian service center in Las Vegas for initial repairs after delivery. The staff has been professional and communicative throughout — daily updates, a responsive service advisor, and a mobile tech visit to my home. The frustration isn’t with the people. It’s with the volume of time lost and a heater that still doesn’t work.
Took delivery at the Las Vegas service center. Inspection checklist revealed rear passenger door alignment issues, a wood veneer defect, excessive air compressor humming, rear passenger doors difficult to close, and an HVAC issue — cabin not warming properly. Scheduled the first service appointment the same day.
Five issues brought in: rear passenger door alignment, heater malfunction, wood veneer defect, excessive air compressor humming, and rear passenger doors difficult to close. Door alignment, veneer, and compressor humming were resolved. Rivian deemed door closing force within spec. Heater remained unresolved.
4 of 5 resolved · Heater ongoingRivian sent a mobile technician to my home who verified the heater malfunction on-site. Vehicle was dropped off for a second service visit the same day.
Issue confirmed · Drop-off same dayTwo issues brought in: front passenger door rattle and the ongoing heater malfunction. The door rattle was resolved. Rivian replaced the HVAC Accumulator, but the heater remained non-functional after the repair. Upon return, the service advisor indicated the root cause is now believed to be a software issue requiring a firmware update from Rivian’s engineering team — with no timeline provided. I’ve contacted customer service for recognition or compensation and was told to expect a response in approximately two weeks.
Heater escalated · UnresolvedSpending over a third of the first 90 days in a service bay is unacceptable for a new vehicle — regardless of how good the staff is. That said, a broken heater in Las Vegas summer is a different calculation than it would be in a cold-weather state. I’m giving Rivian until October to deliver a firmware fix. If the heater isn’t resolved before winter, I will pursue a Lemon Law case. I still love driving this vehicle. Both of those things are true at the same time.
Charging
There’s a Rivian Adventure Network station about fifteen minutes from my house at Town Square Shopping Mall (6605 S Las Vegas Blvd). Every visit had open chargers available, even during late morning and afternoon hours.
Most of my charging happens at home. We’re on NV Energy’s EV Time of Use plan and charge exclusively between midnight and 8am. I use a Tesla Wall Charger on Level 2 and typically cap the battery around seventy percent for daily use.
I haven’t taken the vehicle on a true road trip yet, so I can’t fully speak to the long-distance experience. Having the native NACS port is a significant advantage — being able to use Tesla Superchargers without an adapter makes the ownership experience feel noticeably less stressful.
Driving Experience
The driving experience is easily the highlight. Incredibly smooth, quiet, and refined. I occasionally hear the air suspension compressor or the HVAC system working hard, but it hasn’t been nearly as intrusive as some examples I’ve seen online.
I enjoy the auto-kneel function when parking. I did disable automatic ride height adjustments while driving — though oddly the setting occasionally re-enables itself after getting back in the vehicle. Soft and hard resets haven’t produced consistent results.
Another software quirk: the middle-row climate vents are sometimes active when the car starts, sometimes not. With children in car seats, I find myself manually checking rear airflow more often than I’d like.
Software quirks aside, I absolutely love driving this vehicle. The acceleration with the Performance Upgrade is absurdly quick while remaining smooth and controlled. The turning radius is surprisingly tight for a vehicle this size.
Sound & Vision Package
This may be controversial, but I think the updated 2026 Sound & Vision package sounds significantly better than many reviews suggest.
SiriusXM audio quality is average at best, but Apple Music with Dolby Atmos tracks sounds much better than expected. Albums like Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, John Coltrane’s Blue Train, and Illenium’s Odyssey all sound fantastic in the cabin. Some albums sound flatter than others, but that comes down more to the mix itself than the system.
I do think Rivian could push more power to the subwoofer in future software updates. Certain songs feel like they’re missing that final layer of low-end punch.
The dynamic glass roof is genuinely useful in Las Vegas summers. I originally felt it was a bit gimmicky, but after spending some time with it, sunlight is noticeably diffused when the glass becomes opaque. Everyone who rides in the vehicle seems impressed by its functionality.
Tires & Wheel Choice
Tire wear is still too early to judge, but I’m watching it closely and fully expect these tires to wear faster than traditional SUV tires.
When my vehicle was in for service, Rivian loaned me a Launch Edition R1T equipped with all-terrain tires and the Meridian audio system. Honestly, I thought the Sound & Vision system in my R1S sounded noticeably better. The all-terrain tires were also much louder than expected — road noise was distracting enough that it reinforced my decision to stay with the Sport setup.
I still think the all-terrain setup looks better visually on the R1S, but with about eighty-five percent of my driving on pavement, ride comfort wins. The 22” Sport Dark wheels still look excellent.
I am currently driving a loaner (2025 R1S with 8,500 miles) outfitted with the 20” all-terrains. The wheels look great on the R1S, but there is still a noticeable hum from the tread. That sound coupled with the loss of range makes me very happy with my decision to go with the Sport wheels. The climate in Las Vegas and the type of camping I do just doesn’t require the capability of the all-terrains. Case closed.
Final Thoughts
My previous vehicles included a Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe and a Land Rover Discovery. Both had their own issues, especially the Jeep. At this point I no longer expect any modern vehicle to be perfect — that includes EVs.
Even with software quirks and an ongoing service situation that’s been more time-consuming than it should be, the R1S has been one of the most enjoyable vehicles I’ve owned. Every time I get behind the wheel it still feels special. The combination of acceleration, ride comfort, practicality, and driving character makes it hard to imagine going back to a traditional SUV. If the long-term experience remains this good — and Rivian follows through on the heater fix — the R1S will very likely end up being the best vehicle I’ve ever owned.