RECALL AND LEMON ALERT - 2018-2021 Volkswagen Atlas Airbags (VW)

There are an immense amount of consumer complaints regarding 2018 - 2021 Volkswagen Atlas (more specifically, the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and their engine and start / stop issues). Coming on the heels of those Atlas vehicles being lemons, Volkswagen recently announced a recall of more than 140,000 Atlas vehicles regarding the airbags. Volkswagen told federal regulators that “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.”

This is in addition to numerous electrical complaints, i.e. faulty / dead batteries, the Atlas automatically braking even though the brake pedal isn’t depressed and emergency warning lights coming on in the vehicle without warning. These are pretty serious issues.

In regards to the recall, here is the official acknowledgement filed with NTHSA:

NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000

Manufacturer Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Components AIR BAGS

Potential Number of Units Affected 143,053

Summary

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.

Remedy

Owners are advised not to use the front passenger seat until the remedy has been completed. The remedy is currently under development. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed May 26, 2023. Owners will receive a second notice once the remedy becomes available. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69FB.

If you’re in California and you own a Volkswagen Atlas, it may be a lemon. If you’ve taken your Atlas a dealership for engine issues, electrical issues, brake issues or airbag issues, you may be entitled to a refund of what you’ve paid for the vehicle or cash consideration. Fill out the form below and we’ll reply back to you immediately to see if you have a potential lemon law claim.