We're now in the second week of 2026, and we've been waiting to see what the first recall of the year might be. Unfortunately for Rivian, the R1T pickup and R1S SUV claim the distinction (in terms of publicly available vehicles; technically, Blue Bird Bus Company is the first automaker to have a recall this year, but Rivian is the first in the retail space to issue a recall). According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2022-2025 Rivian R1T and R1S vehicles may have a problem with their toe link joints, and this could result in a crash. In fact, it already has, with one incident resulting in minor injuries being reported.
The Problem with Rivian Trucks and SUVs
Rivian
The recall report explains that as many as 19,641 vehicles may have received a service "resulting in a joint that is not reassembled to design intent during a repair requiring separation and reassembly of a rear suspension toe link joint." Vehicles that have been serviced after March 10, 2025, were subject to updated procedures and are therefore not part of the recall, but for those repaired prior to this date, their rear toe link joints not being correctly reassembled could result in unintended forces being exerted on the components. In certain cases, this may eventually cause toe link joint separation, which could increase the risk of a crash without prior warning. Basically, a small bump or other anomaly in a road surface could cause a sudden, unexpected reduction in handling ability. Presumably, drivers might be able to feel a slight vibration before this happens, but owners have a long wait ahead.
What Rivian Owners Can Do
Kristen Brown/Autoblog
Oddly, this recall doesn't have a planned dealer notification date, despite the remedy being the replacement of potentially affected rear toe link bolts using the updated service procedure, but owners will be notified, eventually — the planned remedy owner notification date is February 24, 2026. Unfortunately, VINs will only be searchable on nhtsa.gov on the same date, so until then, it's probably best to avoid high speeds and take note of any unusual noises or vibrations while driving. Hopefully, the upcoming R2 and its multi-link suspension won't fall victim to similar issues. In the meantime, we wait to see which automaker will be next to issue a recall in 2026. Based on its infamous recall record in 2025, Ford is likely to be in the mix fairly often.
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