Rivian Recalls R2 SUV Over Loose Battery Fasteners

Rivian has recalled roughly 14 R2 SUVs over high-voltage battery pack fasteners that might not be properly tightened, a defect that can cause a loss of power while driving.

The company said it will repair or replace damaged components on customer vehicles as needed. The affected population is small, but the timing is not: this is the second recall for the R2, which started shipping to customers this year and carries the weight of Rivian's first attempt at profitability.

The R2 is Rivian's first mass-market EV. The company needs it to reach profitability for the first time. The first R2 recall, issued last month, concerned backup camera visibility and was fixed with a software update.

According to a filing from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Rivian first spotted the battery defect on September 17. A "manufacturing 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 investigated and reprogrammed the station to reject "improperly torqued fasteners."

Rivian told the safety regulator that it "is not aware of any customer reports, accidents, injuries, or fatalities related to this issue."

Some owners did not wait for the regulator's paperwork. Reddit users, along with RivianTrackr, a blog that follows the company closely, reported the issue late last month. One owner said Rivian's service department told them to stop driving immediately, and the company towed the vehicle.

The recall lands in the middle of an aggressive launch schedule. Rivian has said it plans to ship between 20,000 and 25,000 R2s by the end of this year. Deliveries started in June. If Rivian hits the target, it would mark one of the fastest launches of a new EV in the U.S. market.

To get there, the company is supposed to be adding a second production shift. It has also said early demand is strong for the new, more affordable SUV.

Fourteen vehicles will not decide the fate of the R2. But two recalls in the first months of a launch that Rivian has billed as make-or-break give the company little margin for further stumbles as it ramps production toward year-end.