Overview
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a preliminary evaluation Thursday into about 114,922 Rivian R1S and R1T vehicles after two owner reports of left rear toe-link separation while driving.
- Both complaints say a bolt on the rear toe-link fractured, causing the toe-link to separate and the vehicles to suddenly lose directional control with one incident causing a crash.
- ODI investigators have collected repair histories, onboard video, photos of the damaged parts, and a police report to compare failure evidence and identify common causes.
- The probe follows Rivian’s March 2025 change to service procedures and a January 2026 recall that covered 19,641 R1 vehicles serviced before that repair update.
- Rivian says its data show toe-link joints are performing as intended and notes one vehicle was handled by a third-party shop; investigators may upgrade the review to an engineering analysis that could lead to wider recalls or close the case if no broader defect is found.