Volkswagen will bring back more than 220,000 new Atlas and Atlas cross-sport SUV models due to side airbag deployment issues, the NHTSA said Friday.
The Atlas three-row SUV and its associated five-seater Atlas Cross Sport have front airbags that can be placed later than necessary in case of side crashes. VW believes that the problem is caused by micromovability which can erode the door wire connection connections on both the driver and passenger side.
Deploying a delayed airbag can increase the risk of injury. Airbag warning lights may illuminate the cluster if there are any errors. Other signs of faulty wiring may be less obvious: Volkswagen says windows may be inadvertently rolled down, parking brakes may be applied at low speeds (below 2 miles per hour), and a faulty door sensor alert may be activated.
Withdrawal covers the 2019-2023 Volkswagen Atlas and the 2020-2023 Volkswagen Atlas cross sport.
Owners will be notified of security concerns as early as May 10, but VW has not yet withdrawn. Owners who fix it will be rewarded. Owners can contact Volkswagen Customer Service at 1-800-893-5298 or visit its recall site here.