There are 4 owner-reported steering complaints for the 2025 Rivian R1Sin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The vehicle steering wheel has never been straight since the day I purchased it but I thought it was normal because of the roads I drive on then it got worse and worse. Now it pulls to the left when accelerating and the steering wheel is wobbly. The steering wheel is off center by about 1-4 degrees even when the wheels are going straight. After searching on the forums and NHTSA website I found that this was an issue with 2022-2024 models. I worry that the issue has not been resolved with the 2025 model years. I have been asked to pay for an alignment which I don't mind but i wonder if other owners are having the same issue.
The Rivian R1S that I own pulls hard to the right when you accelerate and then pulls to the left when you decelerate. I took it for repair and Rivian realigned vehicle and confirmed everything is as it should be. This behavior is tied to the Rivian Stability control and when the stability control is deactivated the steering issue stops. The issue is a safety concern as it's difficult to keep the vehicle in lane and straight with the stability control activated which turns to On each time you drive the car.
Driving my Rivian R1S on a road trip with family from Seattle, WA to Ketchum, ID (about 600miles.) Stopped to recharge outside of Boise, ID for about 20mins. Started driving again and in about 5 minutes the car started warning (visual message and audible alarm). The following events then occurred: -- The warning message stated something along the line of "Pull over immediately the car will shut down imminently." -- I was driving in traffic and was able to make it through an intersection and saw a gas station in the distance. -- The power steering and braking began to go unresponsive and the car began slowing down as I drove through the intersection. I tried to guide the car to the gas station. -- While pulling in to the gas station the car could barely be controlled. Once dropping below 5mph or so it immediately shut itself down. -- The inability to effectively control the vehicle was extremely unsafe. If the intersection I had to pass through had a red light the car would likely have shut itself down and stranded our family at a very busy intersection. -- The car began flashing a ton of different warning messages. "Suspension needs to be serviced", "Front trunk unable to close please service", "Battery system overheating" are a few as an example. -- After calling customer service I reset the vehicle (using prescribed sequence of button pushes.) The car then went dark and nothing worked from there out. -- Called a tow truck and found hotel for family. Rivian was towed to the Boise service center. -- Rivian service center has been unable to diagnose or recreate the issue to date - they have been in possession of the vehicle for 17 days and counting.
Steering wheel vibrates back and forth when driving at highway speeds and following the flow of traffic. The shaking makes my hands and wrists numb after a few minutes of driving at speed. The car becomes uncomfortable to steer and keep straight at speed. Rivian Service Center attempted 1 repair (alignment and wheel rebalance) but the problem persists. At the second service visit, the Service Center mentions that an engineering investigation is ongoing, and that there is nothing the service center can do at this time.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026