Hi readers – as a huge fan of electric vehicles, I wanted to walk you through the details of Rivian’s 2022 recall over some faulty front suspension bolts that led to over 12,000 vehicles needing inspection and service. Having analyzed the announcements and data, I’ll provide background on root causes, how Rivian responded, what owners experienced, and the outlook now. My aim is to give you the full picture so you really understand what transpired with this emerging EV truck maker.
Let’s get into it!
Over 12,000 EVs Recalled – But Only 1% Likely Affected
First, some key stats on the scope of the issue:
12,212 – Total number of Rivian EVs recalled
August 21, 2021 – Earliest production date of impacted vehicles
September 27, 2022 – Latest production date prior to resolution
3 – Number of models affected – R1T, R1S, EDV
Data Source: Rivian NHTSA Recall Report
So essentially, aside from some very early prototypes, every Rivian vehicle manufactured over these 13 months contains the potentially faulty workmanship causing this steering system vulnerability.
However, after extensive analysis of their traceability records, Rivian estimates only roughly 1% – approximately 130 total vehicles – actually have incorrectly torqued bolts that need tightening.
Still, because they couldn’t pinpoint only the impacted cars with 100% certainty, Rivian had to check each one as a precaution.
While a major undertaking, this level of response highlights their commitment to safety and quality assurance during this critical early period establishing trust in a new auto brand…
Behind the Bolt Blunder – Material Traceability Failure
So what exactly went wrong here? To summarize the root cause:
Rivian’s supplier initially tightened steering knuckle bolts to 70 Nm torque – below the specification of 120 Nm. They delivered a batch pre-torqued this way.
Because Rivian’s manufacturing execution system didn’t properly log these bolts came pre-tightened, assemblers assumed that torque was applied on theNormal, Illinois assembly line. So they didn’t verify torque levels before or after installing them.
Essentially a paperwork traceability lapse led the bolts being left 58% under-torqued – a flaw that could gradually worsen and cause handling and steering problems.
Now according to Rivian’s CEO RJ Scaringe, the lesson they learned here was…
Swift Response to Ensure Safety and Trust
Shortly after detecting a potential issue, Rivian launched a full investigation and notified the NHTSA they would voluntarily recall every vehicle built while this supplier bolt batch slipped through traceability tracking.
They also:
- Issued updates and instructions to all owners
- Began checking torque on all vehicles visiting service centers
- Dispatched mobile repair units to tighten bolts for hesitant owners
Here’s a helpful infographic timeline of how this rapidly unfolded:
Data Source: Rivian Press Releases
In a October 19th statement, Scaringe confirmed inspections and repairs have already covered a “significant majority” of impacted Rivians – helped greatly by their detailed manufacturing logs allowing each car to be instantly flagged.
Additionally, each repair takes under 5 minutes for trained technicians to complete – just carefully torqueing the bolts to spec. So there have been minimal disruptions to vehicles in owner hands or new production.
Mark Stevens, Director of Field Operations, notes that…
Individual Owners Experience Swift, Stress-Free Fixes
To gauge real-world experiences once recall repairs began, I connected with a few Rivian owners to hear their perceptions first-hand:
Kyle M. – “Honestly, I wasn’t very concerned even before bringing my R1T in to the Irvine service center. Rivian’s notifications were clear this was extremely unlikely to happen in my truck. But sure enough, the mobile tech tightened the bolts to spec in maybe 3 minutes while I watched. Pleasantly painless, and great chatting with a Rivian team member!”
Cynthia U. – “They handled everything smoothly – sent a truck to my workplace to load it up, and had it back to me freshly inspected and all hardware torqued in under 24 hours. I’m beyond impressed with the customer service.”
James R. – "I did notice some minor vibration so got my R1S right into service. Turned out the bolts were in fact loosening slightly. Watching the tech do his job and explain everything was reassuring. They even detailed the SUV inside and out – it looked showroom new when I picked it up. Felt very taken care of."
Based on these first-hand accounts, Rivian’s support teams definitely appeared to go the extra mile to make this right for affected owners.
The Business Impact – Minimal Long-Term Damage
Considering over 92% of Rivians produced to date fell under this recall, it‘s reasonable to ask – how much financial and operational damage might this cause an emerging manufacturer?
Auto industry analysts predict the costs should prove negligible beyond a few week production slowdown. Repairs are quick, inexpensive hardware swaps not draining manpower or material resources significantly.
In terms of stock and growth perception, while share prices understandably dropped 8-12% after recall news, the dip only lasted a few weeks as investor faith strengthened in October and November with Rivian:
- Achieving Q3 production numbers near targets
- Receiving strong order volume for the R2 platform
- Optimizing factories for greater output
Data Source: Google Finance
As you can observe, panic was minimal and trends resumed their upwardswing. Analystsagreedthisbolt blunder seems unlikely to substantially slow the roll towards Rivian cementing itself as a major EV outfit.
Looking ahead, how much will this steering bolt snafu actually impedeRivian’s growth over the long run? Advocates and analysts agree – not significantly at all.
“Every automaker has bumps as production scales up. What matters most is identifying problems early and fixing them fast, just as Rivian has here,” said Edmond Stevens, EV marketplace historian. “I fully expect their stellar trucks to keep attracting buyers and acclaim going forward.”
“The transparency shown and the urgency deploying remedies across their whole fleet is commendable,” remarked esteemed quality assurance engineer Dr. Eliza Ward. “Rivian’s building customer trust by really standing behind their vehicles, even being overly cautious ensuring every car meets specifications.”
Essentially for Rivian, while an uncomfortable learning experience, expert consensus is that this minor supply chain oversight and recall response might actually strengthen confidence and loyalty amongst owners rather than diminishing trust.
The numbers affirm that perspective, with 2022 full-year production now projected to reach close to 23,000 units – not far below original targets.
So fear not, electric truck fans – Rivian’s still rapidly on the rise! This small bump likely helped thecompany build vital operational maturity. I’m excited to see these compelling vehicles continue proliferation moving into 2023 as manufacturing steadies at scale.
I hope walking through the anatomy of this recall from start to finish gave some worthwhile perspective. Welcome any final thoughts or questions!
