Rivian is Recalling 99,000 R1 and R2 Models due to a Backup Camera Issue

• This marks the first recall for the new R2 SUV that launched in June.

• In the affected vehicles, the reverse camera could be obstructed by a pop-up under specific circumstances.

• The fix will consist of an over-the-air software update, which Rivian says is already installed on almost all of the recalled vehicles.

While the Rivian R2 has just started reaching customers, with the first delivery occurring in June, it is now subject to its first recall.

Indeed, the EV maker has announced a recall campaign for all of its current models, including the R2, which includes 99,000 vehicles in the United States.

Fortunately, the defect that prompted this recall seems fairly minor and requires a very specific set of circumstances to occur.

The issue itself is that when selecting reverse, the backup camera might not be displayed until the vehicle starts moving, which is not permitted under U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).

Apparently, this only happens if the driver deactivated stability control in certain drive modes, then left the vehicle before returning some time later. If at this point they select reverse before reactivating stability control or changing drive modes, a warning message can pop up on the infotainment screen and therefore block the image from the reversing camera.

Rivian says the camera does take precedence over this warning message once the vehicle starts moving backwards, but this is not allowed under the strict North American safety standards.

Indeed, the government says the camera must be displayed on the screen no more than two seconds after reverse is selected, regardless of whether the vehicle is moving.

A backup camera that fails to display before the vehicle starts reversing could increase the risk of a collision or injuries. The automaker hasn’t received any incident reports relating to this fault.

While all of the recalled R1T (2022-2026), R1S (2022-2027), and R2 models are determined to have this software quirk, Rivian says 95 % of all affected R1 models and 96% of affected R2 units have already been updated and should therefore be compliant.

Owners of the remaining recalled vehicles are invited to install the latest software update as soon as possible. Since Rivian models are capable of over-the-air updates, a visit to the dealership is not required to fix this issue.

Interestingly, another recall related to the backup camera could be coming, since many Rivian owners have complained that a recent software update caused the camera feed to become laggy and take longer to appear once the vehicle is put into reverse.

If the NHTSA determines there is grounds for a recall, Rivian will need to push another update to remedy these complaints.

Source: InsideEVs