Volkswagen has issued a recall of 143,000 of its Atlas SUVs in the US due to a faulty sensor on the front passenger side, which can switch off the airbag system under certain conditions.[0] The issue is a potential fault in the wiring for the occupant detection system for the front passenger seat, which might not sense that a person is sitting there, and if that happens, the airbag wouldn’t deploy.[1] The recall affects all model Atlases from 2018 through 2021, as well as 2020 Atlas Cross Sport SUVs, and Volkswagen is advising drivers not to let anyone ride in the front passenger seat until the issue is fixed.[2] Until a fix is found, a warning light will illuminate inside the vehicle if the problem occurs.[0] Volkswagen has not yet determined a solution for the issue, but the company is developing one and expects to have it ready later this year.[3] Volkswagen is unaware of any injuries related to the defect.[4] The Atlas is built at VW’s Chattanooga, Tennessee, factory and was designed specifically for the US market.[5]
0. “Volkswagen recalls 143K vehicles for faulty air bag that may not deploy” SILive.com, 6 Apr. 2023, https://www.silive.com/news/2023/04/volkswagen-recalls-143k-vehicles-for-faulty-air-bag-that-may-not-deploy.html
1. “US works with VW to repair air bags not deploying” Malaysia Sun, 7 Apr. 2023, https://www.malaysiasun.com/news/273716939/us-works-with-vw-to-repair-air-bags-not-deploying
2. “Volkswagen recalls 140,000 Atlas SUVs due to air bag issues” Abccolumbia.com, 5 Apr. 2023, https://www.abccolumbia.com/2023/04/05/volkswagen-recalls-140000-atlas-suvs-due-to-air-bag-issues/
3. “VW Recalls 143,0000 Atlas and Atlas Sport SUVs” The Detroit Bureau, 5 Apr. 2023, https://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2023/04/vw-recalls-1430000-atlas-and-atlas-sport-suvs/
4. “Volkswagen (VWAGY) to Recall 143,000 SUVs Over Airbag Defect” Zacks Investment Research, 5 Apr. 2023, https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2074705/volkswagen-vwagy-to-recall-143000-suvs-over-airbag-defect
5. “VW recalls 140000 SUVs due to faulty passenger-side airbags” WCVB Boston, 5 Apr. 2023, https://www.wcvb.com/article/vw-recalls-suvs-passenger-airbags/43509401