Volkswagen has issued several major recalls of the vehicle rather than concerns that the engine cover could melt and fire.
The German automaker recalled more than 177,000 crossover SUVs, including the 2024-2025 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday.
The engine cover of a shocked car was accidentally installed and could be loosened, contacting the hot engine surface, increasing the risk of a fire, the agency said.
Volkswagen encourages owners to bring their vehicles to local dealers. There, the engine cover will be removed for free, the car manufacturer said.
According to the NHTSA, the owner will be mailed a letter of notification by April 18th.
Safety issues were reported to the NHTSA on February 17th, the agency said.
Some of the same Volkswagen models, including the 2021-2024 ATLAS and the 2020-2024 Atlas Cross Sport, were involved in a wide range of recalls in June last year, including 271,000 vehicles.
At the time, Volkswagen warned that the airbag in the passenger seat of a crossover SUV could not inflate due to a crash, exacerbating the risk of serious injuries.
