Startup EV truck manufacturer Rivian issued a voluntary recall Friday for nearly all of its vehicles over a potential steering issue related to an insufficiently tightened fastener.
The recall notice was sent to customers Friday in advance of its posting by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and covers about 13,000 of the 15,332 electric pickup trucks, SUVs and Amazon delivery vans produced to date, according to the company.
“On a small percentage of vehicles, the fastener connecting the front upper control arm and steering knuckle may not have been sufficiently torqued,” Rivian CEO and founder R.J. Scaringe said in a letter to customers. “While we’ve only seen seven reports potentially related to this issue across our fleet to date, even one is too many.”
Rivian, which launched production at a converted Mitsubishi factory in downstate Normal last fall, “became aware of seven reports potentially related to this issue” on Sept. 28, according to a statement issued by the company. There have been no reported injuries and in most cases, the repair takes a few minutes to complete, Rivian said.
Customers can get the free repair through a scheduled mobile service appointment or at a Rivian service center. The company will also be setting up pop-up service centers in high-density areas for additional recall capacity. Rivian expects to complete the repairs to its fleet “in as little as 30 days,” according to its statement.
The California-based company has more than 6,000 employees and an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles at its sole production facility in Normal. But a slower-than expected ramp-up amid the global semiconductor shortage has Rivian on pace to build a lowered target of 25,000 vehicles in its first full year of production, the company said earlier this week.
