Rivian has issued a second recall for the R2, this time over a loose battery fastener. According to a report from autoevolution, 14 R2s may have left Rivian’s Normal, Illinois, factory with an insufficiently tightened fastener on the high-voltage battery, which can cause a sudden loss of power to the drive unit.
The affected vehicles were built between May 18 and August 27, 2026. Rivian isn’t aware of any customer complaints or incidents tied to the issue, and there’s no warning for the failure condition.
What Went Wrong
The recall, filed with NHTSA as 26V625, started with a factory operator who spotted an under-torqued fastener on an R2 unit on the factory floor last month. The part had already passed the plant’s automated torque station. Rivian has since reprogrammed that station to reject fasteners that don’t meet the required torque value, though the NHTSA filing doesn’t explain how it let some under-torqued bolts through.
Last month, Rivian also grounded some R2s for high-voltage circuit fastener inspections. It never publicly commented on those.
How Rivian Will Fix It
The fix starts with an inspection of the connection, which may lead to a repair or the replacement of any damaged components. Affected vehicles will get a properly torqued fastener. Owners should receive notification letters starting November 28, 2026, and affected VINs will become searchable on NHTSA’s website that day.
This is the R2’s second recall. The first came last month and covered roughly 100,000 R1 and R2 vehicles over a rearview camera bug, but that one was resolved with an over-the-air software update. This one requires a service visit.
Small Recall, Growing R2 Production
At just 14 vehicles, this recall is tiny next to the first one. Rivian has seen healthy demand for the R2 since deliveries began in early June, to the point that it added a second production shift for the next-generation crossover at its Normal factory. The R2 is also slated to finally get Rivian Assistant in an upcoming software update.
The R2 is Rivian’s first true mass-market vehicle, so it’ll need to keep a close eye on quality checks as production ramps up. For now, owners of affected vehicles should watch for a letter in late November.
