Rivian Might Have To Announce a Third Airbag-Related Recall Soon, Here's Why

Late last year and in early 2023, the R1T and R1S received an important stamp of approval from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) – they were both awarded the Top Safety Pick+ accolade. That happened after the organization updated its testing procedure to be more challenging. The results were a triumph because they proved that the brand was very serious about manufacturing safe EVs.

But as many car owners know, problems are to be expected with new vehicles, especially when they're in the first year of production. Rivian's EVs, surprisingly, didn't have that many despite the company being very young and the R1T and R1S its first-ever customer-ready autos.

Sure, there were some software mishaps, a blown-out-of-proportion steering knuckle issue, and some other minor problems like the reverse lights needing to be replaced. Fortunately, Rivian customers didn't have to deal with high-voltage battery failures, serious air suspension troubles, or common drivetrain malfunctions. The young marque did its due diligence before launching a zero-emission pickup truck and SUV.

Sadly, not everything about a car can be perfect. Even though EVs require fewer parts than an internal combustion engine-powered auto, problems can still arise. In Rivian's case, the airbags were an issue that led to two recalls. Now, a third one might be in the books.

One of our readers sent us a message regarding a potentially problematic issue that can increase the risk of injury to front R1T and R1S passengers. Many owners went on the Rivian subreddit to share that they noticed a problem with the front passenger airbag. Unless the person was sitting up straight, the vehicle was unable to detect that a human was in that seat. As such, the airbag was deactivated.

Four separate discussion threads have been started based on this specific issue. Many others joined and confirmed that they experienced the same thing. Some already discussed it with Rivian's technicians. They were basically told that it was "within spec." You're either very heavy or have to place your bottom on the exact center of the seat so the vehicle can recognize you.

There might be a problem with the seat sensor. It could be insufficiently sensitive. Rivian might want to address it before the issue reaches regulators, and they force the automaker to admit there's something wrong and initiate a recall.

Some customers have already complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). If it receives more reports, Rivian might soon find itself at the agency's center of attention.
It looks like a minor issue at first. But if you crash and the airbag doesn't deploy, the passenger might suffer avoidable injuries.

A previous front passenger airbag-related recall led to the replacement of the Autoliv-supplied seatbelt assemblies in 12,716 vehicles. This time around, a different sensor might need changing.

Rivian can also deploy a quick over-the-air software update that gives drivers the option to control the passenger airbag's status manually. That should give it time to investigate the root cause of this issue and come up with a fix.