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moderate Owners of the 2023 Rivian R1S have filed 27 NHTSA complaints about the airbags at roughly $1,100 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See airbags across all vehicles →
Airbags accounts for 39% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 4 categories tracked.
Improperly secured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
The 2023 R1S has a widespread occupancy sensor problem in the front passenger seat. Owners consistently report the "Passenger Airbag Off" indicator displays while a passenger is actively seated and belted. The issue affects lighter-weight passengers—many in the 100–120 lb range—though some owners report failures with passengers weighing 150+ lbs. The sensor is hyper-sensitive to body position and weight distribution; passengers must sit dead-center on the cushion in a rigid upright posture, and even then detection fails intermittently. The airbag indicator will toggle on and off during driving if the passenger adjusts position slightly—a safety hazard in a near-crash scenario.
Multiple owners have reproduced the issue on different R1S vehicles, proving it is not isolated. One owner reports a secondary glitch: pulling the seatbelt fully out triggers "Airbag Off," and the indicator only returns when the belt retracts 6–8 inches. For heavier passengers or forward-positioned seats, the belt cannot retract far enough, leaving the passenger without airbag and potentially without seatbelt function.
Service centers report the sensor is working as designed and operating within specification. Multiple owners say they were told a software fix is coming, yet four or more OTA updates have passed with no improvement. One technician escalated the matter to engineering as a safety concern in February 2024 with no follow-up. Rivian has not offered a recall or a concrete timeline for resolution.
The front passenger occupancy sensor intermittently or consistently fails to register occupants, particularly those under 110–120 lbs, leaving the airbag disabled even when a person is seated and belted. Owners report the sensor is overly sensitive to weight distribution and body position, requiring passengers to sit in a very specific upright posture with weight centered on the seat. Even then, detection is unreliable. Multiple owners report the system works fine with heavier passengers (150+ lbs) but fails with lighter family members and spouses.
When: Occurs from new vehicle delivery (September 2023 onward), persists through multiple software updates and service visits
Symptoms owners cite: Passenger airbag off indicator displays while passenger is seated and belted; Indicator intermittently toggles on and off during driving after passenger has adjusted position slightly; Passenger climate controls do not activate when airbag is shown as off; Issue is repeatable and reproducible with the same passenger across multiple R1S vehicles
Repairs/costs cited: Service centers have replaced occupancy sensor components; no permanent fix reported. One owner reported three separate service visits with various airbag system component replacements, yet the warning returned. Owners cite no reduction in failure rate across multiple software updates.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Rivian service centers initially state the occupancy sensor is functioning as designed and is operating within specification. Technicians note the sensor is very sensitive to weight distribution and posture. Multiple owners report being told a software update may improve the issue in the future, but no fix has materialized. One technician escalated the issue to engineering as a safety concern in February 2024 with no follow-up. Some service visits result in 'no trouble found' despite owner demonstrating the issue on-site.
Multiple owners report that fully extending the passenger seatbelt (pulling it all the way out) causes the display to show 'Passenger Airbag Off.' Only when the seatbelt retracts roughly 6–8 inches back into the B pillar does the system recognize the passenger and the airbag indicator turns on. This suggests an improper integration between seatbelt position and occupancy sensing. For heavier passengers or those with the seat positioned far forward, the seatbelt may not be able to retract far enough, leaving the passenger without airbag protection and potentially without a functional seatbelt.
When: Occurs consistently; reproducible on multiple R1S vehicles
Symptoms owners cite: Pulling seatbelt fully out triggers 'Passenger Airbag Off' display; Seatbelt must retract 6–8 inches into B pillar before airbag detection returns; If seatbelt cannot retract far enough, passenger is left without airbag and seatbelt functionality; Issue duplicated on multiple Rivian R1S vehicles
Repairs/costs cited: One technician was dispatched to address this and reported it could not be repaired as expected. No other repair attempts are documented in the narratives.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Issue was escalated to engineering as a safety concern (reported in early February 2024) with no resolution provided as of complaint submission.
At least one owner reports the vehicle displays an 'Airbag System needs service – Drive with caution until serviced' warning that recurs after service. This warning has appeared at least three times within two months, despite two separate service visits where various airbag system components were replaced.
When: Recurring across multiple trips; vehicle less than one year old at time of reports
Symptoms owners cite: Warning message displays on instrument cluster; Warning reappears after service despite component replacement; Pattern suggests underlying diagnostic issue not resolved by component swaps
Repairs/costs cited: Airbag system components replaced (specific parts not named); warning returns after each service. Owner expresses concern that Rivian lacks proper diagnostic capability.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Service center replaces airbag system components twice; no root cause identified or communicated.
Synthesized from 27 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
Intermittently does not register a passenger in the passenger seat (even with a seatbelt on and seat upright in a normal position) such that the airbags are turned off and climate controls are not activated. Passenger weighs more than 120 lbs.
A passenger of lighter weight will not trigger the passenger seat’s weight sensor, rendering the passenger side airbag disabled. The passenger must sit up perfectly straight and center their weight on the center of the seat for them to be properly detected. A service center visit claimed the seats are working as designed, but there is clearly an issue.
Vehicle routinely (>90% of the time) fails to detect occupancy of front passenger seat resulting in disabled airbags and other related safety systems. Our particular vehicle experiences the issue with passengers ranging from 150-425lbs resulting in a significant safety concern. Searching online indicates this is a common issue and repair requests are routinely denied with claims that it is…
Passenger seat does not detect my 5'4" 110lb wife, thus preventing the airbags from activating. This is the first car we've encountered with this problem. Is Rivian accounting for the fact that the weight occupancy sensor account for the weight of the legs placed on the floor? Please let us know if there will be a recall or a software update to address this.
Passenger seat does not detect light to normal weight/BMI adult buckled in and disables the front passenger airbag. Vehicle service state it is working as intended. Therefore, for all intent and purposes the vehicle does not have passenger airbag.
The passenger seat airbag turns off when a passenger is sitting in the seat. I have taken the vehicle to the service center twice for this issue and they insist it is working as intended. This is a major safety issue for myself and children when we are sitting in the passenger seat. Please help in resolving this!
The front Passenger seat intermittently disables the Passenger Air Bag System, depending on the movement of the passenger. For example, my girlfriend was sitting in the seat, with her legs crossed. When she is in this position, the system disables. If she shifts her weight around, the system reenables. This is repeatable, with numerous members of my family. I had the vehicle in service,…
When my wife, 5 ft 5 in about ~100lbs sits in the front passenger seat (legs and feet forward in a regular up-right position), the airbag does not always turn on. It is intermittent and unpredictable when it turns on vs. off. It even turns off and on while driving. It makes us uncomfortable not knowing if she is protected in a crash. Rivian has told us it's working as expected but the…
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 27 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $1,100 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
Mileage data is limited for this issue. Owners report failures across a wide range, suggesting cause is more about driving conditions and maintenance than mileage alone.
Independent shops typically charge around $1,100 for airbags repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Yes — 1 active recall(s) cover airbags issues on this vehicle. Recall fixes are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status. Use the VIN decoder at the top of the page to check if your specific vehicle is affected.