Wirtz Law Blog

A Reddit user recently posted that after several weeks, multiple repair attempts, and “about a dozen” attempts to communicate, Rivian sent a “goodwill” offer of $2,000 in exchange for the vehicle owner’s agreement to give up their rights under their state’s lemon law.

The vehicle owner had their Rivian R1S for less than two weeks before the air conditioning failed. The owner says their Rivian sat at a local dealership for several weeks with little or no communication from the automaker, leaving the owner in the dark. 

When Rivian did reach out, it was with an offer to pay $2,000. In exchange, however, the vehicle owner had to agree to give up their state and federal lemon law rights “to date,” covering the AC issues. 

Read The Fine Print: How Accepting an Offer Can Hurt Your Lemon Law Rights

At first glance, many vehicle owners might be tempted to take such an offer. The comments on the original Reddit post included people who believed $2,000 in exchange for an agreement not to sue over the existing air conditioning issues was a reasonable bargain, especially since the agreement allowed for lemon law claims on any future issues. 

However, automakers do not make cash offers unless they expect to benefit from the bargain. If you sign away any lemon law rights under such a deal, you may find yourself paying substantial amounts out of pocket to fix issues later.

In California, signing away any of your lemon law rights can undermine your access to several different types of compensation under the state’s lemon law. California lemon law includes several broad types of compensation, including:

• Replacement of the defective vehicle with a “substantially similar” defect-free version, or a refund of the purchase price (“buyback”), 
• Incidental and consequential damages, like towing fees, license and registration fees, and other out-of-pocket expenses related to owning and dealing with the defective vehicle,
• Attorney’s fees so you can access experienced representation for your case. 

All vehicle owners offered such a deal should read the fine print and consult with a lemon law attorney before making a decision. Signing without careful consideration could mean losing big. 

Issues With Rivian Vehicles

The owner of the R1S who posted to Reddit isn’t the only Rivian owner who has faced issues with their vehicle. Several other people in the Reddit thread noted that their Rivian vehicles had exhibited air conditioning issues as well.

Currently, the Rivian R1S does not have an active recall listed for the air conditioning system. However, the vehicle is subject to seven open recalls, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). 

Current recalls for the Rivian R1S include recalls for issues like:

• Improper installation of bolts in seat belt anchorage assemblies in some vehicles which can cause the seat belt to fail in a crash and lead to injuries.
• Incorrect weight capacity on vehicle labels, which may result in an owner overloading a vehicle, believing it can handle the weight. Overloading can increase the risk the vehicle will tip over, crash, or suffer a breakdown. 
• Headlights that are not aimed properly at the road, which can prevent drivers from seeing properly in time to avoid a collision. 
• Defrosting and defogging system controls that deactivate, preventing drivers from ensuring they have maximum visibility in temperature changes and icy weather. 
• Dimming reverse lights that are hard for others behind the vehicle to see, which increases the risk of a crash when others cannot tell the vehicle is going to back up. 
• Improperly secured side curtain air bags or damage to the clips that hold the side curtain air bags in place, which increases the risk of an injury in a crash if the air bag fails. As of September 2025, the Rivian R1S has two active recalls for side curtain air bag issues. 

Other problems can arise as well. It’s essential to take your Rivian vehicle to the dealership promptly if you have issues. Speak to an experienced California lemon law attorney for help understanding and protecting your legal rights. 

What to Do If Your Vehicle Has Ongoing Problems

If your vehicle has an ongoing problem the dealership can’t seem to fix, it may be time to speak to an experienced California lemon law attorney. The team at Wirtz Law APC can help you understand your legal rights, read the fine print, and secure the full, fair compensation you deserve. Contact us today to learn more.