Volkswagen bulletin SM 02-2023
What it saysThis special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Volkswagen filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 24, 2023, received Jun 6, 2023, about the structure. It names 6 model years (2018–2023). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThis special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SM 02-2023 | Service bulletin | May 24, 2023 | 10237418 | PDF, 113 KB |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3CM-823-031-B | — | — | |
| 3CN-823-031-J | — | — |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (1 page), read Sep 30, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Volkswagen’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 6 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,160 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
The vehicle was giving a false alert about my driver's door being opened. The door was infact closed properly. During this time when i was driving when i came to a slowed or complete stop the car put the emgergency/parking brake on. This happened twice in seven days.
2020 Volkswagen Atlas · Structure · filed with NHTSA Dec 27, 2024 · ODI 11632608
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the structure
Source: same model, same component group6 other manufacturer communications filed against the Volkswagen Atlas under the same component group (structure), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| V0019012040590_14 | Service bulletin | Feb 5, 2025 | Water migration under the RAPGARD® protection when vehicle arrives at dealership. |
| DC 60E260E5_EXP2 | Service bulletin | Mar 26, 2024 | In some sunroof-equipped vehicles, the front sunroof drains can become blocked with moist debris. If this happens, water could leak into the… |
| VIN4APIN20240318 | Service bulletin | Mar 18, 2024 | Customer states rattle from below the vehicle Customer states MIL-on, P0442 stored in ECM memory Customer states Mill-on, P0462 and/or P04… |
| VIN4APIN20240311 | Service bulletin | Mar 11, 2024 | Customer states rattle from below the vehicle Customer states MIL-on, P0442 stored in ECM memory Customer states Mill-on, P0462 and/or P04… |
| WLA-23-11 | Service bulletin | Sep 6, 2023 | This Document reminds dealers of TSB 00-20-04 which provides instructions on how to remove the liquid applied transit coating during PDI |
| V001807203693521 | Service bulletin | May 30, 2023 | Handling instruction for accessory pack components during perfect delivery inspection (PDI). |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Volkswagen, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Volkswagen SM 02-2023 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the SM 02-2023 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Volkswagen warranty extension on file lists the ones Volkswagen has filed.
Which vehicles does SM 02-2023 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 6 model years: 2023 Volkswagen Atlas, 2022 Volkswagen Atlas, 2021 Volkswagen Atlas, 2020 Volkswagen Atlas, 2019 Volkswagen Atlas, 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.