When people buy new cars, they don’t expect to change the tires anytime soon. However, some new Rivian owners have been shocked to realize they are due for a tire change with less than 6,000 miles on the odometer. According to The Drive, there are multiple reasons for this anomaly, and drivers share the blame.
Rivian uses Pirelli tires, which come with at least 50,000 miles warranty. However, the tires appear to fall victim to the Rivian’s design. From reports by frustrated drivers, one theme that has run through most of the complaints is one feature; the “Conserve” mode, which Rivian uses to maximize the driving range. (via The Drive)
Conserve mode reduces the EV’s ride height and stops power from reaching the rear axle. Only the front tires get up to 418 hp when this mode is active. This is bound to cause uneven wear on all the tires. One owner reportedly sacrificed his tires to test the mode over 6,000 miles, with one millimeter shaved off his front tires.
Front-wheel driving, however, may not be the only culprit. An owner on Reddit claims the R1S develops a bit of toe-in with negative camber when the SUV’s height is lowered. Both camber and toe-in can cause uneven wear, with the latter being the most notorious.
When the effects of front-wheel drive, camber, and toe-in are combined, it will likely cause faster wear, especially for units that roll off the production line with a bad alignment. The wear is exacerbated when the Rivian owner tends to speed.
