2021 Volkswagen Atlas problems and recalls

Owners have filed 465 complaints on the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas, and NHTSA has issued 17 recalls. The most cited component is the Electrical System (144 complaints).

465
Complaints
17
Recalls
8
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
11
Injuries
33.1
Severity index

Severity index 33.1 Low. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 33.1p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 92 of 92 by severity index among 2021 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 0% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2021 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

Electrical SystemElectrical System: 144 complaints (31.0%)144 31%Service BrakesService Brakes: 95 complaints (20.4%)95 20%EngineEngine: 83 complaints (17.8%)83 18%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 76 complaints (16.3%)76 16%Forward Collision Avoid…Forward Collision Avoidance: 68 complaints (14.6%)68 15%Exterior LightingExterior Lighting: 64 complaints (13.8%)64 14%Air BagsAir Bags: 64 complaints (13.8%)64 14%Fuel/Propulsion SystemFuel/Propulsion System: 40 complaints (8.6%)40 9%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM14431.0%
SERVICE BRAKES9520.4%
ENGINE8317.8%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER7616.3%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE6814.6%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING6413.8%
AIR BAGS6413.8%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM408.6%

Complaints filed per year

0701402020: 52021: 312022: 1322023: 432024: 892025: 832026: 82 (partial year)20212213223242526
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
20205
202131
2022132
202343
202489
202583
2026 (year to date)82
Filings in 2023 to 2025 were close to 2020 to 2022 (215 against 168).

Recall campaigns

CampaignReportedComponentSummary
20V71600018/11/2020BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERAVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas Cross Sport, Tiguan LWB, Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas FL and Arteon vehicles. The rear view camera could malfunction during an ignition cycle, leading to a black screen or infotainment system
21V02600027/01/2021STEERINGVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The front steering knuckle may fracture in the area of the strut mounting.
21V13200003/03/2021WHEELS:RIMVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The lug bolt holes on the wheels may have been machined incorrectly, preventing the wheel bolt from sufficiently attaching to the wheel bearing hub.
21V81200015/10/2021WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDSVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport, and Passat vehicles. The front wheel bearing bolts may have been incorrectly tightened.
21V89200017/11/2021VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEMVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The air conditioning system drain tube could be blocked, causing water to leak inside the vehicle near the air bag control module.
20V50500026/08/2020SEATSVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen ) is recalling certain 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Jetta, Jetta GLI and Tiguan and Audi Q5 and SQ5 and 2021 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. Parts of the front seat frame and backrest adjuster may not have been welded properly.
20V50400026/08/2020EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTSVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020 Atlas Cross Sports and 2021 Atlas vehicles. The driver's side headlight may have been aimed too low during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle
20V70200013/11/2020TIRES:SIDEWALLVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport and 2021 Atlas vehicles equipped with Continental Cross Contact LX Sport tires, size 255/50 R 20 105 T. The tires may have been over cured.
20V71200017/11/2020STEERINGVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. One or both steering knuckles may have been damaged during production.
21V61600006/08/2021ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:RELAYS/SOLENOIDSVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. Damaged relays may have been installed in the engine compartment fuse box, which could inadvertently activate the horn or engine starter.
22V08600016/02/2022EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELSVolkswagen 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
22V15200028/03/2022AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOWVolkswagen 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
22V24500013/04/2022FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORSVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Atlas FL and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The long fuel injectors may have been assembled without filters.
22V51400020/07/2022BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERAVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Golf GTI, Jetta GLI, Jetta NF, Arteon FL, Tiguan LWB, 2022 Taos, Jetta PA, Tiguan PA, 2021-2022 Atlas Cross Sport, and Atlas FL vehicles. The manufacturing process of the eMMC memory module in the infotainm
22V81500031/10/2022TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMSVolkswagen 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
23V21500029/03/2023AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGERVolkswagen 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.
24V46400020/06/2024AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGERVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Atlas and 2020-2024 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.

Other Volkswagen Atlas model years

Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 8 years side by side.

Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-09-05. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.