AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
Manufacturer
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
What Happened
The passenger air bag in your vehicle has a sensor called the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) that helps decide when to inflate the air bag. In some 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020 Atlas Cross Sport models, the PODS wiring can malfunction and shut off the air bag when someone is sitting in the passenger seat.
Risk if Unfixed
If the passenger air bag is deactivated and you're in a crash, you may be at risk of serious injury because the air bag won't be there to help cushion the impact.
Free Fix
Your Volkswagen dealer will replace the faulty PODS sensor mat and wiring harness with new parts that work correctly, and this repair is completely free. You should schedule the fix as soon as you get the recall notice.
Show original NHTSA language
Original — What Happened
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may experience a fault in the wiring and deactivate the front passenger air bag when the seat is occupied.
Original — Risk if Unfixed
A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Original — Remedy
Dealers will replace the PODS sensor mat and wiring harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 22, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69FB.
The tire pressure monitoring system in your vehicle is a network of sensors that checks the air pressure in your tires. In certain models, this system might not detect a sudden loss of air pressure in all four tires quickly enough.
Risk if Unfixed
If your tires lose air pressure suddenly and the system doesn't alert you, you might not know it until it's too late. This could cause a crash, especially if you're driving at high speeds or on the highway.
Free Fix
Your authorized Volkswagen or Audi dealer will update the software for your tire pressure monitoring system, free of charge. You should schedule this update as soon as you receive the recall notice.
Show original NHTSA language
Original — What Happened
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan LWB, Golf Sportswagen A7, Golf Alltrack, Golf R GP, Audi Q3, Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas, Golf A7, Audi A3, 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021 Atlas FL vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system may not detect an air pressure loss in adequate time when deflating occurs among all four tires simultaneously. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Original — Risk if Unfixed
An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.
Original — Remedy
Dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audis customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.
The side air bag system in your vehicle relies on electrical contacts in the door wiring harness to deploy the air bag in a side impact. In some 2019-2023 Atlas models, these contacts can corrode and fail.
Risk if Unfixed
If the air bag system can't deploy on time, you could be at greater risk of injury in the event of a side impact crash.
Free Fix
Your Volkswagen dealer will inspect and repair or replace the front door wiring harnesses to ensure the air bag system works properly, at no cost to you. You should schedule the repair as soon as possible.
Show original NHTSA language
Original — What Happened
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Atlas, 2020-2023 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021-2023 Atlas FL vehicles. The door wiring harness electrical contacts may corrode, disrupting the electrical connection and delaying the deployment of the driver or passenger front side air bag during a side impact crash.
Original — Risk if Unfixed
A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
Original — Remedy
Dealers will secure and, as necessary, replace any the front door wiring harnesses showing a fault code, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97GF.
Your Atlas or Atlas Cross Sport has accessory side steps that increase its weight, but the label that shows the new weight wasn't installed. This means the weight capacity of your vehicle isn't clearly marked.
Risk if Unfixed
If you overload your vehicle without knowing its new weight capacity, you could lose control, especially when hauling heavy loads or towing. This increases the risk of a crash.
Free Fix
Your Volkswagen dealer will add the correct weight label, free of charge. Just schedule the repair when you receive the recall notice – it's no cost to you.
Show original NHTSA language
Original — What Happened
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles equipped with accessory side steps. The reduced Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) label, reflecting the additional weight of the side steps, was not installed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Original — Risk if Unfixed
Without the reduced GVWR label, the vehicle could be overloaded, leading to a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Original — Remedy
Dealers will install the reduced GVWR label, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 31, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 09D9.
