I Got a Sudden Suspension Warning on My Rivian R1T at 40K Miles, and It Told Me to Drive With Caution, but What Happened Next Surprised Me

A sudden dashboard alert was the last thing Zachary expected on his daily drive. One moment he was cruising along in his Rivian R1T, and the next, an ominous suspension warning lit up: “OK to drive, Drive with Caution.” His heart jumped. At just over 40,000 miles into ownership, Zachary had never seen such a message before. Was something seriously wrong with his truck’s suspension?

“I was on my way home when out of nowhere the truck flashed a Suspension Fault warning,” Zachary recalled. “It said to drive with caution. I even heard a faint hissing sound, like air leaking, which freaked me out. I pulled over to check, but everything looked normal, no sagging, no warning lights beyond the message. Still, it had me worried the whole rest of the way home.”

The Sudden Warning and Initial Reaction

Zachary’s R1T had been a reliable companion for nearly two years, racking up 40,000 adventurous miles. The air suspension, capable of raising or lowering the truck for off-roading or better highway aerodynamics, had always worked flawlessly. That’s why the sudden “suspension system fault” alert caught him off guard.

It wasn’t a momentary glitch. The warning stayed on, urging caution. Doing exactly as instructed, Zachary slowed down and drove gingerly, feeling every bump with new anxiety. He suspected an air leak (hence the hissing sound) but without any visible symptoms, he turned to the professionals. Using the Rivian app, he opened a service ticket describing the issue.

That evening, parked safely at home, Zachary noticed the compressor kicking in more frequently than usual, the truck was trying to self-level. “By the next morning, it looked a little lower on the rear left,” he noted. Subtle, but noticeable. Thankfully, his R1T was still under Rivian’s 5-year/60,000-mile warranty, so whatever the issue was, it wouldn’t cost him out of pocket. But still, why did it happen this early?

Turning to the Community for Help

Unsure what to expect, Zachary posted about the incident in a Rivian owners’ Facebook group to see if others had gone through something similar. The response was immediate.

One user, Mark Leichliter, replied with a story from just a week earlier: “Just got my ’22 R1T quad-motor Adventure (36k miles) back after they had it at the service center for a week and a half. Replaced both rear dampers and some air hoses to the front. It had thrown off the alignment too, so they handled that. We love our R1T so much we ordered an R1S for my wife. Picked it up today!”

Mark’s story reassured Zachary. His truck had required significant suspension work, but it was all covered under warranty, and Mark still had enough confidence in Rivian to add a second one to the household.

Another member, Curtis Streeter, chimed in with helpful advice: “Never tell a service tech what to check. Let them do their job.” It was a reminder that while it’s tempting to suggest specific fixes,  like asking about compressor valves or solenoids, it’s smarter to just describe the symptoms and trust the technicians to figure it out.

The Facebook discussion gave Zachary both peace of mind and realistic expectations. He now knew the issue could involve air springs, hoses, or damper seals, and he knew to communicate clearly but not diagnose for the techs.

From Warning to Workshop – Rivian Service Steps In

Zachary drove his R1T carefully to the nearest Rivian Service Center the following morning. The truck was still drivable, just a bit low in the rear and unable to raise itself, but otherwise stable.

At the service center, Rivian technicians ran diagnostics and confirmed a minor leak in one of the rear air spring/damper units. Specifically, a seal on the left rear damper had deteriorated, causing air loss overnight. They also spotted early wear on a front air hose, which may have worsened the issue by unbalancing the air pressure system.

The fix? Rivian replaced the faulty left rear damper, and proactively replaced the right one too, just to maintain even performance. They also swapped the aging front hose and did a full system recalibration, followed by a four-wheel alignment to bring everything back into spec.

The best part? The whole repair took just three days. Zachary dropped off his R1T on a Monday morning and got it back Wednesday evening. Rivian even gave him an R1T loaner in the meantime, so he wasn’t stranded. When he returned, the advisor walked him through the work, showed him the failed parts, and confirmed everything was fully covered under warranty.

The result: no more warnings, a fully functional air suspension, and peace of mind.

Technology and Community Made All the Difference

Zachary drove home with a smile of relief. What had started as a heart-pounding moment turned into a quick, smooth, and positive ownership experience. As he reflected later, it could have been a much more stressful situation if he’d been driving a traditional gas truck.

The remote diagnostics, connected vehicle systems, and supportive online community all played key roles. In fact, Rivian technicians mentioned that the truck’s internal logs, uploaded automatically via its cellular connection, had already helped them identify the problem before he even arrived.

For some owners, Rivian’s advanced features still need improvement, especially around driver assistance, but this case proves how well the company’s diagnostic and support network can work when everything aligns.

My Opinion as a Young Automotive Journalist

As a 17-year-old reporting on Rivian and other EV stories, I find Zachary’s experience both enlightening and telling. There are a few important takeaways here that highlight the modern EV ownership experience:

First, no matter how advanced your vehicle is, mechanical components like seals and hoses can still fail. Air suspension systems are complex and sensitive to wear, especially after 40K miles of spirited driving, rough roads, or extreme weather.

Second, Rivian’s service experience in this case deserves praise. The ability to remotely log issues, schedule service through the app, and have the vehicle diagnosed and repaired quickly, all without any out-of-pocket cost shows the value of having a strong warranty and a responsive support team.

Some Rivian owners have shared more frustrating experiences, especially with HVAC reliability. But Zachary’s case serves as a good reminder that not every issue turns into a nightmare.

Third, I’m constantly reminded how powerful and important owner communities have become. As someone who spends hours digging through forums and social media for real-world stories, I’ve learned that there’s almost always someone who’s already dealt with whatever you’re going through. These communities act like a modern form of roadside assistance, instead of grabbing a wrench, you grab your phone and get insights from dozens of fellow owners instantly.

And when unexpected things happen, like a Rivian R1T rebooting mid-merge on the highway, it’s reassuring to know there’s a whole network of owners ready to share, support, and sometimes just help you laugh it off.

From Rivian’s perspective, cases like Zachary’s are valuable feedback. A suspension fault at 40,000 miles might not be alarming by itself, but if multiple reports emerge about damper seals or air hoses failing early, it might warrant a service bulletin or a running production change for future vehicles.

Conclusion – What This Means for Rivian Owners

Zachary’s story shows that even the most futuristic trucks have old-school problems. A warning light, a suspicious sound, and the uneasy feeling of “something’s wrong” can still happen, even in a high-tech EV.

But how it gets handled makes all the difference.

Instead of stress and uncertainty, Zachary got fast service, real help from fellow owners, and a repair that cost him nothing. It didn’t shake his confidence in the R1T, if anything, it strengthened it.

Some owners have switched to Rivian from other brands because of build quality and capability. Others, like those coming from Tesla, appreciate that Rivian can offer a totally different kind of ownership journey.

Even in off-road scenarios, like pulling a stuck Cybertruck out of Pismo’s dunes, the Rivian R1T has proven itself to be more than just an electric truck. It’s a statement of adventure, capability, and evolving technology.

So if you’re wondering what to do the next time your vehicle flashes a warning light, the takeaway is simple: Don’t panic. Pay attention, get it checked out, and lean on the community that’s already walked the path ahead of you.

Now it’s your turn
Have you ever experienced a sudden warning or fault in your vehicle that caught you off guard? How did you handle it, and what did you learn?

Does hearing about incidents like this affect your confidence in EVs like the Rivian R1T, or do you see it as just part of the ownership journey?

Please drop your thoughts and stories in the comments, your experience might be the one that helps someone else out there.

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.