Rivian Automotive, LLC has submitted a safety recall report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding its electric delivery vehicles. The campaign addresses potential failures in the driver-side seat belt anchorage system caused by specific misuse patterns. This recall affects the entire population of commercial vans produced over a four-year period.
Highlights
- Population: The recall affects 34,824 light-duty commercial vehicles.
- Defect: Driver-side seat belt pretensioner cables may suffer damage from repeated misuse.
- Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace assemblies, and Rivian will deploy an over-the-air (OTA) software update.
Vehicle Population and Chronology
The recall explicitly targets the Rivian EDV (Electric Delivery Van) within the “Light Truck” product category. The affected production window spans from December 10, 2021, to November 08, 2025. Rivian estimates that 100% of the 34,824 vehicles identified in the report are potentially involved.
NHTSA initiated a preliminary evaluation (PE25011) regarding seat belt anchorage failures on September 22, 2025. Following this evaluation, Rivian decided to conduct a voluntary safety recall on November 18, 2025. As of the filing date, the manufacturer is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this defect.
Defect Description and Safety Risk
The core technical issue involves the driver-side seat belt pretensioner cable. Rivian determined that the component is susceptible to damage caused by repeated misuse, specifically when a driver sits on a seat belt that is already buckled.
Risk Assessment
If the pretensioner cable is damaged, it may fail to adequately restrain the occupant during a crash event. This condition increases the risk of injury to the driver. In some instances, the damage to the pretensioner may be visibly detectible to the vehicle operator.
Component Details
- Component Name: Pretensioner
- Description: Seat Belt, 1st Row, Driver
- Part Number: PT00049165-D
Remedy and Implementation Schedule
Rivian has established a dual-approach remedy involving both hardware and software solutions. The manufacturer has released an OTA update that enables the vehicle to automatically detect seat belt misuse by the driver.
In addition to the software patch, Rivian will inspect the driver’s seat belt pretensioner assembly on affected vehicles. Units found with damage will be replaced free of charge. The remedy component consists of an undamaged pretensioner paired with the new misuse detection software.
Recall Schedule:
- Planned Owner Notification: January 19, 2026.
- Dealer Notification: Not applicable (No Dealers).
- VIN Search Availability: January 19, 2026.
Rivian notes that vehicles produced after November 08, 2025, were manufactured with the seat belt misuse detection feature already installed.
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