Volkswagen Recalls 140K SUVs For Faulty Passenger-side Airbags

(RTTNews) - Volkswagen is recalling more than 143,000 Atlas Sport vehicles or SUVs in the United States due to faulty airbags on the front passenger side. The German automaker warned against someone riding in that seat until the issue is corrected.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.'s recall involves certain 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA, front passenger air bag may not deploy as faulty sensor on the front passenger side can switch the airbag system off under certain conditions.

The issue is with the passenger occupant detection system or PODS that may experience a fault in the wiring and deactivate the front passenger air bag when the seat is occupied. Due to this, front seat passengers will be left without the protection of the airbag in the event of a crash.

A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.

Owners of the recalled vehilces are urged not to use the front passenger seat until the remedy, which is currently under development, has been completed.

Volkswagen spokesman Mark GIllies reportedly said that the company is not aware of any injuries after using the recalled vehicles.

The Volkswagen Atlas, a seven-seat mid-size crossover SUV, has been designed specifically for the North American market. The vehicles are being built in the Chattanooga plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States.