Rivian rear door back-up issue prompts letter to @NHTSA

Rivian rear door

A post from several days ago discussed the inability to access Rivian rear door latch mechanical back-up. A snail mail letter has now sent off a letter to NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) about the issue.

Regular mail is the only option available in cases such as this where a third party (us) is reporting a potential safety issue. We attempted to file with them on line, but a specific vehicle identification number (VIN) is required.

As an outside party, we do not have one. A phone call to report the issue is also out of the question, as again, a VIN number is needed.

The gentleman I spoke with at NHTSA stated that the only option was an actual letter placed in the mail. That letter is on its way.

We included a printout of the proper owner’s manual page and noted the fact that neither the owner or myself could find obvious access to the backup, even with the door open and fully available to examine.

I also included comment from the owner that it would be impossible to find by someone in a panic.

This was an opportunity to express our concerns over the safety of the entirety of electronic locks and latches. Several people have died unable to exit a vehicle that has lost power and did not know or could not access.

It is easy to connect the issue to electric vehicles, but they are in use in several gas or diesel powered vehicles as well, and actually pre-date the more widespread use of EVs.

This safety issue first came to light some 10 years ago when a man and his dog died of heat stroke in Texas while unable to get out of a powerless Corvette.

We’ve been on the issue since and only recently has this been seen elsewhere in the press. And presumably NHTSA is looking into some Tesla models, as if they are the only perpetrators. They are not.

Our Get Out page, which you can see here, covers no less than 14 manufacturers.

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