The recall covers 2018-2021 mannequin 12 months Atlas and 2020 mannequin 12 months Atlas Cross Sport automobiles, and pertains to potential defective occupant-detection techniques in entrance passenger seats.
The passenger occupant-detection system might expertise a fault within the wiring, which may deactivate the entrance passenger air bag even when the seat is occupied. A deactivated air bag won’t deploy within the occasion of a crash, rising the chance of damage to the entrance seat passenger, NHTSA mentioned.
Volkswagen mentioned it’s presently creating a treatment, which it expects to be prepared possible in late 2023. VW in late 2020 launched a brand new cable to handle potential points with the system.
VW mentioned it was not conscious of any crashes or accidents associated to the recall.
Automakers are required to have sensors that deactivate entrance passenger air luggage in the event that they sense the presence of kids or small-statured adults, to forestall them from being significantly injured or killed when an air bag is deployed, an occasion that entails some drive.
The German automaker started investigating the difficulty in August 2019. In a 2021 assembly, VW mentioned “discipline knowledge evaluation signifies that the failure is extremely sporadic and the warning gentle is illuminating instantly upon failure,” in accordance with a abstract filed with NHTSA.
In February, the auto security company requested a gathering to debate the sector efficiency of the Atlas Passenger Occupant Safety System, VW mentioned. The automaker held a gathering with NHTSA on March 23 to debate its recall choice.
