New Jersey residents expect their car’s safety features to keep them safe. Sadly, there are sometimes instances of defective components in vehicles. Recently, it was determined that this was exactly the case with the airbags found in certain Volkswagen models.
What is the issue with Volkswagen’s airbags?
Defective automotive products can result in serious personal injuries simply from normal use. Volkswagen recently discovered a potential defect in the airbags found in its SUV models Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport, which were released in 2020 and 2021, respectively. The problem is that the airbags can potentially deploy at any time, even when the vehicles have not been in an accident.
Why is this problem occurring?
The SUVs affected by the recall in the airbags pose a significant danger to drivers and passengers. If the airbags unexpectedly deploy, it can result in serious injuries and even death in the worst-case scenario. While it’s expected for airbags to inflate upon severe impact, the defect stems from an issue involving the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs’ air conditioning systems. Water leaking onto the controls of the airbags can cause the airbags to expand and deploy. When the module becomes wet, the airbags can automatically expand. In some cases, the warning light on the vehicle’s dashboard might light up to signal that there is damage to the airbags’ control module. Anyone who owns one of these SUVs who sees this warning should take immediate action to set up a repair.
Although Volkswagen has issued a recall of the affected model vehicles, it has not reported any injuries stemming from these defective products.
How will Volkswagen address the problem?
A total of 54,249 affected Volkswagen SUVs are included in the recall. As a result of the defective airbags, the auto manufacturer will make repairs and replace the airbags for absolutely free. However, the parts needed for the repairs may not be available for some time, which means people might have to arrange for alternate transportation.
Any owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by the company in early 2022.