Model year
2020 Volkswagen Atlas
NHTSA lists 4 recalls and 27 complaints for the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas (recall file dated Oct 23, 2026; complaint file dated Oct 23, 2026). NHTSA also lists 11 recalls and 107 complaints under ATLAS CROSS SPORT. Those counts are separate from the numbers above. The components listed on the most complaints are ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (11), AIR BAGS (7), STEERING (5). NHTSA lists 2 investigations. NHTSA rated 4 variants 5 stars overall. EPA rates it 19–22 mpg combined depending on configuration (fuel economy file dated Sep 29, 2026). EPA's annual fuel-cost figures for these configurations are $3,050–$3,550, based on 15,000 miles and 55% city driving.
- 2018 466 complaints
- 2019 483 complaints
- 2020 27 complaints
- 2021 480 complaints
- 2022 184 complaints
- 2023 139 complaints
- 2024 175 complaints
- 2025 50 complaints
- 2026 11 complaints
- 2027 0 complaints
Recalls
23V215000 · Mar 29, 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.
22V815000 · Oct 31, 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…
22V152000 · Mar 28, 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…
22V086000 · Feb 16, 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…
Complaints
27 distinct complaints. Crash flag on 0, fire flag on 0, injury field 0, deaths field 0. A complaint can be counted under more than one component. The injury and death figures are the file's numbers (the highest value on each complaint, then added), not a separate verified count of people.
Other NHTSA names
These names matched the same EPA model but are not included in the headline counts above.
| Name | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| ATLAS CROSS SPORT | 11 | 107 |
Investigations
| Action | Subject | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE21008 | Fuel Injector Leak · FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS; FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | Mar 29, 2021 | Oct 3, 2022 |
| PE23017 | Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking · FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING; FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Sep 28, 2023 | Dec 18, 2024 |
Safety ratings
| Variant | Overall | Front | Side | Pole | Rollover | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Sport SUV AWD | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 · possibility 0.151 | NHTSA photo |
| Cross Sport SUV FWD | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 · possibility 0.169 | NHTSA photo |
| SUV AWD | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 · possibility 0.136 | NHTSA photo |
| SUV FWD | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 · possibility 0.159 | NHTSA photo |
Fuel economy
| Configuration | Fuel | City | Hwy | Comb | kWh/100 mi | Range | Annual fuel cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas Cross Sport · 2L · Automatic (S8) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 21 | 24 | 22 | — | — | $3,050 |
| Atlas Cross Sport 4motion · 2L · Automatic (S8) · All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 18 | 23 | 20 | — | — | $3,350 |
| Atlas · 2L · Automatic (S8) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 20 | 24 | 22 | — | — | $3,050 |
| Atlas · 3.6L · Automatic (S8) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 17 | 23 | 19 | — | — | $3,550 |
| Atlas Cross Sport · 3.6L · Automatic (S8) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 17 | 23 | 19 | — | — | $3,550 |
| Atlas Cross Sport 4motion · 3.6L · Automatic (S8) · All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 16 | 22 | 19 | — | — | $3,550 |
| Atlas 4motion · 3.6L · Automatic (S8) · All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 16 | 22 | 19 | — | — | $3,550 |
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Check a vehicle
This page is not a VIN lookup. NHTSA's recall tool checks a specific vehicle: nhtsa.gov/recalls. NHTSA's page for this model year is 2020 Volkswagen Atlas at NHTSA. Complaint narratives stay on NHTSA's site and are not copied here.