Volkswagen is recalling more than 246,000 SUVs in the US and Canada because faulty wiring harnesses can cause unexpected braking, sometimes while driving.
The recall comes three days after the Associated Press reported that 47 people had complained to U.S. safety regulators about the problem, some of whom said they were nearly hit from behind by other vehicles. Many have reported warning lights and alarms turning off, driver-side windows rolled down, and SUVs suddenly slowing down in traffic.
Volkswagen says in documents released Friday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the recall applies to select Atlas SUVs from 2019 to 2023 model years, as well as Atlas Cross Sport from 2020 to 2023.
The documents say that the electrical contacts on the wiring harness in any of the front doors can corrode, interrupting electrical connections. This problem can cause the side airbags to deploy late in a collision and the parking brake to apply unexpectedly. Volkswagen documents say SUVs can brake at speeds below 1.8 mph.
But many of those who complained to the NHTSA said the unwanted braking happened as they drove through the city streets, putting them in danger. A driver from Mansfield, Ohio, wrote in a complaint that the braking occurred several times at speeds between 25 and 70 mph.
Kendall Heyman, a clinical social worker in Lawrence, Kansas, said her 2021 Atlas Cross Sport tried to stop several times as she drove down the roads, often while braking. Hayman said another SUV almost hit her from behind as she was pulling into a roundabout. According to her, the car also braked when she left the highway.
She and others complained that VW didn’t have parts to fix their cars, which had been sitting in dealerships for more than two months. Hayman was given rental cars, but some of those who complained to the NHTSA said the dealers told them that VW would not lend.
Kendall Heyman said the 2021 Atlas Cross Sport tried to stop several times as she drove down the roads, often while braking. AP
Documents filed by VW with the government show that the company began receiving complaints in 2020. An analysis was started, but VW initially treated the problem as a general quality issue. In 2021, the company began analyzing parts taken from vehicles and discovered a corrosion problem in the lab.
In February 2022, the NHTSA requested a meeting after seeing consumer complaints and the meeting was scheduled for 10 March. VW decided to hold the recall on March 4 “out of precaution,” the documents say.
Kendall Heyman said her Volkswagen SUV was beeping and dashboard lights were warning her that something had gone wrong. AP
The paperwork says it’s under renovation. Starting May 10, owners will receive security risk emails, with a second email sent when a remedy is available.
Complaints to the NHTSA began to come in in the fall of 2020. Many owners, including Heyman, said they would beep, turn on warning lights on the dash, roll down the driver’s side windows, and cause mysterious braking to occur. The complaints check did not find any crash reports.
Hayman’s SUV received a wiring harness replacement last week, shortly after a reporter contacted her dealership. Wiring harnesses are bundles of wires that provide multiple electrical connections in vehicles.