2021 Volkswagen Atlas and 2020-2021 Cross Sport recalled for air bag water damage
Volkswagen is recalling certain 2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Cross Sport vehicles whose air conditioning drain tube can become blocked, allowing water to damage the air bag control module and potentially trigger inadvertent air bag deployment.
What this means for you
Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).
The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.
Our severity reasoning: This is a structural vehicle defect affecting the air bag control module. A blocked air conditioning drain tube can cause water damage to the air bag module, potentially resulting in inadvertent air bag deployment and increasing the risk of serious injury or crash.
Plain-English summary
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The air conditioning system drain tube can become blocked, causing water to leak inside the vehicle near the air bag control module.
A water leak in this location may damage the air bag control module, potentially causing the air bag to deploy inadvertently. This increases the risk of injury or a crash.
The recall affects 54,429 vehicles. Owners should contact a Volkswagen dealer to have the drain tube repaired and the air bag control module replaced if necessary, at no cost. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2022. For more information, owners can call Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or visit the NHTSA website at www.nhtsa.gov. The NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline is available at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153).
The recalled product
- Product
- VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS, ATLAS CROSS SPORT
- Brand
- VOLKSWAGEN
- Manufacturer
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
- Category
- Vehicle — Air Bag System
- Affected units
- 54,429
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 (2)
- ATLAS
- ATLAS CROSS SPORT
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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