- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 5
- on record
- MPG
- 23
- combined
Open recalls on record
5 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.
Vehicle Summary
2023 Volkswagen Atlas
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 5
- Owner complaints
- 118
- Complaints citing a crash
- 4
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
5 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
5 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 22V152000high
Airbag system issue
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
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.
Consequence
A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 22V718000high
Brake system issue
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2023 model year Atlas FL and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. Certain brake lines may leak at the threaded connections.
Consequence
A brake fluid leak may increase the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will replace the affected brake lines, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on November 23, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 47T2.
- 22V753000high
Engine issue
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL
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.
Consequence
A damaged engine can result in engine failure and a stall, increasing the risk of a crash. If the engine failure causes an oil leak, it can increase the risk of a fire.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace an affected engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 6, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 13i4 (VW) and 13i5 (Audi).
- 24V464000high
Airbag system issue
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
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.
Consequence
A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 25V434000high
Brake system issue
SERVICE BRAKES
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport and 2023-2024 ID.4 vehicles. Certain bolts on the chassis, brake system and/or suspension (such as bolts for certain cross member, engine mount, control arm, subframe, rear brake carrier, etc.) of affected vehicles may not have been correctly tightened during the manufacturing process.
Consequence
A loss of vehicle control increases the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will replace the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 25, 2025. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42HX.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 4 / 5
- Passenger
- 4 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 15.9%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas 5 out of 5 stars overall, level with the 5-star median for the 10 comparable 2023 vehicles NHTSA rated in this class.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 15.9% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
21
City
25
Hwy
23
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,650
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 387 g/mi
How this compares
At 23 MPG combined, the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas ranks 12th of 13 small SUVs (2WD) EPA rated for 2023 — 5.3 MPG short of the 28.3 MPG median for that group.
That places it among the thirstiest vehicles in its class. If annual mileage is high, the running-cost gap against a class-average rival compounds quickly.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $2,650, $600 more than the $2,050 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $13,250, a $3,000 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 387 grams per mile — about 5.8 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
118 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 118
- Total
- 4
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 6
- Injuries
Most reported components
- ENGINE35
- AIR BAGS22
- OTHER19
- BRAKES14
- ELECTRICAL10
Notable Issues
118 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 6 reports involve injuries. 4 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas, newest first.
- Recall
A loss of vehicle control increases the risk of a crash.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation PE23017
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
- Recall
A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation PE23017
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
- Recall
A damaged engine can result in engine failure and a stall, increasing the risk of a crash. If the engine failure causes an oil leak, it can increase the risk of a fire.
- Recall
A brake fluid leak may increase the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- SUV
- Drive type
- FWD
- Engine
- 2.5L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Regular Gasoline
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Seats
- 5
Fuel economy
21
City
25
Hwy
23
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,650
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
A loss of vehicle control increases the risk of a crash.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation PE23017
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
- Recall
A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation PE23017
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
- Recall
A damaged engine can result in engine failure and a stall, increasing the risk of a crash. If the engine failure causes an oil leak, it can increase the risk of a fire.