The 2022 Rivian R1S showcases a concerning reliability profile due to multiple recalls and complaints, particularly regarding vital safety components like seat belts and airbags. These issues can significantly impact passenger safety, especially for children in the back seat who rely on proper restraint systems during a crash.
Key Factor:Multiple safety recalls
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Safety Alert
Safety Alert: This model has a higher recall frequency (10) than the average RIVIAN vehicle (3.8). Owners should prioritize checking these components.
10 recalls for this vehicle3.8 avg. recalls per vehicle (brand)
📋Why This Matters
The defects associated with the Rivian R1S, particularly in the seat belts and airbags, are critical because they directly affect the protection of all occupants, especially the vulnerable passengers seated in the rear. An improperly attached seat belt or a malfunctioning airbag can prevent effective restraint during an accident, leading to severe injuries or fatalities. Given that children are often seated at the back and might not have access to advanced safety features like front-seat passengers do, these defects elevate the concern for families relying on this vehicle.
Focus Area:Safety Profile
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Expert Analysis
In comparison to similar vehicles from its era, the Rivian R1S’s safety profile appears less favorable due to its significant number of recalls affecting essential systems. This situation raises red flags as it is imperative for manufacturers—especially those targeting family safety—to maintain stringent quality control across all model offerings.
Safety & Reliability Score
5/100
Score Breakdown
Recall Impact-80
Complaint Impact-0.2
Investigation Impact-15
Technical Specifications
Key specifications for the 2022 RIVIAN R1S
Model Year2022
MakeRIVIAN
ModelR1S
Fuel TypeGasoline
Body ClassPassenger Vehicle
Safety History Timeline
Scroll for more →
Jan22
NEWProduction
Jan22
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan22
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan22
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan22
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan22
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan22
RECALLRecall Issued
Jun22
RECALLRecall Issued
Apr23
INVInvestigation Opened
Apr23
INVInvestigation Opened
Apr23
INVInvestigation Opened
Sep23
RECALLRecall Issued
Dec23
ISSUEFirst Report
May24
RECALLRecall Issued
Mar25
RECALLRecall Issued
Consumer Complaint Analysis
⚠️
Most Reported Issue
1 complaints (25% of total)
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Complaint Trend
Stable
No trend data
✅
Safety Incidents
No critical incidents
Complaint Severity Distribution
Breakdown of 4 consumer complaints by severity level.
🟠High
1(25%)
🟡Medium
1(25%)
🟢Low
2(50%)
🛠️ DIY Diagnosis Center
Experiencing an issue? Select a symptom to find official manufacturer solutions (TSBs).
Based on recall data, these components require verification:
1
Seat Belts
Issue: Front seat belt anchors may be inadequately attached, risking improper restraint.
✅
Contact Rivian immediately for an inspection and potential repairs.
🔍
Verify that all recall repairs have been completed before purchasing.
Campaigns:22V74922V750
2
Airbags
Issue: Faulty retractor sensor may suppress airbag deployment during crashes.
✅
Schedule an appointment with Rivian Service Center to ensure proper function.
🔍
Ask for documentation on airbag system checks from previous owners.
Campaign:22V750
3
Suspension
Issue: Improperly tightened fasteners may lead to steering difficulties.
✅
'Have suspension checked immediately if you notice unusual handling issues.
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'Inspect service records for any suspension work done prior to purchase.
Campaign:22V751
💡Visit NHTSA.gov or contact your RIVIAN dealer to verify recall completion status.
Official Safety Recalls (10)
Campaign: 22V641000
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
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Summary
Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) is recalling certain 2022 R1T and R1S vehicles. The front seat belt anchors may have been inadequately attached to the B-pillar.
Consequence
An improperly secured seat belt anchor may not adequately restrain the seat occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
Rivian will inspect the front seat belt assemblies and, as necessary, properly secure the bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were September 30, 2022. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4261. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM-924.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Campaign: 22V744000
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER ARM
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Summary
Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) is recalling certain 2022 R1T, R1S, and EDV vehicles. The fastener connecting the front upper control arm and steering knuckle may have been improperly tightened.
Consequence
A loose steering knuckle fastener could separate, causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and, as necessary, tighten the steering knuckle fastener, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 11, 2022. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4261. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM 997.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Campaign: 23V109000
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
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Summary
Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) is recalling certain 2022 R1T and R1S vehicles. A faulty automatic locking retractor (ALR) sensor in the front passenger seat belt system may incorrectly report as ON when it is actually OFF, causing the suppression or improper deployment of the air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence
Failure of the air bag to deploy as intended increases the risk of injury to the front passenger during a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the front passenger seat belt system components as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 5, 2023. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4261. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM-1166.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Campaign: 23V159000
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN
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Summary
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.
Consequence
Improperly secured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
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.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Campaign: 23V233000
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS
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Summary
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."
Consequence
Reduced visibility of the reverse lights increases the risk of a crash.
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.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Campaign: 23V783000
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
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Summary
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.
Consequence
The inability to operate the windshield defrosting and defogging system can decrease the driver's visibility, 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 21, 2023. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4261. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM-1331.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Campaign: 23V883000
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
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Summary
Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) is recalling certain 2022 R1T and R1S vehicles. The accelerator pedal may not detect when the driver releases the pedal, failing to activate "auto-hold" or "park" as intended.
Consequence
Failure to activate "auto-hold" or "park" can result in unintended vehicle movement, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Rivian has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Rivian will also replace the accelerator pedals, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 18, 2024. Owners may contact Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4261. Rivian's number for this recall is FSAM 1342.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Campaign: 24V408000
AIR BAGS:CRITICAL FASTENERS
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Summary
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.
Consequence
Damaged pillar trim panel clips can result in improper side curtain air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
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.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Campaign: 24V458000
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
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Summary
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."
Consequence
A vehicle with an incorrect maximum capacity weight value may be overloaded, which can increase the risk of a crash.
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.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Campaign: 25V370000
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
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Summary
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 Investigations
3 investigations
Official NHTSA safety investigations for 2022 R1S.
INV-2022-1000🟢 Closed
NHTSA opened investigation after receiving consumer complaints regarding R1S performance issues.
Opened: Affected Units: 30,734
INV-2022-1001🟢 Closed
NHTSA opened investigation after receiving consumer complaints regarding R1S performance issues.
Opened: Affected Units: 49,656
INV-2022-1002🟢 Closed
NHTSA opened investigation after receiving consumer complaints regarding R1S performance issues.
Opened: Affected Units: 41,070
Consumer Complaints
4 total complaints
Consumer-reported issues submitted to NHTSA for 2022 R1S.
Common Reported SymptomsAI Analysis
Stall25%
Accident25%
Crash/Accident25%
Body/Interior⚠️ High
SEATS
In the R1S, there is a crossmember for the 3rd row seating. On low VIN vehicles, there appears to be a trend, including mine personally, that have crossmember bolts that were mis-installed during assembly and have disconnected the threaded inserts from the body and remain unscrewed and loose. This is a primary mounting point used to secure the seating in the vehicle. The service center confirmed that this has occurred and a video was provided to Rivian when requesting repair. (This video is no longer accessible in the app) Rivian's stance is that contrary to online reports of similar issues on low VIN R1S vehicles and mine, this is caused by the end user. Given the number of occurrences, this appears to be a faulty installation issue from unskilled labor.
Safety Systems🔵 Low
AIR BAGS,SEATS
Passenger airbag sensor does not detect passenger reliably. My 13 year old son and my wife both have issues. They are both over 120 lbs, so I think they should trigger the sensor. I have had it serviced for this issue, but it did not fix the problem. It also will detect a person in the seat during a drive and turn off later in that same trip without stopping the car. It seems to me that the sensor needs to be more sensitive. And, once it detects a person in the seat, it should keep the airbag on until the car is stopped and door opened. My wife does not feel safe in the car as it stands now.
Safety Systems🔵 Low
AIR BAGS,SEATS
When I am driving, my passenger sometimes does not trigger the airbag to activate. Depending on how they are sitting, many times the passenger airbag is set to "off" because it can not detect a passenger. The Rivian service center has investigated and mentioned there is no problem and that the passenger needs to sit more upright, but this still seems like a safety issue if we are driving and fail to notice that the passenger airbag is not activated
Safety Systems🔶 Medium
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE
On Monday, December 11, 2023 Myself, my girlfriend, and our two dogs were headed across the I-182 bridge coming out of Pasco, WA to Richland, WA. We were in the far left or center lane (I am not sure which). The highway is three lanes each way. We were at highway speed (the speed limit is 70 mph). About ¾ of the way across the bridge, the vehicle felt like all 4 wheels locked. The vehicle then skidded, turned 90 degree towards the concrete bridge barrier. We struck the bridge barrier nearly head on. The vehicle then rotated off the barrier and landed upright in the far right lane. Airbags fully deployed. There were numerous witnesses who reported seeing what looked like the vehicle’s wheels lock and then the events as described. No other cars were impacted. About 20 minutes prior to the crash I commented that the vehicle alignment was off. I had to keep the wheel at 10:00 or 11:00 for the vehicle to travel straight. I found that odd as the vehicle alignment was fine prior to that. Everyone walked away from the accident although both us were injured.
Frequently Asked Questions
'What are common issues reported with the 2022 Rivian R1S? (String)
'Common concerns highlighted by owners include problems with seat belts not anchoring properly, airbags potentially failing to deploy due to faulty sensors, and suspension components failing under normal driving conditions. These issues underscore the importance of addressing recalls promptly to ensure passenger safety.'
'How does Rivian support owners with recall issues? (String)
Rivian has initiated various customer satisfaction campaigns addressing known defects by offering free inspections and repairs at authorized service centers. Owners are urged to stay informed about recall notices and TSBs which detail necessary actions required on their vehicles.
🧭What This Means for You
Families with young passengers, pregnant drivers, or those with frequent highway commutes should prioritize this information.
If you're unsure, we recommend starting with a VIN check or consulting a certified mechanic.
🔑
If You Own This Vehicle
Verify all 10 recalls have been completed using your VIN at NHTSA.gov or through your RIVIAN dealer.
Unaddressed recalls pose real-world risks. Prioritize scheduling any pending repairs to maintain vehicle integrity.
Proactive tip: Enroll in RIVIAN's owner notification program for real-time safety updates.
🛒
If You're Buying Used
Critical: Demand official documentation showing every RIVIAN recall has been satisfied.
Investigate whether later R1S iterations (2023+) rectified these persistent issues.
A pre-purchase inspection by a RIVIAN specialist is mandatory given the recorded failure patterns.