Volkswagen has recalled 143,000 of its Atlas SUVs in the U.S. because of faulty wiring in a weight sensor on the front passenger side, which can switch off the airbag when there's someone sitting there. Owners shouldn't let people ride in that seat until the problem can be corrected, the company advised.
Field data shows the problem is "highly sporadic and the warning light is illuminating immediately upon failure," the company said in documents filed to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Airbags, which inflate forcefully when a crash causes them to deploy, can injure children and small adults. The front passenger seat of most cars has a weight sensor to detect if someone small is sitting there and, if so, switch off the airbag.
