RIVIAN R1S Complaints (2023)

73 consumer complaints on file.

#11758022August 19, 2026
SEAT BELTS
The contact owns a 2023 Rivian R1S. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken for service, and the service tech stated that all three rear seat belts had a wire that had been severed from the buckle. Additionally, the vehicle failed to detect an occupant seated in the rear seats. The dealer stated that the seat belt buckles needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was 29,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756055August 10, 2026
SUSPENSION
I own a 2023 Rivian R1S, early production vehicle #531, with approximately 93,000 miles. While driving, I noticed the vehicle's suspension was not functioning normally. After parking, the front passenger side of the vehicle dropped significantly lower than the other side, leaving the vehicle visibly uneven. I also received suspension warnings indicating that the suspension system was too hot and needed to cool. I brought the vehicle to a Rivian Service Center. Rivian diagnosed a failed/leaking damper and a failed air compressor. I was informed that only one damper had failed, but that all four dampers must be replaced because Rivian changed the manufacturer of the dampers and the replacement components are not compatible with the original dampers installed on my vehicle. The estimated repair cost is approximately $8,000. I am concerned that this may represent a safety-related failure of the early-generation R1S suspension system rather than normal wear. The suspension failure resulted in a substantial and visible change in the vehicle's ride height and occurred after I had experienced suspension behavior changing while driving. I have also found reports from other Gen 1 Rivian owners describing leaking hydraulic dampers, damper failures, suspension sag or collapse, multiple damper replacements, and air-compressor failures. Some owners report Rivian replacing their original dampers with subsequently revised components. I am particularly concerned that Rivian has informed me that the original dampers on my vehicle can no longer be replaced individually because the damper manufacturer/component has changed. Although only one damper on my vehicle failed, Rivian states that all four must now be replaced. I am submitting this complaint because a suspension failure that causes a significant unexpected change in vehicle ride height may affect vehicle handling and safety, and I believe NHTSA should determine whether similar failures are occurring in other early-product
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11753900July 30, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
On XXX, at approximately 12:19 PM, I was in the drive-through lane at a Chick-fil-A in [XXX], with my child as a passenger. I was using one-pedal driving mode and had come to a complete stop with my foot off the accelerator. I turned briefly to hand my child an ice cream cup, and when I looked back at the road, the vehicle was accelerating at full power with no contact from either pedal. To avoid striking the vehicles stopped ahead of me in the drive-through line, I swerved left into the Chick-fil-A building, causing a collision with the building. This put myself, my child, and nearby pedestrians and drivers at serious risk of injury. Cedar Park Police Department responded to the scene and a report was filed. I have video footage of the incident. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I believe the accelerator pedal and/or its sensor malfunctioned, possibly related to a known issue some other Rivian owners have reported involving cabin temperature affecting the pedal sensor; this has not yet been confirmed by a dealer or manufacturer. I am requesting that the manufacturer pull the vehicle’s black box/EDR data and perform full diagnostics on the pedal and sensor. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749529July 10, 2026
SUSPENSION
Tension noise and creaking coming from suspensions. Special washers were needed in order to fill gaps in build tolerances.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749527July 10, 2026
AIR BAGS
When an adult passenger is in the vehicle passenger seat, the passenger airbag light shows "airbag off" Approximate weight 130 pounds
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748472July 6, 2026
STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The vehicle experiences recurring, uncommanded high-speed steering "lurches" where the Lane Keep Assist (LKA) system initiates aggressive, sudden steering inputs at highway speeds (65+ mph). These inputs force the vehicle out of its lane and require immediate, significant manual driver counter-steering to prevent collisions. These events occur without warning, despite no perceived environmental triggers. This issue involves the vehicle's automated steering and Lane Keep Assist software suite. This safety defect renders the vehicle inherently dangerous to operate at highway speeds for the driver, occupants and everyone on the freeway. This issue is not isolated to this vehicle; numerous owners have reported identical, terrifying high-speed steering shoves on public forums for over a year. There is credible evidence indicating that the manufacturer's executive leadership, including the CEO, has been aware of these fleet-wide issues for well over a year. Despite this knowledge, the manufacturer continues to characterize these life-safety events as "Operating as Designed" or "No Fault Found" (NFF). This issue has been reported to the manufacturer’s service center repeatedly over several months by myself and other owners. Despite the manufacturer claiming to be "diagnosing" or "duplicating" the steering failure, telemetry data from the vehicle (including odometer audits) confirms that the vehicle remains stationary at the service facility for extended periods with zero diagnostic miles driven during these "repair" attempts. Other service appointments show minimal miles driven. The manufacturer has replaced safety-critical steering hardware, including the steering column assembly, without resolving the persistent software-driven steering lurches. The manufacturer’s refusal to acknowledge the defect or conduct meaningful, speed-appropriate road validation, despite being notified of the systemic safety risk, suggests a failure to address an acute life-safety hazard.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747311June 29, 2026
SUSPENSION
Right rear toe link to knuckle bolt snapped off while driving causing a deadly situation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11743356June 10, 2026
SUSPENSION, WHEELS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving at city speeds, I heard a rubbing/grinding noise from the right rear of the vehicle and noticed that the suspension no longer felt normal. After stopping to inspect the vehicle, I found that the right rear wheel had shifted rearward within the wheel opening and was contacting the wheel liner. The condition appeared suddenly without prior warning messages or warning lights. I do not recall any curb strike, pothole impact, collision, off-road event, or other significant impact prior to the failure. The vehicle was towed to a manufacturer service center and inspected. The manufacturer determined the damage was impact-related and not covered under warranty. Recommended repairs include replacement of the right rear knuckle, upper longitudinal link, toe link, hub bearing, and halfshaft. The failure resulted in a significant change in rear suspension geometry and raised concerns about vehicle safety. The damaged components are currently in the possession of the manufacturer service center and may be available for inspection.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740672May 28, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The vehicle's infotainment, driver gauge cluster and on display safety systems all fully lock up and reboot after about 30 minutes of driving. If you have highway ADAS engaged, warning sounds will occur but no display explaining the warnings. If you're using the vehicle's safety systems you suddenly do no have blindspot monitoring, or enabled ADAS. Additionally, navigation will not be available causing immediate confusion.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740628May 28, 2026
SUSPENSION
I am submitting this complaint after learning through a recent TechCrunch article regarding the NHTSA investigation PE26004 into Rivian rear suspension / rear toe link failures that my incident appears substantially similar to the failures currently under investigation. On March 2, 2024, at approximately 1:29 AM, my son [XXX] was driving my 2023 Rivian R1S (VIN [XXX] ) in [XXX] . While making a normal right turn from [XXX] onto [XXX] and accelerating normally afterward at approximately 30 mph, the vehicle suddenly suffered what appeared to be a catastrophic rear suspension failure. According to the driver, the left rear portion of the vehicle suddenly jolted downward, a loud mechanical breaking sound was heard, and the vehicle immediately became uncontrollable. The rear suspension appeared to collapse instantly. The vehicle then began sliding uncontrollably across the roadway and crossed into the opposite traffic lane. The driver attempted to release the accelerator and correct steering input, but the vehicle did not respond normally. Steering control was effectively lost and the vehicle could not be controlled. The vehicle ultimately impacted a tree on the left rear/driver-side rear area before coming to rest perpendicular to the roadway. Importantly, the loss of control occurred BEFORE impact with the tree. The impact was a consequence of the apparent suspension failure and resulting loss of vehicle control, not the initiating cause of the event. There was no rain and road conditions were normal and dry. Driver-side airbags deployed and Rivian’s emergency response system automatically contacted the occupants after the crash. Police responded to the scene within minutes and a traffic crash report was generated. The vehicle had approximately 7,862 miles at the time of the incident and remained under factory warranty. The vehicle had never undergone any prior suspension repair, suspension service, or suspension INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734817April 30, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2023 Rivian R1S. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the message "Electrical System Fault - Contact Rivian Service Immediately - Avoid Fording" was displayed along with a picture of the vehicle in water. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was an internal short circuit in the HVAC system due to water intrusion or condensation from the HVAC system. The dealer determined that the HVAC system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734725April 30, 2026
SUSPENSION
Toe link failed on the driver rear side. My vehicle went out of control, veered over adjacent lanes, over the bike path, onto the side walk and back onto the road and side walk. I was left with a sore neck for several days, my apple watch kept trying to call 911 thinking I was in an accident. Anyone one the sidewalk or bike lane or adjacent vehicle lane would have been impacted. The problem has an outstanding recall with Rivian but my vehicle isn't part of the recall. Rivian is repairing the broken components. No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms before the failure. I was traveling at ~50MPH through and intersection when as soon as I exited the intersection the vehicle turned to the right / banked to the right in an aggressive manner which I could not control. I went across and adjacent lane that was unoccupied sideways and onto the sidewalk then back onto the road.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11727927March 30, 2026
SEATS
The driver seat has preset settings for seat adjustments but they do not have Obstruction Detection. We have a rear facing car seat that was placed behind the drivers seat that had to be replaced (by us) as the seat auto adjusted and did not detect the back of the car seat and snapped the car seat out of its base. We contact Rivian over phone and they did not have a remedy (over a year ago, cannot recall exact date). It happened several times where we had to force stop the adjustment to prevent damage to new car seat. Eventually we decided to place the new rear facing car seat behind the passenger car seat instead. The back of the drivers seat has permanent damage from it pushing against the car seat. I did not think about filing a complaint here until I read about the recent Hyundai incident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11723046March 9, 2026
AIR BAGS
Yesterday was the 3rd time in 2 months that the vehicle displayed a "Airbag System needs service - Drive with caution until serviced" warning. I have taken it to Rivian 2 times where each time they replaced various components of the airbag system and it was reported to be fixed. Yesterday the warning returned. I am extremely concerned that Rivian does not have the ability to properly diagnose and or fix whatever the underlying issue is regarding my airbag system. I am now scheduled to take my vehicle in for the 3rd time for them to "try to figure it out".
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708710January 5, 2026
AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SEAT BELTS
On five separate occasions the airbag system on my car has become inoperable. Starting in July 2025 I noticed an airbag error on the display of the vehicle. I brought the car in for service and they replaced the steering wheel. The airbag error occurred again in August, this time requiring replacement of a different wiring harness. The error occurred again and again went in for service in November, this time replacing the front seats, seatbelt control modules, and the airbag module. This past weekend the air bag alert appeared again. Rivian seems unable to fix the issue with the airbags on my vehicle creating a significant safety concern.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690848October 1, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The horn is far to quiet to be heard by other drivers. This creates a dangerous situation in many common circumstances on the road and highway.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11664025May 30, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, STRUCTURE:BODY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I pulled into my semicircle, long driveway as I do every morning, and stopped at the top by releasing my foot off the accelerator (no need for brakes as it is an EV). I opened the garage door and slowly stepped on the accelerator, but it started to go fast, and I felt out of control. I immediately released my foot off the accelerator (which should have stopped the vehicle) and slammed on the brakes (there is proof in my driveway with tire marks leading up to the accident) but still did not stop. I quickly realized I was going to crash into the garage, and possibly into the house, so I steered away as much as I could to only drive into and through the side of the garage wall. The space I had would have given me enough time to stop had the car not been driving at a fast speed. Even the neighbors heard braking and ran outside to see what was happening. There is a recording on a ring cam, and you can hear him say "I heard brakes". Oddly, the massive impact did not deploy the airbags. Also, the car usually records all incidents with time before and after (it has successfully done this before when I was rear ended and will if you get too close to anything), but for some reason it recorded what was labeled "incident" and you can only see me pulling into the driveway, the garage door going up, and then the video stops - no record of the crash. The car should have also detected the house. The car only stopped after driving through concrete and stucco, and up the stairs. House has massive damage, personal items in the garage destroyed, and the vehicle is possibly unsalvageable. It took until the next day to see if we could remove the vehicle from my house, but it is now at the service center and Rivian has been notified. I've since researched online and found countless similar incidents.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651488March 29, 2025
WHEELS, SUSPENSION
Front driver wheel had a hub bolt back out rendering the vehicle unable to drive. The car made a loud grinding noise and was unsteady. I had to pull over and was unable to drive any further. It required replacement of the hub bolt and axel. This is a known problem for rivian's and has not been addressed or checked. I reported a grinding sound when I turn 2 months ago and was told that the soonest Rivian could service my car was 2 months away. This known problem and complaint should have flaggged an immediate intervention and this needs a recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11647002March 7, 2025
AIR BAGS
Front passenger airbag is inactive for long periods of time while a passenger is seated in the vehicle during operation. This is indicated by the message displaying the airbag as being off. This occurs regularly with an adult seated normally in the seat while traveling at highway speeds, for long periods of time. I reported this to Rivian and they said the car is functioning normally but it does not seem safe that the airbag is turned off with a passenger present in the vehicle during operation. I am listing the latest incident date here but this has been persistent since I purchased the car new in 2023.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645757March 1, 2025
STEERING
I am experiencing an ongoing and unresolved steering column defect in my 2023 Rivian R1S, which creates a serious safety risk while driving. Issue Details: The steering wheel drops unexpectedly when weight is applied, even lightly. This occurs both while the vehicle is stationary and while driving, including when hitting small bumps in the road. The issue compromises steering stability and could lead to a loss of vehicle control. Repair Attempts & Rivian’s Response: I have taken the vehicle to Rivian Service Centers four times for this issue. Rivian has replaced the steering column three times (May 2024, July 2024, January 2025), but the issue persists. Rivian has now claimed this is a "normal characteristic" of the vehicle, despite previously acknowledging it as a defect and attempting multiple fixes. I requested a written statement regarding their refusal to fix the issue further, but they have not responded. Safety Concern: My father currently drives the vehicle, and I am deeply concerned that the steering column could fail while he is driving, leading to an accident. The steering instability may cause loss of control, particularly at higher speeds or in emergency maneuvers. Rivian’s failure to fix this issue despite multiple repair attempts indicates a potential systemic defect that could affect other Rivian R1S vehicles. Requested Action: I am filing this complaint to document this safety hazard and request that the NHTSA investigate whether this defect affects other Rivian vehicles. Given that Rivian has failed to properly address this issue, I urge the NHTSA to take action to ensure driver safety, including a potential recall if necessary.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to RIVIAN R1S