Photo: Volkswagen
Twinned with the Volkswagen Teramont for China, the Atlas is a sweetheart of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for all the wrong reasons. No fewer than 15 recalls were announced since it rolled out for MY18, and the 15th recall is arguably the most curious of the lot.
As the headline implies, a missing label is the culprit. Back in June 2021 during a review of accessories installed at U.S. ports, “a slight weight discrepancy was identified in the recorded versus the actual weight of the side-step accessory.” Volkswagen promptly initiated an investigation into the matter, which concluded six months later. Yes, it took them six months!
The condition was presented to the Product Safety Committee in December 2021, which requested additional information and clarification to determine the impact of the overweight issue. Two months later, the analysis concluded just as expected. More specifically, these vehicles don’t comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 110 for tire selection and rims because VW didn’t install the reduced gross vehicle weight rating label.
Volkswagen informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it has rectified the condition on June 18th, 2021 by affixing labels to all vehicles rolling off the assembly line Chattanooga. The non-compliance recall affects 3,648 units of the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport from the 2018 to 2021 and 2020 to 2021 model years. These vehicles were made between June 2017 and May 2021 as per the manufacturer’s production records.
Authorized U.S. dealerships and known owners will be notified on or before April 15th, and obviously to everyone, the fix consists of a yellow label stating the correct weight reduction from market delivery option codes.
On that note, let’s remind ourselves why the Atlas isn’t exactly the best pick in the segment. The mid-size crossover was initially recalled in November 2017 for a fuel tank prone to leak gasoline due to insufficient wall thickness. Come June 2018, Volkswagen Group of America told the NHTSA that the brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may feature insufficient coating.
Subsequent recalls were announced for the passenger frontal airbag, seatbelt buckles that may be damaged by certain child seats, headlights that can be adjusted, fracturing rear coil springs, no warning when the key is left in the ignition, airbag malfunction caused by a drain tube, loose brake caliper bracket bolts, incorrectly manufactured airbag sensors, tire failure, and vehicles may not have been built to applicable regulatory requirements.
The condition was presented to the Product Safety Committee in December 2021, which requested additional information and clarification to determine the impact of the overweight issue. Two months later, the analysis concluded just as expected. More specifically, these vehicles don’t comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 110 for tire selection and rims because VW didn’t install the reduced gross vehicle weight rating label.
Volkswagen informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it has rectified the condition on June 18th, 2021 by affixing labels to all vehicles rolling off the assembly line Chattanooga. The non-compliance recall affects 3,648 units of the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport from the 2018 to 2021 and 2020 to 2021 model years. These vehicles were made between June 2017 and May 2021 as per the manufacturer’s production records.
Authorized U.S. dealerships and known owners will be notified on or before April 15th, and obviously to everyone, the fix consists of a yellow label stating the correct weight reduction from market delivery option codes.
On that note, let’s remind ourselves why the Atlas isn’t exactly the best pick in the segment. The mid-size crossover was initially recalled in November 2017 for a fuel tank prone to leak gasoline due to insufficient wall thickness. Come June 2018, Volkswagen Group of America told the NHTSA that the brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may feature insufficient coating.
Subsequent recalls were announced for the passenger frontal airbag, seatbelt buckles that may be damaged by certain child seats, headlights that can be adjusted, fracturing rear coil springs, no warning when the key is left in the ignition, airbag malfunction caused by a drain tube, loose brake caliper bracket bolts, incorrectly manufactured airbag sensors, tire failure, and vehicles may not have been built to applicable regulatory requirements.
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