If your Rivian R1T or R1S has developed a clunk, looseness, or unusual noise from the rear end — especially if the truck has had rear suspension work done — Rivian issued a real safety recall in December 2025 covering exactly this. It isn’t a manufacturing defect present on every R1T or R1S: it’s a service-procedure problem specific to certain rear suspension repairs performed before March 10, 2025. Here’s exactly who’s affected, what the risk actually is, and what the free remedy covers.
The scope here is narrow and specific, so start by checking whether it applies to your truck at all.
| Symptom | What You Notice | How Urgent |
|---|---|---|
| Toe link joint not reassembled to design intent (the recalled condition) | A clunk, knock, or looseness from the rear suspension, most noticeable over bumps or during turns | Serious if present — book the free recall repair right away, and avoid hard driving until it’s inspected |
| Vehicle never had rear suspension service requiring toe link separation | No relevant service history; normal handling | Not affected by this specific recall regardless of clunks from other causes |
| Unrelated rear noise (bushings, sway bar links, loose hardware) | Similar clunking, but no rear toe link service in the vehicle’s history | Still worth inspecting, just not this recall — have a technician confirm the actual source |
Stop driving and have the truck inspected if you notice a new clunk, knock, or looseness from the rear suspension and you know or suspect your R1T/R1S has had rear suspension service in the past. Rivian’s own recall filing states plainly that a separated toe link joint increases the risk of a crash without prior warning — this is exactly the kind of symptom worth treating seriously rather than watching for a while.
What’s Actually Failing
A toe link is a suspension component that controls the angle (toe) of a rear wheel relative to the vehicle’s centerline — it’s a normal part of any independent rear suspension, Rivian’s included. The recalled condition isn’t a defective part; it’s a joint that wasn’t reassembled to Rivian’s design specification during certain rear suspension repairs. Rivian’s own filing describes the affected population precisely: trucks that had a repair requiring separation and reassembly of a rear suspension toe link joint, performed using an older service procedure, between April 1, 2022 and March 10, 2025. On March 10, 2025, Rivian switched to an updated, corrected service procedure. Over time, a joint reassembled the old way can loosen under normal driving forces and, in rare cases, separate.
This is why the recall is narrow rather than universal: it only applies to trucks that actually received this specific rear suspension repair in that window, identified by Rivian through its own service records — not to every 2022–2025 R1T or R1S on the road. A truck that’s never had rear toe link service isn’t part of the affected population, regardless of model year.
Is This Covered by a Recall or TSB?
Yes — this is a formal NHTSA safety recall, not an informal TSB or a forum-only pattern. Rivian filed it as NHTSA Recall No. 26V003 (Rivian’s own internal reference: FSAM-1794), submitted January 5, 2026. It covers certain 2022–2025 model year R1S and R1T vehicles that received the affected rear suspension service between April 1, 2022 and March 10, 2025. Rivian estimates that only about 1% of the recall population actually has the defect — the recall casts a wide net over anyone who had the relevant service, even though most of those trucks are fine, because Rivian can’t tell from records alone which specific joints were reassembled incorrectly.
The chronology in Rivian’s own filing is worth knowing: Rivian identified and corrected the service procedure itself back in March 2025, before this became a recall. NHTSA notified Rivian of two customer complaints about toe link failures on December 15, 2025, and Rivian opened the voluntary recall eleven days later, on December 26, 2025. As of the recall filing, Rivian was aware of one vehicle crash with alleged minor injuries connected to this issue.
Rivian planned to mail owner notification letters on or before February 24, 2026, and that’s also the date your VIN becomes searchable in NHTSA’s public recall lookup for this specific campaign. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, and if you’re unsure whether your truck has ever had rear suspension service that would qualify, call Rivian directly (1-888-748-4261) rather than guessing — Rivian can check your specific service history against the recall population.
This is a separate recall from the Rivian R1T/R1S headlight cold-weather recall covering certain 2025 trucks built in a specific production window — different component, different cause, different affected population. Check your VIN against each recall separately rather than assuming one clears the other.
How to Confirm It Applies to Your Truck
- Check your VIN against the recall at nhtsa.gov/recalls once it’s searchable (on or after February 24, 2026), or call Rivian directly beforehand.
- Think back on your service history — specifically, any rear suspension repair that would have required disconnecting and reconnecting a toe link, performed at a Rivian service center before March 10, 2025.
- Listen and feel for the specific symptom: a clunk or knock from the rear, often more noticeable over bumps, potholes, or during hard cornering, or a sense of looseness or imprecision in how the rear end tracks.
- Don’t assume you’re clear just because your truck feels fine — Rivian’s own estimate is that only about 1 in 100 affected trucks actually has the defect, so a clean-feeling rear end on a truck that did have the service doesn’t rule it out on its own; getting the free inspection is the reliable way to know.
Repair Cost
Free. Rivian’s remedy is to replace the affected rear toe link bolts using the corrected service procedure, at no charge to the owner, for any vehicle within the recall population. As a direct-to-consumer manufacturer, Rivian handles this through its own service centers rather than independent dealers, so you’d book it the same way as any other Rivian service appointment once your VIN shows as eligible.
Can You Keep Driving With It?
If you’re not experiencing any symptoms and aren’t certain whether your truck had the affected service, ordinary driving while you wait for your recall appointment is reasonable — Rivian’s own filing didn’t attach a “do not drive” advisory to this recall, and the estimated defect rate is low. That changes the moment you notice an actual clunk, knock, or looseness from the rear suspension on a truck that’s had rear suspension work done: at that point, treat it as the real thing until a technician rules it out, since a toe link separating while driving is precisely the risk this recall exists to prevent, and it can happen without warning.
What is the Rivian R1T/R1S rear toe link recall about?
Rivian recalled certain 2022-2025 R1S and R1T vehicles because a rear suspension toe link joint may not have been reassembled correctly during service performed before March 10, 2025, using an older service procedure. A joint reassembled this way can loosen and, in rare cases, separate.
Which Rivian vehicles are affected by the toe link recall?
Only 2022-2025 R1S and R1T vehicles that actually received a rear suspension repair requiring separation and reassembly of the toe link joint, performed at Rivian service before March 10, 2025. It does not apply to every R1T/R1S — only trucks with that specific service in their history.
Is it safe to drive a Rivian with the toe link recall?
If you have no symptoms and aren’t certain your truck had the affected service, ordinary driving is reasonable while you wait for your appointment — Rivian estimates only about 1% of the recall population actually has the defect. If you notice a clunk, knock, or looseness from the rear end, treat it seriously and get it inspected promptly, since a separated toe link increases crash risk without warning.
How much does the Rivian toe link recall repair cost?
Nothing. Rivian will replace the affected rear toe link bolts using its corrected service procedure at no charge to the owner, through its own service centers.
How do I know if my Rivian is part of the toe link recall?
Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls once it’s searchable for this campaign (on or after February 24, 2026), or call Rivian directly at 1-888-748-4261. Rivian identified the affected population using its own service records of who had rear suspension toe link work done before March 10, 2025.
What’s the NHTSA recall number for the Rivian toe link issue?
NHTSA Recall No. 26V003, filed January 5, 2026 (Rivian’s internal reference is FSAM-1794). It covers roughly 19,641 potentially affected 2022-2025 R1S and R1T vehicles, though Rivian estimates only about 1% actually have the defect.
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