Rivian R1S Problems — All Years, Common Issues & Reliability

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.

The driver seat has preset settings for seat adjustments but they do not have Obstruction Detection. We have a rear facing car seat that was placed behind the drivers seat that had to be replaced (by us) as the seat auto adjusted and did not detect the back of the car seat and snapped the car seat out of its base. We contact Rivian over phone and they did not have a remedy (over a year ago, cannot recall exact date). It happened several times where we had to force stop the adjustment to prevent damage to new car seat. Eventually we decided to place the new rear facing car seat behind the passenger car seat instead. The back of the drivers seat has permanent damage from it pushing against the car seat. I did not think about filing a complaint here until I read about the recent Hyundai incident.

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

Yesterday was the 3rd time in 2 months that the vehicle displayed a "Airbag System needs service - Drive with caution until serviced" warning. I have taken it to Rivian 2 times where each time they replaced various components of the airbag system and it was reported to be fixed. Yesterday the warning returned. I am extremely concerned that Rivian does not have the ability to properly diagnose and or fix whatever the underlying issue is regarding my airbag system. I am now scheduled to take my vehicle in for the 3rd time for them to "try to figure it out".

The contact owns a 2025 Rivian R1S. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a black image. While attempting to roll up the driver's rear window, the window failed to go up completely. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a car wash, and water entered the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the trunk light remained illuminated while the vehicle was turned off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not inspected. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle had been to the dealer several times for the failure. In addition, the dealer instructed the contact to turn off and restart the vehicle whenever the rear-view camera displayed a black image. The contact was informed that the system would reset after being turned off and restarted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was unknown.

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

On November 8, 2025, at approximately 8:23 p.m., the rear liftgate of my Rivian R1S activated via the Rivian mobile app without my intentional command. The vehicle was stationary at the time. The liftgate opened and struck an overhead obstruction. Rivian has stated that the liftgate was initiated through the mobile app and that the system operated as designed. However, this suggests that the app or vehicle may permit unintended remote activation without adequate safeguards to confirm user intent or prevent activation in confined environments. If the liftgate can be triggered inadvertently (for example, through unintended screen interaction or background app state), this presents a foreseeable safety hazard. In garages, parking structures, or tight spaces, unintended activation could cause bodily injury to a person standing behind the vehicle, including a child, or result in property damage. Remote vehicle functions should include appropriate confirmation, or other safeguards to reduce the risk of unintended activation. I am submitting this complaint to document a potential safety design concern involving unintended remote liftgate activation.

Component/System: Visibility – Windshield. Was replaced in January 2026, not available for inspection. Pictures attached, doesn't include largest/spider crack on bottom of windshield that was 16" Summary of the Problem: I have experienced six separate windshield failures (cracks and chips) within the first eight months of owning my 2025 Rivian R1S. The most recent windshield was replaced by Rivian, and within five days the new glass developed an 7‑inch crack from an impact. The frequency and severity of these failures are far beyond normal road‑debris damage and strongly suggest a systemic defect in the windshield glass, installation method, or vehicle structure. Detailed Description of the Incidents: • Six cracks or chips occurred on the original windshield between the delivery date of May 20, 2025 and six months of ownership. • The first and 2nd chip was repaired by Safelite, the 3rd chip unable to be fixed at same time due to location at edge of glass. • Several cracks originated without any visible impact point. • The replacement windshield, installed by Rivian Service on January 21, 2026, developed a long crack within five days of installation. • Original windshield replaced and I submitted claim through insurance. I have appointment to replace second windshield on 2/16/26. Service representative at Seattle service center stated “to be transparent with you, windshields are customer pay as they crack due to outside influence”. This is after detailing the previous five separate incidents with original windshield and that the new windshield developed a large crack within five days of install on 1/21/2026. • All cracks/chips appeared during normal driving conditions. • The pattern of failures indicates excessive fragility, potential stress cracking, or improper windshield seating/alignment. • Numerous other Rivian R1S and R1T owners have reported similar issues, suggesting a broader quality or design problem.

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.

On five separate occasions the airbag system on my car has become inoperable. Starting in July 2025 I noticed an airbag error on the display of the vehicle. I brought the car in for service and they replaced the steering wheel. The airbag error occurred again in August, this time requiring replacement of a different wiring harness. The error occurred again and again went in for service in November, this time replacing the front seats, seatbelt control modules, and the airbag module. This past weekend the air bag alert appeared again. Rivian seems unable to fix the issue with the airbags on my vehicle creating a significant safety concern.

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.

On November 27th the accelerator on my Rivian became stuck causing the car to accelerate quickly and preventing me from immediately stopping the car. There was a message stating that the regenerative braking system was not available and the accelerator pedal was stuck in the down position. When I pressed on the brake there was a terrible grinding noise and smoke coming from the front tires. I quickly realized that bringing the Rivian to a full stop would likely cause the car to catch fire. Since the road was clear I had time to discuss a plan with my family and I told them to prepare to get out of the car quickly. I pressed hard on the brakes which caused them to grind and smoke. I put the car in park and we all exited the car quickly. Flames were visible from the front tire. The car is available for inspection. If there had been other vehicles on the road or any pedestrians this would have been a life threatening incident. Rivian is claiming that I must have been pressing on both the accelerator and the brake at the same time. We had 2 adults and 3 children in the car and the incident lasted long enough for us to discuss a plan to exit the car. There is no chance that my foot was on both the accelerator and the brake. Rivian has conducted an inspection but has denied that there is an issue. There has not yet been an independent inspection. The car has been in Rivian's service center since the day after the incident. The only warning sign appeared during the incident stating that regenerative braking was not available but this did not explain why the accelerator pedal was stuck.