The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the United States advised owners of 143,000 Volkswagen Atlas SUVs that have been recalled to keep the front passenger seat empty until a fault in the detection systems of these vehicles is repaired. The recall includes Atlas models from 2018 to 2021 and the 2020 Atlas Cross Sport model, due to a fault in the front seat passenger detection systems.
The agency stated that the passenger seat sensor system may have a wiring issue that could prevent the airbag from being activated even if the seat is occupied. Deactivated airbags may not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury to anyone in the front seat. Volkswagen reported that it is currently working on a solution to address the fault and expects it to be ready by late 2023. The company introduced a new cable in late 2020 to address potential issues in the system.
Additionally, the company stated that it is not aware of any incidents or injuries related to the recalled vehicles. The German automaker has been investigating the matter since August 2019.
