Volkswagen has opted to initiate a recall for the 2019 Atlas SUV following a cautionary notice from its supplier regarding potential airbag defects in a limited number of units. Fortunately, the automaker has confirmed that only two vehicles are impacted.
The company initially became aware of this issue on July 28 when its supplier raised concerns about a potential problem. The supplier warned the automaker that some side impact airbags may have been incorrectly manufactured at its facility.
The supplier was worried that a welding seam at the side airbag housing may be missing as a result of an error at its factory. Between August and September, VW conducted an internal review in an attempt to identify how many vehicles were potentially affected by this problem, and how big of a risk it was to consumer safety.
Read: Feds Investigate 2018-2019 VW Atlas For Phantom Braking Issue
By September 28, it had determined that if the airbag’s welding seam was missing, the deployment of the bags may be compromised, or it could separate entirely, increasing the risk of an injury during an accident. The investigation also revealed that this issue was limited to two Atlases from the 2019 model year. Consequently, a recall campaign has been initiated as a precautionary measure to prevent any potential injuries. Fortunately, since this issue was identified by the supplier, and it affects just two vehicles, VW is not aware of any field reports related to it.
The automaker plans to start reaching out to the two owners on December 1 to inform them of this issue. It will then replace their side impact airbags with new ones that were manufactured correctly.
