Lucid USA, Inc. is recalling 3,627 model year 2024–2026 Air Pure rear-wheel-drive vehicles after determining that improperly secured half-shaft bolts could allow the driveshaft to disconnect from the rear drive unit. The recall, filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on March 26, 2026, expands a previous October 2025 action that covered just 225 vehicles identified through telematics-based lash detection.
Highlights
- 3,627 Lucid Air Pure RWD vehicles produced between September 2023 and July 2025 are affected by NHTSA recall 26V193.
- Half-shaft bolts may not be properly secured, risking complete loss of drive power without warning.
- 26 additional half-shaft incidents occurred between October 2025 and February 2026 on vehicles outside the original recall population.
- Lucid is developing an OTA software update with a revised detection algorithm to provide real-time driver warnings alongside physical bolt replacement.
Defect and Safety Risk
The defect stems from an interruption of torque operations during the adhesive curing window for half-shaft bolts. Contributing factors include bolts with damaged adhesive coatings, contamination of the half-shaft assembly, and reuse of bolts with already-cured adhesive. The components were supplied by GKN Automotive of Villagrán, Mexico, and Bossard, Inc. of Phoenix, Arizona.
Air Pure RWD vehicles use a single rear drive unit, meaning a half-shaft disengagement results in a complete, unwarned loss of motive power. Other Lucid Air trims with dual drive units are not included in the recall because they retain propulsion capability if one half-shaft fails. Lucid estimates that 8.9% of the recalled population may have the defect.
Expanded Scope After Post-Recall Incidents
Lucid originally filed recall SR-25-03-0 in October 2025, using a telematics-based lash detection algorithm to identify 225 potentially affected Air Pure RWD vehicles. After that action, the company’s Product Safety Working Group identified 26 additional half-shaft disengagement incidents on non-recalled vehicles between October 2025 and February 2026, all attributed to the same root cause.
The expanded recall now covers all Air Pure RWD vehicles manufactured before Lucid’s July 25, 2025 clean point that have fewer than 25,000 miles, have not already received a drive unit replacement, and were not part of the original recall. No incidents were found on vehicles produced after the clean point, and no failures occurred above the 25,000-mile threshold.
Remedy and Owner Notification
Lucid will remove and replace the half-shaft bolts at no cost to owners. The replacement process follows manufacturing containment and parts quality improvements that Lucid and its suppliers implemented through July 2025. Those measures include sorting half-shaft castings to verify they are free of contamination, inspecting bolts for adhesive damage before and after installation, and enforcing a five-minute completion window after the bolt hand-start process.
In parallel, Lucid is developing a software-based detection strategy that uses a revised algorithm deployed via over-the-air update. The system would provide continuous, real-time evaluation of vehicle signals to warn drivers proactively if a half-shaft is at risk of disengagement. Under this approach, only algorithmically flagged vehicles would require a physical bolt replacement.
NHTSA has issued consumer advisories to affected owners: Do Not Drive and Park Outside. Owner notification letters are scheduled to be mailed May 22, 2026. Owners may contact Lucid Customer Care at 1-888-995-8243 or reference NHTSA recall 26V193 for additional information.
Lucid will reimburse owners who incurred costs for a remedy before receiving formal notification. The reimbursement window covers expenses from initial vehicle delivery through 10 days after the mailing of the owner notification letter.
This recall comes amid a difficult stretch for the EV startup. Lucid’s first-quarter 2026 deliveries fell to 3,093 vehicles, and the company has issued multiple recalls this year, including a separate action covering more than 4,000 Gravity SUVs for improperly welded seat belt anchors. The Lucid Air remains the company’s flagship sedan, having recently topped the NAF Winter Test with a 520-kilometer range.
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