Rivian built its reputation on rugged electric trucks that could go almost anywhere, but a quiet service mistake has now triggered a major safety crisis. After years of following an outdated repair procedure, the company is recalling thousands of R1T pickups and R1S SUVs, and at least one owner says the resulting suspension failure led to a crash and injuries. The episode raises uncomfortable questions about how a young automaker manages technical instructions once vehicles leave the factory and start coming back for service.
How a repair procedure turned into a 19,641‑vehicle recall
The core problem is not a defective part from the assembly line, but what happened when Rivian owners brought their vehicles back for work on the rear suspension. According to filings tied to recall campaign 26V003, technicians were given instructions that could lead to the rear toe links being reassembled incorrectly after service, creating a risk that the links might loosen or separate while driving. In documents describing the campaign, regulators note that Rivian Automotive, LLC alerted the National Highway Traffic after identifying the issue in its service history. A related investor-focused summary states that Rivian Automotive, Inc, listed under the ticker RIVN and based in California, is recalling exactly 19,641 R1 vehicles that previously had rear suspension work.
Analysts describe the chain of events as a textbook example of how a single procedural error can ripple across an entire fleet. One breakdown of the campaign explains that the affected vehicles are R1T and R1S models that received rear suspension service before a revised process was introduced, and that the earlier method may have allowed improper torque or assembly of the toe links. A separate overview of the situation notes that Rivian Automotive, Inc acknowledged that the prior service approach, as described in the filing, could lead to loosening hardware and loss of control, a risk summarized as “Per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration” in the NHTSA documentation. Another account, citing the same campaign, puts the scope at nearly 20,000 R1 vehicles and frames the issue as “Rivian Recalls Nearly” 20,000 R1 “Vehicles Due” to “Faulty Repair Service” in the United States, underscoring how a service-only problem can still trigger a large-scale recall.
One injured owner and a growing safety narrative
The stakes of this procedural mistake became painfully clear when one Rivian driver reported being hurt in a crash linked to the faulty repair. A detailed account of the recall notes that the campaign covers certain 2022 to 2025 R1S SUVs and R1T pickups that had rear suspension service, and that the suspension problem has already led to a collision, a point highlighted in a piece headlined “Rivian Recall Covers Nearly” 20,000 “Trucks and It” has “Already Caused” a “Crash” in a recall analysis. Another summary, framed around how “Rivian Recall Covers Nearly 20,000 Trucks and It’s Already Caused a Crash,” reiterates that this is a suspension issue that can escalate from a subtle change in handling into a sudden loss of control, and that the recall filing for campaign 26V003 documents the incident and the resulting injury in the official record.
Other reporting adds detail to how long the incorrect guidance appears to have been in circulation. One technical breakdown attributes the problem to service instructions that Rivian technicians had been following for years, and notes that the company is now recalling 19,641 R1T and R1S models in the United States because the rear suspension toe links were not always reassembled correctly after service, a point credited to Jan and reporter Brad Anderson in a technical write‑up. A separate community post, citing Jan and describing how “Rivian recalls nearly 20,000 US vehicles over improperly reassembled toe link,” underscores that nearly 20,000 US vehicles are affected and that the toe link reassembly is at the center of the safety concern.
Rivian’s response and what owners should do now
Rivian is now racing to show that its service network can correct the very problem it created. The company has told customers that if a Rivian is ever affected by a recall, Rivian Service will address the issue at no cost as part of the New Vehicle limited warranty, and that the goal is to prevent a crash without prior warning, language that appears in its official recall information. A broader version of that page, dated in Jan and hosted by Rivian, reiterates that Rivian Service will handle recall work free of charge and encourages owners to check their VINs for open campaigns through the company’s support tools. Another owner‑focused explainer, titled “Rivian Issues Recall for R1S and R1T After Service Related Suspension Risk,” notes that the campaign applies to vehicles that had specific rear suspension work and that the recall number will become searchable directly on NHTSA.gov, advice aimed at customers “Ordering” a “Rivian” and told to “Use” the recall lookup when taking delivery, as described in a recall guide.
Regulators and outside observers are also watching how Rivian communicates with owners and updates its procedures. One summary of the campaign notes that Rivian Issues Recall for R1S and R1T After Service Related Suspension Risk in Jan, and that the company is notifying affected drivers and updating service documentation so technicians no longer follow the outdated method. Another report, framed around how “Rivian Recalls Nearly” 20,000 R1 “Vehicles Due” to “Faulty Repair Service,” stresses that Rivian is recalling nearly 20,000 vehicles in the Unite States and that owners whose trucks had rear suspension work before March 10, 2025, should assume they are covered until they confirm otherwise. A separate overview, noting that “Rivian Recall Covers Nearly” 20,000 “Trucks and It” has “Already Caused” a “Crash,” reminds drivers that this is a suspension problem that can turn a routine lane change into a wrestling match with the steering wheel, and that NHTSA also pins down the risk in the campaign file. For Rivian, the challenge now is not only to fix toe links, but to convince current and future owners that its service playbook will not put them in harm’s way again.
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