Rivian Automotive has issued a recall for 24,214 of its R1T and R1S electric vehicles (EVs), after detecting a software flaw in the hands-free Highway Assist (HWA) system.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has stated that all vehicles in the recall are believed to have the defect.

The recall affects 4,386 units of the R1T and 19,828 units of the R1S, all from the 2025 model year.

According to the auto regulator’s report, the vehicles in question were manufactured with an outdated version of the advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) software prior to version 2025.18.30.

The period of concern commenced on 29 April 2024, when Rivian began producing vehicles with the older software, and concluded on 13 May 2025, with the transition to the updated software.

This determination was made through an examination of manufacturing records.

A field incident involving a 2025 R1S model brought the defect to light when the HWA system experienced a one-time functional limitation at a very low speed due to a misclassification, and the driver did not maintain continuous control over the vehicle.

This led Rivian to voluntarily initiate the safety recall.

As per the latest update, more than 99% of the affected vehicles have received the necessary software update, with the remainder expected to be updated once owners download the new software.

Rivian said that it began addressing the issue by releasing a new software update, version 2025.18.30, which rectifies the conditions that led to the incident.

The company has planned to notify owners of the remedy programme on 4 November 2025, ensuring that all impacted vehicles are updated with the latest software to prevent any further issues.

In July, Rivian announced the establishment of a new office in London, UK, aiming to expand its AI and autonomous driving initiatives.