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Volkswagen · NHTSA safety record

2023 Volkswagen Atlas

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 133 safety complaints about the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas with the US government. Of those, 4 describe a crash, 6 people were injured and no death is recorded. 5 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 35 complaints, 26% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 33,000 miles, the median across the 11 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers November 2022 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

133 complaints on file

133

Complaints

4

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

6

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 35 · 26%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 33 · 25%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 23 · 17%
AIR BAGS 22 · 17%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 17 · 13%
SERVICE BRAKES 15 · 11%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 14 · 11%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 8 · 6%
POWER TRAIN 7 · 5%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 3 · 2%
STEERING 3 · 2%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 2 · 2%
0 15 31

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 133.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2024 at 42.

48 36 24 12
22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2022 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2023 Volkswagen ATLAS, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD SUV FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 15.9% 13.6%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

5 on file

SERVICE BRAKES

25V434000 · June 30, 2025

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. · up to 546 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

24V464000 · June 20, 2024

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. · up to 271,330 vehicles across all model years covered

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

22V753000 · October 7, 2022

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. · up to 76,515 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

22V718000 · September 26, 2022

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2023 model year Atlas FL and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. Certain brake lines may leak at the threaded connections.
The risk
A brake fluid leak may increase the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the affected brake lines, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on November 23, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 47T2.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 555 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

22V152000 · March 28, 2022

The defect
Volkswagen 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.
The risk
A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers 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.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 222,892 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations

1 on file

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking

PE23017

Closed preliminary evaluation · opened September 28, 2023 · closed December 18, 2024

forward collision avoidance

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.

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed

The contact owned a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving at 35 MPH, a vehicle was coming towards her in the opposite direction making a left turn, and she collided with another vehicle on its front passenger side. No air bags were deployed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was then towed by her insurance company. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The contact stated that she sustained injuries on her neck and back. The contact's daughter who was the front passenger sustained injuries on her neck, back, and left leg. Both have received medical attention vis doctors. The contact received NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V464000 (Air Bags) however the

NHTSA complaint 11631593, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

1 injured · crash · towed

I was driving on a city road and making a right turn on a green light, I glanced to the left to avoid any driver possibly crossing a red light as I usually do as a defensive driver! Before I know it my SUV had jumped the median divider into the other side of the road and landed on another vehicle stopped. The safety system did not give me any signals to stop or to auto stop. I was very slow and from previous experience with this vehicle it did stop at being close to a concrete side of the street but in this situation it did not. None of ADAS parts of the system worked! My ATLAS is badly damaged so is the other car. I have other issues in the last month that were not as dangerous but are

NHTSA complaint 11508773, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING

1 injured · crash · towed

I was making a right turn, I pressed the gas and turned my wheel right to make the turn and the steering wheel then locked and I couldn’t straighten it out and ended up driving over the sidewalk and crashing into a building. My car was totaled and I went to the hospital due to airbag burns. My insurance picked up the car and it is available to be inspected.

NHTSA complaint 11543338. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 20,000 miles

The contact owned a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated temporarily. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the automatic emergency braking system engaged, causing the vehicle to decelerate intermittently. The contact stated that while attempting to deactivate the forward collision avoidance system, the contact got distracted, causing the front passenger's side of the vehicle to crash into a utility pole. The contact caused the front driver's side air bag delayed to deploy and he hit his face against the steering wheel. Additionally, the contact stated that the driver's side curtains air bags were delayed deployed. The

NHTSA complaint 11611113, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING
I noticed today that my daytime running light strip is out on my driver side headlight I notice it’s a common issue on this year model Atlas. I know the daytime running lot helps people see you when your going down the road.

NHTSA complaint 11766748. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While performing a routine battery replacement on my 2023 Volkswagen Atlas, a wrench/socket contacted the vehicle's Engine Control Unit (ECU), which is mounted directly adjacent to the battery in the engine bay with no protective cover or shield separating the two components. Contact between the tool and the exposed ECU caused an electrical short that destroyed the module, disabling the vehicle. This is a known design issue — the ECU's unprotected proximity to the battery terminals creates a foreseeable risk of accidental short-circuit damage during normal, routine maintenance (battery replacement) that any owner or technician could reasonably be expected to perform. The vehicle was

NHTSA complaint 11765289, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Auto has stalled 3 or more times without warning lights since purchasing 2 months ago Very unsafe for me and others stalling in traffic

NHTSA complaint 11765114. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING
The steering assist became completely unavailable while the vehicle otherwise remained operational; the battery checked out fine; no failed component or root cause was identified; and steering was restored only through electronic re-adaptation of Address 44.

NHTSA complaint 11760230. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Vehicle has issues with sputtering and stalling out when at idle and while reversing after warming up. The first time that the vehicle actually stalled while reversing, it had to be put into park and restarted. I took it to the dealership and they replaced the in tank fuel pump. When I got the car back it was still acting a little strange but I thought it was just the computer relearning process. Shortly afterward (approx 100-150 miles later) it started struggling at idle again. Yesterday the vehicle again died while reversing, which required being placed into park and restarting. The idle was struggling but I was able to reverse and continue driving. The idle remained in a state of

NHTSA complaint 11760372, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I went to the Volkswagen dealership to have a routine oil change done. They told me they could not perform the oil change because the hood latch release cable had snapped. I had just had the hood open that morning, so it was completely insane that they thought I brought the car in like that when they are the ones who broke it. They wanted to charge me $569 to replace it, or they wouldn't do the oil change. I walked because I wasn't going to pay to fix something on my own car that I didn't break. After reviewing online if there was a cheaper fix, thousands of VW owners are dealing/have dealt with the same issue. The fact that car companies are allowed to get away with installing cheap parts

NHTSA complaint 11759538, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Volkswagen Atlas

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 9 2 —
2025 49 5 —
2024 171 8 —
2022 183 7 —
2021 475 17 —
2020 27 4 —
2019 480 12 —
2018 464 17 —

Other 2023 Volkswagen models

ID.4 459 Taos 109 Tiguan 68 Jetta 43 Atlas Cross Sport 19 Arteon 14

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Volkswagen on this site — 155 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst