Rivian recalls the R2 SUV: high-voltage battery bolts may have been poorly tightened

Rivian has issued a recall for its electric R2 SUV after the company discovered that the high-voltage battery bolts may not have been tightened properly, which could cause a loss of power while driving, as TechCrunch reports.

According to Rivian’s filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the defect was first discovered on 17 September, when an employee at the Normal, Illinois plant noticed that a bolt had been “poorly tightened” by an automated station on the assembly line; the company investigated and reprogrammed the station to reject poorly tightened bolts.

The company says only about 14 vehicles may be affected and that it will repair or replace damaged components for customers; it states it is not aware of any customer reports, accidents, injuries or deaths related to this problem. Reddit users and the RivianTrackr blog reported the problem in late September; one owner said Rivian’s service asked him not to drive the vehicle anymore and had it towed away.

This is the second recall of the R2, Rivian’s first vehicle aimed at the mass market, on which the company’s first profit depends. The first recall, last month, concerned rear-camera visibility and was resolved with a software update.

Rivian aims to deliver 20,000–25,000 R2s by the end of the year (deliveries began in June), making it one of the fastest launches of a new EV on the U.S. market; it is adding a second production shift and says early demand is strong for the more affordable SUV.