Air Bag Problems of Volkswagen Atlas - part 1

My daughter hit a deer while she was on the interstate, so she had her cruise control set at 72 mph, the deer came up out of the left/median ditch (she was in the left lane at the time). There was no warning as she did not see it at all, so there was an immediate, intense impact, enough where the hood of the car ended up opening up and smashing and coming to rest against the windshield. The front end of the Atlas was heavily damaged and no airbags deployed at all! the vehicle's seatbelt did lock up and keep her from slamming into the steering column and windshield and the vehicle's front assist braking system did engage after the impact to slow her down and actually tried pulling her to the side of the road, although, that could be a flaw as well as it assumed that she was in the right lane of the road to begin with, so it pulled her to stop in the middle of the right lane of the interstate. Thankfully it was late enough in the evening and no other traffic so she was able to figure that out in her post accident confusion and was able to get the car further off the road and call for help. The Atlas had to be towed from the scene. Prior to this incident there has been no issues with any warning lights coming on and we have had all past recalls taken care of through the vw dealership we bought our vw from, so we assume that they were taken care of properly.

See all problems of the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas 🔎.

The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to take the vehicle for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or a dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,843.

See all problems of the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas 🔎.

The passenger airbag ‘off’ light remains on even when a passenger is sitting in the passenger front seat. This remains on even after I’ve taken it in for a different component for the airbag that was recalled.

See all problems of the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas 🔎.

The same airbag error mentioned in recalls for other vins of this vehicle is happening to this one. I think this VIN also needs to be included.

See all problems of the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas 🔎.

The week of February 23, 2026, the airbag warning light has come on in my dashboard advising that there is something wrong with my airbags. It has barely been 6-7 months (in August 2025 ) that my vw Atlas was serviced due to a recall specifically for the airbags and now an alert on my dash for this safety hazard is appearing again. I called my local dealer who told me as the recall was already serviced, there is nothing they can do as far as honoring it and I would need to pay. Prior to the recall I didn’t have an alert and now after it’s been apparently fixed my vehicle has this alert. This is extremely dangerous as if involved in accident could cause needless deaths if the airbags are not properly working or malfunction and vw is not taking responsibility !!.

See all problems of the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas 🔎.

I am reporting a failure by Volkswagen group of America to provide a safe and timely remedy for safety recall 23v-215. Per the manufacturer's notice, the front passenger seat is unsafe for use until repaired. I physically surrendered my vehicle to merced vw on Dec 29, 2025, due to this grounding safety risk. However, both the dealership and vw corporate (case #07228209) have refused to provide a comparable 7-passenger loaner or a direct-bill rental, despite this being my family's primary transportation for three children. Vw corporate has denied reimbursement, citing a '3-hour' labor time, while ignoring the actual grounding period caused by parts backorders. I am currently forced to pay out-of-pocket for a rental to ensure my family's safety because the manufacturer has failed to provide the mandated no-charge remedy or safe alternative transportation.

Vehicle went in for service on the airbags. The dealer has been sent the incorrect oem part 5 times from Volkswagen parts dealers. Volkswagen cstomer care sent email confirmation that the part is correct, dealer is stating part is not correct. The part delivered is a different part number than what is on the packaging. The vehicle has been in the shop since 12/8/2025. The invoice for the part the first time it was ordered is dated 12/29/2025.

Upon a low speed curb strike, predominantly striking the rear driver tire and partially the front driver tire, during a slide under 30mph, the curtain airbags deployed in the vehicle. Reading about this online, it appears others driving this type of vehicle have had similar reports of low speed tire strikes and airbags deploying. The airbags were more of a risk than the curb strike itself. With children in approved car seats in the rear, this was of course incredibly frightening. It appears vw is aware of the low sensitivity of their sensors that deploy this system, for which this sensor has been under recall in the past. Whether my sensor was repaired correctly is not understood. There is no other vehicle damage. The vehicle has been delivered to the vw dealer for inspection. It would be ideal for the NHTSA to look into whether the vw Atlas's curtain airbag deployment at low speed tire strikes meets the threshold for safety standards of deploying airbags. As there is a previous history for airbag issues with vw, it's not unrealistic this was a fault with the car and not the driver.

November 26th, I was leaving my home to go tpublix. Upon exiting the eagle creek community gate, I proceeded down eagle creek sanctuary boulevard to avoid hitting a cat, I ended scraped the side of my tires and rims on the side curb. Unexpectedly, while driving, the airbags deployed, even though I had not come into contact with the cat or any other object. The steering wheel airbag did not deploy only the airbags on the side a cop did show up because he was coming out of the eagler creek community and stopped to ask if I needed assistance I showed the office inside my vehicle he was shocked to see that my airbags deployed and the gentlemen that was towing the vehicle was shocked as well the officer and the towing gentleman inform me I should contact Volkswagen. I contacted Volkswagen customer service but I also wanted to report it to the NHTSA my concern is this should be investigated further.

See all problems of the 2022 Volkswagen Atlas 🔎.

Dangerous car cyput off in full engagement. Brakes grinding squealing an unfamiliar sounds. The engine has major rust in air intake valves the epc code shut car down in full engagement and you can not restart unless u put extra gas in. Te car was replaced with new seats new body new rugs an the color has been repainted. The screws in bolts are not lined up an junkyard parts under carriage of car. Unfortunately I didn't see all this when I fiancee it in may a machine showed me this an I bought a used lemon from tampa enterprise car sales in may 2025. 645 a month in payment to ally banks. Car in shop more then on road anit has never ever been serviced as it was told to me as a pre certified car. They lied to me an restore almost everything in this car the dealership even questioned me about color coating comestic missing ve design on plated door. I need help.

The airbag occupancy detectors on the passenger side are faulty. I noticed that other similar models of the vw Atlas are having this issue and it has an active recall, but my particular model has not.

See all problems of the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas 🔎.

Pods system recall from 2023 was replaced, but now the same error message for the airbag not working for the front passenger air bag is now coming on again. Vw dealership will not replace a second time, they are aware of the problem and have refused to help in any way. No passenger can be in the front passenger seat because the airbag does not turn on when the seat is occupied.

Error: airbag and the passenger airbag isn’t working. There is a recall for the Atlas but my VIN isn’t in there. No recall for the brakes but they are in a class action lawsuit and they are squeeling, vibrate and feel like they won’t stop. Dealership claims nothing wrong. But my car I traded in didn’t feel like this. Vw need to take action before accidents happen.

The contact owned a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that when driving at various speeds, when veering towards the left or right with the vehicle, the vehicle would turn in the opposite direction the steering wheel was being directed. The contact would have to turn the steering wheel in the desired direction to straighten the vehicle and turn it towards the intended direction. The lane assist would cause the vehicle to misread the direction of the road and turn the vehicle in the opposite direction. The failure had become progressively worse and more persistent. The contact stated that while driving past a driveway, the lane assist determined there was a curb near the vehicle, aggressively turning the vehicle towards the curb, causing the vehicle to crash into the mailbox near the driveway. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed and totaled. The mailbox was damaged. The contact stated that they received bruises to their hands from attempting to correct the direction of the vehicle, and no medical attention was needed. The police were contacted, and a police report was made; however, the contact was waiting for the police report identification number. After the incident, the contact learned that their vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 23v215000 (air bags), which explains that the air bags may fail to deploy. The remedy for the recall had not been completed before the incident occurred. The dealer was informed of the failure; however, the contact had not heard back from the department that they needed to speak with. The manufacturer was contacted; however, a complaint was not filed. The contact was advised to call back to file with the correct department, which was closed at the time. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

The passenger air bag has a faulty sensor and the instrument cluster has an intermittent warning with audible chime. We are unable to use the vehicle for safe transportation and we are intermittently bombarded with the chime while driving. The dealership cannot repair until July 3 and does not offer any alternative transportation in the mean time or any loaner during repair. We have contacted vw customer care and they refuse to do anything about it. They have directed us to the dealership. We are unable to get around as a family currently due to this issue. There is an active recall for this issue.

I requested a repair for safety recall 69fb about a year ago and my dealer says that they still do not have the parts to make the repair. How can you decide that a problem may result in death or injury but not expedite the repair?.

The airbag error light has come on my car multiple times since I have bought it new in 2021 at vw dealership. I have brought it many times to vw service center. Last week I had a coolant leak which they did repair, I paid $1400 for it already. But at the same time, I was told there is a recall on my vehicle. I told advisor that I thought it was taken care of already but was told it is not. So they worked on the recall. But the nex day, the airbag light came on again. I am worried for the safety of my family in this car. I was quoted $872. 72 to have this fixed. This airbag error directly resulted after the recall work was performed on it. Not 24 hours after I picked up the car, the light came on again. I spoke to manager ryan and was told the price can be decreased to $400. I am apaled that I need to pay for this and to have the airbag light come on yet again. Please see my transcript to vw and some of the service repairs done on this vehicle in regards to the "airbag error" I have a family and am worried for our safety in this car please review.

Volkswagen doesn’t have a repair for the front passenger airbag not going off due to a sensor failure. Customers such as myself were made aware in June of the issue and there is still no fix!!!.

The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas.  the contact stated he received a recall notification, NHTSA campaign number: 24v464000(air bags).  the contact stated the vehicle was taken to the dealer, however the recall repair was not performed.  the contact stated the vehicle was at the dealer for five days.  the contact stated the dealer did not provide a receipt for the recall repair.   the manufacturer was made aware of the failure.  the contact was informed that the recall repair was not performed.  the failure mileage was approximately 14,000.

Manufacturer still does not have a remedy for open recall that was announced June 2024. Since this regards passenger detection and air bag deployment in the event of an accident, 9 months and still no remedy is unacceptable.

Car displaying an error air bag message. Other 2021 vw Atlases are showing as recalled for sensor mat and wiring harness but my VIN is not showing.

3 weeks ago, the warning light of the front airbag turned on. The airbag system has a malfunction and is available for inspection I did research and found a safety recall on my car (vw Atlas SUV fwd 2021) with the code: 69pz I have not received any notice from my car dealer or manufacturer I am worried that the faulty airbag system could deploy in the middle of a drive or not deploy in case of an accident.

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v215000 (air bags) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the remedy parts were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that a second notice would be mailed when the remedy was available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

I have an error for my passenger airbag sensor, it is the same error that is present on current recalled Atlas models from the same year that I have, however; my VIN is included. I would like some type of solution from the manufacturer to resolve this issue due to the current status and frequency of this issue on 2019 Atlas models.

While performing a low speed left hand turn the vehicle’s adaptive cruise control system falsely detected an imminent crash triggering the auto braking system and subsequently malfunctioned to release the vehicle’s side curtain airbags on both the passenger and driver side. The police were called and responded but no police report was prepared as there was determined to be no motor vehicle accident or property damage done (other than to the vehicle itself). The vehicle was taken to a dealer and a diagnostic test was performed, results attached. The manufacturer has verbally responded that they determine the airbag release to be of outside influences and they deny malfunction. They will not provide their response in writing. At the time of the accident there were no warning lights indicating a problem; however, the vehicle diagnostic results indicate that there were brake system issues earlier in the day. The vehicle diagnostic results include multiple system malfunctions that contributed to this malfunction.

The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v464000 (air bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Passenger side airbag sensor indicated problem. Sensor mat in the passenger side was replaced once, now it needs to be replaced again. Being told that because the repair was done 19 months ago it is out of parts warranty and my bumper to bumper is out of warranty. This is the same problem as the vehicles with a recall from vw. If the airbag does not inflate upon impact, it will kill the passenger. The repair is estimated at $800. This is an airbag, as safety issue.

I have the same airbag error issues as same year and model car. They are not considering it as part of the recall.

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v464000 (air bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving approximately 2 mph, the "air bag error" message was displayed on the instrument panel. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the place of residence. A dealer was contacted however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact did research and was made aware of the NHTSA campaign number: 24v464000 (air bags); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

This safety recall has been open for quite some time. I feel unsafe driving with anyone in the passenger seat. When I contacted vw, they simply informed me that a remedy is not yet available. Vw says that owners should avoid use of the front passenger seat if possible until the recall repairs have been made.

The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v464000 (air bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

I was made aware of this recall in June of 2024. I called to schedule my car and when I showed up was told the repair was not available. I was told when the letter was mailed in August I could get my vehicle repaired and advised not to use the front passenger seat. I tried calling again in August and was told still no repair available and "don't use the front passenger seat". I most recently called in November of 2024. Our local dealer told us no repair was available and to call vw's 1800 number. The local dealer also gave misinformation about the recall and when I asked they told me they didn't know. I called vw customer service and was told my car is in wave 3. I asked for reasoning about why my car is in wave 3 and they couldn't give any explanation. When I asked when wave 3 repairs would be available, they didn't have an answer. I was told wave 1 and wave 2 had started but there was no eta for wave 3 to start and to not use the front passenger seat. This car is our family car. We have enough seatbelts in the car for each person in the family. We have been told for close to 6 months now not to use our primary mode of transportation with no reasoning on why we are in wave 3 and no estimate for a repair to be made. I requested to speak with a supervisor and was denied. I also reached out through the facebook page of vw and received similar information. (no idea why you are in wave 3 and no eta on a fix).

The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v464000 (air bags). The contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the vehicle struck a deer that jumped in the middle of the roadway impacting the vehicle on the front driver's side. The contact was attempting to pull over when another vehicle rear-ended her vehicle while driving at an unknown speed, fatally wounding the driver of the other vehicle. The other vehicle had the driver as the only occupant and succumbed to their inquiries on the scene. No air bags were deployed. The "crash detected" and "air bag malfunction" messages were displayed. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The front passenger's side seat, where the contact's husband was sitting, inadvertently moved backward and seized upon impact. The contact's son, who was sitting in the rear passenger's seat, was unable to exit the vehicle immediately since the rear passenger's side door failed to open. The medics extracted her son from the rear driver's side door. The contact, her husband, and her son were transported to the hospital by ambulance. A police report was filed. The contact sustained bruising to the right eye, lung, hips, and arms, as well as a cracked tooth and a fractured rib. At the hospital, the contact received staples in her head and four stitches on the forehead. The contact's husband suffered cuts and bruises on his right arm and hip. The contact's son sustained a head contusion, shoulder bruising, and cuts and bruises on his knees. The vehicle was towed to the tow yard but was not yet deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 15,327.

I own a 2019 vw Atlas se, purchased it new. The car has never been in an accident of any sort. While away from town this weekend, on Saturday an "airbag error" popped up on the car when starting the car Saturday morning. Had no idea, texted my vw dealership and brought the car in Monday morning. Note: I had to drive home ~80 miles on Sunday. Apparently the drivers side from seat belt assembly has to be replaced. The front seat belt tension igniter n153 resistance malfunctioned, causing the "airbag error. " first, in hindsight, I presume this means that if I got in an accident while driving home on the highway yesterday, I could have died due to this error. Second, I am a very cautious driver, if there is a way to check on the car, would clearly see that there have been very very few hard braking situations so I'm not sure why this would happen. Very dangerous and should not fail in a 5 year period and cost nearly $750 out of pocket to repair. The code the the seat belt assembly 3cn-857-705-e-raa, costing $286. 15, and another $379. 90 for labor.