Auburn Hills, Michigan – Dec. 20, 2017 – Volkswagen Group of America recently issued a recall for 58 of its Atlas sport utility vehicles from the 2018 model year, citing concerns over fuel tanks and potential leakages, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Specifically, the fuel tanks installed in the recalled vehicles did not have a thick enough wall to meet specifications, due to a problem during a supplier’s production process. This issue may result in fuel leaking from the tank and, if near an ignition source, could result in fire.
In all, 50 percent of the vehicles in the recall are expected to have experienced this problem. The vehicles in question were produced between May 16, 2017, and June 10, 2017.
The Defect
Due to a production problem with the supplier YAPP, fuel tanks built within a short period of time may not have the proper wall thickness in certain areas, with these thin spots stemming from “undetected material starvation during the manufacturing process.” The problem was spotted and corrected in short order on the manufacturer’s end, but not noticed by a Volkswagen dealer until several months later.
The best way for owners to determine if their vehicle is affected by this issue is if they smell gasoline while in or around their vehicles, or if they notice fuel puddles under their vehicles.
Timeline of Events
On Sept. 15, 2017, Volkswagen opened an investigation into the issue after receiving a claim from a dealer about the potential defect. On Sept. 28, a test of the affected fuel tanks’ wall thickness was proposed as a temporary solution, and on Oct. 5, the company began weighing both the tanks and the waste flash together to determine the total amount of material that had been present during the manufacturing process.
A little more than two months after the investigation began, on Nov. 22, Volkswagen’s Product Safety Committee received more information from its investigators and determined to issue the recall based on the findings.
The Solution
All vehicles affected by the recall are still within the automaker’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty, and owners will therefore be able to have the defect fixed free of charge at a dealership. When the Atlases are taken in for service, dealers will simply replace the affected fuel tanks.
Both dealers and Atlas owners are expected to be contacted about the recall on or about Dec. 29, 2017.
