Volkswagen Atlas fuel tank may leak gasoline

NHTSA campaign 17V766000 · Reported 2017-11-29 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

critical How serious is it? About this label

This is serious because a fuel leak can start a fire; the notice does not tell owners to park the vehicle or stop driving, but you should get it repaired as soon as possible and have any fuel smell checked immediately.

What's wrong, in plain English

The fuel tank on some 2018 Atlas SUVs may have been built with walls that are too thin. A tank that thin can develop a leak, letting gasoline escape from the vehicle. Leaking fuel near anything hot or anything that sparks can catch fire. Because of the thin walls, these vehicles also fail to meet the federal safety rule for fuel systems. Dealers will replace the whole fuel tank at no cost to you.

What you should do

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if your Atlas is affected.
2. Contact your Volkswagen dealer or VW customer service at 1-800-893-5298 (recall 20AQ) and ask for the earliest appointment.
3. Get the fuel tank replaced — it is free of charge.

Affected vehicles (1)

2018 Volkswagen Atlas

Who to contact

Volkswagen — official Volkswagen recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-893-5298

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Why do Volkswagen fuel systems keep leaking gasoline? · all 10 Volkswagen recalls in this area

Official notice

Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE
Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Atlas vehicles. The fuel tank may have been manufactured with insufficient wall thickness, potentially resulting in the tank leaking fuel. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."
Safety risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began December 10, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AQ.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.