2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Exterior lighting Problems

Right side daytime running light went out. Confirmed by dealer and headlamp assembly was replaced.

NHTSA ID

11750701

Incident

Jul 15, 2026

The daylight LED lights have gone out. There is no replacement aside from replacing the whole headlight. LED’s shouldn’t go out and the cost of the replacement is high.

NHTSA ID

11746801

Incident

Jan 3, 2026

One of the day time running lights have burned out. The car just turned 5 years old with about 70,000 miles. In reviewing some posts online a lot of owners have complained about the same thing. Also you cannot replace the bulb, you have to replace the entire unit.

NHTSA ID

11744410

Incident

Jun 1, 2026

At 76000 miles, the daytime running light on the passenger side went out. I took the vehicle into the dealership for repair and I was told that because there is an internal open circuit, the entire headlight assembly will need to be replaced. I was quoted $1600 for the part, not including labor. This is a safety issue due to one daytime running light being a distraction for other drivers as well as myself.

NHTSA ID

11738630

Incident

May 11, 2026

Daytime running lights are non replaceable and a hazard left unfixed. The dealer refuses to acknowledge this or do anything but charge me 1600 dollars to replace. We don't have that kind of money just sitting around these days and they refuse to do anything. DRLs are critical for visibility. We had an extended warranty and they replaced 1 side last year instead of both. Now that the warranty is up they are telling us we are out of luck with this hazard driving around the street.

NHTSA ID

11738490

Incident

May 18, 2026

Exactly at 50,000 miles, both Daytime Running Lights stopped working This is a very well known issue in the owners community and seems very o purpose, since to fix it, instead of just having to replace a bulb or small part, dealer requires to replace the whole headlight assembly

NHTSA ID

11717947

Incident

Jan 14, 2026

The passenger day time running light quit working randomly. This also is part of the lamp that provides cornering light. Without this, it decreases visibility early morning or evening driving. The issue has been confirmed with a mechanic and is a huge impact for this vehicle model. There were no warning lights or alerts about an issue prior to the failure of the part.

NHTSA ID

11704740

Incident

Dec 10, 2025

One of the daytime running lights has gone out with only 45,000 miles on my vehicle. Dealership says they need to replace the entire headlight assembly, instead of the bulb, at a cost of $1,500. No prior warning as to this issue. There are a number of cases with this same problem at low vehicle mileage.

NHTSA ID

11675947

Incident

Jul 1, 2025

The daytime running lights are already out on a vehicle with less than 50k miles. It is a commonly reported problems with these vehicles and an expensive fix.

NHTSA ID

11673132

Incident

Jul 12, 2025

The daytime running lights have gone out.

NHTSA ID

11671303

Incident

Jul 1, 2025

Driver side headlight stopped working after a little over 4 years but less than 50,000 miles. On coming drivers from other side of road are distracted by only one light working and tend to serve toward my car. No warning signs or messages appear in the car. Unfortunately, outside of warranty and the entire light console needs to be replaced. Appears to be a common problem on the Atlas Cross Sport 21' and per dealer parts on back order.

NHTSA ID

11670690

Incident

Jun 30, 2025

The Daytime running LED lights are commonly known to go out in this years 2021 VW atlas cross sports. The car gives a check light for these lights and each light had to have the entire headlight replaced. 1500 a peice. This causes issues with being able to get inspection stickers. I can’t even get a headlight bc this part is on back order bc this is such a common problem with this car. These parts need to be recalled

NHTSA ID

11635651

Incident

Jan 13, 2025

Hello, I am filing a complaint regarding a safety issue with my vehicle. The daytime running light has ceased functioning. It began dimming last week and is now completely out. The vehicle is available for inspection. Daytime running lights are essential for visibility during the day, contributing to overall safety and accident prevention. This problem appears to be common among VW Atlas owners after approximately 50,000 miles. The assembly has been examined, and since it cannot be disassembled, the issue is attributed to a faulty manufacturer component. The cost for a new part is approximately $1,200, not including labor. There were no warning lights or messages to indicate this malfunction, only the gradual dimming of the light before it failed entirely. Many users on online forums have reported experiencing the same issue. Please contact me if you need further details or have any questions about this safety hazard.

NHTSA ID

11605386

Incident

Jul 1, 2024

One of my daytime running lights is out at 50k miles, thinking it was a simple solution I reached out to dealership and have been informed that the entire headlight needs to be replaced at a cost of $2k. Sound unreasonable considering this car is not old, and the way it has been built in makes it impossible to DIY. More than anything from research online it sounds like it is a common issue in Atlas 2021 and newer- Having to replace this every 50k miles is very unreasonable - and In my opinion beats the purpose of LED lights which are supposed to have a very long life. Please advise

NHTSA ID

11601247

Incident

Jun 1, 2024

The failing component is the passenger side daytime running light. This light no longer illuminates. After searching for a fix for the problem, this appears to be a very common problem for the VW Atlas Cross Sport. The vehicle is available for inspection. The daytime running light has not been working since the vehicle hit about 55,000 miles. No warning of the daytime running light being out.

NHTSA ID

11569541

Incident

Nov 1, 2023

While driving the vehicle it would randomly turn on the emergency brake, roll down the windows, and start flashing all of the lights. We were told it is a door wire harness issue. We have been waiting on the replacement part for 5 months now with no end in sight. The

NHTSA ID

11455989

Incident

Nov 10, 2021