Volkswagen Recalls 271,000 Vehicles Over Air Bag Issue

Volkswagen is recalling over 271,000 vehicles in the United States due to a potential wiring fault that may deactivate front passenger air bags when the seat is occupied, the U.S. auto safety regulator said Wednesday.

The recall affects the German automaker's certain 2021-2024 Atlas and 2020-2024 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles where the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may experience a fault in the wiring and affect front passenger air bags.

The Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport are among the best-selling vehicles for the carmaker in the U.S.

Volkswagen will notify all owners of the affected vehicles by Aug. 16, the company said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

"Once parts are ready, Volkswagen dealers will replace the PODS sensor mat and wiring harness with improved parts free of charge," Volkswagen added.

Until the recall repair has been performed, the regulator advised affected vehicle owners to avoid the use of the front passenger seat whenever possible.

The issue also affects nearly 36,000 vehicles in Canada, a memo sent by Volkswagen to its dealers, which was attached with NHTSA's recall notice, showed.

Earlier this year, Volkswagen had issued a recall of more than 261,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to an issue with a jet pump seal inside its fuel tank.