Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 100 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 100, in the owner's own words
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.
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.
Waiting at a stoplight for light to turn green. Driver’s side door airbag deployed for no reason and the car shut down completely. Except for my hazard lights and a blinking message that read “error driver door contact switch”. Had to have it tow and the tow truck driver couldn’t even put in neutral.
Air bag system in passenger seat quit working. Has been inspected by dealer.
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (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. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving, the airbag sensor would inadvertently sound when the passenger seat was not occupied. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who confirmed that the issue was an air bag seat weight sensor failure; however, the contacts VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (Air Bags) recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.
AIRBAG ERROR MESSAGE AND LIGHT WENT ON- THIS IS A RECALL IN MY SAME MODEL AND YEAR, MY VIN SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagens Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. An unknown local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
I have called the VW dealer several times to have the recall problem fixed and they keep telling me they don’t have the parts. This is lingering for months. How do I get it fixed if there’s no cooperation from dealer? I don’t remember the month I was notified but it was months ago.
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. An unknown local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Unknown- manufacturer still has not found a remedy for the seatbelt air bag issue and it’s been a year since they announced it
Manufacturer has no resolution for this issue. I contacted dealership and manufacturer for resolution as my vehicle is unable to be used in the manner in which is intended and was told that they have no resolution for me. It has been a year with no communication or resolution.
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Please it’s been almost a year with no resolution from Volkswagen. It’s insane!
I am writing to express my concerns regarding the delay in the repair of a recall affecting my 2018 Volkswagen Atlas SEL. The recall (Manufacturer Recall Number 69FB, NHTSA Recall Number 23V215) was issued on March 29th, 2023, due to a fault in the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS), which may result in the passenger airbag being switched off erroneously. This poses an increased risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash. Despite having attempted to schedule an appointment with my local Volkswagen dealership from which I bought this vehicle in August of 2023, I was informed that there was no remedy yet available, and to this day almost a full year later there is still no repair that has been made available within a reasonable timeframe. Any attempt to contact Volkswagen directly for any updates has produced no useful information, and their only solution at this time is to advise owners of affected vehicles not to have anyone ride in the front passenger seat. This delay in resolving the safety issue poses a significant risk to both myself and the other approximately 140,000 Volkswagen Atlas owners affected by this recall. As a responsible vehicle owner, I am deeply troubled by the apparent lack of urgency in addressing this matter. It is also very frustrating to not safely have full use of a vehicle that I have paid for, and continue to pay for. I urge the NHTSA to intervene and expedite the repair process to ensure the safety of all affected vehicles on the road. I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to a swift resolution.
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
I am experiencing issues related to the airbag sensor recall as the sensor does not know if someone is in the seat or not - it thinks someone is there when they aren't, and vice versa. This recall was announced in April of 2023, and since then, I have been unable to have any passengers ride in my front seat. Needless to say this is not only very inconvenient but also impacts my ability to trade in or sell this vehicle.
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (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. 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.
It has been almost 1 year since this airbag recall and no resolution. VW advises to “discontinue use of the front passenger seat”. This is ridiculous and unacceptable. I purchased this 7 passenger vehicle to transport my family including grandkids. I cannot do that with out the front passenger seat. I want a 7 passenger loaner or for VW to refund my purchase of this vehicle. There has not yet been a crash.
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (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.
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
There is an active recall that has been going on for many months, possibly years, with failure of the front passenger airbag to deploy. There is STILL no fix. When will you light a fire under VW to hold it accountable for a timely fix that is well past-due?
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (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 contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that when the vehicle was turned off and restarted the warning light was gone. The contact stated that the passenger’s side air bag warning light was illuminated on two occasions. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,700.
I purchased this vehicle in August of last year (2023), where I was made aware that the vehicle had a recall, however there was no mention that there was no fix for the recall. Thinking that the recall fix was available I have been reaching out to the dealer to schedule an appointment to bring the car in, however I keep getting that there is still no fix and there is no timeframe on when it will become available.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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