The Rivian recall (and ones I've been a part of myself) have been software updates. Not all software updates can be applied remotely in automotive, particularly

The Rivian recall (and ones I've been a part of myself) have been software updates. Not all software updates can be applied remotely in automotive, particularly when things go wrong. Sometimes you'll need to unseal casings to access a recovery port, for example. And the Kia recall was an example of a hardware recall that didn't require the owner to visit a shop. Both are possible, so trying using software and hardware to differentiate between shop visits is overloading the terms.