The Recall Desk
Our severity:HighNHTSA·22V086000·Announced 2022-02-16

2019 Volkswagen Atlas: Missing GVWR Label on Side-Step Models

Volkswagen is recalling certain 2018-2021 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles equipped with side steps due to a missing GVWR label that reflects the additional weight, increasing overloading risk.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).

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: Meets the rubric criterion for High severity: risk-of-harm vehicle safety issue where overloading from a missing GVWR label could cause loss of control and increased crash risk, with no injuries reported to date.

Plain-English summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. is recalling certain 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles equipped with accessory side steps. These vehicles were not installed with a reduced Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) label that should reflect the additional weight of the side steps. The missing label violates Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 110 on tire selection and rims.

Without the reduced GVWR label, vehicle owners may not account for the added weight of the side steps when loading their vehicles. This could lead to overloading beyond safe limits, resulting in loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.

The recall affects approximately 3,648 vehicles. Affected model years are 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport models that were equipped with the accessory side steps.

Volkswagen dealers will install the correct reduced GVWR label free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 31, 2022. Owners can contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 for more information. 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 — Vehicle Labeling / Safety Standard
Hazard
Affected units
3,648

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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