New filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) state Volkswagen will recall 177,493 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs due to fire risk. All affected vehicles were made for the 2024 and 2025 model years, so owners of older Atlas models are safe on this one. However, those owners that are affected will want to keep an eye on their engine covers, which can melt and potentially start a fire.
Atlas Engine Covers Can Catch Fire
In fact, it’s likely the fault of the last person who serviced your car (including the person in the mirror, if you’re handy like that). VW’s recall filings state the plastic engine covers found on these Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport models can shift upon re-installation, which in turn may lead to contact with the hot engine. Ordinarily, there are fixtures on the engine block designed to prevent this. Based on VW’s filings, it appears the covers are more prone to detach after reassembly. The covers can melt, and in some instances, get a blaze going under your hood.
“An improperly installed engine cover may come into contact with hot surfaces in the engine compartment. This may lead to melting of the cover material. Melted material that may come in contact with extremely hot surfaces (such as the exhaust turbo charger) could lead to a fire in the engine compartment.”
The Nose Knows
Owners may notice a burning smell, states the recall. Burning plastic is hard to miss, after all. VW also reports it is aware of some fires as a result of this issue, stating the first potentially “relevant” fire occurred back in October 2023. Three engine fires thereafter were confirmed to have come from the engine covers. Thankfully, no one has been injured as a result of the fires. Volkswagen has a simple fix for now: remove the engine cover. The company may be able to guarantee the covers will fit properly down the line, but for now, the solution is a simple one.
TopSpeed’s Take
Volkswagen has already begun telling dealers, and the recall covers all VW Atlas Cross Sport and Atlas models built before Christmas Eve, 2024. Apparently Volkswagen’s gift to new Atlas owners last holiday season was an engine cover that would stay in place. It isn’t clear if VW will be able to remedy the cover down the line, but it’s possible given the fact that Atlas models built after December 24 are unaffected by the recall.
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