Rivian under investigation over rear suspension failures on R1 models

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating however electrical car shaper Rivian services its vehicles’ rear suspension components, aft receiving 2 reports from owners who mislaid power of their cars portion driving.

The national information regulator’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) said connected Thursday that some vehicles had been antecedently serviced, 1 of which had been successful a collision earlier the enactment was done. According to the ODI, Rivian archetypal realized successful March 2025 that the rear toed nexus — a captious portion of the suspension that helps support the instrumentality consecutive — had a “sensitivity to work procedures,” causing the institution to update however it handled the portion during work and repairs.

The ODI’s probe volition look into however and wherefore the rear toed nexus connected Rivian’s R1 vehicles is delicate to “foreseeable roadworthy and work conditions,” comparison the 2 failures submitted by owners, measure Rivian’s existent toed nexus repair procedure, and measure the information of different 2023-2024 exemplary twelvemonth R1 vehicles.

Nearly 115,000 vehicles could beryllium affected, the ODI said.

Rivian successful January 2026 recalled astir 20,000 vehicles to see those that had received the toed nexus work “prior to the March 2025 improvement,” according to the ODI.

“Vehicle information is simply a apical precedence astatine Rivian. Rivian information indicates R1 toed nexus joints are operating arsenic intended,” the institution said successful a connection to TechCrunch. Rivian besides said that 1 of the vehicles successful question was handled by a 3rd enactment repair facility.

Both owners who submitted complaints reported a abrupt nonaccomplishment of power aft a bolt connected the toed nexus “fractured,” according to the ODI. In 1 case, a Rivian R1 operator abruptly mislaid power astatine road speeds, swerved into different vehicle, and past “collided head-on with the guardrail,” according to the ailment they submitted.

In the different case, the Rivian proprietor said their R1S “veered implicit adjacent lanes, implicit the motorcycle path, onto the broadside locomotion and backmost onto the roadworthy and broadside walk” aft the aforesaid near rear toed nexus broke. “I was near with a sore cervix for respective days, my pome ticker kept trying to telephone 911 reasoning I was successful an accident,” the proprietor wrote successful their complaint.

The probe comes arsenic Rivian is less than 2 weeks away from starting deliveries of its much-anticipated R2 SUV, which the institution expects to merchantability successful overmuch higher volumes than its different cars. Rivian also plans to adhd implicit 50 caller work centers by the extremity of 2027, which would springiness it much than 150 full locations, and grow its mobile work van fleet arsenic well.

Rivian has said that the R2’s simpler plan should assistance trim the level of work required. “Reducing mechanical complexity during assembly results successful higher prime assurance erstwhile vehicles rotation disconnected the line, simultaneously improving the easiness and disbursal of servicing your conveyance if the request arises,” the institution wrote successful February.