2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Vehicles › Volkswagen › Atlas Cross Sport › 2021
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
These records cover every 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
14 recalls name the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. Newest first.
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.
A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
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. (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…
An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.
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 Audis customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.
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…
A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
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.
Long fuel injectors with missing filters may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.
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.
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.
A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
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. (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…
Without the reduced GVWR label, the vehicle could be overloaded, leading to a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The bolts may loosen and cause a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
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.
A horn or starter that remains activated for an extended period of time can overheat, increasing the risk of fire.
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.
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.
An insufficiently attached wheel may separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
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.
A fractured steering knuckle can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
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…
A black or frozen rear view image reduces the driver's visibility when reversing, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
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.
A damaged steering knuckle can fail, causing a loss of steering, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Passenger DRL strip light went out. My car has approximately 75,000 miles on it. I bought it used. No warranty for this. I understand this is a common issue with this model.
The right daytime running lights have failed. It creates a safety hazard for driving. The only remedy is to replace the entire headlight which is costly. This is due to poor manufacturing that lets in water to damage the led.
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken for an oil change, and it was discovered that the hood latch cable had either disconnected or snapped off. While attempting to open the hood, the interior hood release handle was inoperable, and the hood could not be opened. The dealer was contacted and stated that a cord needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Got an airbag alert light on driver console. Took it to VW dealer in [XXX]. They said the driver side airbag has a short to ground. And it’s not covered under the warranty. And it’s $2000 to fix. There has been a lot of problems with the wire harness from the manufacturer. And I feel like they should repair it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport has experienced intermittent electrical failures while driving, including at highway speeds. The infotainment system first began shutting off intermittently around April 2026. At times, I had to pull over, place the vehicle in Park, turn it off, and restart it multiple times before the system would function again. On approximately XXX while traveling from [XXX] toward [XXX], the problem became much more serious. While driving on the highway, both the digital instrument cluster and the infotainment display suddenly went completely black at the same time. Because the instrument cluster was completely black, I could no longer see my speed or other important driving information. I activated the hazard lights while pulling over, but the visual hazard-light indicators were also not visible because the instrument cluster was black. The vehicle continued moving, but because critical information was no longer available, I pulled over safely and restarted the vehicle. I have also experienced intermittent malfunctions involving the driver assistance systems, including Lane Keeping Assist and Travel Assist warnings. On one occasion, the vehicle applied Automatic Emergency Braking unexpectedly even though there was no apparent hazard in front of the vehicle. These issues occur intermittently, making them difficult to reproduce consistently, but they create a significant safety concern because they happen while driving. I contacted Volkswagen Customer CARE and opened Case Number XXX. Volkswagen also confirmed that my vehicle has an open safety recall (69PZ / NHTSA Recall 24V464). I am submitting this complaint because of the intermittent electrical failures and driver assistance system malfunctions described above. I am requesting that these safety issues be investigated. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
This has happened to me a total of three times now And I have had the car one month. It stopped on me again in the middle of traffic Just driving without warning without any indicating lights on on June 25th. It stopped on me prior on July 21st and I just got it out of the shop July 24th. This is very dangerous and a dangerous situation especially to be driving one minute and the car just stop on you and go to a slow roll.
When I am driving the vehicle the brakes are always squeaking. When I took it to the dealership they stated that there was nothing wrong with the brakes. When I Google this this seems to be a common issue with the Volkswagen Atlas. But one thing also just the other day when I stopped on the brakes it felt like someone was slamming behind me.
I have not the slightest idea what is going on with the vehicle that I just bought on June 25th 2026. I have a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas crossover and the car stopped on me three times today. And when I arrived in my garage it said that the engine was hot. I will be taking it to the dealership tomorrow.
Right side daytime running light went out. Confirmed by dealer and headlamp assembly was replaced.
The daylight LED lights have gone out. There is no replacement aside from replacing the whole headlight. LED’s shouldn’t go out and the cost of the replacement is high.
The vehicle SOS communication/warning system began malfunctioning in February 2026. I am receiving an alert stating there is an SOS Malfunction and to service the vehicle immediately. On February 18, 2026, the VW dealership conducted extensive testing on the vehicle and determined that the J949 SOS module required replacement as it could not be reset or remedied. Diagnosis - internal electrical failure. The dealership advised that this is a known issue to VW and that there are several other customers with the same issue and waiting for the modules, which are on backorder with VW. There is no communication between the vehicle and VW as a result, and the infotainment system is unable to update. The service tech advised that there are a number or potential issues that will arise because this is a vehicle communication failure. I was forced to prepay for the module and labor, which was ordered on 2/18 (in excess of $500). On 5/26/26 the VW dealership service manager confirmed that the module still has not arrived from VW and that there may be a recall issued because this is such a widespread problem, but that they have no estimated delivery time for the part. The vehicle has had no problems prior to this. If the car is in an accident, there will be no SOS function. The infotainment system, which controls CarNet and the ability to communicate using CarPlay will also be compromised, which may result in the inability to call for assistance in event of an incident. VW Customer Service states they have no ability to track service orders or provide information on the ongoing issue, and stated that the dealership has the only ability to track the part. The dealership cannot check the status beyond acknowledging that the part is on backorder. This is a widely reported problem online in multiple forums and with multiple VW models. We are paying for a part and waiting multiple months to obtain it, and the vehicle is compromised due to the failure of VW.
One of the day time running lights have burned out. The car just turned 5 years old with about 70,000 miles. In reviewing some posts online a lot of owners have complained about the same thing. Also you cannot replace the bulb, you have to replace the entire unit.
The vehicle has ghost braking issues and on top of all the screens go black periodically for no reason at all(they aren’t being touched).
At 76000 miles, the daytime running light on the passenger side went out. I took the vehicle into the dealership for repair and I was told that because there is an internal open circuit, the entire headlight assembly will need to be replaced. I was quoted $1600 for the part, not including labor. This is a safety issue due to one daytime running light being a distraction for other drivers as well as myself.
Daytime running lights are non replaceable and a hazard left unfixed. The dealer refuses to acknowledge this or do anything but charge me 1600 dollars to replace. We don't have that kind of money just sitting around these days and they refuse to do anything. DRLs are critical for visibility. We had an extended warranty and they replaced 1 side last year instead of both. Now that the warranty is up they are telling us we are out of luck with this hazard driving around the street.
Subject: Formal Safety Complaint – Structural Manufacturing Defect – 2021 VW Atlas Cross Sport (VIN: [XXX] ) To the NHTSA and Volkswagen Customer CARE: I am formally reporting a significant safety hazard regarding my 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. Incident Details: Incident Date: 05/07/2026 Current Mileage: 76,305 miles VIN: [XXX] Supporting Documentation: See attached files image.png and image_2.png. Description of the Problem (Per Certified Technician): As documented in the attached invoice from Vacaville Volkswagen (image.png), the vehicle was brought in for a "steering concern" involving clunking noises and swaying at freeway speeds. After a test drive and inspection, the technician found: The left front control arm front bolt was loose. Three other bolts were not tightened to specification. The noise and instability were caused by the resulting movement of the control arm. The Issue: While the dealership identified the improperly secured hardware and torqued all bolts and nuts to specification, they declined to cover the repair under warranty or recall, resulting in a labor charge of $230.00. Loose and under-torqued structural bolts on a control arm are not maintenance or "wear and tear" items; they represent a critical manufacturing and assembly failure. This component is vital to the vehicle's steering and suspension geometry. Evidence of a Systematic Issue: This defect directly mirrors several existing Volkswagen safety recalls for the Atlas line involving improperly torqued chassis and suspension hardware, such as Recall 42HX and Recall 40R7. It is clear that my 2021 model was impacted by the same production lapses identified in these adjacent recalls. Requested Action: For the NHTSA: I request that this incident be documented to investigate whether the scope of current suspension recalls should be expanded to include the 2021 model year. For Volkswagen USA: I am requesting a goodwill reimbursement of $230.00. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5
The Hood latch is broke and I am unable to get into the hood without tremendous effort.
Defective sway bar links
Over course of ownership, I have taken 2021 Atlas Cross Sport in for routine service, to include grinding brakes during normal driving conditions. The brakes will squeak when first beginning the drive for the day. The brake issue becomes more pronounced when braking from various speeds such as 65MPH to a gradual stop. There is a loud and progressively grinding noise during this time. The dealership was made aware of this within a week’s time and they specifically looked into this matter and advised once again, “normal.”
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 warning light was illuminated. There were no injuries sustained. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. The Police Department was called to assist with traffic because the vehicle was blocking the roadway. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it remained unrepaired pending an inspection. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. However, no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.
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 suffering from the same issue. My concern is it just a loud noise or is it a safety issue because of the brakes?
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
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.