NHTSA probes 115,000 Rivian R1 vehicles for separating toe links

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened preliminary investigation PE26004 on May 26, 2026, covering 114,922 Rivian R1S and R1T vehicles from model years 2022–2025 after two owners reported rear toe link bolts fracturing while driving, causing their vehicles to swerve across multiple lanes - one incident resulting in a collision with another vehicle and a roadside barrier. The probe arrives two weeks before Rivian begins R2 customer deliveries on June 9 and follows a January 2026 recall (26V-003) in which Rivian extended an improved toe-link service procedure to vehicles that had received prior service before a March 2025 instruction change. Rivian said internal data shows the joints are operating as intended and the complaints do not implicate the joint itself, but the company is cooperating with NHTSA's evaluation.