2024 Volkswagen Atlas, Atlas Cross Recalled to Fix Potentially Faulty Master Cylinder
Volkswagen has issued a safety recall on certain 2024 models of its three-row Atlas and two-row Atlas Cross Sport. According to Volkswagen Group of America, the brake master cylinder on these vehicles may have been assembled with an incorrect secondary piston spring.
The problem is that the spring in question is shorter than it's supposed to be. This could prevent the piston from returning to its rest position, thus blocking the flow of brake fluid. As a result, vehicles could experience a reduction in braking performance, without prior warning to drivers.
Brake master cylinder: an essential component
As a reminder, the brake master cylinder is a key component in a vehicle's braking system. It transforms the force exerted on the brake pedal into hydraulic pressure to activate the brake calipers. The supplier of these parts, TRW, a Mexican division of the company acquired by Germany's ZF Friedrichshafen in 2015, has been singled out for this assembly error.
Identification of the problem at Volkswagen
Volkswagen Group of America detected the anomaly on August 28 of this year, during the brake fluid filling process at its plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. That facility, which previously manufactured the Passat NMS for the North American market, is now where the Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport are produced, as well as the ID.4 electric vehicle.
Recall confirmed and launched
According to documents provided by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), Volkswagen received confirmation from its supplier regarding the bad springs between September 2 and 8, 2024. The problem was then reported to the brand's Product Safety Committee on September 12. The recall was made official a week later.