Rivian issued a recall for 12,716 of its R1 model vehicles this week due to safety issues with its front passenger seat airbag deployment.
The size of the recall is equal to nearly half of the total 24,337 vehicles the company produced last year. Rivian was not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the issue in the market, according to a filing with NHTSA.
The issue was due to a defect during supplier manufacturing of the seat belt system, according to the filing. The EV maker and its contract manufacturer, which is not named in the filings, investigated the issue for six months before issuing a recall.
Rivian dealers will inspect and replace front passenger seat belt system components as necessary, free of charge, according to an NHTSA acknowledgment letter of the recall. Affected owners will be notified of the recall via mail in April.
Rivian's safety investigation and vehicle recall
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September 2021
Rivian begins production of the potentially affected vehicles, built with the suspected defected seat belt systems.
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July 2022
Rivian and its contract manufacturer begin investigating the seat belt systems following a service request regarding a vehicle's airbag system. The six-month investigation includes collecting additional parts from the field for analysis
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September 2022
The EV maker stops producing vehicles built with the suspected seat belt systems.
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January 2023
Rivian ends its investigation.
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February 2023
Rivian and its contract manufacturer determined that a safety noncompliance issue regarding deployment of the airbag could not be ruled out, prompting a recall.
This is Rivian's second recall in less than six months. The EV maker recalled 12,212 vehicles in October due to a potential safety issue with their steering capabilities.
This latest recall comes as the startup is straining to grow its large-scale production capacity. Rivian announced in an earnings call Wednesday that it plans to produce 50,000 vehicles this year, more than double the number manufactured in 2022.
