Rivian has opened a safety recall covering 14 early 2027 model-year R2 SUVs for a high-voltage battery fastener that may not have been tightened correctly at the Normal, Illinois plant. An under-torqued connection can interrupt power to the motors and cause an intermittent or complete loss of drive power while the vehicle is moving.
The population is tiny relative to R2’s ramp – and Rivian says it already has the affected trucks at Service Centers for a free fix. This is a practical ownership note, not a scare piece: know whether you are in the group, what the remedy is, and who to call.
Quick answer
| Question | Short answer (as of Oct 2, 2026) |
|---|---|
| What? | High-voltage battery fastener may be under-torqued |
| Which vehicles? | 14 MY 2027 R2 builds (roughly May 18–Aug 27, 2026) |
| Risk? | Intermittent or complete loss of drive power |
| Injuries / crashes? | Rivian is not aware of any customer reports, accidents, injuries, or fatalities tied to this issue |
| Fix? | Inspect and properly torque the fastener, or replace damaged HV components – free |
| Status? | Remedy available; Rivian says all affected vehicles are already at Service Centers |
| IDs | NHTSA 26V-625 · Rivian FSAM-1888 |
| Owner mail / VIN lookup | Letters expected Nov 28, 2026; VINs searchable on NHTSA.gov the same day |
What went wrong
On the R2 pack, a critical high-voltage fastener needs a specific torque. Rivian’s NHTSA filing and factory timeline (as reported from the filing) describe an automated station on the Normal line that could leave a fastener under-torqued. A manufacturing operator caught an example around September 17, 2026; Rivian investigated and reprogrammed the station to reject improperly torqued fasteners before more vehicles left with the same risk.
If that joint is loose, the electrical connection can drop out. On an EV, that can mean the truck suddenly has little or no propulsion – which is why this is a safety recall even when the count is only fourteen.
Rivian’s own recall page states the company “is not aware of any customer reports, accidents, injuries, or fatalities related to this condition.”
Who is affected
- Model: Rivian R2
- Model year: 2027
- Count: 14 vehicles
- Build window (from reporting of the NHTSA documentation): about May 18 through August 27, 2026
That window lines up with early customer and production R2s, not the broader future fleet. Later builds should already sit behind the station reprogramming. Still: do not assume from the date alone – use Rivian’s outreach, the app/service message, or a VIN check once NHTSA’s lookup is live.
For trim, pack, and charging context on the SUV itself, see our R2 Standard vs Premium vs Performance cheat sheet and the living R2 specs sheet. Same-day companion: Rivian Q3 2026 deliveries.
What Rivian is doing
Per Rivian’s recall information page (updated October 2, 2026):
- All vehicles in this recall are already at Rivian Service Centers
- Technicians will inspect, properly torque the fastener, or replace damaged high-voltage components as needed
- The work is at no cost to the customer
- Rivian says it has proactively contacted every customer whose vehicle is included
NHTSA’s public summary matches that remedy: inspect and repair the connection or replace damaged components free of charge. Formal owner notification letters are expected around November 28, 2026, and the involved VINs become searchable on NHTSA’s recall site the same day.
What owners should do
- Watch for Rivian contact. If you are in the fourteen, Rivian says it already reached out and your truck should be in the Service queue. Follow the in-app Service request or the message from Service Support.
- If you were told to stop driving or to wait for a tow, do that. Early service guidance for some owners before the formal recall listing included grounding/towing – treat Rivian’s instructions as the authority for your VIN.
- Call if you are unsure. Rivian Service Support: 1-855-748-4265. Reference recall FSAM-1888 / NHTSA 26V-625. (NHTSA’s summary also lists Rivian customer service at 1-888-748-4261.)
- After Nov 28, 2026, paste your VIN into NHTSA.gov/recalls to confirm open campaigns.
- Keep software current for other campaigns. Separately, Rivian’s rearview-camera campaign (NHTSA 26V-597 / FSAM-1866) was the first R2-related recall last month and is addressed with an over-the-air update – install pending OTAs when the truck offers them.
Do not attempt high-voltage pack fastener work yourself. That is Service-only territory.
Second R2 recall – how to read the ramp
This is the second R2-related recall after the rear-camera OTA. A fourteen-vehicle hardware catch on an aggressive first-year ramp is the kind of manufacturing feedback loop every new EV program hits: find it at the plant, stop the bad process, pull the small population, fix for free.
It does not mean every R2 on the road has a loose pack bolt. It does mean early owners should treat Service outreach seriously and that Rivian’s Normal line is still proving out volume build quality while it pushes toward a faster R2 launch pace.
FAQ
Is my R2 included if I took delivery after late August 2026?
Probably not – reporting of the NHTSA documentation ends the suspect build period on August 27, 2026, after which Rivian stopped building with the suspect torque process. Confirm with Rivian or, after November 28, with a VIN lookup on NHTSA.gov.
Will this cost me anything?
No. Rivian and NHTSA both describe the inspect/repair or component replacement as free of charge.
Can this cause a fire?
The published defect description is about loss of drive power from an improperly tightened high-voltage fastener, not a thermal event. Stick to that wording unless Rivian or NHTSA publishes something different.
How is this different from the rear-camera recall?
The camera campaign (26V-597) is a software/display issue in reverse and is fixed over the air. This campaign (26V-625) is a physical fastener on the HV battery path and needs a Service Center inspect/repair.
Where can I read Rivian’s official notice?
Rivian’s Support article: Recall Information (lists R2 HV Battery Under Torqued Fasteners, NHTSA 26V-625, FSAM-1888). Cross-check the campaign on NHTSA.
Sources
- Rivian – Recall Information (primary; page notes last updated Oct 2, 2026)
- NHTSA campaign 26V625000 / 26V-625 (API + public summary: critical HV fastener, 2027 R2, FSAM-1888)
- TechCrunch – Rivian issues R2 recall for poorly tightened battery packs (secondary reporting of filing details; opens in new tab)
