2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

On March 29, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE21-008 to investigate instances of fuel injectors leaking in the engine compartment in model year (MY) 2018 through 2020 Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs. These vehicles are equipped with either a 3.6 or 2.0 liter engine. The subject investigation concerns vehicles equipped with 3.6L engines. Prior to opening the investigation, ODI also observed that warranty data for the fuel system from TREAD reporting was an outlier for the MY 2018 Atlas.The allegation involved fuel injectors leaking fuel near engine compartment components that operate at high temperatures. Consumers allege a fuel leak, fuel odor, and/or an illuminated check engine malfunction indicator light (MIL) on that alerts them to the condition. Fuel leaking in the engine compartment has a higher potential risk of fire as nearby components are operating at higher temperatures compared to other areas of the vehicle. No fires have been connected to this issue to date.The 3.6L engine is a VR6 type engine. Due to its specific design, the VR6 has two types of injectors with different designs installed. Cylinders 1, 3, and 5 use long injectors and cylinders 2, 4, and 6 use short injectors. Unlike the short injectors, the long injectors require an extension pipe necessary to reach cylinders 1, 3, and 5. Volkswagen stated that the potential root cause for a leaking injector is typically either a damaged, misaligned, or missing supporting ring or a damaged O-ring. These rings assist in connecting the injector to the extension pipe. If one of these conditions is present in a vehicle, the O-ring has difficulty withstanding fuel pressure over time.Volkswagen stated that an analysis of warranty data related to leaking injectors in vehicles equipped with 3.6L engines showed that the vast majority of leaking allegations were related to internal leaks. Fuel can leak into the cylinder causing misfiring in the affected cylinders. This condition would not cause fuel to enter into the engine compartment. Volkswagen states that these internal leaks pose no unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.Analysis of all relevant data indicates that the subject condition is an early-life failure with a relatively low failure rate. The average failure mileage calculated from all data sources was determined to be approximately 14,000 miles. Only two failures were reported outside of the vehicles' warranty coverage period. The average time to failure for the subject vehicle population is approximately 12 months in service (MIS). The majority of failures were below the average of 14,000 miles or 12 MIS. Analysis of reported failures showed that the failure rate is approximately 0.08% or 0.8 incidents per thousand vehicles (IPTV).To date, there have been no reported fires, crashes, injuries, or fatalities related to this issue. In view of the low rate of failure, the nature of early-life failure, and low potential hazard to drivers, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.Review the ODI reports cited above at nhtsa.gov under the following identification numbers:11446833, 11438403, 11382958, 11298402, 11291955, 11218819, 11218780

The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated that while driving, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact became aware of an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle, and the transmission shuddered abnormally. The contact stated that there was an abnormal odor inside the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

NHTSA ID

11772927

Incident

Mar 16, 2026

Mileage

38,000 mi

I am reporting a potential safety defect involving the hood-release mechanism on my 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The interior hood-release lever/latch has failed, preventing me from opening the hood through the normal release mechanism. This creates a safety concern because I cannot access the engine compartment to check essential fluids, inspect mechanical problems, perform necessary maintenance, or address potentially dangerous conditions such as overheating, leaks, or smoke. After researching this issue, I discovered multiple reports and videos from other Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport owners experiencing similar hood-release failures. This suggests the problem may be widespread rather than an isolated incident. Volkswagen has previously documented an inoperative hood-release condition in technical communication NHTSA #10200754. Additionally, NHTSA Complaint #11730429 describes a similar hood-release cable failure. Despite these documented reports, I was informed that no recall currently covers this issue on my vehicle. I believe this may be a recurring design or manufacturing defect that creates unnecessary safety risks and repair expenses for owners. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate these repeated failures and determine whether a safety recall or other manufacturer corrective action is warranted.

NHTSA ID

11771831

Incident

Oct 17, 2026

Air Bag error-seat occupant classification module-passenger side occupant detection sensor is defective. Air bag may not deploy upon impact. Confirmed that airbag sensor is defective at dealership. Airbag error first appeared one week ago at 75k miles. VW will not cover cost to repair defective air bag sensor.

NHTSA ID

11763668

Incident

Sep 4, 2026

steering went out completly and the SUV shut off in the middle of the street. had to restart car to get it home. SUV shut off in the middle of a turn. Had the SUV checked at dealership and they found a bad steering unit. I had the SUV in 3 times with the complaint and they found nothing until the warranty ran out. Neillo VW checked it in 2020,2021,2023 and say they found nothing,

NHTSA ID

11762785

Incident

Sep 7, 2026

VW SOS system TCU has gone bad. I see this as a safety issue and VW will not replace under warranty

NHTSA ID

11761764

Incident

Jun 1, 2026

Air bag error light lit up with barely over 60k miles. Dealer diagnosis identifies the issue as a faulty Driver Head Curtain Airbag Igniter. Correction is to replace the driver side head curtain airbag assembly at a cost of ~$1,200. The vehicle has never been in an accident nor had the airbags deployed. This seems to be a common issue based on previous comments therefore Volkswagon should step up and include this model/make/year in a safety recall to correct the issue.

NHTSA ID

11759919

Incident

Aug 20, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag, cruise control, electronic parking brake, and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the HVAC drain tube had leaked onto the air bag control module and the air bag control module and the drain tube needed to be replaced. The contact researched and became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V892000 (Visibility, Air Bags); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.

NHTSA ID

11755338

Incident

Jul 23, 2026

Mileage

134,000 mi

HVAC water tubing has leaked on to the airbag control module causing airbag errors and many other electrical faults. This is a known safety problem under recall 87H4, NHTSA campaign 21V892. However, Volkswagen stated my VIN is not eligible for this recall. Note: this diagnostic was not performed at a dealership but at an independent German car repair shop.

NHTSA ID

11753798

Incident

Jul 6, 2026

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