2019 Volkswagen Atlas Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 141 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas, 29% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 30,250 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bags contacted” (20% of reports).
- 141air bags complaints
- 30,250median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 4related recalls
- 50%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Air bags contacted: mentioned in 28 of 141 complaints (20%)
- Passenger seat: mentioned in 23 of 141 complaints (16%)
- Airbag error: mentioned in 9 of 141 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 28 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 141 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 2 an injury.
Volkswagen Atlas air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Atlas | 8 | 5% | 15,327 |
| 2023 Atlas | 22 | 16% | 20,000 |
| 2022 Atlas | 30 | 16% | 48,000 |
| 2021 Atlas | 66 | 14% | 19,500 |
| 2020 Atlas | 8 | 30% | 90,000 |
| 2019 Atlas | 141 | 29% | 30,250 |
| 2018 Atlas | 100 | 21% | 45,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (4)
Air bags:side/window:curtain
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Atlas vehicles. The driver's side impact air bag may be missing a weld at the side air bag housing.
Risk: The driver's side impact air bag could deploy improperly or detach in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver's side impact air bag, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69FK.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may experience a fault in the wiring and deactivate the front passenger air bag when the seat is occupied.
Risk: A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the PODS sensor mat and wiring harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 22, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69FB.
Air bags:side/window
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Atlas, 2020-2023 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021-2023 Atlas FL vehicles. The door wiring harness electrical contacts may corrode, disrupting the electrical connection and delaying the deployment of the driver or passenger front side air bag during a side impact crash.
Risk: A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will secure and, as necessary, replace any the front door wiring harnesses showing a fault code, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97GF.
Air bags:side/window
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Atlas and 2020 Passat vehicles. An incorrect driver and/or front passenger side impact air bag may have been installed.
Risk: In an event of a side impact crash, an incorrect side airbag may not deploy as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Volkswagen has inspected and replaced the side air bags, free of charge. The recall was completed in April 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Y8.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
No accidents light just turn on saying airbag error light came on. no airbag was deployed.
My air bag light came on and said I have code b121400. It indicates that the passenger occupant seat sensor is not communicating/working. I see this issue was identified as a recall for similar vehicles but did not include my car. NHTSA ID: 22v815000
The airbag error light in the vehicle came on. I took it to the dealership where the vehicle was purchased. They are charging $300.+ per hour to repair the issue. The vehicle has never been in an accident. The airbag has never been deployed.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2019 Volkswagen Atlass have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 141 owner complaints about air bags for the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas (29% of the 482 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas air bags?
Yes: 4 safety recalls list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 30,250 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas?
The most frequent phrase is “air bags contacted”, in 28 of 141 complaints, followed by “passenger seat” (23).
Other 2019 Volkswagen Atlas problems
See all 2019 Volkswagen Atlas problems or air bags problems across all Atlas years.