Rivian has recalled its R2 SUV over a defect that could cut power while the vehicle is being driven. The automaker said fasteners on the high-voltage battery pack may not have been tightened properly. Roughly 14 vehicles could be affected by the problem, according to the company.
The company said it will repair or replace damaged components on customer vehicles as needed, and that all of the affected vehicles are at service centers. There, technicians are inspecting them and will properly torque the fastener or replace damaged parts at no cost to customers. Rivian told TechCrunch about those arrangements.
This marks the second recall of the R2, which began shipping to customers this year. The first, issued last month, involved the visibility of the backup camera and was fixed with a software update. The R2 is a key vehicle for Rivian because it is the company's first EV aimed at the mass market and is intended to help the automaker reach profitability for the first time.
According to a filing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Rivian first identified the defect on September 17. A manufacturing operator at the company's Normal, Illinois factory observed that an automated station on the assembly line had under torqued one of the fasteners. Rivian investigated and reprogrammed the station so it would reject improperly torqued fasteners.
Rivian told the safety regulator that it is not aware of any customer reports, accidents, injuries, or fatalities tied to the issue. Late last month, some Reddit users and RivianTrackr, a blog that follows the company closely, reported on the matter. One owner said Rivian's service department instructed them to stop driving immediately, and the company towed the vehicle.
Rivian has set an aggressive goal for the R2 launch. The company has said it plans to ship between 20,000 and 25,000 of the vehicles by the end of this year. Deliveries began in June, and hitting that target would make the launch one of the fastest for a new EV in the U.S. market. Rivian is supposed to add a second production shift to reach those numbers and has said early demand for the more affordable SUV is strong.
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