Drive Unit Issues: Found Out I Need To Get A New Rear Drive Unit

Rivian Mom · 2025-05-15T14:45:12+00:00

I've been using my phone's hotspot for months, and my Rivian connects to it automatically to run TuneIn and Spotify through the built-in apps on the main display. To be clear, this wasn’t Bluetooth streaming but actual phone data, and the apps worked perfectly without any issues. In Monday for the first time, I saw a Connect+ message pop up, even though the truck was linked to my phone’s data. I can still stream from my phone using Bluetooth, but the sound quality and user experience weren’t as good. This issue started between over-the-air software updates, though it might be tied to a specific date in the system. I tried a soft reset, but nothing changed. Has anyone heard if Rivian changed their policy on this? I remember Connect+ used to mention it provided "data" for streaming apps, suggesting you could use your own data instead. Now, it seems like you need Connect+ just to access the apps at all. I was surprised they allowed phone hotspots to work before, so this might be a deliberate change. I’m okay with paying for Connect+ if this isn’t just a temporary glitch. Any insights would be appreciated.

Rivian Mom

Active Wheeler

Nov 17, 2024

Went in for my routine 30k comprehensive on Wednesday. Told the engineer I am hearing a tick/knock from the rear at slow speeds every tire revolution.

Result, I need a new rear drive unit. Not a safety issue per feedback. A new Drive unit needs to be sent to the SC and the old needs to be sent back to the factory (once replaced) as Rivian is still studying the cause and effects of these occurrences.

I have another appointment in 2 weeks. Job will take a week or two to replace at that time. Note, I had no fault related notifications or issues beyond me noticing the tick/knock.

Image of a drive unit for reference