2020 Volkswagen Atlas Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
BestComplaint Index
0/100
#8 most-complained of 8 Atlas years
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
The 2020 Volkswagen Atlas ranks best among 8 model years, with a Complaint Index of 0 and 27 NHTSA complaints. It has 4 recalls, led by an Electrical System issue affecting 41% of complaints, but no crashes, fires, injuries, or deaths reported.
- Complaints
- 27
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes / fires
- 0 / 0
- Injuries / deaths
- 0 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 19
- 17 city / 23 hwy
Top 2020 Volkswagen Atlas problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System11 (41%)
- Airbags8 (30%)
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras7 (26%)
- Other5 (19%)
- Steering5 (19%)
- Brakes4 (15%)
- Engine4 (15%)
- Fuel System2 (7%)
- Structure & Body2 (7%)
- Transmission & Powertrain2 (7%)
What owners report
- Driver door wiring harness faults trigger electronic parking brake to engage unexpectedly while the vehicle is moving.
- Front collision warning system activates emergency braking with no obstacle present, sometimes slowing the vehicle abruptly at speed.
- Door harness corrosion causes windows to roll down on their own and doors to attempt locking or unlocking while driving.
- Dashboard shows multiple simultaneous fault messages including driver door contact switch, start-stop, and EPC warnings.
- Electric power steering rack fails repeatedly, accompanied by a creak in the front suspension and a clunk during steering movement.
- Airbag warning light illuminates due to the same door wiring harness corrosion issue described in the recall.
2020 Volkswagen Atlas recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 23V215000Mar 29, 2023Airbags143,053 vehicles
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger
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.
Remedy: 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.
- 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 22V152000Mar 28, 2022Airbags222,892 vehicles
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.
Risk: A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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.
2020 Volkswagen Atlas fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 17 MPG
- Highway
- 23 MPG
- Combined
- 19 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,400
- 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.
2020 compared with other Atlas years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas reliable?
- Among the 8 model years with data, the 2020 Atlas ranks best, with a Complaint Index of 0 and only 27 complaints logged with NHTSA.
- What problems does the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas have?
- The top problem area is the Electrical System, making up 41% of complaints, followed by Airbags at 30% and Collision Avoidance & Cameras at 26%. Median mileage at failure for electrical complaints was 66,524.5 miles.
- Does the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas have a recall?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2020 Atlas, covering airbags, suspension/wheels/tires (TPMS software), a door wiring harness issue, and a GVWR label correction. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- Should I avoid the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas?
- No. Compared to other Atlas model years, 2020 is rated Best, unlike 2021 and 2024 which are rated Avoid with higher Complaint Index values of 100 and 86.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas?
- The 2020 Atlas gets 19 mpg combined (17 city / 23 highway), with an EPA-estimated annual fuel cost of $3,400.