Rivian Recalls Nearly 99,000 Vehicles Over a Bug That's Already Fixed for Most Owners
A drive-mode notification banner could pop up over the rearview camera image at exactly the wrong moment — backing up. Rivian caught it, and an over-the-air update already reached more than 95% of the affected fleet before the recall was even filed.
Rivian is recalling 98,828 vehicles — R1T pickups, R1S SUVs, and the newer R2 — over a software bug that can let a drive-mode notification banner overlap and obscure part of the rearview camera image exactly when a driver is backing up. It's a real, safety-relevant defect: a driver relying on that camera to spot a child, a cart, or a low obstacle behind the vehicle could have that view partially blocked at the worst possible moment.
What makes this recall unusual is the timeline. Rivian pushes software updates over the air the same way a phone does, and the company shipped the actual fix — in updates 2026.23 and 2026.31 — before filing the formal recall paperwork. By September 16, more than 95% of the affected fleet had already received the patch automatically, with no dealer visit, no owner action, and in most cases no owner ever noticing there was a defect to begin with.
For the small remaining share of owners who haven't yet received either update, Rivian's guidance is straightforward: connect to Wi-Fi or wait for the vehicle's own cellular connection to pull the update automatically. There's no hardware fix, no part replacement, and no dealer appointment required — a real point of contrast with the more typical bolt-and-bracket recalls that need a physical shop visit to close out.