RoadVitals

2023 Volkswagen Atlas

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

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.
123
+7 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.
5
Latest Jun 30, 2025
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.
4
6 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 123 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas, most frequently naming the engine, electrical and airbags categories. 5 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 332 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

5 campaigns cover this model year

View all 5

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
25V434000

SERVICE BRAKES; SUSPENSION

Jun 30, 2025
546 units potentially affected
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport and 2023-2024 ID.4 vehicles. Certain bolts on the chassis, brake system and/or suspension (such as bolts for certain cross member, engine mount, control arm, subframe, rear brake carrier, etc.) of affected vehicles may not have been correctly tightened during the manufacturing process.
The risk: A loss of vehicle control increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 25, 2025. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42HX.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.Manufacturer number 42HXView 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
22V753000

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL

Oct 7, 2022
76,515 units potentially affected
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Audi Q5 Sportback, Q5, 2022-2023 Volkswagen Atlas FL, and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The engine connecting rod bearings may become damaged, which can result in engine failure.
The risk: A damaged engine can result in engine failure and a stall, increasing the risk of a crash. If the engine failure causes an oil leak, it can increase the risk of a fire.
The remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace an affected engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 6, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 13i4 (VW) and 13i5 (Audi).
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.Manufacturer number VW: 13i4, Audi: 13i5View 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 123
Fuel system
Filed Aug 12, 2026

My car has started to stall out when I am stopped at a sign, light, reversing or a low idle. When I change to reverse from park, the car stalls. I have to put it back in park start and try to reverse again. Same thing happens when I go from reverse to drive. I have done a little research online, and a lot of these 2023 Volkswagen Atlas’s has this issue.

NHTSA ID
11756573
Incident
Aug 5, 2026
EngineFuel system
Filed Aug 5, 2026

2023 Volkswagen Atlas R-Line. While driving (moving) on a congested road the vehicle signaled "Please start engine manually" the gas pedal became unresponsive. Power steering, radio, A/C, all still worked, but I had to come to a complete stop to restart engine. The same thing has happened multiple times now with the last one being in the middle of the road trying to complete a U-turn. This is incredibly dangerous for not only my family but others on the road not expecting a vehicle to stall. This has been identified by multiple other owners on-line. There is no warning or change in operation of the vehicle prior to the message coming up. This could lead to a crash, or worse a fatality.

NHTSA ID
11755094
Incident
Aug 5, 2026
Electrical
Filed Aug 5, 2026

The back up camera is no longer working as well as the infotainment system

NHTSA ID
11754902
Incident
Aug 4, 2026
BrakesElectricalFuel system
Filed Aug 4, 2026

Lost complete control of both the brake and the throttle while attempting to pull into a parking spot at low speed. Car started to roll backwards down a hill and I was unable to stop it. Had to cycle the car off and back on to fix it. Took it to a VW dealership service department and they reported no fault codes so there was nothing they could do. No check engine light or fault codes.

NHTSA ID
11754756
Incident
Jul 20, 2026
Fuel system
Filed Jul 30, 2026

While driving, the vehicle stalls and shuts off completely without warning, creating an immediate safety hazard. This engine stalling occurs randomly at various speeds, including while actively operating the vehicle in traffic. There is no Check Engine Light (CEL), malfunction indicator, or dashboard warning prior to the stalling event, depriving the driver of any advanced notice to safely pull over.A subsequent inspection revealed that the evaporative emissions (EVAP) carbon canister is failing. The component failure allows unmetered fuel vapors or liquid fuel to flood the engine intake tract, rich-loading the engine and causing an immediate stall.

NHTSA ID
11753871
Incident
Jul 25, 2026
Electrical
Filed Jul 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while reversing, the vehicle suddenly shut off and was restarted. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on three occasions while reversing and while the weather was extremely hot. The vehicle was taken to the local O'Reilly Auto Parts Store who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 26,500.

NHTSA ID
11751739
Incident
Jul 17, 2026
Mileage
26,500 mi
Engine
Filed Jul 20, 2026

4 times now when the vehicle, 2 times while the vehicle is moving forward and 2 times while the vehicle was moving in reverse the engine has completely shut off and the car stopped moving. The dash said the engine was off and the vehicle needed to be shifted to park and the engine turned back on. During this time the vehicle also lost power steering and brakes. I’ve taken it to the dealership multiple times and they could not diagnose the issue or duplicate it and tell me I need to pick the vehicle up and to just bring it back again.

NHTSA ID
11751507
Incident
Jun 29, 2026
Exterior lighting
Filed Jul 14, 2026

The front right Daytime running light went out at 82K miles.

NHTSA ID
11750265
Incident
Jul 14, 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

V9426012082648_1

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Replace the steering column switch for Ghost (mystery) activation.

V9126042082628_1

Over-the-Air Software Update Dealer Recovery Process

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
2023Viewing1235159.5
20221757161.5
202145317161.3
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.