Volkswagen Group of America has issued a safety recall for 84,432 vehicles from the Golf and Atlas model families, with affected model years ranging from 2022 to 2024 and production dates from September 9, 2021 to March 16, 2024. The affected Golf GTI, Golf R, Atlas, and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles feature infotainment software versions that delay or fail to display the camera image when shifting into reverse.
Considering that Germany’s largest automaker founded the Cariad SE automotive software division back in 2020, chances are it’s the latter. In any case, Volkswagen’s American division started looking into this matter in August 2023 after a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration injury regarding the rearview camera’s functionality in 2022 Golf models.
VWGoA and VWAG of Germany convened the following month, then presented the results of their joint analysis to the federal watchdog in October 2023. Come December 2023, a so-called Priority Customer Complaint was submitted for 2024 Atlas models regarding rearview camera image complaints. By the end of the year, software version 1969 was developed for robustness improvements to the system.
Golf GTI and R vehicles for the US market were corrected in production as of December 12 last year, whereas Atlas vehicles as of February 19, 2024. It’s not clear why the recall population’s cut-off date is March 16, 2024, but nevertheless, the aforementioned software version 1969 will fix the recall condition. Volkswagen is aware of 499 warranty claims dating from March 9, 2023 through May 31, 2024.
Photo: Volkswagen
Dealers have already been instructed to update the infotainment system at no charge to the customer, with said remedy taking about an hour to complete. Separately, Canadian dealers will have to fix 2,406 units of the Atlas Cross Sport, 4,805 units of the Atlas, 4,129 units of the Golf GTI, and 2,222 of the punchier Golf R.
Owner notification letters will be mailed on or prior to August 23, 2024. Because the three- and two-row Atlas sport utility vehicles are produced stateside, their VINs kick off with 1. The Golfs, meanwhile, start with W for West Germany because both the GTI and R are produced at the Wolfsburg complex in Lower Saxony.
As you’re well aware, it’s far easier to run the 17-character VIN of your vehicle on VW’s recall portal than to ring your nearest dealer and communicate the number over the phone. On that note, 2024 marked the final year of the manual transmission for the Golf GTI and Golf R.
Customers in the market for a 2025 will have to make do with the quicker-shifting DSG dual-clutch transaxle. The Atlas always came with two pedals, but rather than a double-clutcher, it’s equipped with a torque-converter automatic.