The Recall Desk
HighNHTSA·18V380000·Announced 2018-06-07

Volkswagen Recalls 2018 Atlas Models for Seat Belt Buckle Damage Risk

Volkswagen is recalling 54,729 2018 Atlas vehicles because missing manual information can lead to seat belt buckle damage, increasing injury risk in crashes.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a risk-of-harm product (seat belt buckle damage) where injury has not yet been reported, fitting the High severity criteria.

Plain-English summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. is recalling 54,729 2018 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. The recall addresses a defect where the owner's manuals provided with the vehicles do not inform customers about child restraint size limitations for the second row center seating position.

As a result, if a child seat base wider than 12.6 inches is installed, the center and adjacent outboard seat belt buckles on the second row can become damaged. A damaged seat belt buckle can release unexpectedly, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the center and left outboard seat belt buckles and replace them if necessary, free of charge. Volkswagen will also provide an owner's manual supplement addressing child safety and child restraints. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS
Brand
VOLKSWAGEN
Manufacturer
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Category
Vehicle — Seat Belts
Hazard
Affected units
54,729

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (1)

  • ATLAS

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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