2023 Rivian R1S Problems

When an adult passenger is in the vehicle passenger seat, the passenger airbag light shows "airbag off" Approximate weight 130 pounds

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".

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)

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.

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.

the sensitivity of the airbag sensor on the passenger seat is not functioning properly in my opinion. there are times when there is a passenger present and seated, the car is showing that the passenger airbag is off. I took the car to Rivian service center. They indicated that they could not replicate the problem and that to make sure the passengers are over 110 lbs. They also noted that with future software update, they may make it better, which indicates to me that they know there is a problem. I know for a fact that my passengers have been over 110 lbs.

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)

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.

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

Tension noise and creaking coming from suspensions. Special washers were needed in order to fill gaps in build tolerances.

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.

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.

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.

The Rivian is designed to kill fat people. The Airbag for the passenger seat does not function if there is a large person in the seat or the seat is very far forward with a normal person. When someone sits in the passenger seat the lower left corner of the central display changes from “Passenger Airbag Off” to the passenger climate control display. If you pull the seatbelt all the way out the display reverts back to the “Passenger Airbag Off” sign. The seat belt has to retract about 6 inches back into the B pillar for the climate control display to come back on. If the seat belt can’t retract far enough back into the B pillar, you have to drive around with an inoperable passenger seatbelt. I have been able to duplicate this feature on every Rivian I have tried it on. This has been reported to Rivian. A mechanic was sent to my house to repair this. It couldn’t be repaired as expected. I was told the problem would be elevated to a safety issue and sent to engineering. That was in the beginning of February 2024. No answers or fix yet. I have video of the problem, but mp4 files are not accepted below. Please contact me if you would like video.

On our drive back from Yosemite, we began descending from Groveland, CA after leaving the Rivian charging station. Due to heavy rain, the car ahead of me was moving cautiously, limiting my speed to about 20 mph while maintaining a safe distance during the descent to Moccasin, CA. Thanks to the regenerative braking, I didn’t need to apply the brakes, as the car automatically slowed when I wasn’t pressing the throttle. However, my windows started to fog up, so I turned on the defoggers. Shortly after, I noticed the car’s door locks repeatedly unlocking and locking by themselves. As we neared the bottom of the descent, I began to smell something burning from the vents. This prompted me to step on the brake pedal for the first time, but it felt unusually stiff, with little travel. The car didn’t slow down, and the burning smell intensified. I pressed the brake pedal repeatedly, but it felt stuck, and the car did not decelerate. Eventually, I was able to roll to a stop. I pulled over to a side street where the issue persisted. I turned off the defogger and contacted Rivian via SOS. We were able to replicate the brake issue on the side street: as I maneuvered the car, the brake pedal sank on its own when the defogger was on. Once I turned it off, the pedal returned to normal. There were no warning lights or alerts from the car system. When I got out of the car, the burning smell was strong near the front wheels. It was clear that my family’s safety was at risk, including 3 young children. The car was towed to a service center, where it’s being inspected. Rivian hasn’t been able to reproduce the issue yet. I believe the regenerative brakes weren’t working properly, causing the car to rely on the regular brakes for the entire descent. This likely led to brake failure at the bottom, with the burning smell originating from overheated brakes. I also suspect that the overheating caused other electrical issues, which could explain why the door locks kept cycling on and off.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? — ACCELERATOR PEDAL. YES, AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? — DUE TO ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEFECT, IT RESULTED IN ONE CASUALTY AND ONE INJURY. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? — YES, SERVICE RECALLS HAVE BEEN FOR THE SAME ISSUE WITH PRIOR MODELS. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? — CURRENTLY IN POLICE CUSTODY Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? — NO WARNING SIGNS.

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.

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.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? — ACCELERATOR PEDAL. YES, AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? — DUE TO ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEFECT, IT RESULTED IN ONE CASUALTY AND ONE INJURY. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? — YES, SERVICE RECALLS HAVE BEEN FOR THE SAME ISSUE WITH PRIOR MODELS. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? — CURRENTLY IN POLICE CUSTODY Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? — NO WARNING SIGNS.

On the morning of 9/14/2023 while commuting to work, my one month old, 2100 mile R1S ground to a halt while driving normally in All-Purpose Mode at about 15mph in the middle of a busy road. There were zero warning signs or noticeable weirdness with the vehicle before this happened. The vehicle stopped itself, parked and put the hazard lights on with multiple warning messages on the screen displayed. There was heavy morning traffic and we had no ability to shift out of park to move the vehicle to a safer place. This was a very unsafe situation. It was stuck in the middle of the road and other drivers began swerving around us, nearly colliding with us and each other. I had to call a tow truck and 911 to dispatch a police officer to come and light us up to keep the situation safe while waiting on the tow. Today the Rivian Service Center confirmed the diagnosis was a failure of the front drive inverter, which will be replaced accordingly and the vehicle will be put back in service once the repairs are completed. My concerns and reason for this report are the way this failure happens without warning at any speed at any location, and the inability of the driver to move the vehicle, even under limited power and speed, using the other drive unit (either front or rear). In order to be confident in driving my R1S going forward, I'd like to know what exactly failed in the inverter and why, and what was revised on the new inverters to prevent or significantly lower the failure rate. If nothing is done, someone is going to get hurt or killed by this. Also if Rivian can push a software update to allow the vehicle to be limped to a safe place using the other drive unit in the event of an inverter failure, that would be helpful as well. I know of several other Rivian owners who have experienced this exact failure and they all had to be towed away from an unsafe situation on the road after being unable to move their vehicles.

The contact owns a 2023 Rivian R1S. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway, there was a shadow on the middle console. The contact stated that when the driver's door was opened, there was a crack in the sunroof. The contact stated that there was no impact that could have caused the crack. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,100.

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.

(1) Q: What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? A: "Critical Battery Issue" + "Electrical Hazard Possible; Drive to service center immediately. Avoid driving through water" + "Coming to emergency stop soon; Steer to safety and park" (2) Q: How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? A: (1) The car abruptly stopped near a corner in middle of street blocking the street, police had to intervene with traffic *potential for collision/pedestrian strike (2) The car had no electrical, completely blacked out and HAZARD lights didn't work when Police asked to turn them on, nothing would turn on **potential for collision (3) Car was blacked out with all windows down, doors unlocked and unable to get into compartments of vehicle to remove personal items of value due to all electrical being backed out *potential safety / theft concern Police ended up towing due to Rivian being unable to locate a tow in a timely manner the incident occurred at 4:30pm and Police politely waited for Rivian until her 6:30 and then called their local tow yard for secure space for unresponsive unit blocking street (3) Q: Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? A: Not sure - It took Rivian until 11:30am the next day to coordinate a pick up from local tow yard where Police mandated tow due to Rivian being unable to clear a hazard blocking the street (4) Q: Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? A: The local Police were on scene and were highly accommodating directing traffic to mitigate any potential safety issues for pedestrians, drivers and on-lookers. Rivian hasn't shared anything at all and its 24hours+ after the incident (5) Q: Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? A: Yes, as listed above in #1

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)

Rivian pushed a software update to owners on the evening of 11/13/2023. This update made the driver information and infotainment screens non-functional and also disabled all driver saftey aids and any ability to turn exterior lights or windshield wipers off or on. As of 11:24 am CST on 11/14/2023, owners have still not been officially notified or provided any status updates aside from a reddit post by Rivian's VP of software development [XXX] ). Rivian has no estimated time to have a solution in place. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I purchased my vehicle new from Rivian Automotive in November 2023. My rear tire went flat (to 4 PSI) while driving on the freeway on Dec 11, 2023. There was no warning message on the dash that my tire was even low. The truck kept swerving left and right between the lane markers like the lane assist was malfunctioning. Another driver got my attention to let me know my tire was flat. I had my SUV towed to America's Tire where they confirmed that there were no punctures in the tire and that it was defective. This could have resulted in a serious accident simply because I was not given proper warning about the tire pressure.