Owners filed 9 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine. It has been recalled 2 times.
Do not drive
NHTSA attached an advisory to a recall on this vehicle. Advisories apply to specific production runs — check your VIN with the manufacturer or at nhtsa.gov/recalls before driving it.
What fails
Component
Reports
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Electrical System
3
0
0
0
Engine
2
0
0
0
Unknown or Other
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
Fuel/Propulsion System
1
0
0
0
Back Over Prevention › Warnings
1
0
0
0
2 safety recalls
Part 573 reports
Back Over Prevention › Software26V473000
Filed Jul 22, 202657,851 vehiclesVolkswagen Group Of America, Inc.
Defect. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling 2024-2026 Atlas Cross Sport and Atlas vehicles. The vehicles may experience a low-voltage electrical event that affects display screen functions. As a result, the rearview camera image may fail to display as intended.
Risk. A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 4, 2026. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91TV. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 28, 2026.
Wheels › Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs25V835000Do not drive
Filed Dec 3, 202527 vehiclesVolkswagen Group Of America, Inc.
Defect. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2026 Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport, and ID.4 vehicles. The incorrect wheel bolts may have been installed during vehicle manufacturing.
Risk. Incorrect wheel bolts can allow a wheel to detach from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until they have been repaired. Dealers will inspect and replace the wheel bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 44BW. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 5, 2025.
What owners reported
Newest filings
Electrical System
Filed Sep 12, 2026OK
I am filing a safety complaint regarding my 2026 Volkswagen Atlas SE with Technology, 2.0T engine, with approximately 5,700 miles. While driving, the vehicle suddenly began shuddering violently, lost significant engine power, displayed a flashing check-engine light and a Start/Stop system fault, and later would not restart normally. An immobilizer-related warning also appeared. The sudden loss of power occurred with very little warning and could have been extremely dangerous if it had happened while merging, crossing traffic, or driving at highway speed. I have also experienced repeated electrical/electronic problems. The backup camera has stopped working while in use. The infotainment screen has failed, and the controls for climate, drive mode, and other vehicle functions have intermittently stopped responding. The driver’s seat also stopped functioning properly. This vehicle is only a few months old and has very low mileage. I am concerned there may be a defect involving the engine management, electrical, fuel-delivery, infotainment/control, or related systems that can cause sudden loss of propulsion, severe misfiring, camera failure, loss of vehicle controls, and no-start conditions. I am requesting that NHTSA document this incident and investigate whether similar failures are occurring in 2026 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles.
Unknown or Other
Filed Sep 1, 2026OK
The rear power liftgate opened on its own while the vehicle was being driven at speed on a public road, with no input from the driver or passenger. Luggage was ejected from the cargo area onto the roadway and could not be recovered. A passenger witnessed the incident. There were no warning lamps, messages, or prior symptoms before the failure. A police report was filed the following day (Schaumburg, IL Police Department report SCP26-A00243). The vehicle was inspected by an authorized Volkswagen dealer on 8/29/2026 (repair order 6108206); the dealer performed a diagnostic scan and test drive but could not reproduce the fault, and no diagnostic trouble codes were stored. The defect is intermittent and remains undiagnosed. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. A liftgate opening while driving creates a serious safety risk: ejected cargo can strike vehicles traveling behind, and the failure could recur at highway speed. Component involved: power liftgate/rear hatch latch or control module (exact cause UNKNOWN).
Tires
Filed Aug 25, 2026IL
Purchased vehicle brand new 1/31/26. Went for my first tire rotation and oil change (4600 miles) on 8/24/26. Inspection found wires coming from the inside wall of tire (the interior portion of tire). Service advisor said it was not covered because it’s wear and tear. The damage is not on the tread. The damage is not on the exposed part of tire. I had to purchase a new tire and was advised by the installer that this is a manufacture defect.
Electrical System
Filed Aug 16, 2026PA
Telematics Control Module (TCM/OCU). After several calls to the VW app division and independent research, I discovered that the module is malfunctioning. Several emails have been sent to [email protected] and [email protected] neither have replied. The issue remains consistent and repeatable even after a hard reset and infotainment reboot. The red SOS light indicates the TCM has entered a critical fault state, making remote start, lock, and unlock functions unavailable.
Engine
Filed Jul 9, 2026VT
Driving on highway XXX -vehicle check engine light came on and started flashing, car started to shake. pulled off at closest rest area, shut it off and and called roadside assistance as i did not feel safe driving it. towed to dealership/[XXX]. awaiting inspection by dealer. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Back Over Prevention › Warnings
Filed Jun 28, 2026AZ
Infotainment system keeps shutting down and we get an alert that the backup camera and rear traffic collision system is not working.
Electrical System
Filed Jun 22, 2026TX
Infotainment system has been rebooting and disabling the cars ADAS momentarily. Most recently, this resulted in the car turning itself off while making a turn. Happened a second time while pulling into the dealership on the same day.
Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed May 20, 2026VT
Had new vehicle for 1 week and it broke down in a parking lot and would not start on 5/10/26. It was towed and dealership, found it to be a faulty feel injector system that was replaced. Picked it up from the dealership on 5/13/26 and I lost the ability to accelerate while on the interstate. It was towed back to the dealership who had to reach out to V. W headquarters to determine the problem. It was discovered that the electronic control module needed to be replaced. That unit is on back order and I still do not have my vehicle.
Engine
Filed May 5, 2026OK
Oil leak at intake pipe to turbo joint. this is a well known problem with this engine.
NHTSA has issued a do-not-drive warning for a recall on this vehicle.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.
Most recent recall on file: Jul 22, 2026. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.