Photo: James Halfacre
Formally opened ten years ago, the Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant is where the German automaker from Wolfsburg currently produces the Passat mid-size sedan and Atlas mid-size crossover utility vehicle. As fate would have it, 30 examples of the Passat and Atlas have been assembled at the Tennessee-based site with improperly tightened wheel bearing bolts.
In typical VW fashion, the company became aware of this problem quite a long time ago. The first field complaint alleging this issue was received on April 23rd according to the attached report. Volkswagen started the analysis into this condition on May 10th, and curiously enough, they needed more than a month to complete such a simple task. From July through August 2021, Volkswagen and supplier Thyssenkrupp Automotive Systems conducted a new investigation to identify the potentially affected vehicles.
Better late than never, the topic was presented to the Pre-Product Safety Committee on September 30th. The Product Safety Committee then decided to recall the aforementioned vehicles on October 8th out of an abundance of caution, which is what the supplier should have exhibited in the first place.
To date, the company is aware of a field claim for noise concerns from a loose bolt. Volkswagen’s North American division highlights that “most of the vehicles in the potentially affected population have meanwhile achieved in excess of 7,000 miles (11,265 kilometers).” Customers and U.S. retailers will be informed of the recall on December 14th, ten days before Christmas Eve.
The remedy component is the same as the recalled part, namely the bolts that secure the front wheel bearing with part numbers WHT.004.835 for the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport and part numbers WHT.000.237.C for the Passat. If the dealership technician finds the wheel bearing torque incorrect, the bolts will be duly replaced under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
As a brief refresher, 2022 is the final model year for the Passat for the U.S. market due to dwindling sales. The Atlas, meanwhile, is going strong even though there are much better options in the mid-size crossover segment.
Better late than never, the topic was presented to the Pre-Product Safety Committee on September 30th. The Product Safety Committee then decided to recall the aforementioned vehicles on October 8th out of an abundance of caution, which is what the supplier should have exhibited in the first place.
To date, the company is aware of a field claim for noise concerns from a loose bolt. Volkswagen’s North American division highlights that “most of the vehicles in the potentially affected population have meanwhile achieved in excess of 7,000 miles (11,265 kilometers).” Customers and U.S. retailers will be informed of the recall on December 14th, ten days before Christmas Eve.
The remedy component is the same as the recalled part, namely the bolts that secure the front wheel bearing with part numbers WHT.004.835 for the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport and part numbers WHT.000.237.C for the Passat. If the dealership technician finds the wheel bearing torque incorrect, the bolts will be duly replaced under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
As a brief refresher, 2022 is the final model year for the Passat for the U.S. market due to dwindling sales. The Atlas, meanwhile, is going strong even though there are much better options in the mid-size crossover segment.
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