The Rivian R1T and R1S are facing a federal investigation after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a safety probe into the electric trucks on Tuesday, May 26. The probe is specifically focused on the rear suspension of select Rivian R1 vehicles, which the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation alleges can separate and cause the vehicle to swerve unexpectedly. Separation of the rear toe link is believed to be the root cause of the issue.
Preliminary information from federal investigators indicates that rear toe link separation was responsible for a collision with an adjacent vehicle and a roadside barrier in one instance. Federal investigators initially received two Vehicle Owner Questionnaires reporting left rear toe link separation in certain 2023-2024 Rivian R1S vehicles. Both vehicles were found to have fractured bolts that maintained the integrity of the toe link.
View Price on AmazonHowever, Rivian disputes the findings of the questionnaires, citing an internal investigation. "Vehicle safety is a top priority at Rivian. Rivian data indicates R1 toe link joints are operating as intended. We are cooperating with NHTSA’s preliminary evaluation, but our internal investigation revealed that the two VOQs (vehicle owner questionnaires) upon which NHTSA is basing this Preliminary Evaluation do not implicate the joint itself," a spokesperson for Rivian said.
NHTSA officials say the two incident vehicles lived very different lives before the suspension failure. One received service before the suspension separation, while the other was previously in a collision. However, both models had driven thousands of miles without any apparent warning of a potential suspension failure. Rivian had previously addressed R1 toe link joint sensitivity in an internal service bulletin dated March 2025.
The Office of Defects Investigation will assess the sensitivity of the rear toe link joint to foreseeable road and service conditions, compare the physical failure evidence from the two VOQs to identify apparent similarities and potential differences, evaluate Rivian’s current toe link repair procedure, and assess the in-field subject population’s toe links conditions.
Source: roadandtrack.com
