Volkswagen has issued a recall for more than 271,000 SUVs over concerns that their passenger air bags may not inflate in the event of a crash.
The recall applies to certain Atlas vehicles from 2021 through 2024 model years, as well as to certain Atlas Cross Sport versions built between 2020 and 2024.
In a filing on the issue, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration said faulty detectors might not accurately recognize when someone is riding in the passenger seat, and may deactivate the air bag as a result.
Volkswagen dealers will replace the faulty equipment for free, the NHTSA letter says. Volkswagen will be notifying owners by mail no later than Aug. 16, 2024.
Volkswagen has reported receiving as many as 1,730 warranty claims connected to the airbag fault.
An earlier recall in 2023 included an additional 143,000 Atlas and Atlas Sport models, some of which were manufactured as early as 2018. They suffered from the same faulty passenger detection system that may have deactivated the passenger airbag.
