Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system54
- Air bags37
- Service brakes36
- Engine33
- Forward collision avoidance28
- Unknown or other25
- Exterior lighting18
- Fuel/propulsion system16
- Suspension4
- Steering4
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 7 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 6 2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 1 person died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport failed the safety check 0.65% of the time — 32% less often than the average 2021 passenger car (0.95%). Median odometer at inspection: 26,963 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; 2 of 2 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | 15.1 % |
| 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | 16.9 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 10.9–12.3 L/100 km (about 19–22 mpg US), CO₂ 257–289 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas Cross Sport 4MOTION · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Regular gasoline | 11.7 | 10.0 | 10.9 |
| Atlas Cross Sport 4MOTION · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Regular gasoline | 13.8 | 10.4 | 12.3 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
8 Transport Canada recalls for the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport.
| 2024354 19 Jun 2024 | Airbag Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may malfunction. This could cause the airbag system to turn off the passenger-front… |
| 2022382 20 Jul 2022 | Visual System Issue: Under certain conditions, the rearview camera image may not appear on the center screen. Canadian regulations require the rearview image to display whe… |
| 2022182 13 Apr 2022 | Fuel System Issue: On certain vehicles, the long fuel injectors may have been assembled without a filter element. As a result, fuel could leak into the engine compartment… |
| 2022110 11 Mar 2022 | Airbag Issue: On certain vehicles, the wiring contacts for the front doors may become damaged. If this happens, there could be a delay before the side airbags inflat… |
| 2021705 17 Nov 2021 | Heater And Defroster Issue: On certain vehicles, the drain tube for the air conditioning system may be blocked. As a result, water may leak inside the vehicle and into the airbag … |
| 2021032 27 Jan 2021 | Steering Issue: On certain vehicles, the front steering knuckles may not have been manufactured correctly. As a result, the steering knuckle could break suddenly while… |
| 2020556 18 Nov 2020 | Visual System Issue: On certain vehicles, a software problem could cause the rearview camera image not to display or cause it to freeze. Canadian regulations require the re… |
| 2020546 13 Nov 2020 | Tires Issue: Certain vehicles were built with tires that may have been cured too long. As a result, the sidewall could crack or the tread and belts could separate. … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
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 requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
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."
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Volkswagen told its dealers about the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011375 | moisture witin rear tail lamp assembly |
| 11011374 | HVAC duct cleaning and deodorizing |
| 11010030 | Volkswagen is extending warranty coverage for the Front Door Wiring Harnesses on certain 2019-2023 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles identified by the U70 Warranty Key for 5 years / 60,000 miles (whichever occurs first) from the date that the 97GF recall was performed. |
| 11010025 | Green Light Does Not Illuminate |
| 11010024 | Lack of paint under roof |
| 11010022 | Engine Oil Standards |
| 11010021 | Additional reporting |
| 11010017 | This Supporting FAQ is for the Atlas Front Door Wiring Harness Class Action Settlement for vehicles identified by U70 Warranty Key. |
| 11010011 | Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available |
| 11008866 | Inspecting sensors for damage |
| 11008861 | Fluid requirements |
| 11008860 | Manual transmission noise diagnosing |
| 11008858 | A list of engine oil that meet Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards |
| 11008857 | How to perform the engine oil consumption measurement |
| 11008856 | Checking Engine Oil and correctly reading dip stick |
| 11008853 | How to manage software versions using VW diagnostic Tool |
| 11008852 | Recommended Gasoline Quality |
| 11008851 | Engine Misfire Diagnostic Aid |
| 11008850 | Fuel additive to help with misfire faults |
| 11008846 | Wind & Water Leak Checking |
| 11007398 | Battery testing |
| 11007396 | Car-net 2.0 may not fully complete the initial Register and Pairing process (R&P) after removal of |
| 11007393 | Engine Oil Standards |
| 11007387 | This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed and only order the successor parts going forward. |
| 11005830 | Phyical condensation within Taillamp cluster is an optical phenomenon and does not affect the function of the taillights. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)