- Some Rivian owners are turning to DIY solutions to keep their children safe.
- In a panic situation, the emergency release cord for the Generation 2 R1S and R1T rear doors is difficult to access.
- So owners are adding carabiners and cable ties to fix the problem in their $70,000-plus electric cars.
Making the perfect door handle for a new car is very difficult. At least that’s what some car companies suggest. This may be related to reducing costs, and it may also be related to the pursuit of electric car manufacturers to achieve the highest possible efficiency.
The result is simple: electronic door handles that look great and help the car glide through the air with ease. But those same door handles can quickly turn into a safety hazard if the power goes out for any reason and occupants are trapped inside.
Tesla It’s been in the news Several times Because the occupants were unable to locate the manual door releases after the accident. Cases of first responders struggling to open doors from the outside are also known during emergencies.
But Tesla is not alone in this. Rivian Also uses electronic door releases, when R1T and R1S The car underwent a comprehensive mid-life upgrade for the 2025 model year, and both were given a potentially serious makeover. The emergency release for the rear doors has been moved to the inside of the door panel, requiring taking out a piece of trim and fishing the wire blind. Before the facelift, regular door handles opened the door even in the event of a power outage, but now only the front door handles retain this function.
Rivian’s manual states that passengers must remove the trim panel to access the rear doors’ emergency release cord.
Image by: Rivian
Some owners of the 2025 and 2026 Rivian R1S and R1T have discovered this change and are understandably unhappy about it, especially if kids are traveling in the back. The release cables would be nearly impossible to reach for an adult in an emergency, let alone a child. So owners rig manual versions to make sure people can safely get out of the car at any time.
“I’m a fan and supporter of Rivian, but the current design of the manual tailgate latch on Gen-2 vehicles is a big mistake,” he said. doublew_dubsthe Reddit user who posted Do it yourself guide On how to add paracord to the manual release cord inside the door panel. “In an emergency, it’s very difficult to access. Removing the trim panel takes a lot of force, needs a pry tool (at least in my case), and even after removal, the release cord remains deep inside the door. I don’t see how anyone – especially children – could realistically reach this.”
Another member of the Rivian subreddit, who passes by Alson Central handle, they published another guide, where they used a steel cable, a small carabiner, and a metal ring to extend the door release.
“We showed our kids and made them solemnly pledge to only use it in emergency situations, because it can open a door even when you’re going 70 mph,” the Rivian owner said at the end of his post.
Other users who commented on my DIY guide said that the window smasher has found a permanent home in their cars, just in case they need to get out in an emergency. It’s a similar story for some Tesla owners, too Bloomberg Shows the story. After going through painful experiences, some parents who used to drive their children in Tesla cars bought other cars with traditional doors for door openings inside.
For what it’s worth, both Tesla and Rivian have said they will redesign the emergency release mechanisms for their upcoming cars. Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s head of design, said the company is looking forward to this Combine electronic and manual versions In one automatic, while Rivian said the upcoming R2 SUV will appear Redesigned door handles.
The change in position comes after several cases in which car owners were trapped inside their cars after an accident. Earlier this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a preliminary investigation into Tesla’s electronically operated door handles to see if they constitute a safety flaw.
