Volkswagen has announced a massive recall of 271,330 of its Atlas SUV vehicles due to faulty passenger-side airbags.
According to a report from the US National Highway and Safety Administration on Wednesday, certain Atlas vehicles made between 2021 and 2024 and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles made between 2020 and 2024 may have a wiring error that prevents the front passenger airbags from deploying.
This is not the first time Volkswagen has faced this issue. In March, the German automaker recalled 143,000 Atlas SUVs for a similar problem. It remains unclear whether Wednesday’s report includes the March recall as Volkswagen has not yet provided clarification.
In a statement to CNN, Volkswagen explained that the seat heaters in the affected vehicles can have a contact fault with the car’s weight sensors, leading to the passenger airbag being turned off even when the seat is occupied. The car’s instrument panel will display a warning light and sound to alert the driver when this occurs.
Affected vehicle owners will receive notification by mail on August 16. Volkswagen dealers will replace the faulty parts free of charge once the necessary parts are available.
