2021 Volkswagen Atlas: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 447 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 17 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
447
Complaints
17
Recalls
8
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
11
Injuries
28.2
Severity index
Severity index 28.2 - Low. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 90 2021 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas ranks 83 of 90 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 8% of its model-year peers. See the full 2021 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 142 | 31.8% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 95 | 21.3% |
| ENGINE | 80 | 17.9% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 72 | 16.1% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 68 | 15.2% |
| AIR BAGS | 63 | 14.1% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 57 | 12.8% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 39 | 8.7% |
The single most-reported system is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, cited in 142 of 447 complaints (31.8%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 31 |
| 2022 | 132 |
| 2023 | 43 |
| 2024 | 89 |
| 2025 | 83 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 64 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20V716000 | 18/11/2020 | BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA | Volkswagen 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 |
| 21V026000 | 27/01/2021 | STEERING | Volkswagen 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. |
| 21V132000 | 03/03/2021 | WHEELS:RIM | Volkswagen 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. |
| 21V812000 | 15/10/2021 | WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS | Volkswagen 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. |
| 21V892000 | 17/11/2021 | VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM | Volkswagen 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. |
| 20V505000 | 26/08/2020 | SEATS | Volkswagen 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. |
| 20V504000 | 26/08/2020 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | Volkswagen 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 |
| 20V702000 | 13/11/2020 | TIRES:SIDEWALL | Volkswagen 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. |
| 20V712000 | 17/11/2020 | STEERING | Volkswagen 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. |
| 21V616000 | 06/08/2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:RELAYS/SOLENOIDS | Volkswagen 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. |
| 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 |
| 22V245000 | 13/04/2022 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS | Volkswagen 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. |
| 22V514000 | 20/07/2022 | BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA | Volkswagen 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 |
| 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. |
| 24V464000 | 20/06/2024 | AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER | Volkswagen 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. |
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.