— A Volkswagen Atlas class action lawsuit settlement has been reached regarding front door wiring harnesses that were recalled.
The first VW Atlas door wiring harness class action lawsuit (Sherrod v. Volkswagen) was filed seven days after Volkswagen recalled the vehicles, then a second Atlas wiring class action lawsuit (McMahon v. Volkswagen) was filed a week after the first lawsuit.
Those two class actions were consolidated into this Atlas class action lawsuit which includes certain 2019-2023 VW Atlas and VW Atlas Cross Sport vehicles which are the subject of recall 97GF.
Volkswagen Atlas Door Wiring Harness Recall (97GF)
Volkswagen had been discussing the door wiring problem with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration when VW submitted its Atlas recall documents to the government. On March 11, 2022, Volkswagen recalled 2019-2020 VW Atlas, 2020-2023 VW Atlas Cross Sport and 2021-2023 VW Atlas FL SUVs.
Front door wiring harnesses could suffer from “excessive micromovement leading to fretting corrosion of the door wiring harness terminal contacts.”
The number one condition caused by the door wiring is illumination of the airbag warning light and a delayed deployment of the side airbags.
Other problems include the Atlas windows suddenly rolling down, inadvertent engagement of the parking brake at speeds below 2 mph, and it's possible a driver will receive a warning about faulty door sensors.
Once dealerships had all the necessary parts, the Atlas SUVs would be inspected for door wiring harness diagnostic trouble codes. The wiring harness was replaced if a fault code was found for a front door.
In addition, the door wiring harnesses were modified with zip ties to secure them, and dealers added a stabilizing compound to the terminal ends of the affected wiring harness connectors.
If fault codes were not found, the existing door wiring harnesses were modified with zip ties and a stabilizing compound was applied to the terminal ends of the affected wiring harness connectors.
VW Atlas Class Action Lawsuit Settlement
According to the Volkswagen Atlas class action settlement, customers of the recalled vehicles will receive a warranty extension for the door wiring harnesses.
The warranty extension applies to front door wiring harnesses that were modified or installed during the VW Atlas recall. The extended warranty is for a period of five years or 60,000 miles from the date the vehicle was repaired under the door wiring harness recall 97GF.
This means the warranty will only cover expenses if the replacement or modified door wiring harnesses fail.
In addition, the Atlas class action lawsuit settlement provides reimbursements for expenses related to the door wiring harnesses. However, Volkswagen already offered full reimbursements to customers before the first class action lawsuit was filed.
According to the Atlas lawsuit settlement, the attorneys representing the plaintiffs will receive $1,950,000, and these customers who filed the class action lawsuit will receive $2,500 each:
Dana Potvin, Lisa Bultman, Michael McKarry, David Wabakken, Mohammed Hassan, Christina Merrill, Eric Levine, Patrick Donahue, Debbi Brown, Carol Radice, Terrence Berry, Amanda Green, David Wildhagen, Katy Doyle Tashia Clendaniel, Hogan Popkess, Kory Wheeler, Harry O’Boyle, Joe Ramagli, Eric Kovalik, Charles Hillier, Labranda Shelton, Adam Moore, Tina Grove, Keech Arnsten, Scott Carter, Mike Sherrod, Christi Johnson, Mary Koelzer, and Mark Stevens.
The class action lawsuit final fairness hearing is scheduled for January 15, 2025.
The VW Atlas class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey: Mike Sherrod, et al., v. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., et al.
The plaintiffs are represented by Carella Byrne Cecchi Brody Agnello, P.C., Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, Goldenberg Schneider, LPA, The Law Offices of Sean K Collins, and Lemberg Law.
