Every 2020 Volkswagen Atlas recall
Each campaign as NHTSA published it: what is wrong, what can happen, and the fix. Newest first.
Air Bags · NHTSA 24V464000
Jun 20, 2024Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger
- Problem
- 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.
- Risk
- A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
- Fix
- 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.
Full recall details for 24V464000 →Air Bags · NHTSA 23V215000
Mar 29, 2023Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger
- Problem
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020 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.
- Risk
- A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
- Fix
- 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.
Full recall details for 23V215000 →Tires · NHTSA 22V815000
Oct 31, 2022Tires:Pressure Monitoring and Regulating Systems
- Problem
- 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."
- Risk
- An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.
- Fix
- 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.
Full recall details for 22V815000 →Air Bags · NHTSA 22V152000
Mar 28, 2022Air Bags:Side/Window
- Problem
- 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.
- Risk
- A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
- Fix
- 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.
Full recall details for 22V152000 →Equipment · NHTSA 22V086000
Feb 16, 2022Equipment:Other:Labels
- Problem
- 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."
- Risk
- Without the reduced GVWR label, the vehicle could be overloaded, leading to a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Fix
- 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.
Full recall details for 22V086000 →Visibility · NHTSA 21V892000
Nov 17, 2021Visibility:Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System
- Problem
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
- Fix
- 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.
Full recall details for 21V892000 →Steering · NHTSA 21V026000
Jan 27, 2021Steering
- Problem
- 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.
- Risk
- A fractured steering knuckle can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Fix
- 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.
Full recall details for 21V026000 →Steering · NHTSA 20V712000
Nov 17, 2020SteeringDo not drive
- Problem
- 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.
- Risk
- A damaged steering knuckle can fail, causing a loss of steering, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
- Fix
- 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.
Full recall details for 20V712000 →Tires · NHTSA 20V702000
Nov 13, 2020Tires:Sidewall
- Problem
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
- Fix
- 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.
Full recall details for 20V702000 →Exterior Lighting · NHTSA 20V504000
Aug 26, 2020Exterior Lighting:Headlights
- Problem
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020 Atlas Cross Sports and 2021 Atlas vehicles. The driver's side headlight may have been aimed too low during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- Risk
- A headlight aimed incorrectly aimed reduces the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Fix
- 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.
Full recall details for 20V504000 →Seats · NHTSA 20V505000
Aug 26, 2020Seats
- Problem
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen ) is recalling certain 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Jetta, Jetta GLI and Tiguan and Audi Q5 and SQ5 and 2021 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. Parts of the front seat frame and backrest adjuster may not have been welded properly.
- Risk
- 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.
- Fix
- 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.
Full recall details for 20V505000 →
2020 Volkswagen Atlas complaints and service bulletins
Owners filed 133 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas, reporting 3 crashes, 1 fires, 1 injuries. Volkswagen has issued at least 624 technical service bulletins (repair instructions to dealers) for this model year. Complaints are unverified owner reports; a recall is the manufacturer’s admission of a safety defect.
Most-reported components
- Electrical System44
- Air Bags31
- Unknown Or Other28
- Forward Collision Avoidance23
- Service Brakes22
- Steering13
Service bulletins by component
- Equipment (366)
- Electrical System (244)
- Engine and Engine Cooling (232)
- Engine (128)
- Unknown Or Other (98)
- Structure (81)
Read Volkswagen Atlas owner complaints and bulletins, every year
NHTSA defect investigations covering the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation lists this model year in 2 investigations. An investigation is not a recall; it is how NHTSA decides whether one is needed.
- Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
PE23017Opened Sep 28, 2023Closed Dec 18, 2024
- Fuel Injector Leak
PE21008Opened Mar 29, 2021Closed Oct 3, 2022
What people reported
Owners have filed 133 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas. A few in their own words, shortened. Complaints are unverified and are not proof of a defect or of any recall.
“The car will shut down/stall while sitting at a red light. The START/Stop function is turned off, I turn it off while driving. So I am stalled at a red light and then have to place the car back into park and restart it. There are no messages or warning lights that appear on the dashboard.”
2020 VOLKSWAGEN ATLASJul 23, 2026 · PA
Complaint filed with NHTSA, not verified by the agency · NHTSA complaint 11752297
Crash
“On Sep 25 2025 my wife parked car in parking lot to check phone messages. The car was in park. When she finished she placed the car in drive. It began to accelerated rapidly even after the brakes were applied and struck a tree. Her foot was not on the accelerator.”
2020 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS CROSS SPORTOct 31, 2025
Complaint filed with NHTSA, not verified by the agency · NHTSA complaint 11696774
“I received alerts while I'm driving to tell me that the fuel pressure was low and to turn off the engine immediately... and then it would go away.”
2020 VOLKSWAGEN ATLASJul 8, 2026 · MO
Complaint filed with NHTSA, not verified by the agency · NHTSA complaint 11749105
Crash
“I was driving and hit a bump in the road, It was a uneven surface similar to a curb. My front right tire all of a sudden went flat and all the side and seat airbags deployed. It makes no sense to have a tire go flat and have all the airbags go off.”
2020 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS CROSS SPORTJan 26, 2022
Complaint filed with NHTSA, not verified by the agency · NHTSA complaint 11448939
“The airbag occupancy detectors on the passenger side are faulty. I noticed that other similar models of the VW Atlas are having this issue and it has an active recall, but my particular model has not.”
2020 VOLKSWAGEN ATLASFeb 19, 2026
Complaint filed with NHTSA, not verified by the agency · NHTSA complaint 11719140
Check your Atlas by VIN
Not every 2020 Volkswagen Atlas is in every recall. Enter your 17-character VIN to see the recalls on record for your exact vehicle, then confirm which are still open at NHTSA.gov or with any Volkswagen dealer.
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