Rivian Automotive, Inc. RIVN is under a preliminary investigation by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for 114,922 R1S and R1T vehicles over a potential issue involving the rear toe link. The probe covers 2022-2025 model years and follows two Vehicle Owner Questionnaires reporting left rear toe link separation in certain 2023-2024 R1S SUVs.
Per the complaints, the component separated while the vehicles were being driven, causing them to swerve across multiple lanes. One of the incidents led to a crash involving another vehicle and a roadside barrier. In both cases, investigators found that the bolt securing the toe link had fractured.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation gathered repair records, onboard video footage, images of the damaged parts and a police accident report tied to the complaints. There have been no injuries or fatalities linked to the issue so far.
The two vehicles involved had different service histories. One had undergone prior servicing, while the other had previously been in a collision. Despite those differences, both vehicles reportedly operated for months and accumulated thousands of miles without visible issues before the failures occurred.
The toe link is part of the suspension system responsible for maintaining rear-wheel alignment, and its failure could lead to a sudden loss of steering control. Per Reuters, the investigation will examine how sensitive the rear toe link joint is to expected road and service conditions, while also reviewing Rivian’s current repair procedures for the component.
The development follows an earlier action in January, when Rivian recalled 19,641 previously serviced R1S and R1T EVs in the United States over improperly assembled rear toe links.
The recent investigation comes as Rivian prepares for the launch of its upcoming R2 SUV, with the first customer deliveries reportedly expected on June 9. The R2 is positioned as a more affordable offering aimed at a broader customer base than the existing R1 lineup. Rivian plans to launch the SUV initially at a price just under $60,000, with a lower-cost “standard” version priced from $48,490 expected in 2027.
RIVN Zacks Rank & Key Picks
Rivian currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks in the auto space are Geely Automobile Holdings Limited GELHY, Garrett Motion Inc. GTX and PHINIA Inc. PHIN, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GELHY’s 2026 sales and earnings implies year-over-year growth of 76.1% and 36.3%, respectively. The EPS estimate for 2026 and has improved 34 cents and 42 cents, respectively, over the past 30 days.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GTX’s 2026 sales and earnings implies year-over-year growth of 5.7% and 20.4%, respectively. The EPS estimate for 2026 has improved 12 cents over the past 30 days, while the EPS estimate for 2027 has improved 5 cents over the past seven days.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PHIN’s 2026 sales and earnings implies year-over-year growth of 6.6% and 28.2%, respectively. The EPS estimate for 2026 and 2027 has improved 42 cents and 22 cents, respectively, over the past 30 days.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).