Volkswagen recalls 246,000 SUVs in the U.S. and Canada

Volkswagen recalls more than 200,000 vehicles in the United States and Canada. The latest recall was issued for its Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs.

According to CNBC, 246,000 units of the said vehicle models were being called back due to a defect in the airbags and brakes. There is an issue with the wiring that could belatedly activate the airbags, which could cause injuries to the passengers.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the defects in the wiring may also lead to other problems, such as the vehicle’s windows which could roll down by itself. The electronic parking brakes can also accidentally engage at low speeds.

Based on the reports, Volkswagen has yet to find a way to fix the wiring issues. The German automaker does not have a solution at this time, but it will be offering a reimbursement program for the affected vehicles that include Volkwagen Atlas units from 2019 to 2023 and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport from 2020 to 2023 models.

While the company is looking for a fix, owners of the said vehicle models can head to the website of the NHTSA to check if their units are included in the recall. They can confirm this by simply entering their SUV vehicle identification number or VIN on the provided space.

Volkswagen will also send notifications to owners through the mail by May 10. The company will also be in touch once it has developed a fix so people can have their vehicles repaired at VW’s center and authorized dealers.

In any case, Volkwagen Canada also announced the recall for the same models, and it affects 23,192 units in the country, which is part of the recall count that was published in the U.S. The issues are the same as well.

Meanwhile, the NBC Bay Area reported that Volkswagen issued the recall three days after AP News published an article about 47 complaints that were received by the U.S. safety regulators. It was said that some drivers were close to being rear-ended by other vehicles on the road due to unintentional sudden braking, while others said warning lights and alarms are activated without being controlled.