2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Safety Report

Air Bags

25 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.

Service Brakes

12 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.

Engine

8 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.

Electrical System

8 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.

Electrical System,Service Brakes,Forward Collision Avoidance

8 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.

Exterior Lighting

7 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.

Issues with Daytime Running Lights are a common problem, affecting visibility and safety.

Brake squeaking is a frequent issue, leading to recalls and affecting driving safety.

Engine stalling at stoplights is a known issue, impacting reliability and safety.

Air bag malfunctions, particularly in the front passenger seat, are a concern.

Summary: 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.

Consequence: A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.

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.

Summary: 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 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 requirem...

Consequence: An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers 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 Audi’s customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.

Summary: 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."

Consequence: A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

Summary: 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.

Consequence: Long fuel injectors with missing filters may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers 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.

Summary: 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.

Consequence: A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.

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.

Summary: 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, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

Consequence: Without the reduced GVWR label, the vehicle could be overloaded, leading to a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers 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.

Summary: 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.

Consequence: A water leak may damage the air bag control module, causing an inadvertent air bag deployment and increasing the risk of injury or a crash.

Remedy: Dealers 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.

Summary: 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.

Consequence: The bolts may loosen and cause a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers 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.

Summary: 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.

Consequence: A horn or starter that remains activated for an extended period of time can overheat, increasing the risk of fire.

Remedy: Dealers 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.

Summary: 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.

Consequence: An insufficiently attached wheel may separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen 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.

Summary: 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.

Consequence: A fractured steering knuckle can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen 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.

Summary: 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."

Consequence: A black or frozen rear view image reduces the driver's visibility when reversing, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

Summary: 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.

Consequence: A damaged steering knuckle can fail, causing a loss of steering, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen 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.

Summary: 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.

Consequence: Over 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.

Remedy: Volkswagen 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.

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...

A loud squeaky noise come from the brakes. When I took it to Volkswagen. They said there’s 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 that’s the factory installed has something has copper in it and that’s causing the issue. I have another friend with the same make and model of the car and suff...

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 Volkswagen’s 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

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 accelerat...

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. Ob...

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 ...

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...

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.

Car is stalling at slow speeds during heavy traffic, pulling into a parking spot, slowing down to cross a two lane highway, or moving slowly in a drive-through. This vehicle stalled unexpectedly on the tollway during the morning rush hour to Chicago. It also stalled at a four-way stop with limited visibility for drivers behind me on 6/18/2025. I had to call 911 because I was stalled at a busy inte...

The daytime running lights have gone out.

Driver side headlight stopped working after a little over 4 years but less than 50,000 miles. On coming drivers from other side of road are distracted by only one light working and tend to serve toward my car. No warning signs or messages appear in the car. Unfortunately, outside of warranty and the entire light console needs to be replaced. Appears to be a common problem on the Atlas Cross Sport...

White smoke coming from under the hood. Tire sensor has been replaced service several. One tire at a time

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the front passenger's side and rear passenger's side windows opened unintendedly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle started experiencing the failure after the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) sensor mat and wiring harness were replaced under NHTSA Cam...

My vehicle turned off/stalled while driving. I had to throw on my hazards, stomp on the very hard break and turn the car on and off again. Very dangerous for me and other drivers. I see a lot of other customers with the same exact problem for the same model of vehicle. Definitely some type of recall that needs to be addressed.

Hello, My car has a musty smell inside the cabin. I have tried all the recommendations, such as changing the cabin filter, running the AC, and using disinfectant sprays, and the odor does not disappear. I have allergies, and when I drive my car, it feels like I can't breathe. I do not have the means at the moment to change cars.