2024 Rivian R1S

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received two Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) reporting left rear toe link separation in certain Model Year (MY) 2023-2024 Rivian R1S vehicles. Both VOQs report component separation while driving, causing the vehicles to swerve across multiple lanes of traffic. One incident resulted in a collision with an adjacent vehicle and roadside barrier.  In both separations, the bolt that maintains the integrity of the toe link fractured. Evidence collected from the complaint vehicles included repair histories, onboard video, imagery of the damaged components, and a police accident report. The two vehicles with reported separation have different vehicle histories. One vehicle received prior service and the other was involved in a previous collision. In both instances, the vehicles operated for multiple months and thousands of miles of usage with no apparent problems between the previous service or the previous collision and the failures that prompted this investigation. Rivian recognized the subject toe link joint’s sensitivity to service procedures in March of 2025 in its updated service procedures. In January 2026 through recall 26V-003, Rivian extended the improved repair procedure to vehicles that received toe link service prior to the March 2025 improvement. ODI is opening a Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to (1) assess the sensitivity of the rear toe link joint to foreseeable road and service conditions, (2) compare the physical failure evidence from the two VOQs to  identify apparent similarities and potential differences, (3) evaluate Rivian’s current toe link repair procedure, and (4) assess the in-field subject population’s toe links conditions. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov

My young son is able to loosen his shoulder harness while properly buckled into the car seat simply by gripping the shoulder straps and leaning forward forcefully. The harness becomes noticeably looser, and the additional slack remains after he sits back. After discovering this issue, I removed the car seat from my vehicle to investigate. I was able to reproduce the problem with the seat unoccupied. After tightening the harness using the front adjustment strap, I pulled forward on the shoulder harness straps without touching or activating the harness-release button. The shoulder straps lengthened relatively easily, while the front tightening strap retracted back into the car seat. This demonstrates that the harness can lose tension without the release mechanism being intentionally activated. I also own an older Nuna RAVA car seat used by my daughter, and I have observed similar harness-loosening behavior with that seat. I am particularly concerned because my son’s car seat was manufactured after the October 25, 2023, cutoff associated with Nuna’s previous RAVA harness-adjuster recall. My son’s seat has the newer fabric-covered harness-adjustment design, yet it exhibits similar symptoms. This creates a potentially serious safety risk because a child can unintentionally or intentionally loosen the harness while riding, leaving excessive slack that could compromise the restraint system’s ability to protect the child during a collision. I have video documentation demonstrating the harness loosening without pressing the release button, as well as photographs of the adjustment mechanism and manufacturing label. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether the harness-adjuster defect identified in the earlier Nuna RAVA recall may also affect newer car seats manufactured after the recall cutoff. I believe this warrants investigation because the issue is reproducible, occurs during ordinary child behavior, and involves a critical safety component.

NHTSA ID

11775946

Incident

Oct 20, 2026

On XXX at about 10:20 PM ET, I got into my 2024 Rivian R1S, parked in my driveway at home in [XXX], to drive away. The driver display immediately showed all of the yellow warning telltales together with a critical electrical system alert, and the vehicle could not be shifted into any gear. A vehicle restart did not change anything. The vehicle could not be driven and was towed to the Rivian Service Center in [XXX], where it arrived on XXX at 53,336 miles. Rivian kept it until XXX, replaced the 12-volt battery, and updated the firmware. The repair invoice does not identify a root cause. This failure happened while the vehicle was parked. If the same low-voltage failure occurs while driving, the driver may lose the ability to select or maintain a drive gear and may lose warning and status information, with no prior warning. That creates a risk of a stall or loss of propulsion in traffic. The electrical, software, and display problems began much earlier. On XXX, the center display screens went blank and would not power on; a soft restart helped only temporarily. On XXX, the Rivian app stopped communicating with the vehicle and the vehicle's software would not update. Rivian confirmed a service appointment on XXX, and in XXX (36,778 miles) found the vehicle had been offline for about two months; the repair required disabling 12-volt power and updating firmware. In XXX (44,779 miles) the screens again would not power on. Rivian logged an infotainment control module (XMM) board over-temperature fault (DTC B21014B), found the coolant well below the minimum line with air in the thermal system, and drained and refilled the coolant. The displays show gear selection, speed, warnings, and camera views, so blank screens remove information the driver needs. I am concerned that the root cause of the electrical failure has not been found and that it may recur while driving. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11774682

Incident

Oct 12, 2026

At 56,083 miles, my 2024 Rivian R1S experienced a suspension warning while driving on the US-101 Freeway and entered reduced-performance/turtle mode, limiting the vehicle to approximately 50 MPH while surrounding traffic was traveling substantially faster. The sudden speed differential created a serious highway collision risk. Rivian inspected the vehicle and diagnosed fault P12DF7A, “Roll Control Cross Circuit Static Leakage Check Failure.” The technician repeated the hydraulic leakage test to rule out a false positive. After draining the hydraulic fluid, Rivian found metal debris throughout the system and documented that it was causing system contamination. Rivian separately confirmed in writing that the source was an “internal mechanical failure in the system.” Rivian Repair Invoice INV_20260811-204135.pdf Rivian determined that the contaminated system required replacement of the hydraulic suspension manifold, hydraulic pump and all four dampers. Its repair procedure requires all four dampers to be replaced when metal debris contaminates the system. Rivian - Metal Debris Email.pdf Critically, Rivian advised me that even if turtle mode did not immediately recur, recurrence was “inevitable in the future” because of the metal debris and stated: “For your safety, we strongly advise against driving the vehicle in this condition prior to completing the full repair.” Rivian - Metal Debris Email.pdf I previously reported excessive suspension clicking to Rivian at approximately 44,000 miles while under warranty. I am aware of at least two potentially similar R1 failures, including another involving reported metal fragments and turtle mode. I request NHTSA investigate whether an internal mechanical failure can introduce metal debris into the interconnected R1 hydraulic suspension system, contaminate multiple components and cause reduced-performance mode at highway speed, and whether similar R1S/R1T incidents indicate a broader safety defect.

NHTSA ID

11762015

Incident

Jul 20, 2026

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.

NHTSA ID

11743786

Incident

Mar 26, 2026

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.

NHTSA ID

11740638

Incident

Apr 30, 2026

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)

NHTSA ID

11731212

Incident

Apr 13, 2026

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

NHTSA ID

11719573

Incident

Feb 19, 2026

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.

NHTSA ID

11707817

Incident

Dec 23, 2025

Rivian is launching a technical service bulletin for some model year 2022-2026 R1T and R1S vehicles that might have an audible rattle originating from the B-pillar area when driving on rough road surfaces. Upon customer complaint, Rivian will apply anti-rattle tape near both 1st row seat belt retractors to prevent rattling.

Rivian is launching a technical service bulletin for some model year 2022-2024 R1T and R1S vehicles that might have bubbles in the painted surfaces below the exterior door handles. On these vehicles, adhesive that secures an inner door reinforcement could allow contaminants to corrode the inner surface of the door over time, affecting the visual appearance of the door surface. Upon customer complaint, Rivian will repair and refinish the affected door(s). Note: This document supersedes RSB-56-25-002-1. Revision 2 updates the instructions for using the air wedge and inspecting the door panel prior to use.

Rivian is launching a technical service bulletin for some model year 2022-2024 R1T and R1S vehicles that could have inadequate adhesion between the outer door panel and an internal reinforcement. On affected doors, the exterior door handle might not sit flush with the outer door panel or might move slightly when the handle is operated. Upon customer complaint, Rivian will apply new adhesive between the reinforcement and the outer panel.

Rivian is launching a technical service bulletin for some model year 2022-2024 R1 vehicles that may have ultrasonic sensors detached from the front fascia mounting area. After detachment, the ultrasonic sensor may become dislodged and hang inside the front fascia, causing customer notifications for sensor issues and potential sensor damage. Upon ultrasonic sensor detachment, Rivian will perform an ultrasonic sensor repair to secure the sensor to the front fascia.

Rivian is launching a technical service bulletin for some model year 2022-2024 R1T and R1S vehicles that may be susceptible to water ingress in the front HVAC assembly. This may result in damp or soggy carpets in the front of the vehicle. Upon customer complaint of wet carpet in the front of the vehicle, Rivian will inspect the component and replace any damaged parts, and reseal the case to prevent further water ingress.

Rivian is launching a technical service bulletin for some model year 2022-2026 R1T and R1S vehicles that may be prone to noise and/or vibration from the door areas, particularly buzzing and rattling sounds. This results in a perceived quality issue. Upon customer complaint of noise from any door trim panel, Rivian will modify several door trim panel components to alleviate the condition.