Volkswagen’s recall affects certain 2021-2024 model year Atlas vehicles and 2020-2024 model year Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. Problems with a seat heater wire in affected vehicles can cause the airbag to turn off when someone is in the front seat.
Owners should avoid using the front passenger seat until they receive the recall repair, Volkswagen said in recently posted National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) documents.
An airbag warning light, sound and error message in the instrument cluster will alert passengers if there is a problem with Volkswagen vehicles. Owners can also expect recall notice letters in the mail starting August 16.
caught
Stories to keep you informed
To repair the problem, owners can bring their vehicles to a Volkswagen dealer to have the occupant detection system sensor mat and wire harness replaced. Volkswagen will offer a reimbursement plan for the repairs, NHTSA documents said.
The airbag recall marks the second in less than a year for the 2024 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. Volkswagen recalled the two models in August over engine failure concerns.
The Toyota airbag recall affects certain 2024 model year Toyota Grand Highlander and Grand Highlander Hybrid SUVs and the Lexus TX350, TX500 Hybrid and TX550 Hybrid. If the driver’s side curtain airbag in towed vehicles is activated, a portion of it may be deployed outside the SUV if the window is rolled down, increasing the risk of injury to the driver.
A fix for the air bag problem is still being determined, Toyota recently said in NHTSA filings. Passengers should keep the driver’s side window rolled up until the repair is done, Toyota spokesman Aaron Fowles said.
Recall notification letters will be sent to drivers in August, NHTSA documents said.
Toyota, Fowles and Volkswagen spokesman Michael Lowder declined to comment on whether their companies have received reports of injuries related to their respective recalls.
The recalls are the latest in a series of problems with the vehicle’s airbags over the years.
Takata airbags were the subject of one of the largest recalls in US history after reports of exploding inflators, and even as recently as last month – years after the problem first emerged – a recall was issued in about Takata bags.
Last year federal auto safety regulators stepped up their efforts to recall roughly 52 million airbags made by ARC Automotive and Delphi Automotive Systems, though ARC has resisted the effort.
Recently, there have been concerns about counterfeit airbags being used as replacements in vehicles. The Wall Street Journal reported this month that people have been killed or seriously injured by counterfeit airbags at least five times in the past year.
According to NHTSA, the counterfeit air bags have been shown to “fail repeatedly” by failing to deploy or eject metal fragments when they occur. Dozens of US states have passed legislation banning counterfeit airbags, but counterfeit parts are difficult to track, leaving federal regulators with a blurry picture of the scale of the problem.