These Rivians Need Their Eyes Tested After Highway Assist Goes Wrong
- Rivian is recalling 24,000 EVs due to issues with its Highway Assist software.
- MY25 models may fail to identify other vehicles and require an OTA update.
- Company is developing software for VW’s next-generation EVs arriving in 2027.
Along with crisp new designs and a front-wheel drive EV platform, future Volkswagens, including the ID. Golf will feature software from Rivian that German execs think will give them an edge over the competition. But over in the US, a problem with Rivian’s software has forced it to recall thousands of EVs, news that might raise eyebrows in Wolfsburg.
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Related: Google Maps Glitch Has Some Rivians Rebooting Every Day
The issue concerns the hands-free Highway Assist (HWA) ADAS system fitted to the R1T truck and its R1S SUV brother. Utilities running a software version before 2025.18.30 might not correctly identify a vehicle ahead of them. And with up to 1,050 hp (1,065 PS / 783 kW) pushing each of the EVs forward, that could potentially lead to a major accident.
Recall by Update
A total of 24,214 R1S and R1T EVs built for the 2025 model year are affected and need their software updated to correct the fault. Fortunately for owners, given how few Rivian service centers there are – currently around 81, though the number should reach 100 by the end of 2025 – the recall can be handled by an over-the-air update.
Rivian knows of one accident related to the problem, in which a MY25 R1S’s HWA system “experienced a one-time functional limitation due to a misclassification at a very low speed.” In that May 2025 case, the driver “failed to maintain continuous and sustained responsibility for vehicle operation,” according to NHTSA recall documentation.
That suggests they might not have been paying attention, assuming the ADAS was in charge, when in fact HWA is only a Level 2 system and requires drivers to be ready to resume control.
Evolving Driver Assistance
Building on the original Highway Assist, Rivian released Enhanced Highway Assist in March 2025. It uses 11 cameras and five radar units to allow drivers to travel hands-free on 135,000 miles (217,000 km) of roads in the US and Canada. Future versions will also allow drivers to take their eyes off the road as well as their hands off the wheel for a more autonomous experience.
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Rivian says 99 percent of the affected EVs have already received a remedy in the form of an update that was released in June of this year. The remaining examples’ ADAS equipment will be back to full health as soon as owners download the software.
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