Volkswagen Group of America is recalling more than 143,000 2018-2021 model year Atlas and 2020 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles because the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may have a fault in the wiring and deactivate the front passenger air bag when the seat is occupied. According to the required filing, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration made public today, owners are advised not to use the front-passenger seat until the recall has been completed. (autoinformed.com on: KARPUT! Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, Sportwagen Die in 2019)
At this time, however, the repair that will be required is unknown by Volkswagen. The remedy is currently under development. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed 26 May 2023. Owners will receive a second notice once the remedy becomes available.
According to the filing, the defective Atlas SUVs are equipped with a passenger occupant detection system (known as Body Sense) in the front passenger seat. On these vehicles, the system is integrated into the seat heating and controls the activation of the passenger frontal airbag. The seat heating is connected to the Body Sense control unit under the front passenger seat via a wire. If the wire has a contact fault, it may cause the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) to detect a malfunction and switch off the passenger airbag, even though the seat may be occupied. As designed, a warning light in the instrument panel comes on together with an acoustic warning sound and an error message is displayed in the instrument panel.
“Should a malfunction occur, vehicle occupants will be alerted of a PODS system problem by illumination of the airbag warning light, an acoustic warning sound, an error message displayed in the instrument cluster and by the status of the Passenger Airbag OFF indicator light. In this case the owner should take the vehicle as soon as possible to an authorized Volkswagen dealership for inspection/repair,” Volkswagen said.
Owners may contact Volkswagen’s customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen’s number for this recall is 69FB. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov about NHTSA recall 23V215.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Volkswagen Recall for Bad Atlas Front-Passenger Airbags
Volkswagen Group of America is recalling more than 143,000 2018-2021 model year Atlas and 2020 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles because the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may have a fault in the wiring and deactivate the front passenger air bag when the seat is occupied. According to the required filing, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration made public today, owners are advised not to use the front-passenger seat until the recall has been completed. (autoinformed.com on: KARPUT! Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, Sportwagen Die in 2019)
At this time, however, the repair that will be required is unknown by Volkswagen. The remedy is currently under development. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed 26 May 2023. Owners will receive a second notice once the remedy becomes available.
According to the filing, the defective Atlas SUVs are equipped with a passenger occupant detection system (known as Body Sense) in the front passenger seat. On these vehicles, the system is integrated into the seat heating and controls the activation of the passenger frontal airbag. The seat heating is connected to the Body Sense control unit under the front passenger seat via a wire. If the wire has a contact fault, it may cause the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) to detect a malfunction and switch off the passenger airbag, even though the seat may be occupied. As designed, a warning light in the instrument panel comes on together with an acoustic warning sound and an error message is displayed in the instrument panel.
“Should a malfunction occur, vehicle occupants will be alerted of a PODS system problem by illumination of the airbag warning light, an acoustic warning sound, an error message displayed in the instrument cluster and by the status of the Passenger Airbag OFF indicator light. In this case the owner should take the vehicle as soon as possible to an authorized Volkswagen dealership for inspection/repair,” Volkswagen said.
Owners may contact Volkswagen’s customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen’s number for this recall is 69FB. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov about NHTSA recall 23V215.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.