VW: Nobody Should Ride Shotgun in Some Vehicles

Volkswagen is recalling 143,035 Atlas SUVs for a pretty terrifying reason: The passenger airbags can fail to deploy during a crash. The impacted SUVs were manufactured between 2018 and 2021; 2020 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles are also included in the recall. The issue is a wiring flaw in the occupant detection system that can cause the front-seat passenger airbag to become deactivated even if someone is sitting there, CBS News reports. No injuries or deaths related to the issue have been reported. Volkswagen first became aware of the problem in 2019, USA Today reports.

Until a fix is implemented, anyone who owns one of the recalled vehicles shouldn't let anyone ride shotgun, VW says. Affected customers will be notified via mail starting May 26, but before then, Atlas owners can call VW at 1-800-893-5298 or check their vehicle identification numbers here to see if their vehicle is included in the recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's consumer alert can be read in full here; its report is here. Last year, VW recalled more than 246,000 SUVs due to faulty wiring causing them to brake without warning, and almost 225,000 other vehicles due to issues with the tire pressure monitoring systems. (More Volkswagen stories.)