Two Volkswagen SUV Models Are Dangerously Malfunctioning
Malfunctioning Volkswagen SUVs are putting drivers in precarious situations.
This article is more than 2 years old
Popular carmaker, Volkswagen has come under scrutiny by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for their malfunctioning SUVs. In a scary recounting of events by customer Kendall Heiman, a simple school run turned into a nightmare when her vehicle took on a life of its own. First, the alarm started to beep and the dashboard warning light said something had gone haywire. Then the driver’s side windows rolled down on their own.
But the most terrifying part of the January 5th ordeal, Heiman told AP News, was when her Volkswagen SUV braked for no reason. The Kansas-based clinical social worker was driving her 15-year-old son to school when the 2021 Atlas Cross Sport went crazy. The malfunctions turned a routine two-mile round trip into a mini horror movie. “It felt like the car was possessed,” Heiman told the publication. She added that it didn’t feel like she was driving her SUV, but more like it was driving her.
Following the incident, the NHTSA said it has been gathering information from Volkswagen about the problem. While the agency is monitoring complaints and other data sources, it hasn’t opened a formal investigation yet. According to the safety group, they would have to collect and analyze additional data before seeking a recall of the questionable SUVs. Interestingly, complaints about unexpected braking in the SUVs began in September 2020. This was eight months before Kendall Heiman purchased her Atlas Cross Sport.
Addressing the malfunction, Volkswagen said it is working on the problem but stopped short of saying it’s recalling the affected vehicles. “VW is aware of concerns involving faulty door wiring harnesses in certain Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles,” the company said via AP News. “We are working closely with NHTSA regarding the next steps towards identifying the affected vehicles.”
Unfortunately, Heiman’s scary car ride wasn’t unique. In 2020, 47 Volkswagen owners have complained about the same glitches in their 2020 and 2021 VW Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs. Some drivers told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that they narrowly escaped collisions. Luckily, a review of every complaint found no reports of crashes.
Following the braking incident, Kendal Heiman called her dealer’s service department and made an appointment for the next day. A mechanic detected a problem with a wiring harness in the driver’s door but was told there weren’t any parts to fix it. After discussing the safety risks, the dealership gave her a new all-wheel-drive SUV to use while her vehicle was being repaired.
She also reported the problem to Volkswagen in an online chat but the regional manager she was referred to offered little help. Heiman waited two months for the parts needed to repair her SUV. Only after a reporter contacted the dealership, did she receive a call telling her that the component had arrived and her vehicle had been repaired.
Kendall Heiman’s experience with Volkswagen made her worry about others who’ve experienced similar problems with their Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. Additionally, she finds it odd that the automaker and government safety regulators haven’t recalled them already. If the SUVs are recalled, it’s not clear how many would have to be repaired. Over the last two years, the company sold 203,000 of both models combined.
