My 2025 Rivian R1S Trimotor Was Flawless for 2000 Miles Until a Sudden Breakdown Left It Undriveable, and Now I’m Wondering What Happens Next

There’s something incredibly satisfying about driving a brand-new electric SUV that feels like it was built just for you. That’s the energy Ashish Arora was riding on when he picked up his 2025 Rivian R1S Trimotor in March. After months of anticipation, it felt like he finally made it, top-tier tech, killer performance, and the kind of design that turns heads at every stoplight.

But less than 2,000 miles later, everything changed.

I was scrolling through the “RIVIAN Electric Vehicles Discussion” group on Facebook when I came across Ashish’s post. It started off like most first-time ownership stories, delivery day jitters, a road trip to break it in, and a glowing sense of pride. But just a few paragraphs in, his dream SUV turned into a frustrating, garage-bound mystery. “I picked up my 2025 Rivian R1S Trimotor on March 10 from the Duncan, SC delivery center,” Ashish wrote. “The only issue at delivery was some minor damage to the interior door trim on the driver’s side, which I reported right away, but I’m still waiting for someone to follow up. Over the next 1,200 miles of city and highway driving, the SUV performed well. It wasn’t as zippy around town as my old Model Y, but that was expected given how different these vehicles are. From April 17 to 20, I took my first road trip from North Carolina to the DMV area, using a mix of RAN, EA, and Tesla Superchargers. Everything went smoothly, with just a brief moment of confusion at the Tesla station the first time. Then came April 21. I got into the car and suddenly the screen lit up with errors, most notably a 12V battery service warning that made the R1S completely undriveable. It’s now parked in my garage. I tried both hard and soft resets with no success. Roadside assistance was helpful over the phone, and I’ve scheduled a tow to the Knightdale, NC service center for April 23, which is still 95 miles away. Getting a rental has been a hassle, too, since Rivian only works with non-airport Enterprise locations, and most near me have barely any cars available. I’ll keep everyone posted, but I’ve never had a car, new or used, even my Tesla, give up on me this quickly. Makes me wonder if supporting a rising EV brand was the right move.”

From Smooth Road Trips to Error Messages Overnight

Just days before the breakdown, Ashish was gliding through a multi-state road trip without a hitch. Charging was seamless, he used Rivian’s Adventure Network, Electrify America, and even Tesla Superchargers thanks to the built-in adapter. That’s the kind of versatility Rivian promises. But back home, it only took one morning for his confidence in the vehicle to be completely shaken.

It’s not just that the car wouldn’t start, it was how suddenly and completely it failed. And the culprit? A 12V battery warning.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this issue pop up. Another Rivian owner had a nearly identical experience just nine days into ownership, also involving a sudden electrical failure. For a vehicle pushing past six figures, these aren’t the kinds of surprises you expect or should have to deal with.

The Gen 2 Confidence Is Starting to Crack

The Rivian Gen 2 platform was supposed to be the answer to earlier reliability concerns. Tighter software, cleaner wiring, smarter systems. But now, owners are seeing signs that not everything has been solved. One of the top commenters on Ashish’s post, Zoltan, chimed in with his take, and it hit home for a lot of folks: “I’m kind of worried about the 12V battery issue. First, it was said to be only a problem with Gen 1, and now this is the second post reporting it with a Gen 2. We also have a Gen 2 R1S Trimotor. I just left the car in my garage at 55% while we’re away for about two weeks, traveling out of town. I hope it's okay. I had started looking into how to check the health status of the 12V battery before, but I never followed through, after I got the impression that this 12V battery issue wasn't affecting Gen 2 vehicles.”

Zoltan isn’t alone. There’s growing chatter across the Rivian community that Gen 2 might not be as bulletproof as originally thought. And it’s not just 12V systems, software bugs, missing features after updates, and sudden system resets are being reported more frequently, even by owners who’ve been on the platform for months.

When a Car Breaks Down, but Support Breaks Down Worse

Let’s be real, stuff breaks. It happens, even with brand-new cars. But what shouldn’t happen is a convoluted process to get help. Ashish tried to book a rental, only to discover that Rivian’s policy limits him to non-airport Enterprise locations. Most of the local ones were either fully booked or had nothing practical available.

For a vehicle marketed as “adventure-ready,” it’s pretty frustrating when your biggest challenge turns out to be finding a loaner car just to get to work. And again, this isn’t an isolated case. We’ve seen this play out in long-distance towing trips and even in extended-range efficiency worries, where small setbacks snowballed into bigger headaches.

A Glimpse of Greatness,  Then Nothing

What really stings in Ashish’s case is how well everything was going, right up until it wasn’t. He had just finished a trip that showcased everything Rivian gets right: charging access, road manners, comfort, space. And then, parked in his garage, the R1S went silent.

It’s a story that’s becoming strangely common. Another owner recently reported an unexpected 10% battery drop overnight, while someone else found that features like automatic lane changes disappeared after a software update. These aren’t just “quirks”, they’re reminders that Rivian is still working through the growing pains of being a relatively new automaker.

My Take as a Young Automotive Journalist

I’ve followed Rivian since the early R1T prototypes, and like many EV enthusiasts, I’ve wanted the brand to succeed. But that doesn’t mean we should give it a free pass when problems show up, especially in vehicles that cost more than some houses.

Ashish’s experience doesn’t make the R1S a bad SUV. But it does highlight just how quickly confidence can slip when systems fail without warning and support systems don’t pick up the slack.

Buying a Rivian still means stepping into something new and exciting, but also unfinished. And owners like Ashish are paying the price for that balance between cutting-edge innovation and reliability that’s still being figured out.

Final Thoughts: What This Tells Us About EV Ownership in 2025

We’re at a point where EVs are no longer niche. People are using them as daily drivers, family haulers, road trip machines. And the expectations are rising. Owners want the best of both worlds, technology that feels ahead of its time, with dependability that matches the legacy brands.

Rivian is making serious strides in performance and design. But as Ashish’s story shows, it still has ground to cover when it comes to consistency, service, and long-term confidence.

Key Takeaways:

• Sudden breakdowns aren’t just a Gen 1 problem anymore: Even Rivian’s latest Gen 2 Trimotor models are showing signs of familiar issues like 12V system failure.
• Support and rental policies need urgent rethinking: A 95-mile tow and limited access to rental vehicles added more stress than the initial problem.
• Community feedback is critical and revealing: Posts like Ashish’s are exposing patterns that Rivian needs to take seriously as more owners speak up.
• Rivian updates continue to be a mixed bag: In some cases, OTA updates are removing features rather than adding them.  causing more confusion for owners.
• Excitement is still real, but so are the frustrations: R1S owners are passionate, but reliability and customer support need to keep up with that enthusiasm.

Let’s Talk About It

Has your Rivian, or any EV, left you stranded before?
Does hearing stories like Ashish’s make you rethink jumping into a new brand, or does it come with the territory of innovation?

Drop a comment below and let’s start the conversation.

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.