AI Damage2023 Rivian R1S: common problems
Owners of the 2023 Rivian R1S filed 76 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. The maker issued 48 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 76
- involving a crash
- 10
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 48
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 38% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 21% of all complaints
- 3 Seats 16% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 11% of all complaints
- 5 Forward collision avoidance 9% of all complaints
- 6 Seat belts 9% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 7% of all complaints
- Air bags: 29 complaints (38% of all).
- Electrical system: 16 complaints (21% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 16.
- Seats: 12 complaints (16% of all).
- Suspension: 8 complaints (11% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 9.
- Forward collision avoidance: 7 complaints (9% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- electric
- automatic, 1-speed
Drive: AWD, 4WD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 76 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 16 | 4 | 16 |
| Seats | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 8 | 3 | 9 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Steering | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Lane departure | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 2 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
There were 2 incidents when the car sensors did not detect the object a> In my office parking lot the rear sensors did not detect the fire hydrant and did not make the beep noise resulting in a collision. b> I was driving in my neighborhood; I was blinded by the sun and couldn't see the road ahead.
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…
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.
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.
Vehicle lunged to the right without any driver input. Damaged rim and wheel and could have hurt someone . Have never experienced anything like this in my life. Steering wheel was perfectly straight but vehicle lunges to the right. This is a safety issue.
Rear view camera is super buggy and takes forever to load when car put in reverse. General infotainment is laggy
Backup camera failed to display while backing up. Proceed to drive after leaving home and the display went blank. The failure of the backup camera to display at all was very alarming and unsafe, fortunately no one was around and I was able to safely backup.
The contact stated that the vehicle was taken for service, and the service tech stated that all three rear seat belts had a wire that had been severed from the buckle. Additionally, the vehicle failed to detect an occupant seated in the rear seats. The dealer stated that the seat belt buckles needed to be replaced.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 685 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 33% most complained about).
On average one model year of the R1S has 30 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 76, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Rivian is launching a technical service bulletin for some model year 2022-2024 R1T and R1S vehicles that…
Rivian is launching a technical service bulletin for some model year 2022-2024 R1T and R1S vehicles that might have bubbles in the painted surfaces below the exterior door handles. On these vehicles, adhesive that…
- Rivian is launching a technical service bulletin for some model year 2022-2026 R1T and R1S vehicles that…
Rivian is launching a technical service bulletin for some model year 2022-2026 R1T and R1S vehicles that might have an audible rattle originating from the B-pillar area when driving on rough road surfaces. Upon…
- Rivian is launching a technical service bulletin for some model year 2022-2024 R1T and R1S vehicles that…
Rivian is launching a technical service bulletin for some model year 2022-2024 R1T and R1S vehicles that could have inadequate adhesion between the outer door panel and an internal reinforcement. On affected doors, the…
- Rivian is launching a technical service bulletin for some model year 2022-2024 R1 vehicles that may have…
Rivian is launching a technical service bulletin for some model year 2022-2024 R1 vehicles that may have ultrasonic sensors detached from the front fascia mounting area. After detachment, the ultrasonic sensor may…
- Rivian is launching a technical service bulletin for some model year 2022-2024 R1T and R1S vehicles that…
Rivian is launching a technical service bulletin for some model year 2022-2024 R1T and R1S vehicles that may be susceptible to water ingress in the front HVAC assembly. This may result in damp or soggy carpets in the…
- Rivian is launching a technical service bulletin for some model year 2022-2026 R1T and R1S vehicles that…
Rivian is launching a technical service bulletin for some model year 2022-2026 R1T and R1S vehicles that may be prone to noise and/or vibration from the door areas, particularly buzzing and rattling sounds. This…
- SMS Reminder sent to customers who had still open potential 12-volt failures
- SMS sent to customers with potential 12-volt failure and advising need for replacement to avoid…
SMS sent to customers with potential 12-volt failure and advising need for replacement to avoid drivability interruptions.
- Rivian is initiating a customer satisfaction campaign for some model year 2022-2024 R1T and R1S vehicles
These vehicles may have HV battery connectors that are susceptible to corrosion in some climates. If corrosion occurs, the vehicle may enter into a reduced performance safe-state mode and a fault indicator light will…
- Email requesting customers to have service performed on their vehicle
- Rivian is initiating a customer satisfaction campaign for some model year 2023-2025 R1T and R1S vehicles…
Rivian is initiating a customer satisfaction campaign for some model year 2023-2025 R1T and R1S vehicles that were built with a front NVH/ting washer that may damage the nearby wheel speed sensor, resulting in the…
- Rivian is initiating a customer satisfaction campaign for some model year 2023-2024 R1T and R1S vehicles
On these vehicles, the wheel hub to knuckle joint may have been assembled with an updated fastener using a torque value intended for the previously-used fastener. A fastener torqued to the previously-used lower value…
NHTSA lists 48 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2023 Rivian R1S?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, seats. Total complaints: 76. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: infotainment or screen glitches (13%), seat belts (9%), warning lights, check engine (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2023 Rivian R1S?
NHTSA lists 48 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2023 Rivian R1S from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2023 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.