Rivian issues recall for nearly all of its electric vehicles

Startup EV truck manufacturer Rivian issued a voluntary recall Friday for nearly all of its vehicles over a potential steering issue related to an insufficiently tightened fastener.

The recall notice was sent to customers Friday in advance of its posting by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and covers about 13,000 of the 15,332 electric pickup trucks, SUVs and Amazon delivery vans produced to date, according to the company.

“On a small percentage of vehicles, the fastener connecting the front upper control arm and steering knuckle may not have been sufficiently torqued,” Rivian CEO and founder R.J. Scaringe said in a letter to customers. “While we’ve only seen seven reports potentially related to this issue across our fleet to date, even one is too many.”

Rivian, which launched production at a converted Mitsubishi factory in downstate Normal last fall, “became aware of seven reports potentially related to this issue” on Sept. 28, according to a statement issued by the company. There have been no reported injuries and in most cases, the repair takes a few minutes to complete, Rivian said.

While Scaringe told customers the voluntary recall was being issued out of an abundance of caution, he also said it was important “not to minimize the potential risks involved” with an insufficiently tightened steering fastener.

“In rare circumstances, the nut could loosen fully,” Scaringe said. “I want to reiterate that this is extremely rare, but it does reinforce why we are acting with such urgency and caution.”

Customers can get the free repair through a scheduled mobile service appointment or at a Rivian service center. The company will also be setting up pop-up service centers in high-density areas for additional recall capacity. Rivian expects to complete the repairs to its fleet “in as little as 30 days,” according to its statement.

For most customers, the repair will require tightening the steering fastener, Scaringe said. For the “very small percentage” where replacement parts are needed, Rivian will provide loaner vehicles.

Scaringe advised customers who “experience excessive noise, vibration or harshness from the front suspension, or a change in steering performance or feel,” to call for service immediately.

The California-based company has more than 6,000 employees and an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles at its sole production facility in Normal. But a slower-than expected ramp-up amid the global semiconductor shortage has Rivian on pace to build a lowered target of 25,000 vehicles in its first full year of production, the company said earlier this week.

Rivian accelerated production by 67% in the third quarter, with more than 7,300 electric trucks rolling off the line at its Normal plant.

While it has generated robust demand for its inaugural products, Rivian has struggled to keep up. The company had more than 98,000 orders for its R1T pickup and R1S SUV as of June 30. Amazon, an early investor in Rivian, has ordered 100,000 commercial electric delivery vans, which began hitting the road in Chicago and other cities in July.

Rivian, which bought the idled Mitsubishi plant for $16 million in 2017, completed an extensive renovation last year, turning on the lights at a 3.3 million-square-foot factory and breathing new life into Normal, a college town about 130 miles south of Chicago.

The company is also building a second $5 billion assembly plant in Georgia, which is slated to produce its next-generation EV on the smaller R2 platform beginning in 2025.

When Rivian went public in November, investors looking for the next Tesla quickly pushed its valuation north of $100 billion. But the stock, which hit a high of $179.47 in mid-November, has fallen sharply this year amid the slow ramp-up. It closed at $33.95 per share Friday, giving Rivian a market cap of about $30 billion.

rchannick@chicagotribune.com