Rivian bulletin RCA-38-23-003-2
What it saysRivian is initiating a customer satisfaction campaign for some model year 2022 R1T and R1S vehicles that may have been built with drive units that have fastener threads on a plug sealing surface which may result… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Rivian filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jul 19, 2023, received Aug 3, 2023, about the power train. It names 2 model years (2022). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationRivian is initiating a customer satisfaction campaign for some model year 2022 R1T and R1S vehicles that may have been built with drive units that have fastener threads on a plug sealing surface which may result in damage to the plug o-ring and an inadequate sealing surface. This condition could allow drive unit fluid to leak from the drive unit. Fluid leaking from the drive unit may be noticeable to the customer (though any potential leak would be a very small amount that would not impact other road users). If the leaking occurs over an extended period of time, it may lead to a decreased life for the drive unit and eventual failure of the drive unit. A failure of a drive unit will result in a reduced performance safe-state mode and a corresponding indicator light will illuminate on the driver display. Rivian will inspect each drive unit on all affected vehicles and will either install a new drive unit plug with an enlarged washer to ensure proper sealing or replace the drive unit. Rivian is launching this campaign for customer satisfaction and to ensure the quality of Rivian vehicles. Note: This document supersedes RCA-38-23-003-1. Revision 2 updates the minimum volume of drained fluid required to replace the front drive unit.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RCA-38-23-003-2 | Service bulletin | Jul 19, 2023 | 10240312 | PDF, 2,236 KB |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 79 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 8 of them name Power Train — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the power train
Source: same model, same component group8 other manufacturer communications filed against these Rivian models under the same component group (power train), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSAM-449 | Service campaign | Mar 5, 2026 | Service Document Revision - RCA-38-23-003-5. Revision 5 updates the amount of drained drive unit fluid that requires drive unit replacement. |
| FSAM-1717 | Service bulletin | Sep 25, 2025 | Bulletin for FSAM-1717. |
| FSAM-1678 | Service bulletin | Aug 29, 2025 | Rivian is initiating a customer satisfaction campaign for some model year 2023-2025 R1T and R1S vehicles that were built with a front NVH/ti… |
| FSAM-1608 | Service bulletin | Jul 9, 2025 | FSAM-1608: Rivian is initiating a customer satisfaction campaign for some model year 2023-2024 R1T and R1S vehicles. On these vehicles, the… |
| 3P Information Email | Other | Feb 21, 2025 | We’re reaching out about your <<<R1T,R1S>>> (VIN: <<insert VIN here>>). We need to <<<replace the 12V battery>><<,>> << and>> swap the HVAC… |
| RCA-18-24-001-2 | Service campaign | Dec 19, 2024 | Rivian is initiating a customer satisfaction campaign for some model year 2023-2024 R1T and R1S vehicles. On these vehicles, the wheel hub t… |
| RCA-38-23-002-2 | Service bulletin | Jul 19, 2023 | Rivian is initiating a customer satisfaction campaign for some model year 2022 R1T and R1S vehicles that may have been built with excessive… |
| RCA-38-23-001-2 | Service bulletin | Jul 19, 2023 | Rivian is initiating a customer satisfaction campaign for some model year 2022 R1S and R1T vehicles that may have been built with inadequate… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Rivian, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Rivian RCA-38-23-003-2 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the RCA-38-23-003-2 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way.
Which vehicles does RCA-38-23-003-2 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2022 Rivian R1S, 2022 Rivian R1T. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.