2019 Volkswagen Atlas: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 466 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 11 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
466
Complaints
11
Recalls
7
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
10
Injuries
23.2
Severity index
Severity index 23.2 - Low. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 123 2019 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas ranks 100 of 123 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 19% of its model-year peers. See the full 2019 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 138 | 29.6% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 76 | 16.3% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 72 | 15.5% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 72 | 15.5% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 59 | 12.7% |
| ENGINE | 59 | 12.7% |
| STEERING | 35 | 7.5% |
| POWER TRAIN | 33 | 7.1% |
The single most-reported system is AIR BAGS, cited in 138 of 466 complaints (29.6%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 37 |
| 2020 | 52 |
| 2021 | 25 |
| 2022 | 82 |
| 2023 | 124 |
| 2024 | 63 |
| 2025 | 52 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 30 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.5x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19V614000 | 21/08/2019 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Atlas vehicles. The suction jet in the fuel tank may have been welded in the incorrect position allowing fuel to leak. Additionally, the vehicle may stall due to uneven fuel distribution. |
| 18V904000 | 19/12/2018 | SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas, 2015 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen, and 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles. The rear coil springs may prematurely fracture. |
| 19V389000 | 22/05/2019 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2020 Volkswagen Passat and 2018-2019 Atlas vehicles. The blocking cap disabling the adjustment of the headlight's horizontal aim may not have been installed. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Fede |
| 18V824000 | 26/11/2018 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan and 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles that do not have keyless entry. The instrument cluster may not provide an audible warning to let the driver know that the key is still in |
| 19V218000 | 20/03/2019 | AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Atlas and 2020 Passat vehicles. An incorrect driver and/or front passenger side impact air bag may have been installed. |
| 21V142000 | 05/03/2021 | TIRES:SIDEWALL | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Atlas vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production. |
| 22V086000 | 16/02/2022 | EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles equipped with accessory side steps. The reduced Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) label, reflecting the additional weight of the side steps, was not inst |
| 22V152000 | 28/03/2022 | AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Atlas, 2020-2023 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021-2023 Atlas FL vehicles. The door wiring harness electrical contacts may corrode, disrupting the electrical connection and delaying the deployment of the dri |
| 22V815000 | 31/10/2022 | TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan LWB, Golf Sportswagen A7, Golf Alltrack, Golf R GP, Audi Q3, Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas, Golf A7, Audi A3, 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021 Atlas |
| 23V215000 | 29/03/2023 | AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may experience a fault in the wiring and deactivate the front passenger air bag when the seat is occupied. |
| 23V671000 | 04/10/2023 | AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Atlas vehicles. The driver's side impact air bag may be missing a weld at the side air bag housing. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.