What Seemed Like the Perfect Tire Swap for My R1T, Quickly Became a Frustrating Battle with a Stubborn Settings Menu

You ever make a decision that felt perfect on paper, only to watch it unravel the moment you acted on it? That’s exactly what happened when Rivian R1T owner Harvey Payne decided to swap out his OEM tires for something better. Lighter, cheaper, and supposedly longer lasting, what could go wrong? Turns out, quite a bit.

I came across Harvey’s story while scrolling through the “RIVIAN Electric Vehicles Discussion” group on Facebook, and what started as a routine tire swap quickly turned into a tech standoff with Rivian’s onboard software. It was one of those moments where you realize how smart modern EVs have become, and how unforgiving they can be when you make a change they weren’t expecting. “I got new tires for the R1T today. I have the 21" rims, and the two main choices were the OEM Pirellis or Michelin Defenders,” Harvey wrote. “The Defenders were $100 cheaper per tire, 8 pounds lighter each, and came with a high-mileage warranty, which seemed like a no-brainer to me. After the swap, I tried to update the tire configuration in the system. The only options available were the Pirellis or a generic setting, so I chose generic. The truck said it needed to restart to complete the change and warned that range estimates would no longer be accurate (not that they were super accurate to begin with). I started the update, but after running for a while, it failed and told me to try again. The only way I could get it to retry was by switching the selection back to Pirelli in the settings. I don't think it really matters since the tire size is the same, but I wanted to play with the settings just to see what would happen. Any idea what I did wrong? Just as a side note, the TPMS went offline after a couple miles of driving and didn’t register correctly until a few miles later. It did say to drive to update, so maybe that was expected.”

What’s interesting is that everything about Harvey’s decision made sense. Michelin Defenders are known for their long tread life and comfort. Saving $400 total and reducing unsprung weight by 32 pounds is a huge win. But Rivian’s settings system wasn't cooperating

The Community Chimes In

Several R1T owners weighed in under Harvey’s post, and their perspectives help shed light on how complicated “simple” upgrades can be on these ultra-connected vehicles.

Antonio commented, “I recently switched to Michelin Defenders but kept the same 21” size, so in my opinion, there shouldn’t be any need to change the vehicle settings. Typically, you'd only need to adjust settings if you changed the tire or rim size. Granted, with EVs, things like tire compound can affect range and efficiency, but hopefully the impact is minimal. That said, I’ve never been a fan of Pirelli tires, the Defenders already feel noticeably smoother and more comfortable. I’m just hoping they last longer than the 15,000 miles I got out of the original Pirellis.”

Ernest added a suggestion: “Did you try a hard reset? Sometimes updated features act wonky or lag for me until I do one. According to Tire Rack, the OEM 21" tires weigh 37 pounds, while the Michelin Defenders come in at 38 pounds. Did you get yours weighed to confirm?”

Then Eric cut straight to the chase: “Folks, the car doesn’t actually know what specific tire you have, just the size. There’s no way Rivian has mileage specs or range estimates programmed for every possible tire brand. So I’m not sure why anyone would expect the vehicle to magically recognize the exact tire model. If you’ve changed rim sizes, then yes, update the setting. Otherwise, just leave it alone.”

My Take as a Rivian Fan and Automotive Journalist

Honestly, I get where Harvey is coming from. When you buy an $80,000+ electric truck that practically thinks for itself, you expect the systems to adapt, not fight you, when you make a rational change like switching to a better tire. But I’ve learned that with Rivian's, there’s a layer of software logic baked into everything. As someone who’s driven and written about EVs for a while, I’ve found that even tiny changes like tire swaps or unplugging the truck in freezing temperatures can spark weird behavior. The truck is probably fine, but you’re stuck wondering if it isn’t. That uncertainty can make what should be a simple mod feel like cracking a code.

Tech-Sensitive and Sometimes Overly Cautious

Rivian’s system appears to operate off predefined configurations, especially for tires, where it calculates efficiency, range, and ride behavior based on the OEM specs. So, when you choose a “generic” setting, you're venturing into the unknown. This can explain the failed update, range warnings, and even the brief TPMS outage Harvey experienced. While it eventually fixed itself after a few miles, it’s a reminder that Rivian’s trucks like everything just the way they were shipped.

This echoes the experience of a Rivian owner who arrived at a Colorado charging station with 0% battery only to find that his full charge netted him a disappointing 210 miles. That range wasn’t just impacted by external conditions, it could’ve also been thrown off by tire specs, elevation, or unseen software limitations.

Another owner learned the hard way how cold weather can cause chaos when they charged their R1T to 97%, left it unplugged overnight in single-digit temps, and woke up to a battery that had dropped to 100% and locked up. The truck was fine, eventually, but again, it’s these surprises that make ownership feel like a high-stakes balancing act.

There’s also the case of a Rivian newcomer who joined the club with a dual-motor R1S and immediately noticed a 10% battery drop without doing anything. Could tires be part of the equation here, too? Possibly. As several owners have found, the combination of software assumptions and real-world variation can cause unexpected battery behavior.

And it’s not just cold weather or tire changes. Charging itself can be finicky. In one frustrating scenario, a Rivian owner charged for 11 hours at home and only got 70 miles one day, then 150 miles the next day on the same charger. That level of inconsistency is what makes people second-guess themselves every time something changes, even slightly.

Then there’s the challenge of road trips. One article shows how a Rivian owner tested the charging experience on a long-distance trip, revealing just how much planning, patience, and understanding the system it really takes.

But not all stories are grim. In fact, one Rivian driver hated the idea of supporting Tesla, but ended up blown away by how seamless and powerful Tesla’s new V4 Superchargers were, proving that when things go right, EV ownership can be incredible.

What’s the Takeaway Here?

If you're a Rivian owner thinking about switching tires, or making any seemingly minor modification, Harvey’s story should serve as a reminder: expect the unexpected. The truck is smart, yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s flexible. If you change anything the software wasn’t built to recognize, there’s a chance it’ll push back, glitch, or give you a warning you didn’t expect.

The key is to be patient, do your homework, and always test things incrementally. And don’t stress too much if something doesn’t work immediately. Whether it’s a TPMS delay or a failed settings update, odds are it’ll sort itself out after a few miles of driving or a reset.

Most importantly, you’re not alone. The Rivian community is incredibly active, and stories like Harvey’s help all of us better understand how these vehicles behave in the real world, not just in the showroom.

Have you swapped your Rivian tires for an aftermarket brand? Did you experience any tech glitches, warnings, or weird behavior from your system?

What are your favorite tires for the R1T, and do you prioritize ride comfort, efficiency, or off-road performance? Let us know in the comments below.

Narek Hareyan is a young automotive journalist with experience in a golf cart dealership and an interest in the automotive industry. Follow Narek on X for daily news coverage about cars.

Image source: Rivian & Harvey Payne's Facebook Post