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2021 Volkswagen Arteon

Gas

Large Cars
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

78 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

Recalls1 critical 4

Complaints1 crash · 1 fire reported 14

Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 25 mpg

2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019

The 2021 Volkswagen Arteon is sold in the U.S. as a gas large hatchback with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Arteon, is EPA-rated at 25 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 14 complaints, most often about the forward collision avoidance.

Volkswagen Arteon — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Volkswagen Arteon (2017 generation) · Photo: Alexander-93 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Arteon	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	22	32	25	$3,300
Arteon 4motion	Gas	AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	20	31	24	$3,400

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 43260, 43259.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Arteon, Arteon 4motion	3 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV125 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Hatchback/Liftback/Notchback
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	4
Displacement	2 L

Engine Output

Horsepower

268 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain	AWD/All-Wheel Drive
Transmission	Automatic
Transmission speeds	8

Driver assistance

Standard: Adaptive cruise control, Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Parking assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking, Rear cross-traffic alert

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: 4Motion SEL Premium R-Line, 4Motion SEL R-Line, SEL R-Line). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	191.3 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	73.6 in
Height	57.1 in
Wheelbase	111.8 in
Track, front	62.6 in
Track, rear	62.6 in
Curb weight	3,618 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	57/43

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here one configuration: 4-door Sedan. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (4)

Source: NHTSA recall database

○minor

Back Over Prevention

91DV

43,091 vehicles 92% reported repaired

Problem Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Golf GTI, Jetta GLI, Jetta NF, Arteon FL, Tiguan LWB, 2022 Taos, Jetta PA, Tiguan PA, 2021-2022 Atlas Cross Sport, and Atlas FL vehicles. The manufacturing process of the eMMC memory module in the infotainment system may cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility." Risk A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will update the infotainment software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DV.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 22V514000 reported Jul 20, 2022 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

!critical

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

47R3

99 vehicles 100% reported repaired

Problem Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Arteon vehicles. The pressure input rod connection on the brake booster may be loose and could detach. Risk A detached pressure input rod will cause the brake pedal to fail, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will tighten the pressure input rod connection, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 28, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 47R3.

Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 21V695000 reported Sep 8, 2021 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

○minor

Tires

44R2

149 vehicles 100% reported repaired

Problem Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Arteon vehicles. The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) sensors were incorrectly calibrated and may not detect the position of a wheel sensor after tire rotation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems." Risk The TPMS may misidentify a tire with low air pressure, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wheel electronics and tire valves, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 25, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 44R2.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 21V274000 reported Apr 21, 2021 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

○minor

Back Over Prevention

91BB / 91BC

32,048 vehicles 100% reported repaired

Problem Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas Cross Sport, Tiguan LWB, Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas FL and Arteon vehicles. The rear view camera could malfunction during an ignition cycle, leading to a black screen or infotainment system freeze. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility." Risk A black or frozen rear view image reduces the driver's visibility when reversing, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the infotainment system software, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91BB/91BC.

Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 20V716000 reported Nov 18, 2020 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific Arteon

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2021 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Volkswagen publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Volkswagen’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

14complaints filed

1 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

27 per 10,000 built · Volkswagen reported 5,116 Arteon built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2021: 1 · 2022: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 1

Most-cited components

Forward Collision Avoidance 9

Lane Departure 4

Tires 3

Unspecified 2

Electrical System 2

Exterior Lighting 1

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

While the vehicle initially presented minor electrical glitches, the situation has recently devolved into a severe safety hazard that puts my life, and the lives of others, at risk.

Electrical System Mar 9, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11723077

Several of the tires showing delamination according to the dealership. Extremely hazardous to drive on tires as is. Manufacturer (Continental) advised me on 9/25/2025 they would replace 5 tires (car purchased new, came with full size spare).

Tires Oct 1, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11690832

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Arteon. The contact stated that while driving approximately 18 to 23 MPH, there was a loud clanking noise coming from the engine. The air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed or repaired.

Air Bags at 6,000 miles Apr 2, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11580634

This defect causes multiple, non-periodic, but repeated, "Travel assist unavailable" audible and visual alarms at seemingly unrelated and unpredictable times while driving. My favorite times are when you start making a turn after coming to a full stop and it alarms, asking you to take your eyes off the road and look at the dash.

Forward Collision Avoidance Feb 23, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11573717

After the vehicle has been sitting for some time, it will repeatedly beep and display “travel assist not available” with a warning triangle. It seems to be steering wheel related. It does not do it sitting still, only while moving.

Lane Departure Feb 16, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11572319

Front passenger side has bubble detected inside the tire sidewall at around 7600 miles

Wheels Mar 13, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11456511

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Extended coverage on file 2 filings by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

8.5 years or 85,000 miles, whichever comes first · Volkswagen warranty extension VWP-25-16For applicable Settlement Class Vehicles, the New Vehicle Limited Warranty will be extended to cover 50% of the repair or replacement of the Turbocharger by an authorized Volkswagen Dealer for 8.5…
Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Volkswagen warranty extension VWP-24-04These documents are for the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) Limited Warranty Extension as part of the Class Action Settlement

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every Volkswagen warranty extension (9) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 394

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-17

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 369 service bulletins, 19 others, 4 warranty extensions

Most often about: Equipment, Engine, Electrical System, Unknown Or Other, Service Brakes.

V0116152014815_20 Service bulletin
2026-09-17 · Engine
Suggested fuel additive
SM 39-2026 Other
2026-09-09 · Unknown Or Other
This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
V4622022067177_5 Service bulletin
2026-08-27 · Service Brakes
Repair or Replace Information
V4015022033347_8 Service bulletin
2026-08-10 · Power Train
Replacement instruction
TT 00-13-04_7 Other
2026-08-06 · Unknown Or Other
Permission to change Daily Order upgraded to RED Order
V0026012081638_2 Service bulletin
2026-08-04 · Unknown Or Other
Differences between a leak and seepage
V9123042071790_3 Service bulletin
2026-07-20 · Unknown Or Other
MIB3 Recovery Solution
VOS-26-42 Service bulletin
2026-07-15 · 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.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P00AF P00AF on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	1 bulletin
P2563	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	1 bulletin
U0100 U0100 on Volkswagen →	A module has stopped hearing from the engine control module over the vehicle network.	Engine	1 bulletin

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

Arteon by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2024 A 0 0 25 mpg 2023 A 1 14 28 mpg 2022 A 0 5 28 mpg 2021 this page C 4 14 25 mpg 2020 A 0 2 25 mpg 2019 A 1 8 25 mpg

Common questions about the 2021 Arteon

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 4 recall campaigns for the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 21V695000, covering Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it C (78/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon?

Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon, the best EPA combined figure is 25 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon?

Transport Canada measured it at 191.3 in long, 73.6 in wide (body, without mirrors), 57.1 in tall, on a 111.8 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,618 lb. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon?

Owners have filed 14 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon, most often about forward collision avoidance, lane departure, tires. Of those, 1 involved a crash, 1 a fire. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon?

The EPA smog rating for the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon is 3 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III ULEV125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon?

The manufacturer has filed 394 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon, most often covering equipment, engine, electrical system. The most recent is dated 2026-09-17. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	2 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	2 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	4	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	14	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	none	NHTSA NCAP	NHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe.
Service bulletins	394	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	12 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

JSON for this page · API

2021 Volkswagen Arteon

Specs & fuel economy

Emissions & certification

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Dimensions Exterior

Engine Basics

Engine Output

Fuel Economy

Seating

Transmission

Driver assistance

Dimensions & weight

Factory warranty running out?

Recalls (4)

Back Over Prevention

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Tires

Back Over Prevention

Whether any of this applies to one specific Arteon

Hear about a recall before the letter does

Parts & accessories for the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon

Owner complaints

Most-cited components

In owners' own words

Crash ratings

Service bulletins & campaigns

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Arteon by model year

Common questions about the 2021 Arteon

Does the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon have any recalls?

How safe is the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon?

What is the fuel economy of the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon?

What are the dimensions of the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon?

What do owners complain about on the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon?

How clean is the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon?

Are there service bulletins for the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon?

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Where to go next

Sources & method