2023 Volkswagen Atlas problems and recalls

Owners have filed 129 complaints on the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas, and NHTSA has issued 5 recalls. The most cited component is the Engine (35 complaints).

129
Complaints
5
Recalls
4
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
6
Injuries
54.6
Severity index

Severity index 54.6 Medium. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 54.6p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 40 of 82 by severity index among 2023 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 51% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2023 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

EngineEngine: 35 complaints (27.1%)35 27%Electrical SystemElectrical System: 31 complaints (24.0%)31 24%Air BagsAir Bags: 22 complaints (17.1%)22 17%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 21 complaints (16.3%)21 16%Fuel/Propulsion SystemFuel/Propulsion System: 17 complaints (13.2%)17 13%Service BrakesService Brakes: 15 complaints (11.6%)15 12%Exterior LightingExterior Lighting: 13 complaints (10.1%)13 10%Forward Collision Avoid…Forward Collision Avoidance: 8 complaints (6.2%)8 6%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
ENGINE3527.1%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3124.0%
AIR BAGS2217.1%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2116.3%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1713.2%
SERVICE BRAKES1511.6%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING1310.1%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE86.2%

Complaints filed per year

021422022: 12023: 212024: 422025: 292026: 36 (partial year)222324422526
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
20221
202321
202442
202529
2026 (year to date)36
Filings in 2023 to 2025 ran 92.0x those in 2022 to 2022 (92 against 1).

Recall campaigns

CampaignReportedComponentSummary
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
22V71800026/09/2022SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGSVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2023 model year Atlas FL and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. Certain brake lines may leak at the threaded connections.
22V75300007/10/2022ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICALVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Audi Q5 Sportback, Q5, 2022-2023 Volkswagen Atlas FL, and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The engine connecting rod bearings may become damaged, which can result in engine failure.
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.
25V43400030/06/2025SERVICE BRAKESVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport and 2023-2024 ID.4 vehicles. Certain bolts on the chassis, brake system and/or suspension (such as bolts for certain cross member, engine mount, control arm, subframe, rear bra

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.