Rivian issues R2 recall for poorly tightened battery packs
The company says around 14 vehicles may be affected, and that it has resolved the issue on the assembly line.
Rivian has issued a recall for its R2 SUV due to concerns about the fasteners on the high-voltage battery pack not being properly tightened. This issue could potentially lead to a loss of power while driving. The company estimates that around 14 vehicles may have been affected. Rivian plans to repair or replace any damaged components as needed.
This is the second recall for the R2, which began shipping to customers this year. The vehicle is particularly important for Rivian as it's the first model aimed at a mass market and is intended to help the company achieve profitability.
The first recall, issued last month, addressed a visibility issue with the backup camera, which was resolved through a software update. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Rivian discovered the defect on September 17. An operator at the company's Normal, Illinois factory noticed one of the fasteners had been "under torqued" by an automated station on the assembly line.
Rivian has since reprogrammed the station to reject "improperly torqued fasteners." Despite reports from some Reddit users and RivianTrackr, the company stated it is not aware of any customer reports, accidents, injuries, or fatalities related to this issue.
Rivian had set an ambitious goal of shipping 20,000 to 25,000 R2s by the end of the year, with deliveries starting in June. If successful, this would mark one of the quickest launches of a new EV in the U.S. market. The company plans to add a second production shift to meet these targets, noting that there is strong early demand for the new, more affordable SUV.
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