There’s a new recall out for a handful of Volkswagen SUVs, and it’s serious enough for VW to issue a Do Not Drive warning. According to documentation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, three of VW’s SUVs are impacted, all from the 2026 model year. The compact Volkswagen ID.4 and the midsize three-row Volkswagen Atlas, along with its two-row Atlas Cross Sport sibling, have been recalled for a problem that could cause their wheels to literally fall off. The NHTSA has been informed that the incorrect wheel bolts may have been installed during manufacturing, and insecure wheels could loosen while the vehicle is on the move, increasing the risk of a crash.
A Small Number of VW SUVs Are at Risk
Volkswagen
The recall report says that only 27 vehicles across all three model lines are potentially impacted. It also says that the incorrect wheel bolts – the fault of a parts mixing error at the supplier – can be spotted with a visual inspection, which VW will, of course, carry out at no cost to the owner, following which the correct wheel bolts will be installed. Drivers may notice a “rattling noise, vibration, or a change in vehicle handling,” and due to the inherent risks associated with this issue, VW asks owners to contact their nearest authorized dealer for immediate assistance in having their vehicles transported to the dealership for the recall repair. In other words, don’t drive your ID.4 or Atlas to the dealer. Those impacted by this recall can already determine if that is the case by searching their VIN, and dealers were notified of the recall last week. However, owners will only be notified of the remedy on January 30, 2026.
This is Not VW’s First Strange Recall
Volkswagen
Something as simple as a wheel bolt shouldn’t be a problem, but it’s easy to understand how it happened. After all, wheel bolts tend to look alike. Still, this isn’t the first unusual recall that VW has faced, nor indeed the first for the ID.4 in particular. Late in 2023, the electric crossover was recalled over flammable sunshades, of all things. And early last year, VW recalled five years’ worth of Golf-based vehicles due to a fuel leak that could also cause a fire. A similar issue hit VW-owned Porsche, Lamborghini, and Audi earlier this year, but at least recalls for the German conglomerate’s products have been relatively rare. Japanese Toyota and American Ford, for example, have not been so lucky.
