2022 Rivian R1T Powertrain (other) Problems

I was driving with items in the truck bed, including a cooler. There was wind noise, which I initially attributed to the items in the back, but it seemed to be getting louder. The truck didn't feel right. As I was traveling approximately 70 mph (with cruise control engaged), it felt like regenerative braking was occurring. There were no warnings or warning lights. I decided to exit the highway to check things out. As I slowed down, the truck decelerated much more abruptly than normal. I pulled onto the shoulder and got out. There was a burning smell that reminded me of either an electrical fire or brakes that had been rubbing. Those were the only two things that came to mind. As I attempted to drive to a nearby gas station, the truck was extremely jerky and then abruptly stopped. We had it towed to our workplace. In our parking lot, I drove under 5 mph while my wife and coworker observed. The wheels initially rotated normally for several revolutions before the right rear wheel began wobbling laterally and instantly locked. The other three wheels continued rotating, moving the truck forward while the locked wheel skidded along the pavement. When I stopped, the wheel released. We repeated this sequence multiple times with the same result. I am concerned that if the right rear wheel had locked at highway speed while the other three wheels continued moving the truck forward, I could have lost control of the vehicle. No warning lights, error messages, or alerts appeared at any point. The truck is currently at Rivian Atlanta, received October 15, 2026. Rivian's October 20 estimate (WO-000002692556), Item 1, documents rear drive unit noise and unknown fluid leaking onto underbody panels. Rivian proposes replacing the rear drive unit and draining/refilling its fluid under warranty. I do not know whether Rivian reproduced the wheel lockup. Rivian has inspected the vehicle, which remains at its Atlanta location.

NHTSA ID

11774382

Incident

Aug 26, 2026

I am reporting repeated suspension and structural failures involving my 2022 Rivian R1T. In April 2026, at approximately 90,537 miles, Rivian performed a comprehensive inspection and found both front lower control arm bushings torn, the right rear damper leaking, and the rear subframe cracked. Rivian’s own service documentation specifically stated that the vehicle was “unsafe to operate due to damage to the rear subframe” and recommended that the vehicle be towed. Rivian subsequently replaced the rear subframe, both front lower control arms, the right rear damper, and serviced the hydraulic damper system. The April repair invoice totaled approximately $9,953. Approximately five months later, at approximately 96,956 miles, the vehicle developed another significant suspension problem. The front passenger side began sitting noticeably lower. The ride became extremely rough over bumps, I could feel significant vibration through the vehicle, and the vehicle repeatedly attempted to adjust its ride height. I also received warnings telling me not to move the vehicle while the air suspension was adjusting, and I was unable to properly adjust the ride height. I brought the vehicle back to Rivian in September 2026. The current Rivian service estimate calls for replacement of both front dampers, the air-suspension compressor/ASU, and the left and right front hydraulic suspension jounce lines, along with suspension diagnostics. The suspension repair estimate is approximately $7,121. I was informed that the ASU/compressor was tried as part of diagnosing the problem but did not resolve the condition, and the front dampers are now suspected. I was also informed that because the front suspension functions as a connected system and the replacement components are an updated design, both sides/components may need to be replaced. I am concerned about the repeated failure of safety-critical suspension and structural components on the same vehicle. In approximately five months .

NHTSA ID

11763217

Incident

Sep 1, 2026

SYSTEMS AFFECTED: Electrical System (12V Power Supply / Low-Voltage), Climate Control (HVAC System / Thermal Management), Towing / Recovery DESCRIPTION OF SAFETY HAZARD & DEFECT: My 2022 Rivian R1T experienced a sudden, complete electrical failure due to a defective HVAC system, resulting in a dangerous hard-bricked state that rendered the vehicle totally inoperable. Approximately 30 days prior to the incident, the vehicle underwent a comprehensive inspection at a Rivian Service Center where both the HVAC system and 12-volt battery system were tested and cleared. Shortly after, a primary internal failure/glitch within the HVAC equipment created a high parasitic power draw on the vehicle's low-voltage circuit while parked. The HVAC module failed to enter sleep mode, continuously draining the dual 12-volt AGM battery array below critical operating thresholds. This rapid, deep-discharge condition completely disabled the vehicle's primary high-voltage contactors and low-voltage control modules, locking out all vehicle functions, electronic doors, and drive controls. The vehicle could not be restarted, jump-started normally, or safely shifted into neutral, necessitating an emergency flatbed tow to the service center. Technicians confirmed that the primary HVAC equipment failure directly caused the full depletion and destruction of the 12-volt electrical system. This defect presents an immediate safety risk. An uncommanded HVAC-induced power drain that completely depletes the 12-volt system can cause sudden electrical failure, vehicle bricking, loss of hazard lights, and lock-out conditions, potentially stranded occupants in dangerous environments or busy roadways. Rivian is treating this catastrophic multi-system failure as non-warranty maintenance, refusing to address a clear pre-existing latent defect in their low-voltage power management and thermal architecture. REQUESTED ACTION: Investigation into 2022 Rivian R1 HVAC power management defects causing severe 12V drain

NHTSA ID

11755183

Incident

Jul 26, 2026

Vehicle was flagged for software update 2025.34.01. Upon installation, the software produced an error. In response to initial support request, OEM pushed an unreleased and unpublished software update versioned 2025.34.20. The new update also produced the same errors, and additionally prevented the vehicle from being able to be shifted into the Drive position, rendering the vehicle immobile and unusable for a defined period of time.

NHTSA ID

11690198

Incident

Sep 26, 2025

Vehicle making excessive noise due to the half shaft. Half shaft has been changed twice in the last 3 years and still experiencing the same issue. Sometimes this results on excessive vibration on the steering wheel.

NHTSA ID

11685848

Incident

Aug 30, 2025

Vehicle lurched to a stop in a parking lot, unable to shift into gear. Warnings: “motor fault detected”, “system fault detected”, “all wheel drive permanently engaged”, “replace 12v battery. “ Currently being repaired under manufacture warranty. Manufacturer confirmed drive unit needed to be replaced. This could have been a terrible accident if it happened on the freeway. My wife and dog were in the car with me. There were no warning signs leading up to this moment. We were stranded 400 miles from home and needed several tows to get home and to the service center.

NHTSA ID

11685730

Incident

Aug 31, 2025

Truck without warning, suddenly stopped and I was on one of the busiest streets in Los Angeles at an intersection, blocking a large amount of traffic and too dangerous to get out due to cars rapidly passing. Called Rivian support and they said it would take. two hours to get a tow truck to me even though AAA was only 20 min away, they would not call AAA. I was at risk of being rear ended. Fire department came and was able to move car to side of road. Rivian gave no assistance. Engine light came on and said call tow truck and do not drive, red lights, manual said it was dangerous.

NHTSA ID

11490062

Incident

Oct 18, 2022

The Driver+ (D+) feature on the Rivians have both adaptive cruise control and lane centering active at the same time. There is a function unknown to me that controls whether or not the D+ feature can turn on or remain on. In certain situations, the D+ features asks the driver the disable the system by pushing the right stalk upward with a red message on the gauge console screen. In other situations, the D+ feature forcibly disables with a similar red message on the gauge console screen. The messages themselves look very similar at first glance and require the driver to look down to discern between the two because the outcome for both scenarios is very different, particularly when D+ forcibly disables itself. When D+ disables itself (again the reasons are unknown to me at the time and not predictable other than maybe GPS location), there is a VERY brief warning to the driver then turns off and automatically brakes the vehicle. This D+ error is not as common as the other warning described above that asks the user to push the right stalk upward to turn it off. Once D+ forcibly turns itself off, the vehicle brakes aggressively. Due to muscle memory of the other similar-appearing error, it is normal to push the right stalk upward to disable it. Herein lies the issue: the vehicle is aggressively slowing down and pushing up on the right stalk (seemingly to disable D+) actually puts the vehicle into Reverse drive. This is because the vehicle does NOT require the brake pedal to be pressed to change into Reverse at low speeds (threshold unknown). This results in unpredictable and unexpected behavior of the vehicle within the matter of a few seconds. When the driver thinks they are disabling D+, they are unexpectedly putting the vehicle in reverse, so when accelerating from the stop caused by D+ the vehicle moves in reverse. This is most prevalent when using D+ in stop/go to light traffic and resulted in reversing on the freeway into another vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11482330

Incident

Aug 31, 2022