Rivian is a USA carmaker founded in 2009. The cars themselves are another matter: across 2 VIN prefixes on record they came off lines in 1 country — the United States 100%. 4 models are tracked here (2022–2026). Reliable? yes, on balance — 4.0 out of 5 across 4 rated models, though the spread between model years is far wider than the badge suggests (every model ranked →).
Who makes Rivian
Rivian Automotive, Inc. is an American electric vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Irvine, California, with manufacturing in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 2009 by RJ Scaringe (then a 26-year-old MIT PhD candidate) as Mainstream Motors, the company rebranded as Rivian in 2011 and pivoted to all-electric trucks and SUVs. Major investors include Amazon, Ford Motor Company (later partially divested), T. Rowe Price and Cox Automotive. The R1T pickup, delivered to first customers in September 2021, was the first electric pickup truck to reach US consumer customers — preceding the Ford F-150 Lightning by seven months. The R1S three-row SUV launched in late 2021 and shares the R1T's platform. Amazon ordered 100,000 Rivian Electric Delivery Vans (EDV) in 2019, and Rivian has delivered tens of thousands to Amazon's logistics fleet. The R2 mid-size SUV (2026) and R3 compact crossover represent the second-generation product line at lower price points. Rivian trades on the NASDAQ under RIVN. Recall data for every Rivian VIN is reported to NHTSA. ForCar.org decodes any Rivian VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original delivery price.
RJ Scaringe founded Mainstream Motors in 2009 while completing his PhD at MIT's Sloan Automotive Lab. The company rebranded as Rivian Automotive in 2011 — the name combines the Indian River, where Scaringe grew up in Florida, with -avian. Rivian acquired the former Mitsubishi Motors Normal, Illinois plant in 2017 to convert it for EV production. Amazon led a $700 million Series F round in 2019, followed by Ford's $500 million investment. The November 2021 IPO raised $13.7 billion at a $66.5 billion valuation, briefly the largest US IPO of the year.
| Rivian | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founded by | RJ Scaringe |
| Headquarters | Irvine, USA |
| Listed as | RIVN |
| Slogan | «Keep the world adventurous forever» |
| Models tracked here | 2 (2022–2026) |
| Assembled in | 1 countries |
Technology it is known for: Skateboard EV platform, Quad-motor independent drive, Tank Turn (electric pivot in place), Camp Mode and Gear Tunnel storage, 800V Max Pack battery.
This page covers Rivian Automotive, the American EV manufacturer — not the Indian River (Scaringe's namesake) or any unrelated Rivian trademarks.
Where Rivian cars are actually built
A badge says where a company is registered, not where its cars were bolted together. The first three characters of any VIN — the world manufacturer identifier — say the second thing, and that is what we counted: 266 vehicles on record, 2 distinct manufacturer codes.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| the United States | 7PD, 7FC | 2022–2025 |
Read your own: the first character is the region, the first three together identify the plant's manufacturer. A Rivian beginning 7PD was assembled in the United States.
All Rivian models 4
Every Rivian model we track, grouped by body type. Click any model for its VIN decoder, recalls, MPG, safety and ForCar Reliability Score — broken down by year.
Rivian SUVs & crossovers 1
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivian R1S | 2022–2026 | 27 | 126 | 85 mpg | 3.5/5 |
Rivian Trucks 1
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivian R1T | 2022–2026 | 32 | 120 | 85 mpg | 3.5/5 |
Rivian More models 2
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivian EDV | 2022–2026 | 8 | 7 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Rivian RCV | 2022–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
Rivian by the numbers
What the federal records say about the marque. Each line links to the full breakdown by model and year.
| Topic | Rivian | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 67 campaigns | Most recalled: Seat Belts:front:anchorage |
| Owner complaints | 253+ filed | Most reported: R1S |
| Fuel economy | 85 mpg best | Leader: R1S |
| Insurance | $1,678/yr typical | Cheapest: R1S |
Compare model years like a dealer does.
- Full research report on any model year
- Market chart: how this model holds value
- Exact values with mileage adjustment
- Price-drop alerts on the trims you're watching
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Rivian hybrids & electric models
Rivian's electrified lineup — 2 electric / plug-in. Click any model for its full powertrain, MPG and range by year.
Rivian electric & plug-in 2
| Model | Years | Best figure | Recalls | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivian R1S | 2022–2026 | 85 | 27 | 3.5/5 |
| Rivian R1T | 2022–2026 | 85 | 32 | 3.5/5 |
Electrified variants from EPA fueleconomy.gov powertrain data. A model may offer gas, hybrid and electric versions across years.
Get a Rivian window sticker by VIN
Recreate any Rivian's original Monroney label — MSRP, factory options, EPA MPG and safety — free from the VIN.
Rivian window stickers →How to read a Rivian VIN
Every Rivian built since 1981 carries a unique 17-character VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). It encodes where and when the vehicle was made, its engine and body — here's what each part means:
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Rivian and the country it was built in (real Rivian codes below).
- VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
- Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
- Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
- Plant (11) — which factory assembled it.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
- USA7FC · 7PD
The remaining digits — engine (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard. To decode a VIN number position by position, including the year-code table and where to find the number, use our free tool.
Who owns Rivian, and what you get
Rivian is independent, USA-owned and publicly listed as RIVN. Rivian competes in the electric truck and SUV segments against Tesla Cybertruck, Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV, and (for the R1S) Tesla Model X. The brand positions on adventure-vehicle utility — gear tunnels, removable speaker, camp mode features — that compete with Land Rover and overlanding-focused brands rather than mass-market trucks. The R2 (announced 2024) targets a $45,000 starting price to broaden Rivian's addressable market beyond the $70,000+ R1T/R1S range.
| Rivian | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | USA |
| Ownership | Independent |
| Stock ticker | RIVN |
| Basic warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
| Powertrain warranty | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Assembly countries | United States |
⚠ Worth knowing before you rely on it: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, while basic cover here runs 3 years / 36,000 miles. See when Rivian models actually start to break →
Rivian — frequently asked
Is Rivian usa?
Rivian is a USA company, headquartered in Irvine and founded in 2009. The cars are a separate question: 100% of the Rivian vehicles in our records were assembled in the United States.
Where are Rivian cars made?
Across 2 manufacturer codes on record, assembly splits as: the United States (100%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the manufacturer and plant country — that is where these shares come from.
Who owns Rivian?
Rivian is independent, publicly traded as RIVN.
How many Rivian models are there?
We track 4 Rivian models spanning 2022–2026. The full list is above, ordered by how often each is searched.
What is the Rivian warranty?
New vehicles come with 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Terms vary by model year and market — confirm with a dealer.
Is Rivian reliable?
It depends far more on the model and year than on the badge. Every Rivian model is ranked by complaint rate here, along with the age at which each starts to fail.