2021 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS CROSS SPORT
253 complaints filed with NHTSA.
NHTSA Safety Rating
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 49 |
| AIR BAGS | 36 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 34 |
| ENGINE | 31 |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING | 24 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 22 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 14 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 11 |
| POWER TRAIN | 3 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 3 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL | 3 |
| SUSPENSION | 2 |
| LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST | 2 |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS | 2 |
Recalls (14)
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
Volkswagen 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 t
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
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 fro
STEERING
Volkswagen 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.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
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
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
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.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
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, th
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
Volkswagen 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.
STEERING
Volkswagen 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.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Volkswagen 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, the
WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS
Volkswagen 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.
TIRES:SIDEWALL
Volkswagen 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.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS
Volkswagen 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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:RELAYS/SOLENOIDS
Volkswagen 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.
WHEELS:RIM
Volkswagen 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.
Recent Complaints
Exactly at 50,000 miles, both Daytime Running Lights stopped working This is a very well known issue in the owners community and seems very o purpose, since to fix it, instead of just having to replace a bulb or small part, dealer requires to replace the whole headlight assembly
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated that after being stopped at a traffic light, while making a left turn in the snow, the contact was unsure if the vehicle had fallen into a pothole or had driven over a speed bump when the driver's side curtain air bag, and the passenger's side curtain air bags, unexpectedly deployed. Additionally, unknown sensors were beeping, and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the sensors beeped while driving in the snow. No
Mileage: 35,000
A loud squeaky noise come from the brakes. When I took it to Volkswagen. They said thereâs an issue with the brakes that was installed by the manufacturer however, they will not fix it because there is no recall. They said that the brakes thatâs the factory installed has something has copper in it and thatâs causing the issue. I have another friend with the same make and model of the car and suffering from the same issue. My concern is it just a loud noise or is it a safety issue because
My car only has 58,000 and my car is leaking coolant and I was advised I need to replace the water pump at $15,000. I see there was a settlement already for Volkswagenâs however, my Volkswagen Atlas cross port is not included although it is in the same year as those cars with the settlement it needs to be added so that way the warranty can be extended by 80,000 miles.
The passenger day time running light quit working randomly. This also is part of the lamp that provides cornering light. Without this, it decreases visibility early morning or evening driving. The issue has been confirmed with a mechanic and is a huge impact for this vehicle model. There were no warning lights or alerts about an issue prior to the failure of the part.
My vehicuel vibrate at low speed or hight speed, speed does not descrimita, the steering wheel vibrate in a very strange way, when the car hit a bump, at any speed, it vibrate like a motor, for a short period of time, and them it goes back to normal, until agiang I hit a bump
My vehicuel vibrate at low speed or hight speed, speed does not descrimita, the steering wheel vibrate in a very strange way, when the car hit a bump, at any speed, it vibrate like a motor, for a short period of time, and them it goes back to normal, until agiang I hit a bump
My vehicuel vibrate at low speed or hight speed, speed does not descrimita, the steering wheel vibrate in a very strange way, when the car hit a bump, at any speed, it vibrate like a motor, for a short period of time, and them it goes back to normal, until agiang I hit a bump
I was driving on the freeway and the car slowed down on me, almost to a stop! This could have been fatal! I am glad I had the time to move the the right lane for emergency. This needs to be reported and don't let other VW owners deal with this issue! it's a BIG safety issue!
I was driving on the freeway and the car slowed down on me, almost to a stop! This could have been fatal! I am glad I had the time to move the the right lane for emergency. This needs to be reported and don't let other VW owners deal with this issue! it's a BIG safety issue!
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The throttle and engine. Car is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The vehicle will lose ability to accelerate when crossing busy intersections or traveling on highways, resulting in the car slowing down significantly and not allowing me to accelerate out of the way of vehicles. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or indepen
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The throttle and engine. Car is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The vehicle will lose ability to accelerate when crossing busy intersections or traveling on highways, resulting in the car slowing down significantly and not allowing me to accelerate out of the way of vehicles. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or indepen
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The throttle and engine. Car is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The vehicle will lose ability to accelerate when crossing busy intersections or traveling on highways, resulting in the car slowing down significantly and not allowing me to accelerate out of the way of vehicles. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or indepen
The Car has Stalled at Stoplights 3 different times. There was a message on the dashboard that told me to "manually restart the engine". I put the car in park and restarted the engine. Note: I don't use the "Eco Stop Start" mode. I'm not sure what caused this problem but in reviewing some forums it may be an N80 Valve and/or a Carbon Canister. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection. Obviously, a stalled car could be a safety risk for the driver and others. I will be taking it to a de
I own a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport with approximately 34,000 miles, purchased as a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle. The brakes make an extremely loud, metal-on-metal screeching noise when driving slowly, reversing or driving on hills. The sound is harsh and high-pitched, resembling worn-out or defective brake pads or rotors. I brought the issue to a VW dealership, and they confirmed the noise but claimed it is ânormalâ and offered no repair. The sound is consistent and worsens on incline
One of the daytime running lights has gone out with only 45,000 miles on my vehicle. Dealership says they need to replace the entire headlight assembly, instead of the bulb, at a cost of $1,500. No prior warning as to this issue. There are a number of cases with this same problem at low vehicle mileage.
Start stop error on 7/15/25. Engine light on 7/16/25. Drove the car to AutoZone and the diagnostic code was P0496 EVAP System High Purge Flow. VW dealership said it was okay to drive vehicle with engine on until my appointment on 7/24/25. Filled up the car with gas on 7/18/25, but the fuel gauge only went up to 7/8 of a tank and 365 miles to empty. After driving 51 miles, the fuel gauge was full and 430 miles to empty. After driving 116 miles, the fuel gauge dropped back down to 7/8 of a tank
Start stop error on 7/15/25. Engine light on 7/16/25. Drove the car to AutoZone and the diagnostic code was P0496 EVAP System High Purge Flow. VW dealership said it was okay to drive vehicle with engine on until my appointment on 7/24/25. Filled up the car with gas on 7/18/25, but the fuel gauge only went up to 7/8 of a tank and 365 miles to empty. After driving 51 miles, the fuel gauge was full and 430 miles to empty. After driving 116 miles, the fuel gauge dropped back down to 7/8 of a tank
Start stop error on 7/15/25. Engine light on 7/16/25. Drove the car to AutoZone and the diagnostic code was P0496 EVAP System High Purge Flow. VW dealership said it was okay to drive vehicle with engine on until my appointment on 7/24/25. Filled up the car with gas on 7/18/25, but the fuel gauge only went up to 7/8 of a tank and 365 miles to empty. After driving 51 miles, the fuel gauge was full and 430 miles to empty. After driving 116 miles, the fuel gauge dropped back down to 7/8 of a tank
The daytime running lights are already out on a vehicle with less than 50k miles. It is a commonly reported problems with these vehicles and an expensive fix.