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U.S. warns 143,000 VW SUVs owners to keep front passenger seats empty pending fix

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Owners of 143,000 recalled Volkswagen Atlas vehicles should not let people sit in front passenger seats until the occupant-detection systems in these vehicles have been fixed, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Tuesday.

The recall covers 2018-2021 model year Atlas and 2020 model year Atlas Cross Sport vehicles, and relates to potential faulty occupant-detection systems in front passenger seats.

The passenger occupant-detection system may experience a fault in the wiring, which could deactivate the front passenger air bag even when the seat is occupied. A deactivated air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the front seat passenger, NHTSA said.

Volkswagen said it is currently developing a remedy, which it expects to be ready likely in late 2023. VW in late 2020 introduced a new cable to address potential issues…
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