Volkswagen to Recall over 271,000 SUVs for Airbag Defects

VW logo badge is seen on display at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, US, January 16, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
VW logo badge is seen on display at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, US, January 16, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
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Volkswagen to Recall over 271,000 SUVs for Airbag Defects

VW logo badge is seen on display at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, US, January 16, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
VW logo badge is seen on display at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, US, January 16, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Volkswagen is recalling more than 271,000 SUVs in the US because the front passenger air bag may not inflate in a crash.

The recall covers certain Atlas SUVs from the 2021 through 2024 model years, and some 2020 through 2024 Atlas Cross Sport SUVs, The AP reported.

VW says in documents posted Wednesday by US safety regulators that wiring under the front passenger seat can develop a fault. If that happens, it could deactivate the sensor that determines if a passenger is on board, disabling the air bag and increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

If a fault happens, drivers would get a warning sound and an error message on the instrument panel. VW says in documents that owners should avoid use of the front passenger seat if possible until the recall repairs have been made.

Dealers will replace the sensor mat and wiring harness at no cost to owners, who are expected to get letters starting Aug. 16.

VW said it has 1,730 warranty claims that could be related to the problem.



Danish Archaeologists Unearth 50 Viking Skeletons

Massacred 10th century Vikings found in a mass grave at St John’s College, Oxford. Photograph: Thames Valley Archaeological Services/PA
Massacred 10th century Vikings found in a mass grave at St John’s College, Oxford. Photograph: Thames Valley Archaeological Services/PA
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Danish Archaeologists Unearth 50 Viking Skeletons

Massacred 10th century Vikings found in a mass grave at St John’s College, Oxford. Photograph: Thames Valley Archaeological Services/PA
Massacred 10th century Vikings found in a mass grave at St John’s College, Oxford. Photograph: Thames Valley Archaeological Services/PA

The excavation of a large Viking-era burial site in Denmark has unearthed 50 unusually well-preserved skeletons that archaeologists expect will help shed light on the lives of the Nordic people best known for their seafaring exploits in the Middle Ages.

The skeletons, discovered near Denmark's third-largest city Odense, were kept intact by high water levels and favorable soil conditions that prevented them from decomposing, according to Michael Borre Lundoe, the excavation leader from Museum Odense, Reuters reported.

"Normally when we excavate Viking graves, we'd be lucky if there were two teeth left in the grave besides the grave goods. But here we have the skeletons fully preserved," said Lundoe.

"The skeletons are so amazing. They are so well preserved. There are five fingers, five toes. And that opens up a whole new set of possibilities for discoveries," he said.

Rare artifacts such as knives, glass pearls and brooches dated between year 850 to 970 were also found at the excavation, which began six months ago.

Lundoe said the grave gifts indicate most of the people were part of a small community of farmers, although a woman of higher status was buried with a silver-ornamented knife and a piece of glass which was rare in the Viking Age.

Archaeologists took soil samples to search for pollen to determine which season the person was buried in and what textiles they wore.

An x-ray of a soil block from the site revealed an oval brooch, an iconic Viking Age jewelry piece associated with women's garments, covered with wood and human remains.

On the back of another brooch with period-specific ornaments, mineralized woven textile fragments provided evidence of the type of dress worn in the Viking Age, the archaeologists said.

Most of the skeletons have been removed from the graves and packed in cardboard boxes at the museum to dry out before the examination and final cleaning.