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NHTSA campaign 25V835000

2026 Volkswagen Atlas and 1 other Volkswagen model: wheels recall

Incorrect wheel bolts can allow a wheel to detach from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

criticalDo not drive27 vehicles affected100% reported repaired

What was reported

Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2026 Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport, and ID.4 vehicles. The incorrect wheel bolts may have been installed during vehicle manufacturing.RiskIncorrect wheel bolts can allow a wheel to detach from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.FixOwners are advised not to drive their vehicles until they have been repaired. Dealers will inspect and replace the wheel bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 44BW. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 5, 2025.

Reported to NHTSA Dec 3, 2025 by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc, owners notified Dec 12, 2025.

Which vehicles are covered

Source: NHTSA campaign 25V835000

Vehicles built Oct 30, 2025 to Nov 3, 2025 — a VIN outside that window is not part of this campaign even if the year, make and model match.

Model yearClassSafety SignalRecalls on file
2026 Volkswagen AtlasCompact SUVB2
2026 Volkswagen ID.4Compact SUVB1

Those are the model years inside WhichTrim's range, 2016 onward. The campaign may cover others outside it, and the only thing that settles whether one specific vehicle is included is its VIN.

How much of it has been fixed

Source: manufacturer quarterly report, 49 CFR 573.7
Reported repaired100%

of the campaign

3 quarters into the six-quarter reporting window, and still climbing.

This is the manufacturer's own cumulative count of vehicles it has inspected and repaired, divided by the vehicles the campaign covers. It files that count with NHTSA every quarter for six consecutive quarters, starting from the quarter in which owners were told a remedy was ready, and then the obligation ends — so a figure on an older campaign is where the count stopped, not where it stands today.

It rarely reaches 100%, and not because the work was not done. The same report asks manufacturers to count vehicles they could not reach at all — exported, stolen, scrapped, or simply never located — and those stay in the denominator. A low number means a lot of these vehicles are still out there unrepaired; it does not tell you which ones.

The federal paperwork

Source: nhtsa.gov

Filed documents

  • Defect report PDF — The manufacturer's own filing to NHTSA describing the defect, the risk and the affected build range.

Check one specific vehicle

A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. NHTSA checks a VIN against the manufacturer's own list and tells you whether the repair is still outstanding on that vehicle.

NHTSA VIN recall lookup →

Campaign 25V835000 · the manufacturer calls it 44BW

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573

What does this advisory mean?

Do not drive means exactly that: the manufacturer is telling owners to stop driving the vehicle until the repair is done. These are the two most serious things NHTSA can attach to a campaign, and both mean the risk exists while the vehicle is switched off.

Does this recall repair cost anything?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy a safety defect or a compliance failure at no charge, for vehicles up to 15 years old measured from the date of first sale. A dealer that asks you to pay for a recall repair is in the wrong.

How do I know whether my vehicle is included?

By VIN, not by model year. This campaign covers vehicles built Oct 30, 2025 to Nov 3, 2025. The manufacturer files a build range with NHTSA and only vehicles inside it are covered, so two identical-looking cars from the same year can differ. NHTSA's own lookup checks a VIN against the manufacturer's list.

What if the repair is not available yet?

It happens, and often. Manufacturers must notify owners when a defect is found even if the parts or the software are not ready, then notify them a second time once the remedy exists. The remedy filed for this campaign is described above.

What did the manufacturer say was wrong?

The problem, risk and fix quoted on this page are the manufacturer's own words as filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR Part 573. WhichTrim does not paraphrase them.

Who started this recall?

NHTSA's record credits the manufacturer. A recall can begin with the manufacturer's own testing, with a defect investigation, or with a compliance test against a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.