A handful of Rivian R2 owners say their SUV briefly switched itself into a regen level that isn’t in the owner’s guide. It shows up on screen as “Minimum.” The car doesn’t come to a stop on its own anymore, and you need the brake pedal at stop signs. For anyone curious about Rivian R2 regen settings, here’s the catch: the owners reporting it think it’s a glitch, not a hidden feature, and Rivian hasn’t said anything about it.
What owners are reporting
The thread on Rivian Forums was started on October 30 by Dark-Fx, a longtime member whose R2 Launch Edition was delivered in June. He says it happened twice in one week, and both times he was “transitioning from sport mode on a rough road at 25-30 mph or so, into all-purpose.” He hasn’t been able to make it happen on purpose.
Here’s how he describes the result: “It’s not quite coasting, but it won’t bring the car to a stop on a slight downhill. Basically have to use the brake pedal to stop at stop signs.” He also mentioned something more important. Because he normally drives in High regen, the sudden switch changed how the accelerator pedal responded, and “the car started accelerating a bit suddenly without my foot moving the pedal.”
He isn’t the only one. Another R2 owner in the thread wrote, “I saw it on mine as well, and you definitely need to apply the brakes to come to a complete stop.” A third said it happened to him the week before, and he hopes it’s a new snow setting. That’s only a few people on a single forum, and none of them could reproduce it on demand.
What’s confirmed
Rivian hasn’t confirmed a “Minimum” regen mode or commented on the owner reports. The current R2 owner’s guide (software 2026.31, September 2026) lists three regenerative braking settings under Drive Modes > Regen:
- Standard: moderate regen, and the default in every drive mode except Snow and Soft Sand.
- High: stronger regen. The car slows faster and recovers more energy.
- Low: limited regen, and the default in Snow and Soft Sand modes.
The guide also says regen “may be reduced temporarily when the vehicle battery is cold, fully charged, or almost fully charged,” and that a Regenerative Braking Assist feature tops up deceleration automatically when needed. “Minimum” doesn’t appear anywhere on that list.
What’s rumored or reported
Everything past the owner’s guide is unverified. Nobody in the thread has a Rivian service explanation yet. There are two theories.
It’s a fallback state, not a feature. This looks most likely. In September, an R1S owner posted on r/Rivian that his regen setting was grayed out and showing “minimum,” with what looked like the traction control icon lit. Commenters guessed the stability system had flagged a fault (one suggested a wheel speed sensor) and was limiting regen. Others said a soft reset, or shifting to Park and back to Drive, cleared it. The R2 reports, which came during a drive-mode change on a rough road, fit that pattern. Nobody has confirmed it, though.
It’s a coast or snow mode in testing. A couple of R2 owners floated this. It’s wishful thinking for now. Plenty of owners on the forum have asked for a near-zero regen option, especially for ice, but Rivian hasn’t announced one.
What R2 owners should do if Rivian R2 regen drops to Minimum
If your R2 suddenly stops slowing down the way it usually does, use the brake pedal and check the regen setting on the center display. Owners say they could tap out of “Minimum” back to their usual level. If it keeps coming back, or you see a traction or stability warning with it, the safe move is a service request in the Rivian app, with notes on speed, road surface and drive mode. A dashcam clip or a photo of the screen helps too. Anyone who’s had it happen with a brand-new car should also note the software version, because that’s the first thing service will ask for.
The R2 is moving fast right now. It outsold the R1S and R1T combined in Q3, and new owners are still learning the car. We’ve covered why today’s R2 won’t get LiDAR and what Forest Green buyers are seeing on VIN timing. For what Rivian has lined up next, see our Rivian 2027 preview. For the basics, start with our R2 specs and price guide. We’ll update this story if Rivian explains the “Minimum” state or adds it to the release notes.
