Volkswagen Atlas
Registered from 2018 to 2027.
About this model
The Volkswagen Atlas is a mid-size crossover SUV manufactured by the German automaker Volkswagen since 2017. Developed mainly for the American, Chinese, and Middle Eastern markets, the vehicle is based on the MQB platform. Outside of the United States, Israel, Canada, and Chile, the vehicle is marketed as the Volkswagen Teramont. It is positioned above the Tayron and in China, below the Tavendor and Talagon.
From the Wikipedia article Volkswagen Atlas, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The manufacturer has told owners of 2 of these to stop driving until the repair is done.
- A damaged steering knuckle can fail, causing a loss of steering, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
- A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Where it stands out against its peers
- Air bags: more complaints than 98% of 2019 cars — 30% of its 471 complaints, where an ordinary 2019 car has 5%.
- Forward collision avoidance: more complaints than 92% of 2019 cars — 15% of its 471 complaints, where an ordinary 2019 car has 5%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- AIR BAGS — 112 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
- FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — 36 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
- SERVICE BRAKES — 26 owners reported this
- STEERING — 21 owners reported this
- ENGINE — 20 owners reported this
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 13 owners reported this
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES — 12 owners reported this
- POWER TRAIN — 12 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
- SUSPENSION — 9 owners reported this
- FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 8 owners reported this
- ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 7 owners reported this
- SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — 6 owners reported this
Crash test
| Overall | ★★★★★ |
| Frontal crash | ★★★★☆ |
| Side crash | ★★★★★ |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ |
| Stability control | Standard |
| Forward collision warning | Standard |
| Lane departure warning | Standard |
Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2027 | 10.2 L/100km (EPA) · 11.8 L/100km city · 8.7 motorway |
| 2026 | 269 hp · 2084 kg · 2980 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 12.4 L/100km city · 9.4 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2025 | 270 hp · 2084 kg · 2980 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 13.1 L/100km city · 9.4 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2024 | 269 hp · 2084 kg · 2980 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 12.4 L/100km city · 9.4 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2023 | 235 hp · 2084 kg · 2980 mm wheelbase · 11.8 L/100km (EPA) · 13.1 L/100km city · 9.8 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2022 | 235 hp · 2084 kg · 2980 mm wheelbase · 11.8 L/100km (EPA) · 13.1 L/100km city · 9.8 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2021 | 235 hp · 2084 kg · 2980 mm wheelbase · 12.4 L/100km (EPA) · 13.8 L/100km city · 10.2 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2020 | 276 hp · 2084 kg · 2980 mm wheelbase · 12.4 L/100km (EPA) · 13.8 L/100km city · 10.2 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2019 | 280 hp · 2042 kg · 2980 mm wheelbase · 12.4 L/100km (EPA) · 13.8 L/100km city · 9.8 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2018 | 280 hp · 2042 kg · 2980 mm wheelbase · 11.8 L/100km (EPA) · 13.1 L/100km city · 9.4 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
Recalls
Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.
18% of 2022 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.
- Do not drive
18V369000
A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners. Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes. Volkswagen dealers will bleed the front and rear brake calipers. Note: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the brake system has been checked. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 47N8, 47N9, and 47N6.
- Do not drive
20V712000
A damaged steering knuckle can fail, causing a loss of steering, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
17V766000
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began December 10, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AQ.
18V284000
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began June 22, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AW. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 17V-766.
18V375000
If the air bag were to tear or unfold incorrectly during deployment, it can increase the risk of injury.
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began July 19, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69W8, and 69W9.
18V380000
A damaged seat belt buckle can release unexpectedly, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the center and left outboard seat belt buckles, and replace them if necessary, free of charge. Volkswagen will also provide an owner's manual supplement addressing child safety and child restraints. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69X1.
18V536000
The loose brake bracket bolts can allow the caliper to move, reducing braking ability or causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake caliper bracket bolt tightness, replacing and re-torque the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Additionally brake caliper fasteners, bleeder valve, and brake hose bolts will be checked and torqued to the correct specification, if necessary, free of charge. For Passat vehicles, dealers will also inspect the parking brake cable for proper connection, free of charge. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 46H6.
18V537000
The wet air bag control module may result in an unintentional deployment of the air bags, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air conditioning drain tube, and if it is twisted, the drain tube and air bag control module will be replaced, free of charge. Some of the affected vehicles have had their drain tube previously replaced but did not receive a new air bag control module; the airbag control module will be replaced in these vehicles. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 87F9.
29 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.
Regulator investigations
Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
Engineering analysis, opened December 2024, still open.
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
Preliminary evaluation, opened September 2023, closed December 2024.
Fuel Injector Leak
Preliminary evaluation, opened March 2021, closed October 2022.
What the maker told its dealers
Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.
Volkswagen filed 98 bulletins about the 2026 Atlas.
- Engine: 18
- Electrical system: 16
- Power train: 6
- Forward collision avoidance: 4
- Service brakes: 4
- Air bags: 2
- Exterior lighting: 2
- Fuel/propulsion system: 1
- Steering: 1
- Suspension: 1
- Other: 43
- This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct the issue: DA 0019 -… · August 2026
- Disconnect the control console for 10 seconds to reset. · August 2026
- Disconnect the control console for 10 seconds to reset. · August 2026
- Replace the steering column switch for Ghost (mystery) activation. · August 2026
- Over-the-Air Software Update Dealer Recovery Process · August 2026
- Over-the-Air Software Update Dealer Recovery Process · August 2026
- MIB3 Recovery Solution · August 2026
- Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement · August 2026
90 more.
Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.