CSR

Rivian · NHTSA safety record

2023 Rivian R1S

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

72

Complaints

10

Crashes

0

Fires

3

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2023 Rivian R1S have filed 72 safety complaints with NHTSA between March 2023 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is the air bags, named in 29 of them (40%). The typical failure was reported at 35,050 miles, the median across the 2 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 9 recalls covering this vehicle. A further 1 defect investigation is open and unresolved.

Recalls (9)

SEAT BELTS:CRITICAL FASTENERS

26V009000 · January 15, 2026

The defect
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.
The risk
An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not adequately restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
The 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.

Rivian Automotive, LLC · up to 869 vehicles across all model years covered

SUSPENSION:CRITICAL FASTENERS

26V003000 · January 5, 2026

The defect
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.
The risk
The toe link joint may separate, increasing the risk of a crash.
The 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.

Rivian Automotive, LLC · up to 19,641 vehicles across all model years covered

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

25V370000 · June 3, 2025

The defect
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.
The risk
An improperly secured seat belt may not restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
The 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.

Rivian Automotive, LLC · up to 536 vehicles across all model years covered

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

24V458000 · June 20, 2024

The defect
Rivian Automotive, LLC. (Rivian) is recalling certain 2022-2023 R1S and R1T vehicles. The maximum vehicle capacity weight value on the tire placard label is incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
The risk
A vehicle with an incorrect maximum capacity weight value may be overloaded, which can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Rivian will mail owners a corrected overlay tire placard label, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 8, 2024. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4264. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM-1491.

Rivian Automotive, LLC · up to 666 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:CRITICAL FASTENERS

24V408000 · June 5, 2024

The defect
Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) is recalling certain 2022-2024 R1T and R1S vehicles. The attachment clips on the upper B-pillar and/or C-pillar trim panels may have been damaged during a service procedure.
The risk
Damaged pillar trim panel clips can result in improper side curtain air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
The remedy
Rivian will replace the pillar trim panels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 16, 2024. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4261. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM 1464.

Rivian Automotive, LLC · up to 1,723 vehicles across all model years covered

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

24V367000 · May 23, 2024

The defect
Rivian Automotive, LLC. (Rivian) is recalling certain 2023-2024 EDV, R1S, and R1T vehicles. The headlights may be improperly aimed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamp, Reflective Devices and Associated Equipment."
The risk
Improperly aimed headlights can result in insufficient illumination of the road, decreasing the driver's visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Rivian will inspect and adjust the headlight alignment as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 28, 2024. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4264. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM-1445.

Rivian Automotive, LLC · up to 2,334 vehicles across all model years covered

VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

23V783000 · November 21, 2023

The defect
Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) is recalling certain 2022-2023 R1T and R1S vehicles. A software update may have deactivated the defroster and defogger system controls.
The risk
The inability to operate the windshield defrosting and defogging system can decrease the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Rivian has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 21, 2023. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4261. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM-1331.

Rivian Automotive, LLC · up to 1,463 vehicles across all model years covered · fixed by software update

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS

23V233000 · March 31, 2023

The defect
Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) is recalling certain 2022-2023 R1S vehicles. The reverse light beam may not be visible from certain angles. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
The risk
Reduced visibility of the reverse lights increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Rivian will repair or replace the reverse lights, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 12, 2023. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-855-748-4265. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM-1216.

Rivian Automotive, LLC · up to 5,030 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN

23V159000 · March 9, 2023

The defect
Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) is recalling certain 2022-2023 R1S vehicles. The fasteners that secure the right and left side curtain air bags may be improperly secured.
The risk
Improperly secured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will secure or replace the side curtain air bags as necessary, free of charge. All owners have been notified and all vehicles will be repaired by March 15, 2023. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4261. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM-1185.

Rivian Automotive, LLC · up to 30 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations (1)

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Rear Toe Link May Separate

PE26004

Still open preliminary evaluation · opened May 26, 2026

the suspension

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

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 72.

AIR BAGS 29 40%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 16 22%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 15 21%
SEATS 12 17%
SUSPENSION 8 11%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 7 10%
SEAT BELTS 6 8%
SERVICE BRAKES 6 8%
LANE DEPARTURE 5 7%
STEERING 5 7%
WHEELS 5 7%
POWER TRAIN 2 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2023 at 29.

2023 2026
2023 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

1 injured · crash · towed

Immediately after purchasing the vehicle, I got error codes thrown to service the suspension while driving to my house, specifically at 15-20mph over traffic calming bumps. This fault cleared immediately the first few times. On July 25 I submitted a service request as my family headed out on a two week, 900 mile trip. The service suspension fault had returned and disabled my ability to change modes/ride heights, blind spot sensors and cruise control, all of which I was counting on using during trip. I shut off and restarted the vehicle several times trying to clear the fault and regain functionality, but the fault inevitably returned. On July 25, Rivian added a response in the service

NHTSA complaint 11550710, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION

1 injured · crash · towed

Toe link failed on the driver rear side. My vehicle went out of control, veered over adjacent lanes, over the bike path, onto the side walk and back onto the road and side walk. I was left with a sore neck for several days, my apple watch kept trying to call 911 thinking I was in an accident. Anyone one the sidewalk or bike lane or adjacent vehicle lane would have been impacted. The problem has an outstanding recall with Rivian but my vehicle isn't part of the recall. Rivian is repairing the broken components. No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms before the failure. I was traveling at ~50MPH through and intersection when as soon as I exited the intersection the vehicle turned to

NHTSA complaint 11734725, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEAT BELTS

1 injured · crash

I was headed straight but stopped so that I could move into a left turn lane. As I got into the left turn lane and was straightening up behind the person in front of me at almost a dead stop the R1S lunged forward and accelerated at a high rate of speed hitting the car in front of me (speed control issue already known on the R1T). The camera footage verifies it. No warning lights went off (forward collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking) that there was a car in front of me and to brake (normally if there is a car in front of you that close and the vehicle thinks there will be a collision the screen goes red and the letters BRAKE come up bold in black, the car will brake if it

NHTSA complaint 11558104, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

crash · towed

Stopped at McDonalds drive through waiting to order with my foot on the brake and the vehicle lunged forward rearending the car stopped 5 feet in front of me ordering. I was trying to brake but it kept pushing the car in front of me then careened to the right hitting a sign and a parked car. I kept pumping the brakes and I thought it was going to run into a building when the vehicle finally stopped about 30 feet from the 2nd parked car it struck. Apparently it was "sudden unintended acceleration" and I've been reading on-line this has happened to many people including Actor Alan Ruck (see article). Rivian has not been responsive to us. Crash involving ‘Ferris Bueller,’ ‘Succession’ actor

NHTSA complaint 11553554, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION
I own a 2023 Rivian R1S, early production vehicle #531, with approximately 93,000 miles. While driving, I noticed the vehicle's suspension was not functioning normally. After parking, the front passenger side of the vehicle dropped significantly lower than the other side, leaving the vehicle visibly uneven. I also received suspension warnings indicating that the suspension system was too hot and needed to cool. I brought the vehicle to a Rivian Service Center. Rivian diagnosed a failed/leaking damper and a failed air compressor. I was informed that only one damper had failed, but that all four dampers must be replaced because Rivian changed the manufacturer of the dampers and the

NHTSA complaint 11756055, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

crash · towed

On XXX, at approximately 12:19 PM, I was in the drive-through lane at a Chick-fil-A in [XXX], with my child as a passenger. I was using one-pedal driving mode and had come to a complete stop with my foot off the accelerator. I turned briefly to hand my child an ice cream cup, and when I looked back at the road, the vehicle was accelerating at full power with no contact from either pedal. To avoid striking the vehicles stopped ahead of me in the drive-through line, I swerved left into the Chick-fil-A building, causing a collision with the building. This put myself, my child, and nearby pedestrians and drivers at serious risk of injury. Cedar Park Police Department responded to the scene and

NHTSA complaint 11753900, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
When an adult passenger is in the vehicle passenger seat, the passenger airbag light shows "airbag off" Approximate weight 130 pounds

NHTSA complaint 11749527. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION
Tension noise and creaking coming from suspensions. Special washers were needed in order to fill gaps in build tolerances.

NHTSA complaint 11749529. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING
The vehicle experiences recurring, uncommanded high-speed steering "lurches" where the Lane Keep Assist (LKA) system initiates aggressive, sudden steering inputs at highway speeds (65+ mph). These inputs force the vehicle out of its lane and require immediate, significant manual driver counter-steering to prevent collisions. These events occur without warning, despite no perceived environmental triggers. This issue involves the vehicle's automated steering and Lane Keep Assist software suite. This safety defect renders the vehicle inherently dangerous to operate at highway speeds for the driver, occupants and everyone on the freeway. This issue is not isolated to this vehicle; numerous

NHTSA complaint 11748472, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION
Right rear toe link to knuckle bolt snapped off while driving causing a deadly situation.

NHTSA complaint 11747311. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Rivian R1S

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 12 2
2025 51 10
2024 16 6

Other 2023 Rivian models

Every Rivian on this site — 9 vehicles, 23 recall campaigns and 1 open investigation .

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

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Independent developer and analyst