Volkswagen, Toyota recalls affect more than 400,000 SUVs over airbag issues

The Volkswagen recall affects some 2021 to 2024 Atlas and 2020 to 2024 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. Seat heater wire problems in affected vehicles could cause the airbag to turn off when someone is in the front seat.

Volkswagen said in documents recently published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that car owners should avoid using the front passenger seat until they receive the required repair.

The airbag warning light, sound and error message on the instrument cluster alert passengers if there is a problem with Volkswagen vehicles. Owners can also expect recall notification letters in the mail starting August 16.

To fix the problem, owners can bring their vehicles to a Volkswagen dealer to have the occupant detection system sensor mat and wiring harness replaced. Volkswagen will offer a payment plan for the repairs, NHTSA documents said.

The airbag recall marks the second in less than a year for the 2024 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. Volkswagen recalled both models in August over concerns about engine failure.

The Toyota airbag recall affects certain 2024 model year Toyota Grand Highlander and Grand Highlander Hybrid ATVs and Lexus TX350, TX500 Hybrid and TX550 Hybrid vehicles. If the driver's side airbag is activated in the recalled vehicles, part of it could deploy outside the SUV if the window is rolled down, increasing the risk of injury to the driver.

Toyota recently said in NHTSA documents that the solution to the airbag issue is still being determined. Passengers should keep the driver's side window open until the repair is performed, Toyota spokesman Aaron Fowles said.

Recall notification letters will be sent to drivers in August, NHTSA documents said.

Toyota and Volkswagen spokesman Michael Loder declined to comment on whether their companies had received injury reports related to their recalls.

The recalls are the latest in a series of issues with airbags in vehicles over the years.

Takata airbags were the subject of one of the largest recalls in U.S. history after reports of exploding inflators, and even last month — several years after the problem first surfaced — a recall was issued related to Takata bags.

Last year, federal auto safety regulators stepped up efforts to recall nearly 52 million airbag inflators made by ARC Automotive and Delphi Automotive Systems, though ARC has resisted the effort.

More recently, concerns have emerged about the use of fake airbags as replacements in vehicles. The Wall Street Journal reported this month that people were killed or seriously injured by fake airbags at least five times last year.

Counterfeit airbags have been shown to “persistently malfunction” by failing to deploy or expel metal fragments when they do, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Dozens of U.S. states have passed legislation banning counterfeit air bags, but counterfeit parts are difficult to trace, leaving federal regulators with an unclear picture of the scale of the problem.