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2021 Volkswagen Atlas

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
8 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
35 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls3 critical17
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA631
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA22 mpg
2027202620252024202320222021202020192018
Active NHTSA advisory: do not drive. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 8 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Atlas, is EPA-rated at 22 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 17 recall campaigns for this model year, 3 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 631 complaints, most often about the electrical system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
AtlasGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo212422$2,850
Atlas 4motionGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo202422$2,850
Atlas Cross SportGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo212422$2,850
Atlas Cross Sport 4motionGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo202422$2,850
Atlas Cross SportGasFWD3.6L 6-cyl182320$3,100
AtlasGasFWD3.6L 6-cyl172319$3,300
Atlas Cross Sport 4motionGasAWD3.6L 6-cyl172319$3,300
Atlas 4motionGasAWD3.6L 6-cyl162218$3,450

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 42500, 42555, 43275, 42608, 42813, 42488, 43282, 42489.

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Recalls (17)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Air Bags

69PZ
271,330 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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.RiskA deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 24V464000reported Jun 20, 2024Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Air Bags

69FB
143,053 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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.RiskA deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 23V215000reported Mar 29, 2023Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Tires

AU:45J7,VW:45J6,45J8
296,044 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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."RiskAn undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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 AudiÂ’s customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.
NHTSA campaign 22V815000reported Oct 31, 2022Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
○minor

Back Over Prevention

91DV
43,091 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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."RiskA rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 22V514000reported Jul 20, 2022Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
!critical

Fuel System, Gasoline

24iD
1,382 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Atlas FL and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The long fuel injectors may have been assembled without filters.RiskLong fuel injectors with missing filters may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.FixDealers will replace the long fuel injectors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 20, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24iD.
NHTSA campaign 22V245000reported Apr 13, 2022Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Air Bags

97GF
222,892 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Atlas, 2020-2023 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021-2023 Atlas FL vehicles. The door wiring harness electrical contacts may corrode, disrupting the electrical connection and delaying the deployment of the driver or passenger front side air bag during a side impact crash.RiskA delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.FixDealers will secure and, as necessary, replace any the front door wiring harnesses showing a fault code, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97GF.
NHTSA campaign 22V152000reported Mar 28, 2022Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
○minor

Equipment

09D9
3,648 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles equipped with accessory side steps. The reduced Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) label, reflecting the additional weight of the side steps, was not installed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."RiskWithout the reduced GVWR label, the vehicle could be overloaded, leading to a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers will install the reduced GVWR label, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 31, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 09D9.
NHTSA campaign 22V086000reported Feb 16, 2022Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Visibility

87H4
54,429 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The air conditioning system drain tube could be blocked, causing water to leak inside the vehicle near the air bag control module.RiskA water leak may damage the air bag control module, causing an inadvertent air bag deployment and increasing the risk of injury or a crash.FixDealers will repair the drain tube and replace the air bag control module, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 87H4.
NHTSA campaign 21V892000reported Nov 17, 2021Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Suspension

40R7
30 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport, and Passat vehicles. The front wheel bearing bolts may have been incorrectly tightened.RiskThe bolts may loosen and cause a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers will inspect the tightness of the wheel bearing bolts and replace the bolts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40R7.
NHTSA campaign 21V812000reported Oct 15, 2021Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
!critical

Electrical System

97FR
33 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. Damaged relays may have been installed in the engine compartment fuse box, which could inadvertently activate the horn or engine starter.RiskA horn or starter that remains activated for an extended period of time can overheat, increasing the risk of fire.FixDealers will inspect and as necessary, replace the relays, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97FR.
NHTSA campaign 21V616000reported Aug 6, 2021Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Wheels

44Q9
128 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The lug bolt holes on the wheels may have been machined incorrectly, preventing the wheel bolt from sufficiently attaching to the wheel bearing hub.RiskAn insufficiently attached wheel may separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.FixVolkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four wheels, and as necessary, replace the wheels, lug bolts ,and wheel bearings, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 44Q9.
NHTSA campaign 21V132000reported Mar 3, 2021Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Steering

40Q7
10,303 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The front steering knuckle may fracture in the area of the strut mounting.RiskA fractured steering knuckle can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.FixVolkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace one or both steering knuckles, free of charge. The recall began February 16, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40Q7.
NHTSA campaign 21V026000reported Jan 27, 2021Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
○minor

Back Over Prevention

91BB / 91BC
32,048 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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."RiskA black or frozen rear view image reduces the driver's visibility when reversing, increasing the risk of a crash.FixVolkswagen 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.
NHTSA campaign 20V716000reported Nov 18, 2020Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
!critical

Steering

40Q6
Do not drive776 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. One or both steering knuckles may have been damaged during production.RiskA damaged steering knuckle can fail, causing a loss of steering, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.FixVolkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the steering knuckle, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40Q6. Note: Owners are advised to DO NOT DRIVE the vehicle until the vehicle has been inspected and repaired if necessary.
NHTSA campaign 20V712000reported Nov 17, 2020Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Tires

44Q5
760 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport and 2021 Atlas vehicles equipped with Continental Cross Contact LX Sport tires, size 255/50 R 20 105 T. The tires may have been over cured.RiskOver cured tires can result in a sidewall break causing a sudden loss of air pressure or the tread separating from the tire. Both conditions increase the risk of a crash.FixVolkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect DOT date code and mold number on the vehicle's tires to see if they are affected, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 30, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 44Q5.
NHTSA campaign 20V702000reported Nov 13, 2020Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Exterior Lighting

94N7
11 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020 Atlas Cross Sports and 2021 Atlas vehicles. The driver's side headlight may have been aimed too low during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."RiskA headlight aimed incorrectly aimed reduces the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.FixVolkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will adjust the driver's side headlight, free of charge. The recall began September 9, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94N7.
NHTSA campaign 20V504000reported Aug 26, 2020Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Seats

72L1, 72K8, 72K9
5,376 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen ) is recalling certain 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Jetta, Jetta GLI and Tiguan and Audi Q5 and SQ5 and 2021 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. Parts of the front seat frame and backrest adjuster may not have been welded properly.RiskIn the event of a rear-end crash, the backrest adjustment could break, possibly reducing the amount of occupant restraint, thus increasing risk of injury.FixVolkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seats, and, as necessary, replace the seatback frames, free of charge. The recall began September 11, 2020. Volkswagen owners may contact their customer service at 1-888-241-2289. Audi owners may contact their customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 72L1, 72K8, and 72K9.
NHTSA campaign 20V505000reported Aug 26, 2020Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

NHTSA defect investigations

Forward Collision Avoidance — Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking closed

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 limitat

Opened Sep 28, 2023 · closed Dec 18, 2024 · action PE23017

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
631complaints filed

18 involved a crash · 2 a fire · 19 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2020: 5 · 2021: 40 · 2022: 198 · 2023: 58 · 2024: 119 · 2025: 105 · 2026: 106

Most-cited components

Electrical System200
Service Brakes129
Engine116
Forward Collision Avoidance110
Air Bags102
Unspecified101

What owners describe

“I purchased my 2021 VM Atlas Cross Sport, new with zero miles back in late August 2021. On, Saturday, February 12th, I noticed that my Remote Start stopped working and took it in for service on Tuesday, February 15th, to the VW of Orland Park, IL. The service technician informed me that the fuel pump is bad and needs t…”Feb 16, 2022 · Fuel/Propulsion System · NHTSA owner report
“My vehicle is having issues with the drivers door contact switch. The emergency break will come on spontaneously while driving the vehicle.”Feb 11, 2022 · Service Brakes · NHTSA owner report
“On 11/15/2021 I was on an access road for a major city highway going approximately 10-15 mph. I was forced to the left lane from right lane by a pickup truck exiting from a restaurant going very fast, there was no contact (Collision) with the pickup. I had started braking but made contact with the curd of left lane whi…”Feb 7, 2022 · Air Bags · NHTSA owner report

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
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆16%
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆15%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆14%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆17%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other Atlas model years

A

2027 Volkswagen Atlas

0 recalls · 0 complaints

B

2026 Volkswagen Atlas

2 recalls · 8 complaints

D

2025 Volkswagen Atlas

5 recalls · 63 complaints

F

2024 Volkswagen Atlas

8 recalls · 259 complaints

F

2023 Volkswagen Atlas

6 recalls · 148 complaints

F

2022 Volkswagen Atlas

7 recalls · 249 complaints

F

2020 Volkswagen Atlas

11 recalls · 132 complaints

F

2019 Volkswagen Atlas

11 recalls · 473 complaints

F

2018 Volkswagen Atlas

16 recalls · 462 complaints

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). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

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

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