CSR

Volkswagen · NHTSA safety record

2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

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

90

Complaints

2

Crashes

1

Fires

1

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport have filed 90 safety complaints with NHTSA between August 2023 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 27 of them (30%). The typical failure was reported at 11,000 miles, the median across the 9 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 8 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (8)

BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE

26V473000 · July 22, 2026

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling 2024-2026 Atlas Cross Sport and Atlas vehicles. The vehicles may experience a low-voltage electrical event that affects display screen functions. As a result, the rearview camera image may fail to display as intended.
The risk
A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 4, 2026. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91TV. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 28, 2026.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 57,851 vehicles across all model years covered

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

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

25V334000 · May 21, 2025

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Atlas Cross Sport and Atlas vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera image to become distorted when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The risk
A distorted rearview camera image can reduce the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will update the camera control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 5, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91SB.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 171,381 vehicles across all model years covered

ENGINE

25V100000 · February 17, 2025

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The engine cover may have been improperly installed after vehicle service, allowing it to come loose and contact hot engine surfaces.
The risk
A loose engine cover that contacts hot surfaces in the engine compartment can melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Dealers will remove the engine cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 7, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 10X5.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 177,493 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

24V723000 · September 27, 2024

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2024 Atlas and 2024 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The brake master cylinder may have been assembled with an incorrect secondary piston spring retainer, which can block the brake fluid port.
The risk
An obstructed brake fluid port can cause a loss of brake function, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 21, 2024. Additionally, vehicles that were added to the population on November 21, 2024, their letters were mailed on December 2, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen Customer Relations at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 471F.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 1,591 vehicles across all model years covered

BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE

24V480000 · June 27, 2024

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VW) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Golf R, Golf GTI, 2024 Atlas, and 2024 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The rearview camera image may be delayed or deactivated after shifting into reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The risk
A rearview camera with a delayed or deactivated image reduces the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
The remedy
Dealers will update the infotainment system software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 15, 2024, and July 16, 2024. Owners may contact VW customer service at 1-800-893-5298. VW's number for this recall is 91US.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 84,432 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

23V593000 · August 23, 2023

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2024 Atlas PA2 and Atlas Cross Sport PA 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. In addition, engine failure may cause an oil leak which can increase the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 28, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 13i6.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 2,018 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 90.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 27 30%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 23 26%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 16 18%
ENGINE 15 17%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 10 11%
POWER TRAIN 8 9%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 7 8%
SERVICE BRAKES 7 8%
LANE DEPARTURE 6 7%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 6 7%
AIR BAGS 5 6%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 5 6%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2025 at 41.

2023 2025 2026
2023 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

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

POWER TRAIN

1 injured · 21,350 miles

The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated that after pressing the engine Start/Stop button to start the vehicle in the driveway, she exited the vehicle and sat in the front passenger's seat. After 4-5 minutes, the vehicle inadvertently rolled backward while the transmission was in park (P). No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle rolled over her daughter's left knee before stopping at the end of the driveway. Additionally, the "Error: Drive System. Please Service Vehicle" message was previously displayed while driving, and the parking brake was inoperable. The police arrived on the scene and filed a report. The contact's daughter received medical

NHTSA complaint 11620983, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

fire

Spontaneous vehicle fire which resulted in the total loss. Driver and passenger were in the car, managed to escape the vehicle,no injuries. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by the dealer or by authorized service center. Not sure if the vehicle or component have been inspected by the manufacturer or insurance representative. Police and firefighters were present on the site of incident. There were no warning lights on the dashboard prior to the incident

NHTSA complaint 11608935. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

crash · towed

Vehicle: 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport VIN: [XXX] Component: Air Bags – Frontal (Driver) Description of the problem: I am reporting a possible safety issue involving the driver front airbag. I was involved in a frontal collision in my 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport that resulted in severe front-end damage. The vehicle was declared a total loss. During the crash, the driver steering-wheel airbag did not deploy. Based on the severity of the impact and damage, airbag deployment would normally be expected. There were no airbag warning lights or alerts prior to the crash that I am aware of. No injuries requiring hospital care occurred. I am submitting this report to document a potential

NHTSA complaint 11707082, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

BACK OVER PREVENTION

crash · 28,000 miles

The contact's mother owns a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that he was dropping his daughter off at school, as he shifted into reverse (R) to exit a parking space he observed that the rear view camera image had "flashed" and then the screen went black. The contact stated that he was moving at approximately 2 MPH when he crashed into the rear bumper of the vehicle parked behind him. The contact stated that there was minor damage, paint scrapes to each bumper. The police was called and issued a report and a traffic citation to the contact. The contact stated that no person was injured. The contact stated that he had determined that there was a recall associated to his mother's

NHTSA complaint 11677847, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
On two consecutive occasions, my 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport suddenly lost almost all ability to accelerate after highway driving. Both times, after exiting the highway and stopping at a traffic light, pressing the accelerator would only allow the vehicle to travel a few miles per hour. The vehicle was effectively unable to accelerate normally or keep up with traffic. Turning the vehicle completely off and restarting it restored normal acceleration. The same problem occurred again the following day under similar circumstances. Multiple dashboard warnings appeared, including the check-engine light. During the second occurrence, a red coolant-related warning also appeared. I took the

NHTSA complaint 11756349, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
VW sent an over-the-air remote tech update on 8/8/206. Once the update was completed and the system rebooted, the rearview backup camera and cross-traffic safety system are no longer working. We tried a system reset, which did not work, and we tried a hard reset ( car was outside - doors locked and car off for 20 minutes+). Tried to get an appointment, and the dealer pushed us out 3+ weeks—this is unacceptable for a safety system issue. In addition, VW has not completed the engine cover repair/recall even though your system shows no open recalls, which is strange and unsettling. Is VW hiding recall repairs or marking them complete when not done ???

NHTSA complaint 11755827. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The media center does not shut off when my car shuts off, I brought it to Ken Garf Volkswagen dealership on June 25 when my car died. They did a diagnostic. I picked it up and they said there was nothing they could do about the media center because there are no software updates for it. So basically the plan was to just have my car continue dying. On July 10, it died again for the same reason.

NHTSA complaint 11749842. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

29,918 miles

The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the brakes made abnormally loud squeaking and grinding sounds. The failure persisted, and the vehicle hesitated while responding with the brake pedal depressed while driving, causing the braking distance to be extended. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the issue was normal vehicle operation. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 29,918.

NHTSA complaint 11746157. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
Getting air bag warning for passenger side airbag not working

NHTSA complaint 11741136. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
I am submitting this updated complaint regarding ongoing issues with Safety Recall 69PZ (Passenger Occupant Detection System) on my 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. Despite multiple repair attempts at Gossett Volkswagen in Memphis, TN, the recall remains incomplete, and the vehicle now exhibits additional safety‑system failures that began immediately after dealership service. I purchased the vehicle from Gossett Volkswagen and have had all warranty and recall work performed exclusively at this dealership. The first recall attempt occurred on April 20, 2026. The second attempt occurred on April 29, 2026, when the dealership picked up and returned my vehicle; this visit is confirmed by home

NHTSA complaint 11739489, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 17 5
2023 18 6
2022 70 7
2021 162 14
2020 102 11

Other 2024 Volkswagen models

Every Volkswagen on this site — 152 vehicles, 256 recall campaigns and 2 open investigation s.

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. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

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