2023 Volkswagen Atlas recalls & complaints
Source: NHTSA, updated daily. Last checked 2026-10-19. Recalls apply to specific VINs — run your VIN to confirm.
5 safety recalls, most serious first
1. Brakes
What's wrong, in plain English: Anything that slows the car down. Treat brake recalls as urgent. Certain brake lines may leak at the threaded connections.
What could happen: A brake fluid leak may increase the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: 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.
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2023 ATLAS.
- Book a repair at any authorized Volkswagen dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 22V718000 (manufacturer code 47T2).
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-893-5298.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
Summary: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
2. Engine
What's wrong, in plain English: Engine problems range from stalling to fire. The engine connecting rod bearings may become damaged, which can result in engine failure.
What could happen: 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.
The fix: 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 (…
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2023 ATLAS.
- Book a repair at any authorized Volkswagen dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 22V753000 (manufacturer code 13i4 (VW) and 13i5 (Audi)).
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-893-5298.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL
Summary: 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.
Remedy: 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).
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
3. Airbags
What's wrong, in plain English: The airbag system — the part that is supposed to protect you in a crash. 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.
What could happen: A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
The fix: 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 ser…
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2023 ATLAS.
- Book a repair at any authorized Volkswagen dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 24V464000 (manufacturer code 69PZ).
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-893-5298.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
Summary: 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.
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.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
4. Brakes
What's wrong, in plain English: Anything that slows the car down. Treat brake recalls as urgent. 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.
What could happen: A loss of vehicle control increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: 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.
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2023 ATLAS.
- Book a repair at any authorized Volkswagen dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 25V434000 (manufacturer code 42HX).
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-253-2834.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: SERVICE BRAKES
Summary: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Notes:
5. Airbags
What's wrong, in plain English: The airbag system — the part that is supposed to protect you in a crash. 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.
What could happen: A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
The fix: 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.
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2023 ATLAS.
- Book a repair at any authorized Volkswagen dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 22V152000 (manufacturer code 97GF).
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-893-5298.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
Summary: 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.
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.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Useful for owners
- OBD2 code reader — see what the car's computer is reporting
- Compact car fire extinguisher
- 2023 Volkswagen Atlas owner's manual
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Most complained-about parts: Engine (37), Electrical system (33), Unknown Or Other (24), Airbags (22), Fuel system (20).
Complaints are unverified reports from owners. A pattern (many complaints about the same part) matters more than any single one.
Read recent complaints (8)
10/09/2026 · Fuel system
On 8/7/26 after idling while waiting in line for a car wash, while in Drive I pressed the accelerator, the vehicle does not move forward as expected, then the vehicle prompts me to restart the engine while roll backwards at the same time. The exact cause of the malfunction has not been confirmed to me. The vehicle is currently in the dealership's possession…
10/06/2026 · Unknown Or Other
2023 VW Atlas Cross Sport SEL AWD, about 57,500 miles. Available for inspection. Oct 3, 2026: infotainment screen would not turn on. A soft reboot, a multi-hour shutdown with the car locked did not fix it. The unit is stuck in a reboot loop ("Starting navigation" then fails, repeating). By about the third restart, the blower fan stopped completely: no heat…
10/02/2026 · Lights
The DRL light are go out prematurely
09/24/2026 · Lights
I noticed today that my daytime running light strip is out on my driver side headlight I notice it’s a common issue on this year model Atlas. I know the daytime running lot helps people see you when your going down the road.
09/18/2026 · Electrical system
While performing a routine battery replacement on my 2023 Volkswagen Atlas, a wrench/socket contacted the vehicle's Engine Control Unit (ECU), which is mounted directly adjacent to the battery in the engine bay with no protective cover or shield separating the two components. Contact between the tool and the exposed ECU caused an electrical short that destr…
09/17/2026 · Unknown Or Other
Auto has stalled 3 or more times without warning lights since purchasing 2 months ago Very unsafe for me and others stalling in traffic
09/08/2026 · Electrical system
I am submitting a complaint regarding a serious electronic/infotainment failure in my 2023 VW Atlas that occurred following VW’s software update. Prior to the software update, the infotainment system & related functions were operating normally. Following the update, the infotainment/navigation system failed. The center display is completely black. The loss…
08/28/2026 · Steering
The steering assist became completely unavailable while the vehicle otherwise remained operational; the battery checked out fine; no failed component or root cause was identified; and steering was restored only through electronic re-adaptation of Address 44.