2026 Rivian R2 Prototype DriveNew Rivian R2s no longer push air through their seat backs. Some buyers say the change is enough for them to cancel their orders.Rivian has quietly changed how the ventilated seats work in the R2.Air no longer circulates in the seatback. Rivian says this is due to excessive cabin noise.The internet has exploded over the small change and buyers are even cancelling their orders.Rivian quietly changed how the ventilated seats work in the R2. The company's fans and would-be buyers aren't happy about it.To be clear, the ventilated seat feature isn't completely gone. Rather, Rivian has removed the ability for the seat to push air through the seat back and instead focused all of the airflow through the base of the seat. News of the change bubbled up on forums and was also reported on by the RivianTrackr blog.Rivian forums, subreddits, and Facebook groups have exploded with intense criticism over the decision, with some users even going as far to cancel their preorders and threatening to file credit card chargebacks on non-refundable order fees. The EV startup has built up an unusually loyal fanbase of people who dig its outdoorsy image and friendlier-than-Tesla vibes. The seat-ventilation dustup has many of those same fans feeling played.Rivian R2 Coastal Cloud Signature interior"The strong ventilation was one of the best features of the R2," said one Redditor, echoing what our very own Mack Hogan shared about his experience with the R2's powerful ventilated seats. "Quietly breaking that functionality and pretending it's not a big deal is a really bad look.""Not gonna lie, this one pisses me off," wrote another. "If you're going to take something away, do the right thing and tell people. I want to know why they took it out and why they aren't compensating people that are getting less of a car than what they test drove.""I placed my order a week ago and I'm pretty pissed about it. You mean to tell me the seats in my wife's Mach E are going to be miles better than what Rivian can put out?," another said. "Very annoying."A not insignificant number of commenters said the switch was enough for them to cancel their R2 preorders. It turns out many car buyers—or at least the most vocal ones—care a whole lot about having their backs cooled, and not just their rear ends."I'm also walking away," one commenter wrote. "Will now need to go to the drawing board and find another car that has the seat cooling cause I'm in freaking hot as hell TX. This is extremely annoying."Some would-be buyers were mostly peeved because of the lack of transparency over why the feature was removed. A Rivian spokesperson told InsideEVs the move was a response to excessive cabin noise from the old system."R2 ventilated seats are designed to deliver active airflow through the seat cushion, where occupants retain the most heat," the spokesperson said. "Because the seat back ventilation generated excessive cabin noise, we streamlined the system. R2 seat heating is unchanged."It's not clear how exactly Rivian streamlined the system. Rivian hasn't said whether R2s on the road will continue operating as they did when owners purchased them (with the "noisy" ventilation), or whether software will eventually change that. We asked Rivian about this and will update this story if we hear more.There are rumors online that Rivian has removed the actual hardware responsible for providing the circulation, though that remains unconfirmed. Likewise, some commenters report they were told that this is a supplier constraint, but we weren't able to verify that.This small electric fan created an impressively large debacle for Rivian. But for people who live in climates with sweltering summers, cool seats can be the difference between a drenched, sticky back and a comfortable commute. For others, it was less about the seats themselves and more about wanting to support a brand without getting burned."I don't care for ventilated seats," one Redditor wrote. But I am really concerned about the lack of transparency. Now I have to worry about other features being stealth nerfed too."More Rivian R2 NewsThe Rivian R2's 'Pet Mode' Now Lets You Monitor Your Dog With A Live StreamRivian's Big R2 Bet Is Already Paying OffYou Won't Be Able To Buy A Rivian R2 With Lidar This Year After AllThe Rivian R2's New Pet Cam Lets Owners Check On Their Pets From Anywhere