NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE25-011: Rivian EDV Seat Belt Anchor Detachment
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE25-011 on September 22, 2025 and closed it on February 25, 2026. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2022–2023 Rivian EDV for it and links recall 25V-816 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE25-011 (also written PE25011)
- Investigation type
- Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
- Status
- Closed February 25, 2026
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Rivian Automotive, LLC
- Components
- Seat Belts; Seat Belts — Front — Anchorage
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 25V-816: Driver Seat Belt Pretensioner Cable May Become Damaged, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2022–2023 Rivian EDV
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE25-011.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
On September 22, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE) 25011 to investigate and assess allegations of seat belt performance concerns in certain Model Year (MY) 2022-2023 Rivian Electric Delivery Van (EDV). ODI has received fourteen (14) Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ) reporting potential failures of the driver’s front outboard seat belt anchorage system. The anchorage utilizes a steel-braided cable linked to the seat frame, which supports the seat belt webbing that secures the occupant in the event of a crash. The VOQ describe instances in which the steel-braided cable frayed, unraveled, or completely severed, potentially leaving the occupant inadequately restrained during vehicle operation. A partial or complete separation of the seat belt pretensioner anchor cable can significantly degrade occupant restraint performance in a crash. A damaged cable may also prevent the pretensioner from removing belt slack at the onset of a vehicle crash impact, which could reduce airbag effectiveness and increase the risk of injury. ODI’s investigation sought to determine whether the seat belt assembly’s integrity, design, durability, mounting position, installation method, or manufacturing deficiencies could have contributed to the reported condition. Following the opening of the investigation, Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) determined that the seat belt pretensioner anchor cable contained a safety defect in the subject vehicle population and filed a Part 573 Defect Information Report. Recall 25V-816 is intended to address MY 2022-2025 Rivian EDV vehicles. Rivian has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update and will inspect and replace the driver’s seat belt pretensioner assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on January 19, 2026. This recall action seems to resolve the concerns reported by customers. The recall scope includes MY 2024-2025 vehicles in addition to MY 2022-2023 vehicles identified in this investigation. Accordingly, ODI is closing Investigation PE25011. The agency will continue to monitor field performance, complaint trends, and recall completion rates to assess the adequacy of the remedy. ODI reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future developments. To review the ODI reports cited in this Closing Resume, go to NHTSA.gov and search the associated ODI Report Identification Numbers.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE25-011. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
Rivian
All Rivian recallsWhat an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Rivian VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE25-011
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.