Rivian recalls R1T electric truck issues over faulty airbag sensor

According to a notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Rivian is recalling some of its R1T electric pickup trucks over faulty airbag systems. Front seat vehicle sensors cannot deactivate the airbag, making it necessary to remember when a child is seated in the front passenger seat.

The recall covers 502 R1T trucks for the 2022 model year, which were produced from September 21, 2021 to April 12, 2022. This is the first recall issued by the buzzy electric vehicle company.

In a recall report submitted to NHTSA this week, Rivian says that "the Occupant Classification System (OCS) cannot deactivate the air bag when a child or child seat is in the front passenger seat." Federal motor vehicle safety standards require vehicles to deactivate the front airbag when a child is seated in the passenger seat to avoid injury.

The company yesterday reported its first quarter 2022 earnings, in which it disclosed that it has shipped 1,227 vehicles to customers, taking its total deliveries to 2,148 vehicles. Assuming that all deliveries are R1T trucks, the recall covers about 23 percent of the vehicles delivered.

Rivian says it will replace the front passenger seats for the affected trucks brought to the company's service centers. At present, there are 20 such service centers in the US. The seats are supplied by Hyundai Transis Michigan in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

A Rivian spokesman said no one was injured in the recall. "We are contacting people with affected Rivian vehicles, and they will get free passenger seat replacement at the Rivian service centre," the spokesperson said. In the meantime, infants and children should not be placed in the front passenger seat of affected Rivian vehicles until the front passenger seat replacement has been completed.