Photo: Rivian | edited
October wasn't the best month for Rivian, especially after botching a critical software update that caused customer vehicles to brick. A fix was issued, but the results were mixed, as owners reported many issues after updating their vehicles. Based on recent reports, Rivian has paused the update as it tries to figure out what's going on.
The automotive industry is rushing to make software the most essential part of a vehicle. The benefits of so-called software-defined vehicles (SDV) are immense, as you can change a car's performance and behavior with just an over-the-air update. This sounds great when everything works as intended, which is most of the time.
Rivian is at the forefront of technology, and it demonstrates this almost monthly with meaningful updates that bring new features and important optimizations to its vehicles. Owners were most impressed with how Rivian changed the suspension setup with an over-the-air (OTA) update, resulting in vastly improved ride comfort. However, as software becomes more complicated and touches every component of a car, there are times when things go wrong.
On November 13, Rivian pushed the infamous 2023.42 update to the R1 fleet. Because of an incorrect security certificate, the update soft-bricked customers' vehicles, causing the screens to go blank. Thankfully, the trucks were still drivable after the update, with most basic functions working. However, anything that required screen input, including as little as changing climate settings, was unavailable.
Rivian software engineers had a sleepless night until a software fix was devised that would not involve a physical repair, as many feared. The update rolled out on November 15 as the 2023.42.02 software version for those with bricked infotainment systems. Rivian also sent the 2023.42.01 update to those who didn't install the faulty 2023.42 update. This was supposed to bring the same great features as the original update but without the certificate problems.
However, Rivian owners started complaining about new issues after the update. The range of problems was broad, including AC charging issues, various audio-related problems, Alexa not working, and the vampire drain worsening. In some cases, things got worse, with no infotainment function, no phone connectivity, and screens getting completely dark. Not everyone was affected, though, as many owners reported a flawless operation.
After these issues accumulated, owners who postponed the update noticed it had disappeared over the weekend. One possible explanation could be that Rivian did not want to risk issues during the Thanksgiving weekend and paused the updates. This is supported by software trackers like TeslaFi and ElectraFi, which recorded new installs on Monday, which means the software is still rolling out, only slower.
One Rivian owner, who encountered issues with the Driver+ assistance system after the update, called Rivian support and confirmed he was not alone. The service representative told him that the 2023.42.01 build was plagued with problems, so Rivian is slowing down the rollout until a fix is available. Hopefully, Rivian will get its act together and offer a better software update before Christmas to make everyone forget about the past issues.
Rivian is at the forefront of technology, and it demonstrates this almost monthly with meaningful updates that bring new features and important optimizations to its vehicles. Owners were most impressed with how Rivian changed the suspension setup with an over-the-air (OTA) update, resulting in vastly improved ride comfort. However, as software becomes more complicated and touches every component of a car, there are times when things go wrong.
On November 13, Rivian pushed the infamous 2023.42 update to the R1 fleet. Because of an incorrect security certificate, the update soft-bricked customers' vehicles, causing the screens to go blank. Thankfully, the trucks were still drivable after the update, with most basic functions working. However, anything that required screen input, including as little as changing climate settings, was unavailable.
Rivian software engineers had a sleepless night until a software fix was devised that would not involve a physical repair, as many feared. The update rolled out on November 15 as the 2023.42.02 software version for those with bricked infotainment systems. Rivian also sent the 2023.42.01 update to those who didn't install the faulty 2023.42 update. This was supposed to bring the same great features as the original update but without the certificate problems.
However, Rivian owners started complaining about new issues after the update. The range of problems was broad, including AC charging issues, various audio-related problems, Alexa not working, and the vampire drain worsening. In some cases, things got worse, with no infotainment function, no phone connectivity, and screens getting completely dark. Not everyone was affected, though, as many owners reported a flawless operation.
After these issues accumulated, owners who postponed the update noticed it had disappeared over the weekend. One possible explanation could be that Rivian did not want to risk issues during the Thanksgiving weekend and paused the updates. This is supported by software trackers like TeslaFi and ElectraFi, which recorded new installs on Monday, which means the software is still rolling out, only slower.
One Rivian owner, who encountered issues with the Driver+ assistance system after the update, called Rivian support and confirmed he was not alone. The service representative told him that the 2023.42.01 build was plagued with problems, so Rivian is slowing down the rollout until a fix is available. Hopefully, Rivian will get its act together and offer a better software update before Christmas to make everyone forget about the past issues.
Good news, per ElectraFi/TeslaFi, we’ve got some new 2023.42.01 installs today so that’s awesome news that it’s still rolling out ???? https://t.co/HdDkOohe2L
— RivianTrackr (@RivianSoftware) November 27, 2023
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