NHTSA complaint #11728138

Owner complaint summary

Incident Overview: In late February 2026, at approximately 114,000 miles, this 2022 Rivian R1T suffered a comprehensive failure of its kinetic (hydraulic) suspension system. The failure occurred during normal on-road operation at approximately 60 mph in temperate (60F) conditions. The vehicle has no history of off-road use or heavy hauling. Safety Risk & Critical Failure Mode: The suspension is a safety-critical system essential for vehicle stability, emergency braking, and predictable handling. A loss of hydraulic integrity in this system directly compromises the vehicle’s ability to maintain ride height and damping control. High-Speed Exposure: The initial failure manifested while traveling at 60 mph. Although a warning lamp was triggered, the vehicle’s functional safety logic failed to initiate a "limp mode" or restricted speed state. This allowed the 7,000lb vehicle to continue at highway speeds with a compromised high-pressure hydraulic circuit, posing an unreasonable risk of loss of control. Lack of System Redundancy: A localized hydraulic leak resulted in a cascading collapse of the entire architecture. Per the 10,662 service estimate, the repair requires replacing the front and rear dampers, hydraulic pump, manifold, and all fluid lines. This suggests a design-level vulnerability where a single-point failure in the hydraulic circuit necessitates a total system overhaul, indicating a lack of modularity or redundancy. Safety Protocol Gap: After diagnosing the leak, the authorized service center deferred to my personal judgment regarding operational safety. This forced an untrained consumer to make a critical safety determination on a high-pressure system while the vehicle remained capable of full highway speeds. Technical Confirmation: An authorized Rivian service center confirmed the failure on March 3, 2026, and determined a full system-wide replacement is required. All components are available for inspection. No prior warnings or symptoms were presen