2023 Rivian R1T

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

I was driving to a restaurant and out of nowhere started hearing this metal-on-metal sound 1/4 mile before I got there. I pulled into the parking lot and it kept getting worse, so I called Rivian to tow the car. They confirmed it was a hub and shaft bolt that came loose. I have video of the sound it made if needed. The Rivian technicians took the pictures that I am uploading here.

NHTSA ID

11739639

Incident

May 21, 2026

On multiple occasions I have experienced the defrost feature of my 2023 Rivian R1T blowing cool air instead of warm or hot air, leading to a build up of ice on the windshield while driving. I have brought this concern to Rivian's attention with two service appointments, both of which resulted in Rivian noting they couldn't see any errors in the vehicle's diagnostic logs. I specifically noted the date, time, and temperature of one event but Rivian failed to copy the log data when requested. The issue is trivially reproducible in temperatures around 32ºF, when the defrost mode is enabled. Tapping the defrost/defog button on screen twice to enable defrost mode results in the vehicle selecting the vents for floor and windshield heat, speeds the fan to near maximum, and is supposed to blow hot air to aid in clearing built up ice. Instead what happens is the vents blow cool air for several minutes at maximum fan speed. Then the fan motors slow to their slowest speed at which time the vents blow slightly warm air After 5-10 minutes the fans speed up to maximum and the air coming from the vents is cool. When the vehicle was initially purchased, the defrost feature blew air hot enough to nearly be uncomfortable on the face. This is very much in line with any other vehicle I have owned when the defrost temperature and fan speed was set the maximum. But after an end of year update in 2024 or early 2025, the defrost feature began blowing cooler air and has never regained its original ability to clear the windscreen. The winter of 2025 and early 2026 has now resulted in this complaint. Rivian maintains the system is functioning as expected, but the service center staff doesn't quite seem to understand the severity of the issue. They claim a bug report can not be filed with Rivian until they capture an error in diagnostic data that they repeatedly fail to collect. Instead their advice is to enable cabin vents to warm the cabin instead of the windshield.

NHTSA ID

11731452

Incident

Mar 3, 2026

No changes to the car happened before the airbag system went out.

NHTSA ID

11720146

Incident

Jan 20, 2026

When it rains, or water is allowed to collect on top of the roof, water seeps in through the hinges of the driver and passenger sun visors. Depending on how much water is allowed to collect, it can trickle in or gush right inside the interior of the vehicle. Not only can it come in thru the sun visor hinges, but water also came out of my center roof console where my hazards and SOS button are at, causing me to worry about a water + electricity issue. Furthermore, the water obviously gets the carpeted floor wet. My truck is in the Van Nuys Rivian service center for the 2nd time for this issue. This is a well known issue on Rivian forums and on the Rivian subreddit.

NHTSA ID

11708829

Incident

Oct 28, 2025

My truck was recently upgraded to software version 2050.38.0. After the upgrade, I drove my truck about 3 miles in about 5 minutes. When I arrived at my destination, I exited the truck to get something out of the rear seat. The rear door was locked; this is normal. I returned to the front seat to unlock the door via the control panel, but the unlock function did not work. The button is in the center touchscreen of the truck. I check the screen on the center console. It appeared the unlock button was disabled due to the information screen from the code update. This screen was not there when I exited the truck. After I acknowledged the screen, the unlock button was working. If I were trying to unlock the doors due to an emergency, this delay would be an issue. I feel the unlock door button should always work. Disabling the button for a verification screen is a safety hazard.

NHTSA ID

11696263

Incident

Oct 27, 2025

The vehicle’s Driver+ advanced driver assistance system (including Adaptive Cruise Control and Highway Assist) repeatedly failed during normal highway driving. The system would display “Driver Assistance Features Unavailable – Service Soon” and immediately disable all assisted-driving functions, even in clear weather and well-marked lanes. This occurred intermittently from approximately 1,200 miles onward and continued for over a year despite multiple repair attempts by the manufacturer’s service centers. The malfunction directly affected safe operation, as the system could disengage without warning at highway speeds, forcing sudden driver intervention. The issue was reproduced and documented by the manufacturer’s technicians during at least one service visit, which resulted in replacement of the vehicle’s driver-assistance computer. The failure continued even after that replacement. The vehicle has been inspected and serviced numerous times by the manufacturer, with diagnostics performed on the cooling system, cameras, sensors, and ADAS module. Each repair attempt either failed to duplicate or failed to permanently correct the defect. The safety risk is loss of Adaptive Cruise Control and Highway Assist functions while driving, unexpected disengagement of automated steering/braking, and lack of reliable warning timing to the driver. Warning messages appeared frequently throughout 2024–2025, beginning within the first few months of ownership. The defect remains unresolved and appears systemic rather than isolated to this vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11694627

Incident

Jun 5, 2024

I was shifting my truck from park to reverse when the shift handle snapped off. There was no warning and I had just driven the vehicle a couple hours earlier. The truck only has 13k miles on it.

NHTSA ID

11682044

Incident

Aug 15, 2025

Rivian R1T was brought to independent tire center for tire rotation on same day before 1,000 mile trip. Technician documented: "Drivers side front CV axle bolt almost completely backed out". Bolt took less than one rotation by hand to come off. Documented by tire shop technician. - Possible safety impact by possible failure of half-shaft and loss of steering control and/or wheel loss - The vehicle is scheduled for an inspection by manufacturer July 14, 2025 - There were no warnings or symptoms prior to discovery

NHTSA ID

11671561

Incident

Jul 3, 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.