Update: Rivian got in touch with us and said that all the affected vehicles have been fixed. The original story can be read below.
Rivian is recalling certain 2022-2023 R1S SUVs to remedy a potential problem with the side curtain airbags, which may be improperly secured to the roof rails, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows in its official report.
According to Rivian, just 30 units of the all-electric SUV are affected by the issue that was identified on February 16, 2023, The cars in question were manufactured at the company’s Normal plant between October 28, 2022, and January 21, 2023, when Rivian stopped building R1Ss with the suspect fastenings.
Improperly fastened airbag units increase the risk of injury in case of an accident because the airbag may not perform as intended, the NHTSA report says.
Gallery: 2022 Rivian R1S First Drive
Rivian has already started calling customers that own affected SUVs on March 2, which will be inspected and then the side curtain airbags will be properly secured by service technicians. If some components need to be replaced, the EV maker will do this free of charge. If for whatever reason, some owners will not be contacted, the NHTSA will notify them about the recall on April 28.
The recall report posted on the government agency’s website also says that Rivian will reimburse owners who already fixed this issue and paid out of their own pocket for the repair:
“Rivian has a policy and practice of reimbursing owners who have paid for a repair that subsequently becomes the subject of a field action. To ensure consistency, Rivian, as part of the owner letter, will request that customers send the original receipt and/or other adequate proof of payment to the company for confirmation of the expense.”
This is the second airbag-related recall that Rivian has issued in the past month, with the previous one potentially affecting a little over 12,716 vehicles – both R1T pickups and R1S SUVs – that might be equipped with a faulty sensor in the front passenger seat belt system.
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Source: Rivian