2023 Rivian R1S Problems: 9 Known Issues

On the 2022-2025 Rivian R1S, rivian has filed this defect twice. In 2022, recall 22V641 covered improperly secured front seat belt anchors on 2022 vehicles. It recurred: recall 25V370, filed June 2025, covers certain 2022-2025 R1T and R1S vehicles on which the D-ring bolts for one or both front seat belt anchorage assemblies may not have been properly installed during manufacturing. The D-ring is the upper shoulder anchor on the B-pillar - the point that carries the belt load across the occupant's chest in a frontal crash. If its bolt is not torqued, the anchor can pull through or rotate under crash load and the belt will not restrain the occupant as designed, so the belt looks and latches completely normally in daily use while failing in the one moment it matters. The 25V370 population is 358 R1S and 178 R1T vehicles. Rivian reported no crashes, injuries or fatalities tied to the condition.

On the 2022-2026 Rivian R1S, on certain vehicles the retractor bolt for the second-row driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt retractor may not have been properly installed during manufacturing. The retractor is the spool that locks the belt under crash deceleration; if its mounting bolt is not torqued, the retractor can shift or tear free under load and the belt will not restrain the occupant as intended. Recall 26V009 covers 2022-2025 R1T and 2022-2026 R1S vehicles, a population of 869, built in a manufacturing window running September 15, 2021 through May 15, 2025. This second-row retractor-anchorage campaign is separate from the front anchorage campaigns and from 23V109, which concerns an out-of-tolerance front-passenger belt sensor rather than a loose fastener. A rattle near the C-pillar has been cited as the one observable hint that a retractor bolt is loose.

On the 2022-2024 Rivian R1S, two distinct recalls can affect R1S curtain-airbag performance. 23V159 covers 30 model-year 2022–2023 R1S vehicles built October 28, 2022–January 21, 2023 with potentially insecure curtain-airbag fasteners. 24V408 covers 1,723 combined 2022–2024 R1S/R1T vehicles and concerns trim panels removed and reused during service, potentially damaging attachment clips. For R1S, upper B- and/or C-pillar trim is implicated. Inclusion in 24V408 depends on service records, not merely model year or any prior trim removal. Both defects can increase injury risk in a crash; the filings do not specify a reliable owner-visible warning.

On the 2022-2025 Rivian R1S, the rear toe link joint on the R1 skateboard is unusually sensitive to how it is serviced. When the joint is separated and reassembled using Rivian's pre-March-2025 service procedure, the clamping bolt can later fracture in use and the toe link can separate from the knuckle. Because the toe link controls the horizontal (toe) angle of the rear wheel, a separation lets the rear wheel steer itself, producing a sudden lane departure at speed. Rivian filed recall 26V003 in January 2026 covering 19,641 R1T and R1S vehicles that had received toe link service before the improved procedure was published, and reported one crash with alleged minor injuries. NHTSA then opened preliminary evaluation PE26004 in May 2026 covering 114,922 R1S and R1T vehicles from 2022-2025 after two Vehicle Owner Questionnaires described left-rear toe link separation on 2023-2024 R1S vehicles; in both the bolt that holds the joint together had fractured, and one ended in a collision with an adjacent vehicle and a roadside barrier. The probe is examining whether the joint is sensitive to ordinary road and service conditions, not just to the old repair method, so the population at risk may be far larger than the recalled set. The preliminary evaluation covers 2022–2025 R1S and R1T vehicles; it does not establish that every vehicle or both generations share an identical defective joint.

On the 2022-2023 Rivian R1S, rivian RCA-34-23-002-1 addresses certain US 2022–2023 R1S vehicles, built approximately December 2022–March 2023. A faulty onboard-charger component can disable AC charging while DC fast charging remains functional. Build dates are approximate; Rivian confirms by VIN whether a vehicle is included.

On the 2022-2023, 2025 Rivian R1S, two separate NHTSA recalls on the R1S were caused not by hardware but by over-the-air updates that removed working safety functions, which makes software release quality a documented defect mechanism on this vehicle rather than an inconvenience. In recall 23V783 (Rivian FSAM-1331), OTA update 2023.42 pushed on November 13, 2023 left in-vehicle defroster and defogger controls and functionality temporarily unavailable during driving on 1,463 2022-2023 R1T and R1S vehicles - diminished defrost performance could reduce windshield visibility. In recall 24V827 (Rivian FSAM-1552), software 2024.39.30 on 5,128 2025 R1T and R1S vehicles could prevent certain exterior lights from turning on when the 'Car Costume' display feature was activated, making the vehicle less visible to other traffic.

On the 2022-2023 Rivian R1S, recall 23V233 / FSAM 1216 covers 5,030 model-year 2022–2023 R1S vehicles built November 19, 2021–March 21, 2023. Their backup lamps illuminate, but the optical center may not be visible from all required horizontal and vertical viewing planes under FMVSS 108. This is a lamp-visibility compliance issue that may increase crash risk, not proof of inadequate illumination of the road behind the vehicle.

On the 2022-2024 Rivian R1S, rivian RSB-93-24-001-2 addresses excessive A/C noise or vibration on certain 2022–2024 R1S vehicles, approximately January 2022–April 2024 builds. It describes these vehicles as safely functioning as designed and offers a line-bracket retrofit, with harness work where needed.

On the 2022-2024 Rivian R1S, r1S third-row seats commonly creak and squeak over bumps. Plastic-on-plastic and metal-on-plastic contact points are usually the source. Owner reports trace some rear-cabin squeaks to a loose clip on the upper liftgate trim panel or to a liftgate sitting low and rubbing the quarter panel, not to the seat itself.