2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
100/100
#1 most-complained of 6 Atlas Cross Sport years
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport ranks worst among its 6 model years, with a complaint index of 100, 165 complaints, and 14 recalls, including one do-not-drive recall. Electrical System problems dominate at 41% of complaints, followed by Airbags, Engine, and Brakes.
- Complaints
- 165
- Recalls
- 14
- incl. Do Not Drive
- Crashes / fires
- 9 / 1
- Injuries / deaths
- 7 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 21
- 19 city / 23.5 hwy
Top 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System68 (41%)
- Airbags37 (22%)
- Engine37 (22%)
- Brakes36 (22%)
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras30 (18%)
- Other25 (15%)
- Fuel System17 (10%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires6 (4%)
- Visibility & Wipers5 (3%)
- Lane Departure4 (2%)
What owners report
- Adaptive cruise control and forward collision braking sometimes fail to detect stopped traffic, leading to rear-end crashes.
- Airbags and curtain airbags have deployed erroneously during evasive steering with no actual collision.
- Passenger airbags in some cases did not deploy during a side-impact crash.
- Rear window and electrical systems have shut down suddenly while driving in heavy rain, accompanied by smoke from the door.
- Check engine light has appeared with vehicle shaking and loss of acceleration on the highway, sometimes shortly after purchase.
- Backup camera and collision-avoidance systems have failed to warn of nearby objects, contributing to low-speed collisions.
2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport recalls
14 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 24V464000Jun 20, 2024Airbags271,330 vehicles
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.
Risk: A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: 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.
- NHTSA 22V815000Oct 31, 2022Suspension, Wheels & Tires296,044 vehicles
Tires:pressure monitoring and regulating systems
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.
Remedy: 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 AudiÂs customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.
- NHTSA 22V514000Jul 20, 2022Other43,091 vehicles
Equipment:electrical:infotainment:software
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Golf GTI, Jetta GLI, Jetta NF, Arteon FL, Tiguan LWB, 2022 Taos, Jetta PA, Tiguan PA, 2021-2022 Atlas Cross Sport, and Atlas FL vehicles. The manufacturing process of the eMMC memory module in the infotainment system may cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the infotainment software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DV.
See all 14 recalls for the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport →
2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 19 MPG
- Highway
- 23.5 MPG
- Combined
- 21 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,100
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2021 compared with other Atlas Cross Sport years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport reliable?
- Based on NHTSA complaints and recalls, the 2021 model ranks worst of the 6 model years tracked, with a complaint index of 100 and 165 owner complaints, so it carries an Avoid verdict relative to other years.
- What is the top problem area for the 2021 Atlas Cross Sport?
- Electrical System issues lead with 68 complaints, 41% of the total, including one fire, and a median failure mileage of 9,500 miles.
- Does the 2021 Atlas Cross Sport have a do-not-drive recall?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 1 do-not-drive recall among the 14 total recalls issued for this model year.
- How does the 2021 model compare to other Atlas Cross Sport years?
- The 2021 model has the highest complaint index (100) of any year from 2020 to 2025; by contrast 2023 has an index of 0 and is rated Best.
- What are common airbag complaints on the 2021 Atlas Cross Sport?
- Owners report erroneous airbag deployment during evasive maneuvers and cases where passenger airbags failed to deploy in a side-impact crash, with 37 airbag-related complaints and 7 crashes recorded.