Some parents have discovered design flaws causing the Rivian door release problem. The emergency release isn’t easily accessible, which could trap kids inside.
Redundancy comes with challenges, costs, and frustration. Automakers have created vehicles with cool tech features that are wonderful to show off when they work properly, but what happens when an EV stops functioning? What if passengers, such as kids, are inside an EV and the doors won’t open using the electronic handles? Mechanical redundancy is necessary and required, but there seems to be a Rivian door release problem that some owners have begun addressing with paracord.
Why is the electric vehicle emergency exit so hard to locate?
EV designers have hidden most of the physical and mechanical emergency release features that would allow people to exit vehicles easily. This is done mostly to protect the integrity of the vehicle design in most models, but looks aren’t nearly as important as actual safety. Because some people have been unable to locate the Rivian manual door handle, issues have arisen, including children being trapped inside the vehicles.
Frustrated parents are rigging DIY pull cords on their $70,000+ Rivians after discovering that rear door emergency releases are hidden behind tight plastic panels that even adults struggle to remove. These EV door safety issues should become a recall, but owners of R1S and R1T models have gotten creative.
Did you read the owner’s manual?
Before getting into the difficulties caused by the Rivian door release problem, the first challenge is expecting owners to read their owner’s manual. EV automakers that utilize futuristic designs have hidden emergency mechanical releases behind plastic trim, but owners would need to read their manual to understand where these items are located. Once the manual is read, these situations also expect owners to retain the information in an emergency that caused the electrical system to fail. This creates some serious Rivian R1S and R1T safety concerns, not the least of which involves setting unrealistic expectations of vehicle owners.
The Rivian door release problem for rear passengers
The latest versions of the R1S and R1T have mechanical door handles that are easy to access for passengers in the front seats. Unfortunately, the R1T and R1S door design flaw impacts rear passengers, which is where many children reside. In order to release the mechanical handle, a plastic trim has to be removed, and then a release cable must be pulled down.
Unfortunately, drivers have reported that the panel is so tight it requires a pry tool to remove it, making it difficult for a child to use the manual release. A fix to this has been for owners to remove the panel and fashion a longer pull release out of paracord or zip ties before replacing the plastic panel with a bit of the jerry-rigged solution in place. Of course, parents must instruct children not to pull on the cord while driving, which could cause additional problems.
Did Rivian address this issue for the Gen 2 models?
The door release problems from the first generation should not be part of the Rivian Gen 2 problems, which is good news for new Rivian owners. Still, the mechanical release needs to be much easier to access for passengers in the rear of these vehicles. Could this be an issue that causes Rivan to issue a safety recall? If so, how would they fix the problem? Would they issue pieces of paracord to every owner to create the jerry-rigged release pull that some owners have already devised?
What was wrong with physical door handles?
This Rivian door release problem could be a signal that some things need to remain mechanical on vehicles, even those that are futuristic and run by technology. Although the door system doesn’t require much power to operate, it needs some electrical current for the hidden handles to release the door catches. Owners would not have created a solution that detracts from the interior style of their vehicles without this becoming a need for at least one driver, which was shared online.
Many drivers have complained about cabins that rely too heavily on technology. Unfortunately, not every automaker has listened to these complaints (Tesla, Rivian), and that means tech-forward designs that could fail when software glitches, the batteries are dead, or hardware fails. Some aspects of your vehicle should remain mechanical without the need to go on a scavenger hunt for the loop to release a door catch and open the door. Imagine how difficult it could be to remain calm enough to open the panel and release the door in an emergency situation.
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