Rivian faces US probe over part issue causing EVs to swerve

US auto safety regulators have opened a preliminary investigation into Rivian Automotive Inc. covering about 115,000 R1 electric pickups and SUVs over potential failure of a rear toe link suspension part. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration received two complaints that the part’s separation caused the vehicles to swerve across multiple lanes, including one collision. Rivian said it is cooperating but contends its data shows the toe link joints are operating as intended, despite a prior recall of nearly 20,000 vehicles for the same issue earlier this year.

Getting your Trinity Audio //trinityaudio.ai player ready... By Kara Carlson, Bloomberg US auto safety regulators have opened an investigation into Rivian Automotive Inc. over the potential failure of a part that could lead drivers to lose control of their electric vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it received two complaints from Rivian owners describing separation of the so-called rear toe link, a suspension rod that connects the wheel hub to the vehicle chassis. Both incidents caused the EVs to “swerve across multiple lanes of traffic,” one of which resulted in a collision, the agency said in documents posted to its website. The probe, known as a preliminary evaluation, covers about 115,000 of the company’s R1 electric pickups and SUVs. Rivian said it’s cooperating with NHTSA but that the company’s own investigation suggested the two incidents don’t implicate the toe link component. “Rivian data indicates R1 toe link joints are operating as intended,” the automaker said in a statement. Issues with the part previously led Rivian to recall almost 20,000 vehicles earlier this year. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com https://www.bloomberg.com ©2026 Bloomberg L.P.