Volkswagen recalls 143K vehicles over passenger airbag issue

April 5 (UPI) -- Volkswagen of America has issued a recall of more than 140,000 vehicles over an issue that could deactivate the front passenger airbag when the seat is occupied.

The recall affecting 143,053 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles was announced Tuesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is advising owners of affected vehicles "not to use the front passenger seat until the remedy has been completed."

According to Volkswagen, the issue is with the passenger occupant detection system. A fault in the wiring could deactivate the front passenger air bag when the seat is occupied, which means the safety device will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury, it said in a statement.

The cause of the problem has yet to be identified, and the recall was issued out of an abundance of caution, a document from Volkswagen concerning the defect states.

A remedy for the issue is under development, and owners of affected vehicles will be notified as soon as a repair is available.

Model Year 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles are those affected by the recall.