Rivian recalled 14 R2s over an under-torqued high-voltage battery fastener

The 2027 Rivian R2 had been reaching buyers since deliveries started earlier in 2026, and it had already had a couple of small recall hiccups — a previous issue with the rearview backup camera, then this. Rivian's second R2 recall, filed with NHTSA and published on its own recall center in early October 2026, covers 14 R2s built between May 18 and August 27 that may have an improperly torqued fastener connected to the high-voltage battery.

The culprit is an HV battery busbar fastener — the busbar connects cells and modules across the pack to keep voltage consistent. Rivian's warning: the vehicle may experience a loss of motive power without prior warning. Plenty more R2s were built in that window, but Rivian's investigation concluded only 14 could carry an under-torqued fastener.

The defect surfaced on September 17, 2026, when a manufacturing operator identified an under-torqued fastener coming off an automated torque station. Rivian reprogrammed the station to reject improperly torqued fasteners, and a one-week investigation of manufacturing records traced the risk to just the 14 recalled vehicles. It then decided to conduct a safety recall.

No accidents, injuries or fatalities were reported, and Rivian said it received no customer reports on the issue. Service centers will inspect and repair the connection or replace damaged components free of charge; TechCrunch reported that all 14 affected vehicles were already at service centers, per a note from Rivian.

14 R2s (built May 18 to August 27, 2026) recalled for free inspection and repair; no accidents or injuries reported

An automated torque station let a high-voltage battery fastener through under-torqued, and a human operator — not the machine's checks — caught it.

A loose HV busbar fastener can cut drive power with no warning: a tiny population, but a serious failure mode for a new model.

It was the second R2 recall since deliveries began, keeping launch-quality pressure on Rivian's newest line after the backup-camera issue.

An automated station is only as safe as its rejection logic: the machine torqued a battery fastener wrong, and it took a human operator to catch it.

The automated station has been reprogrammed to reject improperly torqued fasteners. Rivian filed the recall with NHTSA and published it on its recall center; the fix — inspect and repair the connection or replace damaged components — is free, and all 14 affected vehicles were reportedly already at service centers when the recall was announced.