2025 Rivian R1S: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
51 owner complaints analyzed
10 distinct recall campaigns
2,200 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2025 model year. Data snapshot: . 3 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Unknown Or Other is the most frequently named component, appearing in 13 of 51 complaints (25.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 11 | 21.6% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 7 | 13.7% |
| Steering behavior | 7 | 13.7% |
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 2.0% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | 13 |
| Exterior Lighting | 9 |
| Electrical System | 8 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 |
| Service Brakes | 5 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 5 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | 4 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 4 |
Unknown Or Other: 13; Exterior Lighting: 9; Electrical System: 8; Vehicle Speed Control: 7; Service Brakes: 5; Visibility/Wiper: 5; Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control: 4; Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking: 4
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 3 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 3; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (3). 48 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 35 |
| 2026 | 10 |
2024: 6; 2025: 35; 2026: 10
Pattern summary
Unknown Or Other leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 11 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 7 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 7 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11609290 · 2024-08-19 (August 19, 2024)
Driver side high beam lights are out or malfunction. No warning on dashboard except for "Adaptive High Beam not working." When the high beam assistance is set to Off, and I turn on the high beam manually, there are no warnings about the high beam malfunction whatsoever.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11609290 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11619023 · 2024-10-09 (October 9, 2024)
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.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11619023 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11632559 · 2024-12-26 (December 26, 2024)
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.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11632559 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11632561 · 2024-12-26 (December 26, 2024)
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.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11632561 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11632562 · 2024-12-26 (December 26, 2024)
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.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11632562 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11632563 · 2024-12-26 (December 26, 2024)
Unable to use the drive stalk to change gears. Reboot fixed it temporarily. Service center ended up replacing the Steering Column Control module.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11632563 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11635538 · 2025-01-12 (January 12, 2025)
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…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11635538 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11635709 · 2025-01-13 (January 13, 2025)
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 lig…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11635709 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
10 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
24V686000 · Steering:Steering Control Module | Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control
Reported: 2024-09-13 (September 13, 2024)
Rivian Automotive, LLC. (Rivian) is recalling certain 2025 R1S vehicles. The steering column control module (SCCM) may be missing cruise control markings. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Control and Displays."
Consequence: The driver may not know how to activate or deactivate the cruise control without the proper markings, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Rivian will inspect and replace the SCCMs as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 18, 2024. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4264. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM-1532.
NHTSA campaign record ↗24V827000 · Electrical System:Software | Exterior Lighting
Reported: 2024-11-01 (November 1, 2024)
Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) is recalling certain 2025 R1T and R1S vehicles. Software version 2024.39.30 may prevent certain exterior lights from turning on when the Car Costume feature is activated.
Consequence: Deactivated exterior lighting reduces the vehicle's visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Rivian has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 18, 2024. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4261. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM-1552.
NHTSA campaign record ↗25V085000 · Exterior Lighting:Headlights
Reported: 2025-02-13 (February 13, 2025)
Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) is recalling certain 2025 R1S and R1T vehicles. The headlight low beams may fail to illuminate when starting the vehicle in cold weather. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Consequence: Headlight failure can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Rivian will replace the headlight control modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 22, 2025. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4261. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM-1612.
NHTSA campaign record ↗25V370000 · Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage
Reported: 2025-06-03 (June 3, 2025)
Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) is recalling certain 2022-2025 R1T and R1S vehicles. The D-ring bolts for one or both front seat belt anchorage assemblies may not have been properly installed.
Consequence: An improperly secured seat belt may not restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Rivian will inspect and properly secure the seat belt anchorage assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 8, 2025. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4261. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM-1681.
NHTSA campaign record ↗25V387000 · Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal
Reported: 2025-06-11 (June 11, 2025)
Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) is recalling certain 2025 R1S and R1T vehicles. One or both front turn signals may fail to illuminate and flash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Consequence: Turn signals that do not function properly, failing to indicate the driver's intention to change direction, increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Rivian will inspect and replace the front turn signals as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 22, 2025. Owners will receive a second notice once the remedy becomes available. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4261. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM-1693.
NHTSA campaign record ↗25V537000 · Electrical System:Propulsion System:Traction Battery
Reported: 2025-08-21 (August 21, 2025)
Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) is recalling certain 2025 R1S and R1T vehicles. An improperly grounded connection inside the High Voltage Distribution Box (HVDB) may cause a loss of drive power.
Consequence: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Rivian will inspect and repair the HVDB ground strap joint or replace the high voltage battery pack as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 17, 2025. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4261. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM-1723.
NHTSA campaign record ↗25V585000 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control:Software
Reported: 2025-09-08 (September 8, 2025)
Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) is recalling certain 2025 R1S and R1T vehicles operating a software version prior to 2025.18.30. The Hands-Free Highway Assist (HWA) software may fail to correctly identify a lead vehicle.
Consequence: Failure to detect another vehicle increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Rivian has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 17, 2025. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4261. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM-1744.
NHTSA campaign record ↗26V003000 · Suspension:Critical Fasteners
Reported: 2026-01-05 (January 5, 2026)
Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) is recalling certain 2022-2025 R1S and R1T vehicles that previously had service performed. The toe link may have been reassembled incorrectly during service procedures performed before March 10, 2025.
Consequence: The toe link joint may separate, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Rivian will replace the rear toe link bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 17, 2026. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4261. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM-1794. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning February 24, 2026.
NHTSA campaign record ↗26V009000 · Seat Belts:Rear/Other:Retractor | Seat Belts:Critical Fasteners
Reported: 2026-01-15 (January 15, 2026)
Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) is recalling certain 2022-2025 R1T and 2022-2026 R1S vehicles. The bolts that secure the second-row driver and passenger side seat belt retractor assemblies may be improperly tightened.
Consequence: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not adequately restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Rivian will inspect and tighten the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 2, 2026. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4261. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM-1795.
NHTSA campaign record ↗26V508000 · Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal
Reported: 2026-08-05 (August 5, 2026)
Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) is recalling certain 2025-2026 R1S and R1T vehicles. One or both front turn signals may fail to illuminate and flash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Consequence: Turn signals that do not function properly increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Rivian will inspect and replace the front turn signals as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 29, 2026. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4261. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM-1833. This is an expansion of Recall 25V387. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 31, 2026.
NHTSA campaign record ↗