PROPULSION FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEED — KNOWN DEFECT — NHTSA MFR COMMS XXX & XXX VEHICLE: 2026 Rivian R1S Dual Standard, VIN [XXX], LFP battery. Delivered XXX. 702 miles at incident. INCIDENT XXX: Complete unwarned propulsion failure on [XXX] at highway speed. Dashboard showed 8% SOC immediately before failure — no warning, no alert. Vehicle lost all propulsion 5 miles from nearest charger. Stranded 7 hours. $225 out-of-pocket towing/transport costs. DEFECT: Rivian Hudson NH service (WO-000002294461, INV_20260608-150458) confirmed 13% HV battery cell capacity imbalance via diagnostics — dashboard SOC reading does not reflect actual cell capacity. Factory pre-delivery calibration defect. Firmware update performed; HV battery hardware NOT replaced. Defect unresolved. RIVIAN'S PRIOR NHTSA FILINGS: Before my May 2026 delivery, Rivian filed mandatory EWR communications acknowledging this exact defect: - Mfr Comm 11026123: SMS warning owners range "will drop fast below 20% SOC" and to "stay above 20% SOC until issue resolved." - Mfr Comm XXX (112425_SOCImbalance_Email, Nov 24 2025): Email describing progressive range inaccuracy below 20% SOC. Component: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM. Both appear on NHTSA 2026 R1S vehicle page. NON-DISCLOSURE: Neither communication was disclosed at sale (May 18) or delivery (May 22, 2026). Rivian sold this vehicle with a known active propulsion defect without informing me. Calibration-complete confirmation was never sent to this VIN. REQUEST: I ask ODI to assess whether this constitutes a safety defect requiring recall under 49 USC 30118, and whether Rivian's continued sale of LFP vehicles after these filings without disclosing the 20% SOC limitation warrants investigation. BBB Auto Line Case XXX active. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI 11743765