Model year
2021 Volkswagen Atlas
NHTSA lists 17 recalls and 480 complaints for the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas (recall file dated Oct 23, 2026; complaint file dated Oct 23, 2026). NHTSA also lists 14 recalls and 165 complaints under ATLAS CROSS SPORT. Those counts are separate from the numbers above. 1 recall marked do not drive. The components listed on the most complaints are ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (147), SERVICE BRAKES (93), ENGINE (86). NHTSA lists 1 investigation. NHTSA rated 4 variants 5 stars overall. EPA rates it 18–22 mpg combined depending on configuration (fuel economy file dated Sep 29, 2026). EPA's annual fuel-cost figures for these configurations are $3,050–$3,700, 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
24V464000 · Jun 20, 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.
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…
22V514000 · Jul 20, 2022
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:SOFTWARE; 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…
22V245000 · Apr 13, 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.
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…
21V892000 · Nov 17, 2021
AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE; 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.
21V812000 · Oct 15, 2021
WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS; SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING
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.
21V616000 · Aug 6, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:RELAYS/SOLENOIDS; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
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.
7 more recalls are in the NHTSA file for this name and are not listed here. Campaign numbers above link to NHTSA.
Complaints
480 distinct complaints. Crash flag on 9, fire flag on 1, injury field 12, 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 | 14 | 165 |
Investigations
| Action | Subject | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 · possibility 0.159 | NHTSA photo |
| SUV FWD | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 · possibility 0.136 | NHTSA photo |
Fuel economy
| Configuration | Fuel | City | Hwy | Comb | kWh/100 mi | Range | Annual fuel cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas · 3.6L · Automatic (S8) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 17 | 23 | 19 | — | — | $3,550 |
| Atlas 4motion · 3.6L · Automatic (S8) · All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 16 | 22 | 18 | — | — | $3,700 |
| Atlas · 2L · Automatic (S8) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 21 | 24 | 22 | — | — | $3,050 |
| Atlas 4motion · 2L · Automatic (S8) · All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 20 | 24 | 22 | — | — | $3,050 |
| Atlas Cross Sport 4motion · 2L · Automatic (S8) · All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 20 | 24 | 22 | — | — | $3,050 |
| Atlas Cross Sport · 3.6L · Automatic (S8) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 18 | 23 | 20 | — | — | $3,350 |
| Atlas Cross Sport · 2L · Automatic (S8) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 21 | 24 | 22 | — | — | $3,050 |
| Atlas Cross Sport 4motion · 3.6L · Automatic (S8) · All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 17 | 23 | 19 | — | — | $3,550 |
Open this model year in the fuel-cost calculator. The calculator starts with no fuel price filled in.
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 2021 Volkswagen Atlas at NHTSA. Complaint narratives stay on NHTSA's site and are not copied here.