2025 RIVIAN R1S Problems & Complaints

During an early season wet snow storm within minutes of driving the lights had become covered with snow and deflected the light in such a way that created a very unsafe driving environment. There was zero snow on the road because of it not being cold enough to stick but the deflection of the light and limited light on the road it was nearly impossible to see the road markings and lines to stay in the lane and created a very unsafe environment around me requiring me to drive significantly lower to try to stay on the road which could have caused an accident with other drivers who were not driving as slowly. There are a significant amount of reports of incidents like this across multiple forum platforms (ie: reddit) where drivers of the Rivian have indicated a drive that was very unsafe and something they had never experienced before. Rivian needs to create a retrofit to the existing headlamp that has a heating element of something to continue to melt the snow off the light as driving since the truck face is flat and the LEDs do not conduct enough heat to melt snow as driving.

Regarding the Safety Recall mentioned below, I reached out to Rivian Service Center. They are not giving me an ETA to fix this and no alternate is given. Is there anyways NHTSA help me by making Rivian Automotive LLC take responsibility and address the issue sooner than later ? They dont have a fix for below safety recall and no ETA on when they can fix it. Its really disappointing to see the lack of accountability. Appreciate your help in this matter. best regards [XXX] Jun 13,2025 Manufacturer Recall NumberFSAM-1693 NHTSA Recall Number25V-387 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available Summary Rivian Automotive, LLC has decided that certain model year 2025 Rivian R1S and R1T vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 108 and Technical Standards Document (TSD) 108 - “Lamps, reflective devices, and assoc. equipment.” Safety Risk Diminished front turn signal lamp performance may cause reduced awareness of the vehicle’s intent to turn for road users in front of the vehicle. Reduced awareness of intent to turn may increase the risk of a crash. Rivian is not aware of any crashes, injuries, or fatalities related to this condition. Remedy Pursuant to its recall determination, Rivian will inspect and/or replace the front turn signal lamps on the potentially affected vehicles free of charge. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

vehicle failed to signal on left hand turn

The contact owns a 2025 Rivian R1S. The contact stated received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V085000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). The local dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the parts not being available. The contact stated that occasionally, during colder weather, the headlights failed to function properly. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.

Hazard light switch stopped functioning one day. It is completely unusable and is a safety issue. Rivian cannot provide an ETA to fix the issue.

12 volt battery replacement performed by a mobile tech 6/20/25. The battery is located under the front passenger seat. Two of the bolts anchoring the seat to the frame were not tightened after the service. This was only discovered when braking lightly during driving, resulting in movement of the seat and a minor injury to the occupant. Shortly thereafter, documented and reported to Rivian. They sent another tech to inspect and replaced the bolts (damaged by seat movement). Video of seat available, not able to attach.

Emergency exit of the rear doors does not include a manual door pull lever or cable obvious to the occupant. The panel to remove to access the release cable, and the cable to pull is not intuitive nor is it reasonable to believe a small child or an older occupant would be able to remove said panel or pull the cable to exit the vehicle. We were told occupants should exit through the front doors in the event of an emergency. This is not an acceptable strategy and I'm urging the NHTSA to recommend Rivian include manual handles in the rear doors.

I have owned cars for more than three decades and never had a windshield crack. In the first three months of owning a Rivian R1 S I had two windshield cracks from a simple pebble on the highway. Multiple owners are describing the same issues, but Rivian refuses to acknowledge that there is a problem, but literally two cracks in three months and I have never had this happen.

The heat pump compressor had a loud noise for days, similar to a jet engine. On December 13, 2024, while the vehicle was being driven in freezing temperatures, the heat pump compressor made different noise that sounded that internal pieces were being broken. After that, the dashboard showed the following error "Thermal system fault detected. Service it if the problem persists". After this, there was no heat available for the cabin. Service center replaced the compressor under warranty.

When the Pet Comfort is used in sub freezing temperatures, the HVAC system does not respect the set temperature and the vehicle keeps heating the inside nonstop. On this particular incident, the Pet Comfort feature was set to 68º F however, I received an alert that the inside of the cabin was above 75º F.

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.

Steering wheel vibrates back and forth when driving at highway speeds and following the flow of traffic. The shaking makes my hands and wrists numb after a few minutes of driving at speed. The car becomes uncomfortable to steer and keep straight at speed. Rivian Service Center attempted 1 repair (alignment and wheel rebalance) but the problem persists. At the second service visit, the Service Center mentions that an engineering investigation is ongoing, and that there is nothing the service center can do at this time.

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.

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.

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.

The contact owns a 2025 Rivian R1S. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse out of a driveway with the brake pedal still engaged, the vehicle lurched forward, crashing into the vehicle that was parked in front of her, with the entire front end of the vehicle. The vehicle then lurched to the left and crashed into another parked vehicle across the street, where it came to a stop and totaled that parked vehicle. Property damage was reported to the fence that was in front of the parked vehicle. The speed at the time of the crash was unknown. The vehicle was towed to a local auto body shop. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the crash. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not destroyed. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 2,200.

On the way home from picking up the vehicle, the adaptive cruise control and the late keep assist functionality failed. The service center determined that one of the front radars needed to be replaced.

After three (3) repairs, our 2025 Rivian R1S continues to leak all of its windshield wiper fluid when activated. This could be a safety issue if a driver's view is obstructed due to being soiled while driving. The washer function is necessary in these circumstances especially if drivers can no longer see what is in front of them. Someone could meet with an accident if his or her visibility is obstructed with no ability to clean their windows while driving. We have noticed several comments from other Rivian drivers who have experienced the same issue, leading us to believe that this could be a design flaw.

Backup camera inoperable when putting car into reverse. Requires a system reset. Daily issue. Issue started within one week of ownership. Service replaced ECU. Upon return of vehicle, issue repeated itself. Was told that inoperable backup camera is a convenience feature and not safety critical.

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

Vehicle: 2025 Rivian R1S VIN: [XXX] Purchase Date: [XXX] Component/System Affected: Passenger Airbag / Occupant Detection System (ODS) Issue Description: The passenger airbag system in my 2025 Rivian R1S intermittently fails to detect a front seat passenger, causing the airbag to remain disabled even when an adult occupant is properly seated. The airbag status indicator reads “Passenger Airbag Off” despite full occupant weight in the seat, presenting a clear safety hazard in the event of a crash. This issue occurs unpredictably during normal use. The vehicle was first brought to a Rivian Service Center from June 11 to June 14, 2025, and is currently back in service as of June 23, 2025 for the same unresolved problem. However, the Rivian service team has stated they cannot replicate the issue, despite repeated attempts and my documentation of its occurrence. Safety Risk: Failure of the passenger airbag to activate under proper seating conditions poses a serious risk of injury or death in a collision. This appears to violate FMVSS No. 208 (Occupant Crash Protection) and may stem from a malfunction in the Occupant Detection System (ODS) or associated components. Request for Action: I urge the NHTSA to investigate this issue as a potential defect affecting the 2025 Rivian R1S platform. A malfunction in a federally mandated safety system, especially one that is intermittent and difficult to replicate, requires immediate regulatory scrutiny. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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.

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.

While driving the entire computer shuts down and reboots, both screens go black for several minutes. Speed display disappears, turn signals stop working, after the screens come back on there are warning lights for emergency braking disabled, cruise control disabled, and the headlights won’t come on for several minutes.

I am submitting this complaint regarding repeated ineffective repair attempts by Rivian Automotive, Inc. at its Costa Mesa Service Center on my 2025 Rivian R1S Adventure. During multiple service visits at Rivian’s Costa Mesa Service Center (January 29, June 18, July 16, and October 11, 2025), Rivian repeatedly failed to diagnose or correct the same issues affecting my 2025 Rivian R1S Adventure. • Drive Cam / Diagnostics Error: Rivian’s diagnostics incorrectly reported my drive storage as 119 GB when I have a 2 TB SSD (the maximum recommended). After five hours of testing, they failed to identify the issue. The in-car viewer still shows only partial clips, even though the full recordings are visible on a computer. • A/C Vibration and Noise: Despite Rivian tightening and insulating the A/C components, the vibration persists and is noticeable on the passenger side. This issue did not exist in the 1st generation R1S loaner vehicle, suggesting a design issue in the 2nd generation R1S, where A/C components are placed in the front compartment. • Proximity Lock and Bluetooth Delay: The vehicle frequently fails to unlock for 5–15 seconds even when I’m standing next to it. Rivian attributes this to “deep sleep mode,” which is unreasonable—no other automaker treats slow unlocking as normal. This delay is a safety concern in emergencies or bad weather. • Lighting / Camera Malfunctions: I provided video of headlights turning off while idling in a drive-thru and of the reverse camera freezing. Rivian could not replicate the issues and closed the cases. • Privacy Concern: A technician asked me to change my Rivian password and share credentials so they could log in for diagnostics. This raises privacy and data security concerns. After repeated visits and software updates (including version 2025.38.0, reissued October 21 and October 25 without listed fixes), all defects persist. These failures have caused significant inconvenience, time loss, and ongoing safety concerns.

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

The contact owned a 2025 Rivian R1S. The contact stated that while driving 24 MPH, the other vehicle switched lanes in front of the contact's vehicle. The other driver had a learner's permit. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but it traveled down to the floorboard, and the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was pushed into the cement divider. The vehicle came to a stop when it crashed into a light pole inside the cement divider. The contact was unsure whether there was a warning light illuminated. The air bags deployed. A police report was filed. The contact and her daughter, along with one of the passengers, were taken to the hospital by ambulance. The contact sustained minor injuries: abrasions and cuts on her forehead. And a scar on the right arm. The contact's daughter, who was sitting on the back right seat, had abrasions and, due to tachycardia, was transported to a trauma hospital due to internal bleeding. The contact's passenger, who was sitting behind the driver's seat, had multiple lacerations on the mouth, lost two front teeth, and underwent a root canal. The contact's other passenger, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, was not injured. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location. The insurance company was notified and declared the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 24.

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.

Infotainment system on multiple occasions has started to have lag. Once the lag is present dragging fingers across the main infotainment screen ie navigating a map will cause the vehicle to disengage adaptive cruise/highway assist while driving at any speed. This can also be noted when as the audio output will go out at the same time. Swiping multiple fingers fast as in rubbing something off the screen will cause the system to lag as well.

While my wife was driving our 2025 Rivian R1S (approx. 13,500 miles), the vehicle was at a complete stop when it began to slowly roll forward on its own, followed by a sudden surge of acceleration, despite no input on the accelerator. This unexpected movement caused the vehicle to collide with a Tesla directly in front and involved another two vehicles. This incident posed a serious safety risk and could have injured pedestrians or other drivers. There were no warning lights or error messages before or during the incident. The cause is UNKNOWN at this time. Rivian has not yet inspected the vehicle, but we are requesting log preservation and a full review. This behavior has not been replicated since, and the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. We believe this may indicate a malfunction in the propulsion system, regenerative braking transition, or creep mode behavior. The incident has been reported to Rivian for investigation.

On [XXX], our 2025 Rivian R1S lurched forward while stopped at a red light, waiting to make a left turn. The driver, [XXX] , had her foot off the accelerator when the vehicle suddenly surged forward. She slammed on the brake, and the vehicle briefly bounced back — but then lurched forward again, striking the stopped vehicle in front a second time. There were no warnings or alerts on the dashboard. The incident was captured on video and shows a clear case of unintended forward acceleration. This may be linked to Rivian’s accelerator pedal recall or a software malfunction affecting braking or propulsion systems. I have video footage of this accident but was unable to upload the file. We are concerned about the safety risk this presents to other drivers and are requesting an NHTSA investigation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I was passing another vehicle on the road when the accelerator pedal got stuck on the all-weather floor mat and made the car virtually uncontrollable. I used the brakes to pull the car off the road and to a complete stop before engaging the parking brake and reaching down to dislodge the pedal.

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

Winter weather led to snow buildup on the headlamps which made them useless. Fortunately this was during the day so there was plenty of sunlight. If this was at night, I would not have had any visibility and would have needed to stop every few miles to clean the headlamps. My BMW uses washer fluid to clean my headlamps and the xenon's are hot enough to melt snow. Neither of these are in the Rivian

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.

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.

Unable to use the drive stalk to change gears. Reboot fixed it temporarily. Service center ended up replacing the Steering Column Control module.