AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Recalls
Safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA that cover this model year
Data refreshed
NHTSA has issued a “do not drive” advisory affecting this model year.
Campaign 20V712000. Confirm whether your specific vehicle is covered using its VIN before acting on this.
Check your VIN on NHTSA.govRecalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govRecall campaigns
11 campaigns cover this model year — what the defect is, what it could cause, and what the remedy is
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE; VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
STEERING
STEERING
TIRES:SIDEWALL
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
SEATS
What a recall is
- Safety recall
- A safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
- Safety investigation
- NHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
- Manufacturer communication
- Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and it is not a recall.
Fuel Injector Leak
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
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — recall campaigns and safety investigations
Data on this page last refreshed .