RIVIAN R1S Complaints (2024)

16 consumer complaints on file.

#11743786June 12, 2026
STEERING, SUSPENSION, WHEELS
Recurring front suspension fastener and component failures causing severe asymmetric inner-shoulder tire wear and steering vibration. Vibration was reported to the manufacturer's service center from delivery (Feb 2024) and repeatedly called "normal." Jan 2025: front left hub bearing and halfshaft replaced under warranty after metal-on-metal grinding. Oct 2025: torn right front lower control arm bushing replaced under warranty; rack measurements before that repair showed front total toe 2.04 deg (spec 0.00-0.40) and rear camber -2.2 deg (spec -0.6 to -1.4); two tires worn to the wear bars on inner ribs were replaced. Mar 2026: vehicle towed in (parking brake would not release, 12v battery failed); technician found front suspension fasteners not torqued to specification, including previously replaced components, and replaced the front left hub a second time. No alignment was performed after the re-torque. Jun 2026: the Oct 2025 tires are again worn to near the wear bars on inner shoulders after ~12,000 miles - the third consecutive set destroyed by the same geometry-driven pattern. The manufacturer has confirmed in writing that only one alignment has ever been performed on this vehicle (Oct 2025) in 26 months and ~41,000 miles - none after the March 2026 suspension re-torque. The manufacturer has two federal recalls acknowledging suspension fasteners loosening after assembly or service: 22V-748 (under-torqued front fasteners that "could cause excessive wheel camber") and 26V003 (rear toe links that may separate), the latter reopened by NHTSA in May 2026 under PE26-004 with review expanded to ~114,922 vehicles. This vehicle exhibits the same failure mode - fasteners confirmed loose by the manufacturer's own technician - but is not in either recall population. Tires worn to the belts and loose suspension hardware at highway speed create a risk of loss of control. Work orders, the alignment report, and photos are available upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740638May 28, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Our 2024 Rivian came to a stop at a light with three cars in front of it. We have the video from a home on the street. ABout 12-15 feet behind the next car. Rivian comes to a complete stop. Sits about 5 seconds. Then car surges forward to rear end the car in front. that car hits another car and another car. THe rivian only makes direct contact to the car in front then hits aa parked car next to that one, through a 2' block wall and hits a building. No one hurt on site. TO add to the exact problem...Just prior to the vehicle coming to a stop a passenger in the front seat and a passenger in the back seat were listening to an audio book. its started skipping forward and slowing down. Car comes to a stop. screens go blank/black in the car. ALl three people can attest to this. The driver had her foot on the break as this happened and the car surges forward and proceeds to do the damage it does. IT is this unintended surge that was the issue. Seems a few people have had this issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11731212April 14, 2026
SUSPENSION, WHEELS
On [XXX], I was driving my Rivian R1S on [XXX] in the far left lane at highway speed on a smooth, straight road when I suddenly and completely lost control of the vehicle without warning. The vehicle swerved right, struck a vehicle in the middle lane, then veered left, spun, and collided head-on with the guardrail on the right side of the road. I was evaluated at the scene by EMT. There were no warning lamps, messages, or any symptoms of any kind prior to the failure. The loss of control was instantaneous and without any prior indication of a problem. Review of video footage captured by the vehicle's own cameras clearly shows the rear driver-side toe link failing and the rear wheel moving in a manner inconsistent with normal operation immediately prior to loss of control. At the scene, the rear driver-side wheel was visibly sitting at an abnormal angle, inconsistent with normal alignment, and the toe link bolt was visibly absent from its mounting location. The vehicle is currently being preserved as evidence and is available for inspection. The mounting location where the toe link bolt should be seated is visible and available for examination. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by Rivian, a dealer, or any independent service center. I am aware that Rivian issued NHTSA recall 26V003 on January 8, 2026, covering 2022-2025 R1T and R1S vehicles for this exact defect — rear toe link joint separation while driving, which increases the risk of a crash without prior warning. Rivian acknowledged awareness of at least one prior crash related to this defect prior to the recall filing. My vehicle has no open recalls on record and I was never notified of recall 26V003 or any related service campaign. This incident resulted in a multi-vehicle accident on a public highway. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11719573February 21, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Car suddenly lost control, making zig zag movements, none of the safety sensors were working, car went off road and crashed into freeway side fence. Windows airbags deployed on driver window and passenger window behind driver seat
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11707817December 30, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS, STRUCTURE:BODY, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While backing very slowly into a parking space, I lightly contacted small twigs (please see photo) with the vehicle. There was no impact with another vehicle, pole, wall, or solid object, and no significant force was applied. A child seated in the third row mentioned hearing a light scraping sound. Immediately afterward, the rear window suddenly and violently exploded, sending glass shards into the interior of the vehicle. The glass dispersed forward into the cabin, creating a significant safety hazard for the occupants, including children. There was no prior damage to the window, no visible cracks before the incident, and no collision that would reasonably explain the shattering of tempered glass. The explosion appeared spontaneous and disproportionate to the minor contact with twigs. This incident raises serious concerns about rear window glass integrity and the risk of injury to passengers, particularly children seated near the rear of the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11701342November 24, 2025
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
The contact owns a 2024 Rivian R1S. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the rear windshield shattered without impact. The contact's husband was outside and heard an abnormal cracking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact's husband witnessed the rear windshield shattering and bulging outwards. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for inspection at the owner's expense. The contact stated that upon investigating the failure, the contact found out that nickel was used in the tempered glass, which weakened the glass. The contact had safety concerns about driving the vehicle. The failure mileage was 43,511.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691672October 6, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Vehicle was involved in a rear end collision. Vehicle was setup to have Emergency Braking enabled and used the Rivian High Regen setting (one pedal driving). In freeway traffic, the vehicle in front slowed quickly. The vehicle initiated emergency braking, but when the vehicle in front sped away, the vehicle failed to release emergency braking thus resulting in the car behind hitting my Rivian. There was no vehicle to the right of my car. I should have been able to accelerate out of the way and move to the right. It would appear the Rivian system requires a FULL STOP. I was unable to accelerate to mitigate the rear collision damage. Secondly, the vehicle acted like it did not recognize HIGH REGEN setting as a brake input. I have had multiple time where it flashed at me to brake and the HIGH REGEN setting was stopping the vehicle. This is not acceptable. Rivian was contacted and the vehicle taken for service and repair. I was informed that they reviewed the accident and that all systems checked okay. Rivian noted that I did request acceleration from the car, but I did not hold the accelerator long enough for the vehicle to allow me to regain control. I have asked what the threshold is to regain control and they were unable to answer. Minimally I would hope they can describe how their system has been designed so that I can properly drive their vehicle. Ideally, the system should display emergency information on how to override in the event it forces the car to stop on a freeway. I am sure the Rivian system is smart enough to see that I was on a freeway and I would hope smart enough to detect that I could have safely moved to the right as other cars did to avoid collision. I firmly believe the incident could have been avoided. Vehicle had all cameras enabled and full accident is recorded and available for review. Rivian also collected vehicle diagnostic logs.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11663610May 29, 2025
SUSPENSION
clunking/thumping noise coming from front end over speed bumps like something is loose or going to fall apart. have taken car into service few times and was told its normal, its getting worse. Online forum threads have mentioned same issue , I am afraid one of these days something going to snap and cause a breakdown or even worse terrible accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11630610December 13, 2024
POWER TRAIN
Front wheel hub bolts back out on their own. This is a huge safety problem and needs a public recall. It is a known problem. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11628789December 4, 2024
STRUCTURE:BODY, SUSPENSION
Rivian has a 'kneel' option that uses the powered air suspension to lower the vehicle to make entry and exiting the vehicle easier for users. Yes, this can be turned off or on. When on, the function stops if a main door (driver/passenger) is open and left open the car will not continue to kneel for safety purposes. However, it does NOT stop if you are using the rear hatch to access anything. The car continues to kneel. I have hit my head multiple times on the rear hatch because I am behind the vehicle and assume a certain amount of head room and the car is still kneeling and I do not realize it and stand up like I was and hit my head. I have notified Rivian and asked for updates. I consider this a critical issue and has caused minor injury or confusion momentarily. I live on a busy street and the last thing I need is to hit my head and be knocked out. I have not heard anything from Rivian on my request and an update came out to 'fix' items but this was not included. I advised if it was not I would file an official complaint to make them take security and safety issues seriously.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11619209October 10, 2024
AIR BAGS, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The contact owns a 2024 Rivian R1S. The contact stated that while his wife was attempting to park in a parking space, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated. The brake pedal was violently depressed however the vehicle continued to accelerate. No warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle hit a curb in a landscaping zone and crashed into another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy during the incident. No medical attention was provided but the contact and the contact’s daughter suffered minor neck, side, and back pain. The wife also sustained minor unknown injuries, A police report was filed with the Oswego State Department, but the report was not provided. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 5,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11613362September 8, 2024
AIR BAGS, SEATS
My vehicle has been a service seven times, each time I have complained about my wife not being recognized by the passenger seat. She weighs 100 pounds, and I’m told that the weight limit is 65. On the latest visit they replaced the passenger seat and told me if it still does it, then it is a design flaw, and I’ll have to deal with it. Don’t find this acceptable as it affects my wife’s safety, and would like the manufacturer to rectify the issues of the airbag will function correctly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11611332August 28, 2024
SEATS
The 15mm nut securing the 2nd row seat track, behind the passenger front seat, was not secure and the seat track moved in all directions by several millimeters. The nut was stripped and could not be tightened. This manufacturing defect was repaired by Rivian. However, given the ongoing quality issues with this Rivian, I would speculate that other safety related defects have yet to be discovered.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11610095August 21, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Below are the diagnostics that Rivian says happened. I pulled into a parking space and as I placed my foot on the brake the car launched forward. I DID NOT hold both peddles down at the same time. The car malfunctioned and thank god I hit another parked car and not a person. The car has no been in the shop and at Rivian service center for the last 4 months. They are taking no responsibility for the events and are not returning my calls. I have read on many chat boards that this has happened to other drivers and they say it is "user error". a car with this much power should not be accidentally able to be put into launch mode. Vehicle enters a parking lot area at approximately 6:38 PM PST as vehicle speed is reduced and steering is consistent with parking lot maneuvers. Vehicle proceeds to travel at speeds below 15 mph. At approximately 6:40 PM PST the vehicle beings to turn left, then right while traveling at speeds below 7 mph. At this time, the steering wheel is returned to a centered position when the accelerator pedal is depressed to 98% application. Accelerator pedal and brake pedal are depressed simultaneously again as the vehicle comes into contact with another vehicle. Vehicle comes to a complete stop at 6:40:48 PM PST and remains in Drive. Vehicle remains in Drive and does not move for almost 8 minutes until vehicle is shifted into Reverse then Park at approximately 6:48:18 PM PST.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11597868July 1, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle stopped working while driving. It completely shut off even though I had 250 miles of range available. It looked up the rear wheels and came to a very harsh stop. It was immobilized and even with a hard reset it didn’t come back to life.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11595164June 18, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The horn is so quiet that when I was driving on the highway at 65 mph, someone changed lanes without looking. I tried to use the horn, but it was so soft that neither the other driver nor I could hear it, which nearly caused a major accident. I’ve spoken to other owners who have also noticed this issue. This could also be dangerous for pedestrians in case of a wrong crossing, as the horn may not be loud enough to alert them.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to RIVIAN R1S