2025 Rivian R1S Problems

On September 20, 2026 at approximately 10:29 a.m. CDT, while traveling on Interstate 30 between Greenville and Royse City, Texas, my 2025 Rivian R1S Gen 2 experienced sustained unintended acceleration in an active construction zone with concrete barriers and no immediate safe exit. I applied very heavy, sustained braking to counter the acceleration until we reached a break in the barriers and could leave the highway. Substantial smoke was then coming from the wheel/brake areas. We were initially unable to place the vehicle in Park; after a vehicle reboot, we were able to shut it down. After stopping, we discovered that the accelerator pedal had become physically lodged beneath the driver’s all-weather floor mat, holding the accelerator down. The mat supplied for the vehicle was a previous-generation mat rather than the mat intended for the 2025 Gen 2 R1S. Rivian warns that 2022-2024 floor mats can potentially interfere with the accelerator pedal when installed in a 2025 or newer vehicle. Immediately after the incident, I used the vehicle’s native Rivian AI functionality twice to request diagnostic evaluations. Since the incident, the conventional brake pedal feels weaker/spongier than I recall previously. Rivian is scheduled to inspect the vehicle October 12, 2026 under Work Order 000002609847. I provided Rivian photographs identifying the incorrect mat and photographs showing smoke from the wheel areas. Original in-cabin smartphone video recorded during the incident has been preserved. No collision or physical injuries occurred. I am reporting this because a manufacturer-supplied incompatible floor mat physically trapped the accelerator during highway operation, creating a risk of sustained unintended acceleration that could affect other 2025+ Rivian R1 owners.

OnXXX, at approximately 5:00 PM CT, my 2025 Rivian R1S was involved in a low-speed rear-end collision at the intersection of [XXX] and the [XXX]. I was merging onto the service road (posted speed approx. 55 mph) behind another vehicle that began its merge through a stop sign, then stopped suddenly. I was moving forward at approximately 5-10 mph while checking oncoming traffic to my left. The vehicle's Automatic Emergency Braking system did not engage, and no forward collision warning was displayed, before I struck the vehicle ahead. I applied the brakes manually only after impact. No injuries occurred. I am reporting this because Rivian has previously disclosed to NHTSA (Recall 25V-585, XXX) a related defect in which its ADAS software misclassified a lead vehicle at low speed. My incident involved the same general failure pattern - the system not correctly responding to a slow-moving vehicle directly ahead at low speed. Additionally, the vehicle's onboard camera/recording system (Gear Guard) had been disabled by the manufacturer service center during a repair visit completed earlier that same day, and was not re-enabled before the vehicle was returned to me. As a result, no independent video record of the incident exists. I have submitted a formal written request to the manufacturer to preserve all EDR, ADAS, and vehicle telemetry data from the date of the incident, and that review is ongoing as of this filing. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Rivian identified the recalls on our car model and are failing to get the vehicle to repair them since we are unable to get to the dealership.

Hazard lights are inoperable this will be the second time going in for repair but 4th time it has occured. It also makes SOS inoperable and the roof lights. This is a safety concern that has not caused an accident but is a big issue since hazard lights are used when accident or emergencies occur and they are inoperable and this has been a frequent issue

Hazard lights are inoperable this will be the second time going in for repair but 4th time it has occured. It also makes SOS inoperable and the roof lights. This is a safety concern that has not caused an accident but is a big issue since hazard lights are used when accident or emergencies occur and they are inoperable and this has been a frequent issue

SUMMARY OF PROBLEM: Vehicle experienced sudden uncontrolled acceleration and deceleration while driving on busy road with family as passengers on November 16 2025. Vehicle provided no warning before loss of control occurred. Created immediate risk of collision and serious injury. DETAILED DESCRIPTION: On November 16 2025 at approximately 5:25 PM ET, my 2025 Rivian R1S experienced sudden uncontrolled acceleration and deceleration while driving on a busy roadway. The vehicle began accelerating and decelerating erratically without driver input, creating immediate risk of rear-end collision or loss of control. No warning lights or messages appeared before the incident. The vehicle displayed "Thermal Fault Detected" and "Coolant Level Low" messages only after the erratic behavior began. This incident occurred with my family in the vehicle and created serious risk of injury or death. I was forced to have the vehicle towed. PRIOR RELATED INCIDENTS: This is not the first safety issue with this vehicle. Service Request SR-RAB3DU1AM documents "Emergency Braking Mistakenly Triggered on Regular Roadway" from August 29 2025 that remains unresolved in Rivian's system. The vehicle has required multiple service visits for thermal and cooling system failures at only 15000 miles. MANUFACTURER RESPONSE: Rivian service center claims rodent nesting caused thermal system failure leading to loss of vehicle control. If correct, this indicates critical design flaw - environmental factors should not be able to compromise vehicle control systems without warning or failsafe mechanisms. Vehicle lacks adequate: - Warning systems for thermal degradation before catastrophic failure - Failsafe mechanisms to prevent loss of control - Protection of critical systems from environmental factors SAFETY CONCERN: If thermal system damage can cause sudden loss of vehicle control without warning, this represents unreasonable safety risk. Other R1S vehicles may be at risk of similar failures.

On September 20, 2026 at approximately 10:29 a.m. CDT, while traveling on Interstate 30 between Greenville and Royse City, Texas, my 2025 Rivian R1S Gen 2 experienced sustained unintended acceleration in an active construction zone with concrete barriers and no immediate safe exit. I applied very heavy, sustained braking to counter the acceleration until we reached a break in the barriers and could leave the highway. Substantial smoke was then coming from the wheel/brake areas. We were initially unable to place the vehicle in Park; after a vehicle reboot, we were able to shut it down. After stopping, we discovered that the accelerator pedal had become physically lodged beneath the driver’s all-weather floor mat, holding the accelerator down. The mat supplied for the vehicle was a previous-generation mat rather than the mat intended for the 2025 Gen 2 R1S. Rivian warns that 2022-2024 floor mats can potentially interfere with the accelerator pedal when installed in a 2025 or newer vehicle. Immediately after the incident, I used the vehicle’s native Rivian AI functionality twice to request diagnostic evaluations. Since the incident, the conventional brake pedal feels weaker/spongier than I recall previously. Rivian is scheduled to inspect the vehicle October 12, 2026 under Work Order 000002609847. I provided Rivian photographs identifying the incorrect mat and photographs showing smoke from the wheel areas. Original in-cabin smartphone video recorded during the incident has been preserved. No collision or physical injuries occurred. I am reporting this because a manufacturer-supplied incompatible floor mat physically trapped the accelerator during highway operation, creating a risk of sustained unintended acceleration that could affect other 2025+ Rivian R1 owners.

On February 1, 2026, at approximately 9:09 AM, while driving from a stop and continuing on main roads, the vehicle accelerated to extremely high speeds and would not properly slow down. When I removed my foot from the accelerator pedal, the vehicle did not decelerate as expected. Regenerative braking was nonexistent. Normally, releasing the accelerator provides noticeable deceleration, but in this incident the vehicle continued to propel forward instead of slowing. Braking was extremely difficult. The brake pedal felt abnormally stiff (“thick”) and required significant effort to depress. Even while actively braking, it felt as though the vehicle was still attempting to accelerate forward and did not slow normally. This occurred for a couple hundred yards before I was able to pull over due to safety concerns. At the same time, the vehicle was in All-Purpose drive mode, but the ride height was stuck at kneel height and would not adjust, which is abnormal. After pulling over, the vehicle would not shift into Park. I had to press the brake pedal with both feet while fully depressing it and lifting myself off the seat to keep the vehicle from moving. I then had to open the driver door in order to force the vehicle into Park. There were no warning lights or messages displayed on the dashboard. The vehicle was towed to the Rivian Service Center but has not yet been inspected because the service center is currently closed. This malfunction created a serious safety risk due to unintended acceleration, loss of normal deceleration, difficulty braking, abnormal suspension behavior, and inability to shift into Park.

Safety defect involving exterior rearview mirrors on Rivian R1S I am reporting a recurring and worsening safety issue involving the exterior rearview mirrors on my Rivian R1S Gen 2. Both side mirrors repeatedly lose their saved positions without driver input. More concerningly, on multiple occasions the mirrors have changed position while the vehicle was being driven, including at highway speeds. When this occurs, my rearward and side visibility is unexpectedly altered while driving, requiring me to readjust the mirrors and creating a significant safety concern. This problem has persisted across multiple Rivian software versions and has become progressively worse. I have already reported the issue to Rivian Service more than once. I have attempted to re-save the mirror positions, disable and re-enable Auto Tilt in Reverse, perform software resets, and recalibrate the system, without resolving the problem. The issue is not caused by Automatic Ride Height Adjustment, as it has occurred while that feature was disabled. I have requested that Rivian escalate the issue to its Engineering team and review vehicle logs, which should document the repeated changes in mirror position. Because the exterior mirrors can change position without driver input while the vehicle is moving, I believe this may constitute a safety-related defect affecting driver visibility. I am requesting that NHTSA review this issue and determine whether similar complaints exist involving Rivian R1S vehicles.

This complaint is associated with Complaint #11717398. My 3rd windshield has cracked after a tiny 1/8" impact point. The result was spidering all the way around the middle sensor housing area and propagating 6" down. It also spidered to the top of the windshield. This tiny impact shouldn't have caused a huge spidering effect. Whether from incorrect installation, car frame issues or defective windshield quality, this is my third heavily cracked windshield in my first 10 months of vehicle ownership. I'm heavily concerned about the safety issue from seemingly anything that strikes the windshield and the $2400 cost to replace each windshield. Thank you

The Rivian R1S that I own pulls hard to the right when you accelerate and then pulls to the left when you decelerate. I took it for repair and Rivian realigned vehicle and confirmed everything is as it should be. This behavior is tied to the Rivian Stability control and when the stability control is deactivated the steering issue stops. The issue is a safety concern as it's difficult to keep the vehicle in lane and straight with the stability control activated which turns to On each time you drive the car.

The vehicle steering wheel has never been straight since the day I purchased it but I thought it was normal because of the roads I drive on then it got worse and worse. Now it pulls to the left when accelerating and the steering wheel is wobbly. The steering wheel is off center by about 1-4 degrees even when the wheels are going straight. After searching on the forums and NHTSA website I found that this was an issue with 2022-2024 models. I worry that the issue has not been resolved with the 2025 model years. I have been asked to pay for an alignment which I don't mind but i wonder if other owners are having the same issue.

While driving my Rivian R1S, 2025 at highway speeds, the infotainment screen went completely black, disabling the speedometer, blind spot monitoring, lane warnings, airbag/seatbelt alerts, and navigation. I had no access to critical safety information while transporting my children, creating a dangerous situation. Rivian service confirmed this is a “known bug” affecting many vehicles, but owners were not warned. Forums show this issue is widespread. A sudden blackout of all safety systems while driving is a major hazard and needs immediate investigation and recall action. Furthermore, if the issue was known, they failed to warn future or current customers of the issue and even more important, what to do in the event the screen black out happens at highway speeds. This issue is widespread among Rivian owners and no effort was made to inform potential and current customers.

One week into owning the vehicle a notification popped up. “Airbag system needs service”

In late May 2025, I took delivery of a new leased 2025 Rivian R1S equipped with the MaxPack battery. Since delivery, the vehicle has had intermittent electrical issues with the USB-C ports that I reported on June 12th (approx 3 weeks from taking delivery), but on July 28, 2025, it experienced a sudden and complete electrical system failure while parked. Both the high-voltage and low-voltage systems shut down, leaving the vehicle entirely inoperable. Rivian Service has reported that the incident was caused by an isolation fault, which triggered the pyrotechnic safety fuses to blow, fully disconnecting the high-voltage battery. The vehicle required towing on dollies to a Rivian Service Center, where it remains out of service pending repairs. This failure occurred within just a few months of delivery, and I have been informed by the tow operator that similar failures have occurred with other 2025 Rivian MaxPack vehicles. This defect completely disables the vehicle without warning, creating a serious safety risk if it were to occur while driving.

On November 16, 2024, while trying to use the vehicle's heating system, only cold air would come out of the vents and an error message, “thermal system fault” appeared on the screen. The service center instructed to not drive it and eventually picked it up via tow truck and made repairs. The vehicle was returned and hot air successfully comes out of the vents but it is often accompanied by extremely loud noises (like a jet engine) as well as some pulsating and odd noises. Also, periodically only cold air comes out of all vents (even though the screen shows heat) if the defog is selected with temperature and fan speed regulated. The safety and performance of the battery has been impacted by the faulty thermal management system.

In late May 2025, I took delivery of a new leased 2025 Rivian R1S equipped with the MaxPack battery. Since delivery, the vehicle has had intermittent electrical issues with the USB-C ports that I reported on June 12th (approx 3 weeks from taking delivery), but on July 28, 2025, it experienced a sudden and complete electrical system failure while parked. Both the high-voltage and low-voltage systems shut down, leaving the vehicle entirely inoperable. Rivian Service has reported that the incident was caused by an isolation fault, which triggered the pyrotechnic safety fuses to blow, fully disconnecting the high-voltage battery. The vehicle required towing on dollies to a Rivian Service Center, where it remains out of service pending repairs. This failure occurred within just a few months of delivery, and I have been informed by the tow operator that similar failures have occurred with other 2025 Rivian MaxPack vehicles. This defect completely disables the vehicle without warning, creating a serious safety risk if it were to occur while driving.

On January 9, I was driving my new 2025 Rivian R1S (approx. 2,400 miles) when it suddenly displayed “Drive stalk not working.” The vehicle jolted, made a loud noise from the front axle, and then fully stopped in the middle of a busy road with the battery still at 55%. Once it stopped, I had no hazard lights or power steering, and the infotainment system locked up. After several attempts to reboot, the screen showed “Critical battery error” before shutting down completely. I was unable to move the vehicle or alert other drivers with flashing lights, creating a major safety hazard. It took about two hours for a tow truck to arrive. ## Component or System Failure: The vehicle’s propulsion system (drive controls) and electrical/hazard light systems appeared to fail simultaneously. The vehicle is currently at a service center for inspection and could be made available if needed. ## Safety Risk: Being stranded in the middle of the road without hazard lights or any way to move the car put myself and other drivers at serious risk. ## Reproduction/Confirmation: It has not been confirmed or reproduced yet by the service center. ## Inspection: The manufacturer’s service center is inspecting the vehicle. No other parties (police or insurance) have inspected it. ## Warning Lamps/Messages: There were no prior warnings. The “Drive stalk not working” error and subsequent “Critical battery error” appeared just moments before the vehicle stopped. I am reporting this because a sudden, total shutdown without hazard lights is a serious safety concern, especially on a busy road.

I purchased a 2025 Rivian R1S Adventure (VIN: [XXX] ) new from Rivian. Since the first week of ownership, the vehicle has exhibited persistent pulling, drifting, and handling instability requiring constant steering correction. I have brought the vehicle to Rivian Tampa for five service visits over five months. The defect has never been resolved. What I am requesting: Rivian's own technicians have twice attributed this vehicle's handling problems to the factory-installed tires, and confirmed via wheel-swap testing that tire pull is the root cause. These are factory-installed tires I did not select or modify. I am requesting: (1) replacement of all four tires with a highway-appropriate set at $0 cost; (2) a four-wheel alignment after installation at $0 cost; and (3) reimbursement of $61.81 charged for a tire rotation that could not address the confirmed defect. Rivian has acknowledged enough of a problem to waive $717 in labor and convert the alignment to warranty — yet refuses to cover the tires that their own technicians confirmed are defective. That is not an acceptable resolution. I have complete documentation including all work orders, invoices, and service records supporting every claim above. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

When vehicle returned from service for outstanding recalls, the control arm bolt was not properly tightened and caused additional movement on rear of vehicle

door mechanisms do not disengage if something becomes trapped between the handle and the door when auto-locking. Hands and fingers can become pinched or trapped, posing a risk of injury, particularly to children.

vehicle was delivered without the driver door cable properly installed, resulting no manual way to exit the vehicle in the event of an emergency/ power failure.

While driving on a highway, the vehicle displayed an emergency malfunction alert indicating the system was shutting down, followed by a sudden loss of propulsion. I was traveling with my children in the vehicle and had to immediately maneuver off the roadway under unsafe conditions. We were nearly struck by other vehicles while exiting. Law enforcement responded to assist at the scene, as we were stuck on the off ramp without the ability to use flashing lights due to the system shutting down. The vehicle became inoperable and required service. This incident occurred without warning and created a significant safety risk to occupants and others on the road. This vehicle has also had multiple prior service issues affecting different systems since delivery, including electrical, suspension, and other component-related repairs.

Driving my Rivian R1S on a road trip with family from Seattle, WA to Ketchum, ID (about 600miles.) Stopped to recharge outside of Boise, ID for about 20mins. Started driving again and in about 5 minutes the car started warning (visual message and audible alarm). The following events then occurred: -- The warning message stated something along the line of "Pull over immediately the car will shut down imminently." -- I was driving in traffic and was able to make it through an intersection and saw a gas station in the distance. -- The power steering and braking began to go unresponsive and the car began slowing down as I drove through the intersection. I tried to guide the car to the gas station. -- While pulling in to the gas station the car could barely be controlled. Once dropping below 5mph or so it immediately shut itself down. -- The inability to effectively control the vehicle was extremely unsafe. If the intersection I had to pass through had a red light the car would likely have shut itself down and stranded our family at a very busy intersection. -- The car began flashing a ton of different warning messages. "Suspension needs to be serviced", "Front trunk unable to close please service", "Battery system overheating" are a few as an example. -- After calling customer service I reset the vehicle (using prescribed sequence of button pushes.) The car then went dark and nothing worked from there out. -- Called a tow truck and found hotel for family. Rivian was towed to the Boise service center. -- Rivian service center has been unable to diagnose or recreate the issue to date - they have been in possession of the vehicle for 17 days and counting.

When vehicle returned from service for outstanding recalls, the control arm bolt was not properly tightened and caused additional movement on rear of vehicle

I own a R1S and the vehicle is less than 900miles old (21st day of ownership). When driving today on the highway at 75miles - the vehicle suddenly decelerated to 51 miles. I almost got rear ended by a truck and was very difficult to manoeuvre to safe place from the left lane to the right most lane. I parked in a safe spot and saw through several customer Complaint forums that we need to do a hard reset. But the messages were from customers that are 3 years old. I am surprised this still exists as a complaint. I almost died today

The rear doors cannot be opened in an emergency when electrical power is interrupted. Although the Rivian R1S generation 2 Owner's Manual has a process to open the door, the process could not be performed by a reasonable person in a reasonable amount of time, in an emergency such as a battery fire. The process could definitely not be performed by children. The process requires physically destroying one the side panels and then reaching deep into the interior cavern of the door to hunt for a wire to pull. The process cannot be practiced, nor can it be taught to children, because it involves destruction of the side panel of the door. The side panel cannot be replaced without scheduling a service appointment and ordering a replacement part from Rivian. As a result, my children's life is irresponsibly endangered in case there were to be an accident, especially a battery fire, which would both cut electrical power and also risk burning to death for my children trapped in the back of the car with no way to open the doors.