RoadVitals

2021 Volkswagen Atlas

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

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.gov
Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
453
+9 complaints in 30 days
Safety recallsA 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.
17
Latest Jun 20, 2024
InvestigationsNHTSA 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.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
9
11 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 453 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas, most frequently naming the electrical, brakes and engine categories. 17 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 615 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

17 campaigns cover this model year

View all 17

Recalls 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.gov
24V464000

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

Jun 20, 2024
271,330 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The risk: A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the PODS sensor mat and wiring harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 30, 2024. Owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, on October 18, 2024, December 10, 2024, December 20, 2024, and January 17, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69PZ.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.Manufacturer number 69PZView on NHTSA.gov
23V215000

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

Mar 29, 2023
143,053 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The risk: A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the PODS sensor mat and wiring harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 22, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69FB.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.Manufacturer number 69FBView on NHTSA.gov
22V815000

TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

Oct 31, 2022
296,044 units potentially affected
The defect: 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 Atlas FL vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system may not detect an air pressure loss in adequate time when deflating occurs among all four tires simultaneously. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
The risk: An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi’s customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.Manufacturer number AU:45J7,VW:45J6,45J8View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

PE23017ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking

Opened Sep 28, 2023
Closed Dec 18, 2024

On September 28, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE23017) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Front Assist automatic emergency braking (AEB) system in model year (MY) 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles.The reports alleged that activation of the AEB system occurred while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration. Volkswagen indicated that it is aware of a total of 292 reports that may relate to the alleged defect in MY 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles.Volkswagen stated that some customers possibly had an inadequate understanding of Front Assist and its limitations.  However, many consumer complaints alleged that Volkswagen dealerships were unable to reproduce the condition or Volkswagen dealerships informed the consumers that this braking is considered normal Front Assist operation. ODI's analysis shows that MY 2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles have the highest rate of unique incident reports alleging AEB inadvertent activation when compared to their Volkswagen peers.The rate of unique incident reports alleging AEB inadvertent activation in MY 2018 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles was comparable to their Volkswagen peers. To date, ODI has received a total of 69 consumer complaints of inadvertent activation of Front Assist in MY 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles.  In total, ODI reviewed 264 unique (i.e., non-duplicative Vehicle Identification Numbers) reports that may relate to the alleged defect, which include eight reports of incidents involving an alleged injury and two reports involving a crash. PE23017 has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA24004) to further assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety related consequences of the inadvertent AEB activations in MY 2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 453
Body & structureEngine
Filed Aug 9, 2026

Hood latch release cable broke after using under normal circumstances.

NHTSA ID
11755775
Incident
Aug 8, 2026
Exterior lighting
Filed Aug 6, 2026

Passenger side headlight failed prematurely resulting in only one of the headlights functioning

NHTSA ID
11755380
Incident
Jul 2, 2026
Exterior lighting
Filed Jul 28, 2026

Upon visual inspection of the car. Noticed driver’s side headlight outter light not working with no warning indicator. Have been pulled over since issue was first discovered by police. I believe it’s called daytime driving light part of the headlight.

NHTSA ID
11753203
Incident
Jul 2, 2026
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jul 27, 2026

Aluminum rear differential corroded, causing Haldex fluid to leak out resulting in Haldex pump, failure and loss of rear-wheel-drive ie.(4 motion) causing catastrophic failure of clutch pack.

NHTSA ID
11753081
Incident
Jul 4, 2026
Exterior lighting
Filed Jul 23, 2026

Passenger side Daytime Running Light went out. The vehicle had under 60k miles. Seems like a common problem. For now will not replace because of high price tag and not necessary for safety inspection. The problem is that negates the safety feature on the car.

NHTSA ID
11752529
Incident
Jul 23, 2026
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 23, 2026

I own a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas with approximately 61,000 miles. After a software update prompted by the vehicle, saying it will be done in 3 parts.the infotainment screen began malfunctioning the following day. Initially, the screen would repeatedly go black, restart, work for a short period of time, and then go black again. This issue continued for almost three weeks. The screen is now completely black and no longer turns on. I contacted a Volkswagen dealership about the issue and was informed that I would be charged approximately $220 for diagnostic work before determining the cause of the problem.i haven't brought it in yet as I'm waiting to be paid as I'm sure they would need payment The problem began shortly after the vehicle's software update, and I am concerned that the update may have caused or contributed to the infotainment system failure. I am reporting this issue because I believe other 2021 Volkswagen Atlas owners may be experiencing similar infotainment system failures. I would like NHTSA to investigate whether this is a widespread defect and whether a safety-related recall or other corrective action is necessary. As it's safely concern I cannot see back up camera or any safety features.

NHTSA ID
11752448
Incident
Jul 8, 2026
Filed Jul 19, 2026

Hood release cable broken. Cannot open hood

NHTSA ID
11751400
Incident
Jul 9, 2026
EngineFuel system
Filed Jul 18, 2026

2021 Volkswagen Atlas, VIN [XXX], approximately 116,000 miles. Vehicle developed a cylinder failure requiring full cylinder replacement. Following replacement, compression remains abnormally low, specifically on cylinders #4 and #6 (approximately 90 PSI). Mechanic diagnosed significant carbon buildup on the piston rings as the cause of the persistent low compression, and confirmed this diagnosis via a wet compression test, in which compression increased when oil was introduced directly into the affected cylinders — indicating worn/compromised piston ring sealing rather than a valve or head gasket issue. Check engine light continues to trigger intermittently. This appears consistent with a known EA888 2.0T piston ring/carbon buildup defect currently the subject of active class action litigation (XXX) against Volkswagen Group of America. Vehicle has also experienced a separate prior failure of the high- and low-pressure fuel pumps and control module (repaired XXX at 77,921 miles, Volkswagen of North Nashville). Concerned about ongoing engine performance and reliability, and potential for further damage if underlying cause is not fully resolved. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11751327
Incident
Jun 1, 2026

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

V9123042071790_3

MIB3 Recovery Solution

VOS-26-42

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct the issue: DA 0019 - Hotfix 12-V battery test(s) – No battery diagnosis - Inconclusive test result.

V9126042082628_2

Over-the-Air Software Update Dealer Recovery Process

V1718062017813_24

ENGINE

Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement

VWP-26-07

ENGINE

For applicable 2018-2022 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport 3.6L Settlement Class Vehicles (NA6 warranty key), the New Vehicle Limited Warranty will be extended to cover 80% of the replacement of the Water Pump or Water Pump Gasket by an authorized Volkswagen Dealer to 8.5 years or 85,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from the vehicle’s original in-service date.

VWP-26-07 FAQ

ENGINE

Supporting FAQ for VWP-26-07 Main Engine Wiring Harness Limited Warranty Extension (Class Action)

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.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Volkswagen Atlas by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026520—
2025405056.0
20241628058.4
20231235159.5
20221757161.5
2021Viewing45317161.3
2020274253.5
201946811361.3
201846016259.5

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.