There is no official "patch" from EA, but the community has developed several reliable methods to fix or bypass the glitch.
: Accidentally clicking the far right edge of the "Continue" button after a race, which can skip a rival. How to Fix and Patch the Bug nfsmw blacklist defeated bug fix patched
If your menu shows a rival is defeated but you still need their progress: There is no official "patch" from EA, but
: Go to your save directory: Documents > NFS Most Wanted . nfsmw blacklist defeated bug fix patched
: If you accidentally hit F5 (Unlock All), pressing it again may reset the career flags to their proper state.