I Tried to Precondition My 2025 Rivian R1S Dual Performance, but It Locked Itself, Went Dark, and Ended Up on a Tow Truck

Preconditioning an EV is usually the closest thing to automotive magic: tap the app, sip your coffee, and climb into a toasty cabin. That was my early‑morning plan, until a Facebook scroll stopped me in my tracks. Jason Melnick, a fellow Rivian owner, had tried the very same ritual and wound up making a date with a flatbed instead.

“Went to precondition my car this morning. The 2025 R1S Dual Performance was parked normally in my driveway, and the charger was in overnight. The car was offline in the morning. Went out to the car with paired phone and key fob. Can’t get the car unlocked. Finally, the door handles come out, but both screens are black. The brake pedal is stiff, no response from the car. Eventually, it starts chiming like I’m trying to drive with the door open, and the screens are still black. Wipers come on in the rain. I do a hard reset, blades freeze upright, screens never reboot. The SUV cracks its own windows for no reason, then dies completely. It’s on a tow truck now. What should I expect?”, Jason Melnick, RIVIAN Electric Vehicles Discussion group

If you’ve ever spent time in that Facebook community, you know posts like Jason’s snowball fast. Within minutes the thread filled with “same here” experiences and hard‑won advice.

The Comment Section’s Rapid‑Fire Diagnosis

Steve fired first: “You should expect to get a new 12‑volt battery. Hopefully same day, but they’ll probably give the whole rig a once‑over. Might take another day or two to be safe.”

AR jumped in with the cynic’s view: “Expect more unforeseen issues like this for as long as you own it (ask me how I know).”

Then Tony added context only mileage can buy: “Yup, likely that little 12‑volt. Mine actually warned me, so I had it swapped under warranty. 2022 R1T, 30K miles, and the only other shop visit was for a quick window recalibration.”

Three owners, one theme: the affordable, old‑school battery that keeps a six‑figure electric SUV alive can still ruin your morning. Frankly, it’s the most common spoiler in Rivian ownership right now.

Why a Tiny Battery Can Shut Down a Giant EV

Think of your 12‑volt system as the gatekeeper. Until that pint‑size AGM battery wakes up, the huge 135‑kWh pack under the floor stays asleep, the contactors don’t clunk, and the doors act like vaults. In other words, one $250 consumable has veto power over every spaceship‑grade feature you paid for.

• Parasitic updates at 2 a.m. An over‑the‑air patch can keep modules chatting long after you’ve gone to bed.
• Cold weather sag. Even an AGM loses punch below 40 °F; pair that with an early‑morning pre‑condition request and you’ve got a double whammy.
• Accessory drain. Dashcam, Wi‑Fi hotspot, cabin security sensors, every convenience nibbles the 12 V pie.

When that battery drops below roughly 11.8 V, Rivian’s computers protect themselves by refusing to boot. Unfortunately, they refuse everything else too, including unlocking the doors.

Déjà Vu All Over the Forums

Jason’s nightmare isn’t an isolated glitch. Back in February I reported on a reader who said, “I finally joined the Rivian club with a Dual‑Motor R1S and I wasn’t expecting the battery to drop ten percent on my very first cold‑weather trip.” You can revisit that story in my in‑depth feature titled “I Finally Joined the Rivian Club With a Dual‑Motor Rivian R1S and I Wasn’t Expecting the Battery to Drop 10 Percent on My Very First Cold‑Weather Trip”.

Just a month later another newcomer confessed, “I bought my 2025 Rivian R1S just nine days ago and it already left me stranded, but I’m determined to find out what went wrong.” The full chronology, including tow receipts and service‑center troubleshooting, lives in my investigative report “I Bought My 2025 Rivian R1S Just Nine Days Ago and It Already Left Me Stranded but I’m Determined to Find Out What Went Wrong and Make It Right”.

And if you believe charging cures all ills, consider Dan from Colorado: he discovered that his R1S takes more than an hour to top up at many Level 3 stations and he’s now juggling life without a home charger for weeks. His saga is captured in the real‑world charging chronicle “My Rivian R1S Takes Over an Hour to Charge at Level 3 Stations and Now I’m Stuck Waiting a Month for Service While Having No Home Charger”.

What Actually Happens After the Tow?

Same‑Day Salvation

If the service bay is stocked and your battery is the only casualty, techs pop in a fresh AGM, run a firmware sweep, and send you home before dinner.

Two‑Day Detour

A brown‑out can scramble one of the body modules. Parts get overnighted, you drive a loaner R1T, and the ordeal stretches to 48 hours.

The Long Haul

Worst‑case? A low‑voltage spike fries multiple ECUs or the High‑Voltage Junction Box. At that point you’re in Jamie’s territory, he’s the guy whose first‑ever Rivian test drive ended with a dead R1S, grinding noises, and a tow truck. The nitty‑gritty is documented in my cautionary analysis “My First‑Ever Rivian Test Drive Ended With a Dead R1S, Grinding Noises, and a Tow Truck, Should I Keep My Reservation?”. Multi‑week downtime isn’t unheard of once you’re that deep.

Preconditioning: Convenient, but Demanding

Let’s break down what actually spins up when you hit Climate Prep:

1. Heat‑pump prime. Compressors and valves wake instantly.
2. Battery thermal management. Glycol pumps kick on to warm or cool 9,000 cells.
3. Infotainment boot. Both 15‑inch screens fire, graphics processors draw amps.
4. Cabin fans and resistive heaters. Big draw, all pre‑12‑volt handshake.

That’s a hefty workload for a battery the size of a lunch pail. If it’s already tired, you’ve just asked it to run a marathon on a single breath.

Five Ways to Dodge the Next Flatbed

1. Annual 12‑V test. Most Rivian centers will load‑test free during a tire rotation.
2. Charge while you sleep, update while you’re awake. Kick off OTA patches on Saturday afternoon when you can keep an eye on the SOC.
3. Avoid deep parking hibernation. Let the traction battery autofeed the 12 V every 48 hours; otherwise the DC‑DC converter never tops it off.
4. Monitor overnight drain. A two‑percent battery dip while parked is normal; five percent hints at a module that never sleeps.
5. Stash a lithium jump pack. In an R1S frunk it takes zero space and can save hours.

My Seat‑of‑the‑Pants Perspective

Last summer I ditched my Kia EV6 and jumped into a Rivian R1S Gen 2, convinced there wasn’t a better all‑rounder for cross‑country duty. If you want the full trade‑up story, good, bad, and hilarious, you’ll find it in my first‑hand comparison “I Just Switched From a Kia EV6 to a Rivian R1S Gen 2 and I Can’t Think of a Better Upgrade”.

Here’s the paradox I keep bumping into: Rivian’s hardware is staggering, but its learning curve is Everest‑steep. When things work, they feel aerospace‑grade. When they don’t, you’re suddenly wrestling a 7,000‑pound paperweight.

Does that make me regret the switch? Honestly, no. I signed up for early‑adopter headaches in exchange for quad‑motor thrills, adjustable air suspension, and a cabin that laughs at washboard dirt roads. But it also means I carry a jump pack next to my mountain bike and keep roadside assistance on speed dial—balance, right?

A Moral Worth More Than a Tow Bill

Modern EVs have larger high‑voltage batteries than some homes store for backup power, yet they still lean on a single 12‑volt lifeline. Ignore that lifeline and you’re gambling with every school run, grocery dash, and Saturday adventure you planned. Treat it like a scheduled oil change: replace proactively, test regularly, and you’ll slam the door on 90 percent of sudden‑death scenarios.

Your Turn Behind the Keyboard

1. Have you ever faced a total electronic shutdown, whether in a Rivian, Tesla, or even a gas car with a smart key, and how long did it really take to get back on the road?
2. If you own (or are eyeing) an R1S, what’s your game plan for keeping that humble 12‑volt system healthy, and do you think preventative swaps are worth it?

Drop your stories, shop fixes, and cautionary tips in the comments below. Let’s turn Jason’s misfortune into a crash course that keeps the rest of us rolling.

Narek Hareyan is a young automotive journalist with experience in a golf cart dealership and an interest in the automotive industry. Follow Narek on X for daily news coverage about cars.

Image source: Rivian