NHTSA Opens Preliminary Investigation into 115,000 Rivian Vehicles

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has recently opened a preliminary investigation into 114,922 Rivian R1S and R1T vehicles, focusing on incidents where the rear suspension toe link may separate from the vehicle body due to a fractured bolt while driving.

According to reports received by the NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, two Rivian owners, driving a 2023 and a 2024 Rivian R1S SUV respectively, experienced a left rear toe link detachment. In both incidents, the vehicles veered across multiple lanes following the suspension component failure, with one incident resulting in a collision with another vehicle and a roadside barrier.

Investigators noted that the failed component was not the toe link itself, but rather the bolt securing that assembly, which fractured. Evidence collected includes repair records, onboard video, photographs, and police crash reports. The two vehicles involved had different prior histories; one had undergone repairs, and the other had been in a collision. Both vehicles experienced the failure after months of driving and thousands of miles.

Rivian was previously aware of issues with its rear suspension. The company updated its repair guide in March 2025 and, in early 2026, recalled nearly 20,000 R1T and R1S vehicles because service technicians had been following outdated repair procedures since 2022.

This preliminary evaluation by federal regulators will focus on assessing the vulnerability of the toe link assembly under real-world road conditions and repair scenarios, and will compare the damaged parts from the two incidents to determine if the problem stems solely from improper repairs.

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