Rivian’s R2 crossover was meant to widen the brand’s reach beyond adventure-truck buyers, but a launch year also means new assembly lines and new failure modes. In early October 2026 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) listed safety recall campaign 26V625 for a handful of 2027 model-year R2s whose high-voltage battery packs may contain an under-torqued circuit fastener. The issue is physical hardware at the Normal, Illinois plant, not an over-the-air glitch, and the described hazard is sudden loss of drive power—something any driver merging onto a limited-access highway wants to know about before the next trip.
What changed in the federal record
Rivian’s Part 573 report, summarized on NHTSA.gov/recalls, traces the discovery to September 17, 2026, when a manufacturing operator found a fastener that had cleared an automated torque station below specification. The company identified U.S. vehicles built from May 18 through August 27, 2026, reprogrammed that station to reject out-of-spec torque, and described the part as an M6 high-voltage battery circuit fastener (part number SC00036202-D in the filing). Only 14 R2s fall inside the population, yet NHTSA’s consequence language is unchanged from larger campaigns: an intermittent or complete loss of electrical connection can remove motive power while the vehicle is in motion, which increases crash risk if it happens in live traffic.
How this differs from the earlier R2 camera recall
Rivian’s prior R2 action in September 2026 centered on backup-camera display timing and was largely closed out with software for thousands of vehicles. Campaign 26V625 requires hands-on service work—inspect the joint, apply correct torque, or replace damaged high-voltage components if the connection already suffered harm. If you are sorting multiple open items in the Rivian app, treat them as separate threads: closing the camera campaign does not clear a high-voltage fastener inspection, and a “remedy available” label on one recall does not imply the other is finished.
What drivers and shoppers should watch for
The manufacturer told NHTSA it had no customer complaints linked to this specific fastener condition at filing time, and the report does not promise a dedicated warning lamp before every failure. That gap pushes responsibility back to the owner: unexplained propulsion shutdowns, repeated “unable to drive” messages, or a direct Rivian service notice about high-voltage hardware should trigger an immediate inspection—not another highway attempt to “see if it clears.” Some early owners reported pre-recall tow requests for fastener checks; if you received that outreach, follow Rivian’s instructions even before your VIN appears in the public database.
Checking coverage and closing the loop
Rivian’s schedule in the filing points to mailed owner notification around November 28, 2026, with VIN-level searchability on the federal portal aligned to that window; until then, call Rivian at 1-888-748-4261 and reference internal recall FSAM-1888 if service already flagged your vehicle. The remedy is performed at no charge and should be documented with campaign number 26V625 on the repair order so the next owner can see closure. Used-market shoppers comparing early-build R2s should treat the May–August 2026 build window like any other pre-purchase red flag alongside battery health paperwork.
Before you finalize an early-production R2 purchase—or hand keys to someone who daily-drives one—running the VIN through CarDiary’s VIN check alongside the official NHTSA lookup keeps open recall status next to registration and insurance deadlines instead of scattered across app threads.