Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2022 Volkswagen Atlas, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine50
- Service brakes46
- Electrical system44
- Air bags30
- Unknown or other26
- Forward collision avoidance20
- Exterior lighting14
- Fuel/propulsion system13
- Back over prevention8
- Steering6
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 7 2022 Atlas vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 3 people 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 2022 Volkswagen Atlas failed the safety check 0.50% of the time — 41% less often than the average 2022 passenger car (0.85%). Median odometer at inspection: 19,563 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Volkswagen Atlas SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | 15.9 % |
| 2022 Volkswagen Atlas SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | 13.6 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- 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 10.6–12.2 L/100 km (about 19–22 mpg US), CO₂ 249–286 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas 4MOTION · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Regular gasoline | 11.5 | 9.5 | 10.6 |
| Atlas 4MOTION · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Regular gasoline | 13.8 | 10.2 | 12.2 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
7 Transport Canada recalls for the 2022 Volkswagen Atlas.
| 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… |
| 2022612 26 Oct 2022 | Suspension Issue: On certain vehicles, the bolts for the left-rear trailing arm may not have been properly tightened. As a result, the bolts may loosen over time and fal… |
| 2022576 7 Oct 2022 | Engine Issue: On certain vehicles, the connecting rod bearings may become damaged. If this happens, the engine could make abnormal noises and a warning light may turn… |
| 2022489 31 Aug 2022 | Structure Issue: On certain vehicles, the trailer hitch bolts may not have been properly tightened. As a result, the bolts could loosen, and the hitch could detach from… |
| 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… |
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 2022 Volkswagen Atlas FL and 2022-2023 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The driver-side rear trailing arm bolts may not have been tightened properly, allowing them to loosen and fall out.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Audi Q5 Sportback, Q5, 2022-2023 Volkswagen Atlas FL, and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The engine connecting rod bearings may become damaged, which can result in engine failure.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The trailer hitch bolts may have been insufficiently tightened.
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.
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 2022 Volkswagen Atlas: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011378 | This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication for the airbag control module. For trouble code DTC B1022F0. Communication with the airbag control module J234 has failed. |
| 11011376 | Customer states rattle from below the vehicle; Customer states coolant leak/coolant light on; Customer states MIL-on, P0442 stored in ECM memory; Customer states key FOB lock/unlock functions do not work via button press (not KESSY); Customer states the seat cover has discoloration (usually yellowing) stains; Customer states MIL-on, U01B000 stored in ECM memory; Customer states seat belt won't retract; Customer states Electrical System Error Message, U04A1 [42304], U04A5 [42336], and/or U04A9 [42444] stored in DA:008C; Customer states vehicle does not start; key not detected. No communication |
| 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. |
| 11010028 | This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during ECM Component Adaptation Test after component replacement. |
| 11010027 | Customer states rattle from below the vehicle; Customer states coolant leak/coolant light on; Customer states MIL-on, P0442 stored in ECM memory; Customer states key FOB lock/unlock functions do not work via button press (not KESSY); Customer states seat belt won't retract; Customer states windshield has a visual imperfection, Customer states Electrical System Error Message, U04A1 [42304], U04A5 [42336], and/or U04A9 [42444] stored in DA:008C; Customer states vehicle does not start; key not detected. No communication to J519 active. AW 19: U014000[2170894][2240526], B1248F3[1074443], U17B900[8 |
| 11010026 | Customer states rattle from below the vehicle; Customer states MIL-on, P0442 stored in ECM memory; Customer states key FOB lock/unlock functions do not work via button press (not KESSY); Customer states seat belt won't retract; Customer states windshield has a visual imperfection, Customer states Electrical System Error Message, U04A1 [42304], U04A5 [42336], and/or U04A9 [42444] stored in DA:008C; Customer states vehicle does not start; key not detected. No communication to J519 active. AW 19: U014000[2170894][2240526], B1248F3[1074443], U17B900[8398624] active DTCs;Customer states MIL-on, U01 |
| 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 |
| 11008869 | This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication DA 0001 ECM - Certification Test Group (CTG) label P0F4800: Certification test group/engine family number Not programmed or incompatible |
| 11008868 | This communication is a notice for software changes with the ODIS program to correct the A5 Front Camera Module program test plan that is failing. |
| 11008867 | Customer states rattle from below the vehicle; Customer states MIL-on, P0442 stored in ECM memory; Customer states key FOB lock/unlock functions do not work via button press (not KESSY); Customer states seat belt won't retract; Customer states windshield has a visual imperfection, Customer states Electrical System Error Message, U04A1 [42304], U04A5 [42336], and/or U04A9 [42444] stored in DA:008C; Customer states vehicle does not start; key not detected. No communication to J519 active. AW 19: U014000[2170894][2240526], B1248F3[1074443], U17B900[8398624] active DTCs; Customer states Automatic |
| 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 |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation