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Class Action Filed Against Rivian Alleging First-Generation R1 Vehicles Cannot Deliver Promised Hands-Free Driving
A lawsuit filed Wednesday in California federal court alleges Rivian misrepresented hands-free driving capabilities on its first-generation R1T and R1S vehicles.
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U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Rivian. The complaint alleges the company made false claims about the autonomous driving capabilities of its first-generation R1T truck and R1S SUV models.
The complaint focuses on first-generation R1T and R1S vehicles and claims Rivian represented they would be capable of hands-free, eyes-off driving. Level 3 autonomy is defined by the Society of Automobile Engineers as the vehicle automatically handling steering, acceleration, and braking without the driver’s hands on the wheel or eyes on the road in certain conditions such as highways or at low speeds.
The lawsuit alleges Rivian falsely promised over a five-year period through a coordinated nationwide marketing campaign that it would make its hands-free driver assistance system known as Driver+ standard in every vehicle it builds.
Among the appearances cited in the suit is Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe’s appearance at TechCrunch Disrupt 2022, where he made representations about the company’s autonomous driving ambitions. “No software update — no matter how sophisticated — will enable its Gen 1 Vehicles to perform as advertised,” the complaint reads. ” Rivian declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing pending litigation.
The lawsuit includes three named plaintiffs and makes claims against Rivian for fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and unjust enrichment. Law firms Coleman Law and Tycko & Zavareei are representing the plaintiffs and have requested a jury trial. Last year, Rivian agreed to pay $250 million to settle a class action shareholder lawsuit filed after it suddenly hiked prices on its R1 pickup truck and SUV in 2022.
Rivian’s first-generation R1T and R1S vehicles do not offer hands-free driving. Rivian’s second-generation R1 vehicles were overhauled in 2024. Second-generation R1 vehicles were equipped with the Rivian Autonomy Platform, which comes standard and includes 11 cameras, five radar sensors, and a computer that is 10 times more powerful than the previous system.
