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Why Does My Rivian Audio Keep Cutting Out After the 2026.03 Software Update?
Rivian owners are currently experiencing audio disruptions immediately following the installation of the 2026.03 software update. These software-level glitches primarily affect the native Apple Music application and the Dolby Atmos spatial audio system.
Audio Disruptions in 2026.03
Drivers report consistent, half-second audio interruptions during daily transit. Other users experience random track pauses, extreme volume fluctuations, and heavily distorted sound quality. The problem affects both R1T and R1S models, indicating a system-wide software issue rather than hardware failure.
Core Software Changes
The 2026.03 release forces Apple Music to automatically change audio quality based on active connection speeds. This dynamic buffering feature directly triggers the sudden quality drops and volume inconsistencies. Additionally, upgrading the vehicle display software to Unreal Engine 5.5 likely modified the core audio engine.
Previous Software Precedents
Rivian encountered similar Apple Music integration problems during the 2024.27 update cycle. The engineering team historically documents these occurrences as known bugs and deploys targeted patches to restore functionality. A minor bug-fix version of 2026.03 is currently rolling out to address system stability.