Most common 2023 Rivian R1S problems
Share of the 76 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Rivian R1S complaints by model year
Best R1S years: 2024. Years to avoid: 2025. Compare all years →
2023 Rivian R1S recalls (10)
Back over prevention › Software
Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) is recalling certain 2022-2027 R1S, 2022-2026 R1T, and 2027 R2 vehicles. The rearview camera image may be obstructed by a notification when in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: Rivian has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 9, 2026. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4261.
Seat belts › Critical fasteners
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.
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.
Suspension › Critical fasteners
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.
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.
Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
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.
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.
Equipment › Other › Labels
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."
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.
Air bags › Critical fasteners
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.
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.
Show 4 more recalls
Exterior lighting › Headlights
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."
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.
Visibility › Defroster/defogger/HVAC system
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.
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.
Exterior lighting › Back up lights
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."
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.
Air bags › Side/window › Curtain
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.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2023 Rivian R1S:
Rear Toe Link May Separate
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.
What 2023 Rivian R1S owners say
Air bags all 29 →
The Rivian is designed to kill fat people. The Airbag for the passenger seat does not function if there is a large person in the seat or the seat is very far forward with a normal person. When someone sits in the passenger seat the lower left corner of the central display changes from "Passenger Airbag Off" to the passenger climate control display. If you pull the seatbelt all the way out the display reverts back to the "Passenger Airbag Off" sign. The seat belt has to retract about 6 inches back into the B pillar for the climate control display to come back on. If the seat belt can't retract far enough back into the B pillar, you have to drive around with an inoperable passenger seatbelt. I have been able to duplicate this feature on every Rivian I have tried it on. This has been reported to Rivian. A mechanic was sent to my house to repair this. It couldn't be repaired as expected. …
I noticed when driving with a passenger (female, approximately 135 pounds) that the screen keeps switching between "PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF" and showing the vehicle detects the passenger (hence the airbag is on). I'm concerned about the safety of my passenger when driving as I do not know whether the passenger airbag will work properly. I took photos and videos of this issue with my vehicle as it is reproducible when driving with this passenger. I took the vehicle to the manufacturer's service center, and they noted: "Followed along with the repair plan created by diagnostics team, notated each step as completed, upon following repair plan was unable to duplicate customer concern, found the occupancy sensor works as expected, The occupancy sensor is very sensitive and dependent upon the weight being distributed equally throughout the seat, if the occupant sits too far forward in the seat …
Electrical system
On [redacted], at approximately 12:19 PM, I was in the drive-through lane at a Chick-fil-A in [redacted], 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 a report was filed. I have video footage of the incident. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. …
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - ACCELERATOR PEDAL. YES, AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - DUE TO ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEFECT, IT RESULTED IN ONE CASUALTY AND ONE INJURY. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? - YES, SERVICE RECALLS HAVE BEEN FOR THE SAME ISSUE WITH PRIOR MODELS. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? - CURRENTLY IN POLICE CUSTODY Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? - NO WARNING SIGNS.
Seats
The passenger side airbag shows that it is turned off about 50% of the time that my wife is riding in the passenger seat. She meets the minimum weight requirement for passenger airbag deployment. If she moves around in the seat the airbag off light will go out temporarily but usually comes back on within several miles of driving. This vehicle is available for inspection. When this happens my wife or any other passenger is at risk of not having an airbag if an accident was to occur. This issues has been looked at several times by the manufacturer and I was told that the vehicle is operating as intended. No resonable solution was offered. The only solution from the manufacturer was to have the passenger move around or adjust the seat until the airbag came on. Then have the passenger stay in that position for the duration of the ride. …
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.
2023 Rivian R1S engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric | Single-speed | 4WD | 82 / 74 / 78 MPGe | 352 mi |
| Electric | Single-speed | AWD | 75 / 66 / 71 MPGe | 321 mi |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2023 Rivian R1S a good car?
There isn't enough complaint history for the R1S to compare model years reliably. So far owners have filed 76 complaints with NHTSA.
What is the most common problem with the 2023 Rivian R1S?
The air bags — 29 complaints, 38% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (16) and seats (12).
How many recalls does the 2023 Rivian R1S have?
There are 10 recalls for the 2023 Rivian R1S, the most recent from September 16, 2026 (software). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Rivian R1S?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2024. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2025. See the full Rivian R1S years comparison.
At what mileage do 2023 Rivian R1S problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 29,000 miles; 67% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.