Rivian Bulletin Addresses Corrosion and Paint Bubbles Below R1T and R1S Door Handles

If you own an early Rivian R1T or R1S and notice paint bubbles forming below one of the exterior door handles, Rivian has issued a technical service bulletin addressing the condition.

Rivian bulletin RSB-56-25-002-2 applies to certain 2022 through 2024 R1T and R1S vehicles that may develop corrosion beneath the painted door surface near the exterior handles.

According to Rivian, adhesive used to secure an internal door reinforcement can allow contaminants to corrode the inner surface of the door over time.

As that corrosion develops beneath the surface, owners may begin to see bubbles forming in the paint below the door handles.

For affected vehicles, Rivian instructs technicians to inspect the doors and, when the condition is confirmed, send the vehicle to a Rivian Certified Collision Center for repair and refinishing.

What Is Causing the Corrosion?

Rivian traces the issue to the area where an internal door reinforcement is bonded to the exterior door panel.

The bulletin says the adhesive securing that reinforcement can allow contaminants to corrode the inner surface of the door over time.

Because the corrosion begins inside the door structure, the first visible evidence on the outside may simply be bubbling paint.

Rivian describes the condition as:

Bubbles in the painted surfaces below the exterior door handles.

The bulletin focuses specifically on this location and condition. Corrosion elsewhere on the vehicle is not covered by this particular procedure.

Which Rivian Vehicles Are Covered?

RSB-56-25-002-2 applies to certain vehicles within the following ranges:

The bulletin applies to vehicles in the United States and Canada.

As with Rivian's other technical service bulletins, being within those model years and approximate build dates does not automatically mean a particular vehicle is affected.

Rivian instructs service personnel to use the TSBGuide Dashboard to determine whether the bulletin applies to a specific vehicle.

What Should Owners Look For?

The visible symptom described by Rivian is relatively easy to inspect.

Owners should look at the painted surfaces directly below the exterior door handles for:

• One or more bubbles in the paint
• Raised or distorted paint below the handle area
• Visible signs that corrosion may be developing beneath the painted surface

Rivian instructs technicians to inspect the relevant areas on both sides of the vehicle.

If one or more paint bubbles are found in the specified areas, Rivian says the affected component must be repaired by a Rivian Certified Collision Center.

If there is no corrosion in the specified area, or corrosion is present somewhere else on the vehicle, Rivian says this bulletin is not applicable.

The Repair Must Be Performed by a Rivian Certified Collision Center

This bulletin is different from many of Rivian's other service procedures because Rivian specifically states that the corrosion repair steps are intended to be performed by a Rivian Certified Collision Center.

The repair requires extensive disassembly of the affected door.

Depending on whether the front or rear door is being repaired, technicians may need to remove components including:

• The exterior door handle
• The window
• The window regulator
• Door cladding
• Outer belt molding
• The interior water shield
• The side mirror on a front door

This allows technicians to access both the inner and outer surfaces of the affected section of the door.

How Rivian Repairs the Corrosion

After gaining access to the affected area, the collision center removes the existing adhesive connection and strips paint and adhesive from both the inside and outside surfaces of the affected section.

Rivian then instructs technicians to remove as much corroded material as possible and sand the affected area on both sides of the door.

The next step depends on how much damage the corrosion has caused.

If the Metal Has Not Been Significantly Thinned

If corrosion holes are present but the surrounding metal has not been significantly thinned, Rivian says the holes can be repaired using MIG welding.

If the Corrosion Holes Are 2 mm or Smaller

If the corrosion has produced holes measuring 2 mm or less in diameter, Rivian allows the affected area to be repaired using a metal reinforced body filler.

If the Corrosion Holes Are 2 mm or Larger

If corrosion holes measure 2 mm or greater in diameter, Rivian instructs the collision center to replace the door.

That makes the severity of the corrosion an important part of the repair decision.

The Door Is Refinished and Protected Against Future Corrosion

After the corrosion has been repaired, Rivian instructs the collision center to protect the repaired surfaces before reassembly.

On the inside of the door, two coats of primer are applied to all exposed bare metal and allowed to cure.

The exterior surface is then refinished using standard collision repair procedures.

Rivian specifically emphasizes that the metal edge around the door handle must receive sufficient paint coverage to protect the repaired area against future corrosion.

The reinforcement is then bonded back to the outer door panel using urethane adhesive.

Rivian Warns Against Using Too Much Adhesive

One notable part of the repair procedure is Rivian's instruction on how much urethane adhesive should be applied when reattaching the internal reinforcement.

Rivian specifies two 8 mm diameter beads of urethane in the designated locations.

The reason is important.

According to Rivian, applying too much adhesive could interfere with proper water drainage and could also cause adhesive to squeeze out and contaminate the exterior door handle assembly.

The technician compresses the components together by hand and removes any excess adhesive before reinstalling the handle.

The Door Handle Is Repositioned During the Repair

After the exterior handle is reinstalled, Rivian uses an inflatable air wedge between the handle and the internal reinforcement to position the components while the adhesive cures.

The technician inflates the wedge until there is approximately a 4 mm gap between the reinforcement panel and the outer door panel.

Rivian cautions technicians to inspect the outer door panel before using the air wedge and not to inflate it if visible distortion is present.

The adhesive is then allowed to cure for the amount of time specified by the adhesive manufacturer before the door is fully reassembled.

One or Multiple Doors Can Require Repair

The labor codes Rivian provides for RSB-56-25-002-2 account for repairs involving anywhere from one to all four doors.

That means corrosion is not necessarily limited to a single door on an affected vehicle.

Rivian provides separate labor codes for:

• Inspection with no corrosion found
• Repair of one door
• Repair of two doors
• Repair of three doors
• Repair of all four doors

If corrosion is confirmed, the repair is sublet to a Rivian Certified Collision Center.

Is This a Recall?

No. Rivian identifies RSB-56-25-002-2 as a Technical Service Bulletin.

The bulletin provides Rivian service personnel and certified collision centers with an inspection and repair procedure for vehicles displaying the specific corrosion condition.

It does not mean every 2022 through 2024 R1T or R1S has corrosion below the door handles.

Rivian also instructs technicians to confirm whether the bulletin applies to a specific vehicle through its TSBGuide Dashboard.

What Should R1T and R1S Owners Do?

Owners of 2022 through 2024 R1T and R1S vehicles can visually inspect the area immediately below each exterior door handle.

If you notice paint bubbling or another visible surface change in that location, take clear photographs before contacting Rivian Service.

When opening a service request, reference RSB-56-25-002-2 and describe where the paint bubbles are located.

Rivian can determine whether the bulletin applies to your specific vehicle and arrange inspection and collision center repair if necessary.

Because Rivian's repair procedure can progress all the way to door replacement depending on the severity of the corrosion, visible bubbling in the documented area is worth having inspected rather than simply treating it as a minor cosmetic paint defect.

EV Outdoors Takeaway

RSB-56-25-002-2 is more significant than a simple paint defect bulletin.

Rivian says contaminants can corrode the inner surface of the door near the reinforcement bonded below the exterior handle, with paint bubbles appearing as the visible symptom on the outside.

The repair depends on how far that corrosion has progressed.

Minor damage can be repaired and refinished, while more severe corrosion can require welding, metal reinforced filler or, when corrosion holes reach Rivian's specified threshold, complete door replacement.

For owners of early R1T and R1S vehicles, the area immediately below the exterior handles is therefore worth inspecting periodically, particularly if you notice bubbling or distortion in the paint.

If you find it, RSB-56-25-002-2 gives you a specific Rivian bulletin to reference when contacting Service.

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Sources

Rivian: Technical Service Bulletin RSB-56-25-002-2, "Corrosion Below Door Handles," dated July 22, 2026.

NHTSA: Official manufacturer communication, NHTSA ID 11036009. View the official Rivian Technical Service Bulletin hosted by NHTSA (PDF).