Rivian sued over false self-driving feature promises
Original: Rivian owners sue over false promises on self-driving features
Why This Matters
Highlights ongoing liability risks for EV automakers over autonomous driving feature claims and regulatory scrutiny of marketing practices.
Rivian faces class action lawsuit alleging the EV maker falsely promised Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities (hands-free, eyes-off driving) for first-generation R1T and R1S models over five years through coordinated marketing campaigns.
A class action complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California alleges that Rivian made false claims about autonomous driving capabilities of its R1T truck and R1S SUV first-generation models. The lawsuit claims Rivian represented these vehicles would be capable of Level 3 autonomy—hands-free, eyes-off driving in certain conditions like highways or low speeds—and promised its Driver+ system would be made standard in every vehicle. The complaint states: "No software update — no matter how sophisticated — will enable its Gen 1 Vehicles to perform as advertised" and accuses Rivian of knowing the Gen 1 vehicles could never achieve Level 3 autonomy while continuing to promote these capabilities. CEO RJ Scaringe's appearance at TechCrunch Disrupt 2022 is cited as one instance of such representations. The lawsuit seeks damages for fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and unjust enrichment, with three named plaintiffs and a jury trial requested. Rivian declined to comment citing pending litigation. First-generation R1T and R1S vehicles do not offer hands-free driving; second-generation models introduced in 2024 do include hands-free capabilities via the Rivian Autonomy Platform with 11 cameras, five radar sensors, and a more powerful computer. This follows Rivian's 2025 settlement of a shareholder lawsuit over sudden R1 price hikes in 2022, costing the company $250 million.