Is the Rivian R1t more reliable than the Ram Promaster?

Slightly, yes. The R1t has a small edge in standing. Most of its complaints involve the passenger airbag turning off, while the Promaster has many reports of stalling, transmission problems, steering cutouts, and brake faults. The R1t still has more complaints per vehicle sold than the Promaster, so the lead is narrow.

Which has more recalls, the R1t or the Promaster?

The Promaster has more in total, with 54 recalls across 9 model years. The R1t has 21 across 3 model years. The Promaster covers far more years, so the per-year gap is smaller than the totals suggest. Check any specific van or truck for open recalls before buying.

Which has more complaints per vehicle sold?

The R1t does, at 10 complaints per 10,000 sold, against 4.6 for the Promaster. The R1t total is only 50 complaints, and 14 of them concern the passenger airbag. The Promaster has 294 complaints spread across electrical, power train, steering, engine cooling, and brakes.

What is the main problem with the Ram Promaster?

Electrical shutoffs are the most reported. Owners describe the engine and dash going dead while driving with no warning. Transmission trouble, steering that cuts out or turns heavy, and recall repairs delayed by missing parts follow. Shops most often blame water in the steering wiring.

Should I worry about the R1t passenger airbag light?

Yes, if a lighter adult or teen will ride in front. Owners say the airbag turns off and the Passenger Airbag Off light comes on, mostly for riders of about 110 to 150 pounds. Service centers often call it working as designed. Test it with the actual passenger before buying.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Ram ProMaster vs Rivian R1T: Reliability Compared

Ram ProMaster

Good

More Reliable

Rivian R1T

Good

On reliability, the Rivian R1t edges out the Ram Promaster, but only slightly. The R1t's complaints center on one airbag fault. The Promaster draws fewer complaints per vehicle sold but has more serious problems with stalling, transmissions, steering, and brakes.

How Do the Ram ProMaster and Rivian R1T Generations Compare?

Data for the R1t covers model years 2023 to 2025. The first generation is listed as 2022 to 2024, so a 2025 truck sits outside that listed range, and the second-generation dates in the data are unclear. Confirm which version a specific truck is before relying on year-level patterns. The Promaster data covers 2018 to 2026. Its first generation ran from 2013 to 2022 and received a facelift for 2019, which is among its weakest years. The second generation began in 2023 and continues today. Shoppers looking at 2018 through 2022 are buying first generation vans.

Verdict

The Rivian R1T is more reliable than the Ram ProMaster, scoring 66/100 vs 62/100.

Reliability comes out slightly in favor of the Rivian R1t, and the edge is small. Its complaints cluster in one area, the passenger airbag turning off, rather than spreading across the drivetrain. The Ram Promaster has a lower complaint rate but a longer list of serious faults: stalls, transmission trouble, steering cutouts, and brake problems, plus recall repairs that wait on parts. The R1t has its own serious reports, so treat this as a narrow lead, not a clear win.

Key Differences

1Rivian R1T has 33 fewer total recalls
2Ram ProMaster has 5.4 fewer complaints per 10k sold
3Rivian R1T scores 4 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

1Ram ProMaster

—

2Rivian R1T

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint Rate

Ram ProMaster vs Rivian R1T: Which Is More Reliable?

Ram ProMaster vs Rivian R1T at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Ram ProMaster	Rivian R1T
Reliability Score	62/100	66/100
Years Tracked	9	3
Total Recalls	54	21
Complaints per 10k Sold	4.6	10
Year Wins	0	3

What Are the Common Problems With the Ram ProMaster and Rivian R1T?

Airbags dominate the R1t's complaints. The passenger airbag switches off with a lighter adult seated, and service centers often find nothing wrong. Its rarer reports are worse: a fire, sudden slowing on the highway, loose front half shafts, and turtle mode. The Promaster's trouble is mechanical and broad. Engine and dash shutoffs without warning, hard transmission upshifts, power steering that cuts out, and a brake pedal that sinks to the floor all appear. Only the Promaster has crash-linked reports in power train and engine cooling. Only the R1t has one in vehicle speed control. Both have crash-linked brake reports.

Ram ProMaster vs Rivian R1T common problem areas comparison
Component	Ram ProMaster	Rivian R1T
AIR BAGS	—None	2.8Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.6Very Low	0.8Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.4Very Low	0.8Very Low
POWER TRAIN	0.5Very Low	0.6Very Low
STEERING	0.5Very Low	0.4Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.3Very Low	0.4Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.1Very Low	0.4Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.1Very Low	0.4Very Low
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	0.4Very Low	—None
ENGINE	0.2Very Low	—None
LANE DEPARTURE	0.1Very Low	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	0.1Very Low	—None
STRUCTURE	0.1Very Low	—None
SEAT BELTS	0.1Very Low	—None
WHEELS	0.1Very Low	—None
EQUIPMENT	—None	—None
TIRES	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

How Does Ram ProMaster vs Rivian R1T Reliability Compare by Year?

Ram ProMaster vs Rivian R1T year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Ram ProMaster	Rivian R1T	Edge
2025	62/1004R / 3C	65/1008R / 8C	Rivian R1T
2024	62/1006R / 5C	67/1006R / 7C	Rivian R1T
2023	63/1007R / 39C	65/1007R / 35C	Rivian R1T

Best years to cross-shop: The 2023 Ram ProMaster scored 63/100 and the 2024 Rivian R1T scored 67/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Ram ProMaster vs the Rivian R1T?

Pick the R1t if you want an electric truck and can accept a small number of serious but uncommon reports. Test the passenger airbag light with the person who will ride in front, since lighter adults and teens are the ones affected. Have a shop check the front half shaft bolts. Of its three model years, 2024 ranks strongest. 2023 shows up as both strong and weak, and 2025 is among the weakest, so be cautious there. Pick the Promaster if you need a cargo van and can live with a heavier repair risk in exchange for fewer complaints per vehicle sold. Before you buy, ask whether open recall work, especially the engine cooling and transmission campaigns, has been completed, because owners report parts delays. Test for transmission thumps, steering stiffness, and brake pedal feel. Look at 2018 first. Skip 2019 and 2021, the weakest years. 2026 ranks strong, but it is the newest year and has had the least time to collect complaints.

Ram ProMaster vs Rivian R1T: Common Questions

Is the Rivian R1t more reliable than the Ram Promaster?: Slightly, yes. The R1t has a small edge in standing. Most of its complaints involve the passenger airbag turning off, while the Promaster has many reports of stalling, transmission problems, steering cutouts, and brake faults. The R1t still has more complaints per vehicle sold than the Promaster, so the lead is narrow.
Which has more recalls, the R1t or the Promaster?: The Promaster has more in total, with 54 recalls across 9 model years. The R1t has 21 across 3 model years. The Promaster covers far more years, so the per-year gap is smaller than the totals suggest. Check any specific van or truck for open recalls before buying.
Which has more complaints per vehicle sold?: The R1t does, at 10 complaints per 10,000 sold, against 4.6 for the Promaster. The R1t total is only 50 complaints, and 14 of them concern the passenger airbag. The Promaster has 294 complaints spread across electrical, power train, steering, engine cooling, and brakes.
What is the main problem with the Ram Promaster?: Electrical shutoffs are the most reported. Owners describe the engine and dash going dead while driving with no warning. Transmission trouble, steering that cuts out or turns heavy, and recall repairs delayed by missing parts follow. Shops most often blame water in the steering wiring.
Should I worry about the R1t passenger airbag light?: Yes, if a lighter adult or teen will ride in front. Owners say the airbag turns off and the Passenger Airbag Off light comes on, mostly for riders of about 110 to 150 pounds. Service centers often call it working as designed. Test it with the actual passenger before buying.

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How we score the Ram ProMaster and Rivian R1T

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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