Car Defect Radar
Get the report
Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated October 26, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.
Urgent recall on this model.

At least one recall carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. Confirm by VIN that the repair was completed before driving or buying this car. The fix is free at a dealer.

Recalls

11 total · 11 to confirm

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

Steering recall

Do not driveRecall 20V712000 · Nov 2020

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.
Status
Do not drive until repaired. A dealer fixes this free of charge.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Airbags recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 24V464000 · Jun 2024

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.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Airbags recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 23V215000 · Mar 2023

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 March 22, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69FB.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Tires recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 22V815000 · Oct 2022

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.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Airbags recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 22V152000 · Mar 2022

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.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Safety recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 22V086000 · Feb 2022

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.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Body & glass recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 21V892000 · Nov 2021

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.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Steering recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 21V026000 · Jan 2021

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.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Tires recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 20V702000 · Nov 2020

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.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Exterior lighting recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 20V504000 · Aug 2020

A headlight aimed incorrectly aimed reduces the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will adjust the driver's side headlight, free of charge. The recall began September 9, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94N7.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Safety recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 20V505000 · Aug 2020

In the event of a rear-end crash, the backrest adjustment could break, possibly reducing the amount of occupant restraint, thus increasing risk of injury.

Remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seats, and, as necessary, replace the seatback frames, free of charge. The recall began September 11, 2020. Volkswagen owners may contact their customer service at 1-888-241-2289. Audi owners may contact their customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 72L1, 72K8, and 72K9.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Owner complaints by system

106 total

Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.

Engine & powertrain

Worth reading
14

Most reports here involve sudden stalling. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 1 mention an injury.

sudden stalling 6software faults 4fluid leaks 2
A recent report: Fuel pump failed Daytime running light failure Broken hood latch

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11732107 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Worth reading
35

Most reports here involve software faults. Of these, 1 mention a crash.

software faults 20electrical shorts 8corrosion 2
A recent report: Both day time running lights failed right after warranty expired. This repair requires over 2300$ repair because both entire headlights need to be replaced. This is a frequent problem that VW is…
Read full complaint

Both day time running lights failed right after warranty expired. This repair requires over 2300$ repair because both entire headlights need to be replaced. This is a frequent problem that VW is aware yet refuses to rectify. It cause my vehicle to be less visible because of aporr design by VW.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11737656 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Brakes

Minor
10

Most reports here involve software faults.

software faults 6premature wear 1
A recent report: While traveling south on Wheeler Road at the underpass of the Long Island Expressway my 2020 Volkswagon Atlas Cross Sport's emergency braking system gets activated. This has happened multiple times…
Read full complaint

While traveling south on Wheeler Road at the underpass of the Long Island Expressway my 2020 Volkswagon Atlas Cross Sport's emergency braking system gets activated. This has happened multiple times at approximatly 12:20 AM while heading home from work. I took the car to the dealer but the dealer said there was no way to check what happened unless the diagnostic machine was connected at the time it happened. Again, this has happened multiple times, the most recent being both January second and the third. There is no reason why this happenes as it is dark and not a sunglare issue, therei s no change of lighting, no pavement changes or obstructions, and no traffic in front of me. When this happens it scares the hell out of me because there isnt any reason why I would expect it to happen thus creating a bit of a dangerous situation for me. Maybe others have reported the same issue to you that you did or could look into the cause of this, possible a radar or broadcast system that could be the cause of the sensor activation so maybe the issue can get corrected and prevent it from happening again. Thank You for any help you can provide. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11708699 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Steering, suspension & tires

Minor
12

Most reports here involve loss of steering.

loss of steering 4premature wear 2
A recent report: steering went out completly and the SUV shut off in the middle of the street. had to restart car to get it home. SUV shut off in the middle of a turn. Had the SUV checked at dealership and they found…
Read full complaint

steering went out completly and the SUV shut off in the middle of the street. had to restart car to get it home. SUV shut off in the middle of a turn. Had the SUV checked at dealership and they found a bad steering unit. I had the SUV in 3 times with the complaint and they found nothing until the warranty ran out. Neillo VW checked it in 2020,2021,2023 and say they found nothing,

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11762785 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Airbags & seat belts

Worth reading
22

Most reports here involve airbags not deploying. Of these, 1 mention a crash.

airbags not deploying 8software faults 5
A recent report: Air Bag error-seat occupant classification module-passenger side occupant detection sensor is defective. Air bag may not deploy upon impact. Confirmed that airbag sensor is defective at dealership…
Read full complaint

Air Bag error-seat occupant classification module-passenger side occupant detection sensor is defective. Air bag may not deploy upon impact. Confirmed that airbag sensor is defective at dealership. Airbag error first appeared one week ago at 75k miles. VW will not cover cost to repair defective air bag sensor.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11763668 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Structure & body

Minor
9

Most reports here involve premature wear.

premature wear 2software faults 1
A recent report: sunroof shattered while driving down the freeway

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11751820 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Other systems

Minor
4

Most reports here involve premature wear.

premature wear 2software faults 1
A recent report: VW SOS system TCU has gone bad. I see this as a safety issue and VW will not replace under warranty

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11761764 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 106 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2020 and 2026, roughly 17 a year, which is more than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.

How does it compare with other years? The 2020 has 106 complaints on file, fewer than the 2021 (165). Of the 6 model years of the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport we cover, the 2021 has the most (165). Older model years have had longer to collect complaints.