Startup EV truck maker Rivian issued a voluntary recall Friday for nearly all of its vehicles due to a possible steering issue related to an insufficiently tightened fastener.
The recall notice was sent to customers on Friday before publication by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and covers about 13,000 of the 15,332 electric trucksAmazon SUVs and delivery trucks produced to date, according to the company.
“In a small percentage of vehicles, the fastener connecting the front upper control arm and the steering knuckle may not have been tightened sufficiently,” Rivian CEO and founder RJ Scaringe said in a letter to drivers. customers. “While to date we have only seen seven reports potentially related to this issue in our fleet, even one is too many.”
Rivian, which launched production at a converted Mitsubishi factory in southern Normal state last fall, “became aware of seven reports potentially related to this issue” on September 28, according to a statement issued by the company. No injuries have been reported and, in most cases, the repair takes a few minutes to complete, Rivian said.
Customers can get free repair through a scheduled mobile service appointment or at a Rivian service center. The company will also establish pop-up service centers in high-density areas for additional retirement capacity. Rivian expects to complete repairs to its fleet “in as little as 30 days,” according to its statement.
The California-based company has more than 6,000 employees and an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles at its single production plant in Normal. but a slower than expected The surge amid a global shortage of semiconductors has Rivian on track to build a reduced target of 25,000 vehicles in its first full year of production, the company said earlier this week.