Auburn Hills, Mich. – July 10, 2018 – Volkswagen Group of America has recalled more than 800 vehicles potentially equipped with defective air bag assemblies, according to documentation submitted to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The campaign affects 2018 Volkswagen Atlas sport utility vehicles produced between April 18, 2018, and May 3, 2018, along with 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan SUVs manufactured between March 10, 2018, and May 19, 2018.
The German automaker is unsure just how many of the vehicles actually contain the defective components.
The Defect
Affected models feature frontal air bag assemblies that may unfold improperly or tear during deployment. This defect drastically increases the likelihood of injury in the event of an accident and therefore poses a serious hazard to occupants. However, Volkswagen has yet to receive reports connecting the problematic components to any collisions or injuries.
Timeline of Events
On April 17, 2018, Key Safety Systems of Mexico, an air bag supplier, informed Volkswagen of Mexico that some of its shipped assemblies failed to pass conformity of product tests. The vendor initiated root cause internal analysis following this communication.
On May 7, 2018, members of the Volkswagen of Mexico Preproduct Safety Committee convened to evaluate the issue. The group decided that further analysis was required and referred the matter to its global counterpart, the Volkswagen AG Preproduct Safety Committee.
Nine days later, the Volkswagen AG PPSC received a report that revealed vehicles assembled at the company’s plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee had been equipped with seemingly defective air bags. This prompted the Volkswagen of Mexico Product Safety Group to intervene on May 17, 2018. This group, in conjunction its global peer, decided on May 30, 2018, that the defect posed a serious hazard to occupants and therefore warranted a voluntary safety recall.
The Solution
Volkswagen will direct dealers to replace the frontal air bags in affected vehicles free of charge, according to an NHTSA recall acknowledgement document. The automaker intends to inform dealers of the forthcoming action Aug. 2, 2018, and reach out to owners via first-class mail Aug. 3, 2018. Owners in need of assistance prior to the start of the recall can reach Volkswagen customer service by calling (800) 893-5298. Callers should use the internal recall reference codes 69W8 and 69W9. Owners can also connect with the NHTSA through its Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236.
