Use cautionVehicle recall · NHTSA · Published June 8, 2021
Volkswagen 2021 Atlas Electrical System Recall: Fire Risk from Overheating Horn/Starter
Volkswagen recalls 2021 Atlas vehicles with faulty relays that may cause horn or starter to overheat, risking fire. Dealers will replace relays free of charge.
“Volkswagen 2021 Atlas Electrical System Recall: Fire Risk from Overheating Horn/Starter.” GovInfoNow, updated August 18, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/80717-volkswagen-2021-atlas-electrical-system-recall-fire-risk-from-overheating. Based on NHTSA recall #21V616000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=21V616000).
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. recalled 2021 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles due to a fire risk from overheating relays, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced June 8, 2021. Dealers will inspect and replace the relays free of charge.
How to tell if you have it
Volkswagen Atlas, 2021
Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, 2021
What to do
Dealers will inspect and as necessary, replace the relays, free of charge. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
The hazard
A horn or starter that remains activated for an extended period of time can overheat, increasing the risk of fire. Damaged relays may have been installed in the engine compartment fuse box, which could inadvertently activate the horn or engine starter.
Context
GovInfoNow's records show Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. has 276 other recalls on record since 2014-10-20. Other recent recalls of similar products include Western Star 47X (2025) Electrical System Recall: Fire Risk from Short Circuit (2026-02-11), BMW X4 (2025) Recall: Fire Risk from Engine Starter Overheating (2026-08-07), and BMW 2021-2022 Z4 Recall: Fire Risk from Overheating Starter (2026-01-30).
How to tell if you have this one
Check if your 2021 Atlas has a relay installed in the engine compartment fuse box that may be damaged. The recall was announced in August 2021 for specific vehicles.
Brand
Volkswagen
Category
Vehicle
Based on the official NHTSA remedy
What to do — step by step
Contact Volkswagen Customer Service
Call 1-800-893-5298 to confirm your vehicle is affected and schedule a repair.
Have Dealers Inspect Your Vehicle
Dealers will inspect your vehicle and replace the relays if necessary at no cost.
Official remedy
What NHTSA says to do
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.
How this recall unfolded
Recall timeline
Owners were mailed letters 3 months after NHTSA received the defect report.
1NHTSA received the defect report
2Owner letters mailed
Dates from the agency record only; steps without a date are left out.
Take action
Contact Volkswagen
We’ve drafted a message you can send Volkswagen to request your refund or repair — edit it as you like.
Subject: Recall 21V616000 — Volkswagen 2021 Atlas Electrical System Recall: Fire Risk from Overheating Horn/Starter
Hello,
I own a Volkswagen 2021 Atlas Electrical System Recall: Fire Risk from Overheating Horn/Starter that is covered by recall 21V616000 from Volkswagen.
The official recall notice states: 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.
I’m writing to arrange the remedy described in the recall (a refund, repair, or replacement as applicable). Could you please tell me the next steps to resolve this?
Thank you.
The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official NHTSA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.
Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on August 18, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the NHTSA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official NHTSA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.