More than 220,000 Volkswagen Atlas models are being recalled by the German car manufacturer in the United States.
A recall notice issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals that micro-movements of the wiring harness on the A-pillar can result in damage to the wire terminal surface. Damage can cause fretting corrosion that could lead to a sporadic interruption in the electrical connection to the components of the front door.
If this is to happen and the car is involved in a side crash, the side airbag may deploy later than designed, which could lead to an increased risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
Read Also: VW Owners Complaining Of Unintended Braking Issues In Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport
Volkswagen says the airbag warning light may illuminate if a malfunction is detected. The damaged wiring harness can also cause other issues, such as rolling down the windows and inadvertent parking brake engagement at low speeds, and may trigger a warning about a faulty door sensor.
Involved in the recall are a total of 32,720 VW Atlas models from the 2019 and 2020 model years, 113,899 Atlas models from the 2021, 2022, and 2023 model years, and 76,273 Atlas Cross Sport models from the 2020-2023 model years. 2019-2020 Atlas models impacted were produced between August 1, 2019 and March 6, 2020 while 2021-2023 models were built from October 4, 2019 to February 10, 2022. Impacted Atlas Cross Sport were manufactured from September 25, 2019 to February 10, 2022.
To remedy the problem, Volkswagen dealerships will secure and, if necessary, replace any front door wiring harnesses that show a fault code, free of charge. VW has started using additional cable ties to fix the issue on the production line.
Both dealerships and owners will be notified of the recall on May 10, 2022.
