Rivian Recalls R2 SUV Over Battery Fastener Defect

Rivian has issued a recall for its R2 SUV after discovering that fasteners on the high-voltage battery pack may not be properly tightened, a defect that could cause a loss of power while driving. The automaker said only around 14 vehicles may be affected and that it will repair or replace damaged components as needed.

According to a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Rivian first spotted the problem on September 17, when a manufacturing operator at its Normal, Illinois factory noticed a fastener had been under torqued by an automated station. The company investigated and reprogrammed the station to reject improperly torqued fasteners.

Rivian told the safety regulator it is not aware of any customer reports, accidents, injuries, or fatalities related to the issue. The recall was first reported by techcrunch.com.

Second recall for the R2

This is the second recall Rivian has issued for the R2, which started shipping to customers this year. The first R2 recall, issued last month, had to do with the visibility of the backup camera and was addressed with a software update.

Rivian has said it plans to ship between 20,000 and 25,000 R2 vehicles by the end of this year, with deliveries starting in June. The company is supposed to be adding a second production shift to hit those numbers and has said early demand is strong for the new, more affordable SUV.

Some Reddit users, along with RivianTrackr, reported about the issue late last month, and one owner said Rivian's service department told them to stop driving immediately and the company towed the vehicle.