A day after reporting a new physical recall notice involving “certain” R1T and R1S vehicles, the EV maker Rivian said only 23 vehicles were affected.
The company founded and led by RJ Scaringe told EV on Thursday that the recall has only affected “a very small number” of vehicles, adding that the exact number of R1S and R1Ts included in the recall was 23.
Rivian had first described the recall on its dedicated recall website as “R1 Improperly Tightened Ground Connection May Cause a Loss of Drive Power,” which was affecting “certain” 2025 model-year vehicles, without specifying the number.
The defect involves an improperly tightened ground connection inside the high-voltage distribution box, which could trigger a sudden loss of drive power without warning. Rivian filed the recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on August 21.
To fix it, Rivian said it “will inspect and repair the HVDB ground strap joint on the potentially affected vehicles or replace the high voltage battery pack free of charge.”
No crashes or injuries have been reported.
In June, the company called back certain R1T and R1S units to inspect and reinforce front seat belt anchors that may not have been properly secured.
That same month it disclosed a defect in front signal lamps caused by faulty supplier parts, and earlier in the year it recalled vehicles after headlamps failed to illuminate at start-up in cold temperatures.
In September 2024, some R1S models required new steering column modules after being delivered without proper cruise control markings, while in June 2024 Rivian issued two separate campaigns, one to correct overstated payload capacity labels and another to replace upper B-pillar and C-pillar trim panels.
The company also conducted a recall in December 2023 to replace accelerator pedals on certain 2022 model-year vehicles.
By contrast, not all recalls have required physical fixes.
In October 2024, Rivian resolved a fault in exterior lighting linked to its “Car Costume” feature through an over-the-air update that re-enabled the function without service visits.
On its website, Rivian points to the R1S’s continued recognition for safety, including a 2025 Top Safety Pick+ designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for vehicles built after August 2024.
Rivian started rolling out the 2025.26 software update to both its Gen 1 and Gen 2 R1 models on Tuesday, with customers reporting major improvements in the infotainment system.
Rivian founder and chief executive RJ Scaringe said the US electric vehicle maker was forced to dramatically rework its supply chain in the second quarter after abrupt disruptions to rare earth metals.
John Krafcik, former Waymo CEO and Board member of Rivian's Nominating & Governance Committee, bashed on Sunday Tesla's Robotaxi service, saying the company has not yet launched one.
Electric vehicle maker Rivian has reassigned senior executive Michael Callahan to the role of Chief Accounting Officer, marking his third title change since joining the company two and half years ago.

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