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2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 1 of 18 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

Engine complaints

6 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jul 20, 2026
Engine

After noticing an oil leak and blue smoke in my 23 VW atlas, I took it to my local dealership in Tupelo, MS. I realized there was an open recall for the PCV Valve / Oil separator under code 10LP. However, the bad PCV valve also caused the timing chain cover to go bad. The dealership called me back and said VW would not cover thi…

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After noticing an oil leak and blue smoke in my 23 VW atlas, I took it to my local dealership in Tupelo, MS. I realized there was an open recall for the PCV Valve / Oil separator under code 10LP. However, the bad PCV valve also caused the timing chain cover to go bad. The dealership called me back and said VW would not cover this issue. I then called VW to see if they would step in and provide some sort of Goodwill and they denied me. They would not transfer me to a supervisor or provide any written approval that they denied covering the new timing chain cover... the call was super unprofessional and the failing part was a corresponding issue to the page PCV valve. I would like any assistance on getting VW to make this right for myself or others. This sounds like a very common issue!

NHTSA ODI #11751639

Mileage unknown · May 22, 2024
EngineService Brakes

MY CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. ALSO I HAVE HAD BRAKE ISSUES. GRINDING NOISE AND LOUD NOISE. THEY RELACED THE BRAKE PADS THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR BECAUSE MANUFACTUR PADS WOULD HAVE CAUSE THE SAME ISSUE. NOW MY CAR IS SHAKING WHILE I BRAKE. THEY SAID I NEED NEW ROTORS. WITH THE CAR SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING IS MY MAIN CONCERN. I…

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MY CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. ALSO I HAVE HAD BRAKE ISSUES. GRINDING NOISE AND LOUD NOISE. THEY RELACED THE BRAKE PADS THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR BECAUSE MANUFACTUR PADS WOULD HAVE CAUSE THE SAME ISSUE. NOW MY CAR IS SHAKING WHILE I BRAKE. THEY SAID I NEED NEW ROTORS. WITH THE CAR SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING IS MY MAIN CONCERN. IT HAS SHUT OFF A TOTAL OF 8 TIME SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT. SHUT OFF RADOMLY ON STREET, PARKING LOTS AND FREEWAY GOING 65MPH. I HAVE MY GRAND CHILDREN IN MY CAR A LOT. SO THERFORE, THIS IS A HIGH RISK SAFETY CONCERN OF MINE.

NHTSA ODI #11590253

Mileage unknown · Feb 24, 2024
Electrical SystemEngine

My car cuts off while driving. For instance, I was at a red light, in the left turning lane, and the light turned green. I pressed the gas and it started going and then just cut off. Luckily there was no car behind me. However, I was halfway in the intersection as cars were coming towards me. I had my 3 year old in the car. This…

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My car cuts off while driving. For instance, I was at a red light, in the left turning lane, and the light turned green. I pressed the gas and it started going and then just cut off. Luckily there was no car behind me. However, I was halfway in the intersection as cars were coming towards me. I had my 3 year old in the car. This is very dangerous. This is just one incident. When backing out of a parking spot, I will get half way out of the spot and it cuts off. I’ve taken it to the dealership, but they won’t help since they can’t duplicate it. I reached out to Volkswagon on Twitter and all they did was have me take it to the dealership again. I received the same, non-concerned, attitude. Nothing has been done. I bought this car brand new. Also, the screen cuts off randomly and has to restart.

NHTSA ODI #11573794

Mileage unknown · Feb 18, 2024
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

The vehicle simply shuts off with no warning or reason. I should NOT have to explain to anybody how this is a safety hazard to the driver and others around the vehicle. It shuts down while in a car wash and the vehicle is in Neutral. Thus, I have to brake, place the trans in Park then manually restart. The same happens at St…

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The vehicle simply shuts off with no warning or reason. I should NOT have to explain to anybody how this is a safety hazard to the driver and others around the vehicle. It shuts down while in a car wash and the vehicle is in Neutral. Thus, I have to brake, place the trans in Park then manually restart. The same happens at Stop Lights. All the time this is happening, the vehicle's "Auto On/Auto Off" mode has been manually disabled. VW KNOWS about this issue, although the dealerships like to play dumb, as it has been going on for several years now with still no solution in sight! Had I known about this issue before purchasing the vehicle I would never have purchased it! I would LOVE it if VW would buy back the vehicle and allow me to look for another SUV from an American car manufacturer.

NHTSA ODI #11572589

Mileage unknown · Sep 27, 2023
EngineFuel/propulsion System

The components that failed or malfunctioned was the fuel pump & fuel system components. During the 1st incident, while driving at approx. 50 mph, I quickly lost acceleration, which caused me to slow down very quickly until I had no acceleration power - this took a matter of 10 seconds or less. After losing power, the smell of g…

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The components that failed or malfunctioned was the fuel pump & fuel system components. During the 1st incident, while driving at approx. 50 mph, I quickly lost acceleration, which caused me to slow down very quickly until I had no acceleration power - this took a matter of 10 seconds or less. After losing power, the smell of gas consumed the cabin, & the engine was unable to start, resulting in the vehicle having to be towed. This incident happened at 1,005 miles on a brand new car. I had only owned it about 2 1/2 weeks. This happened 2 more times over the course of the next several weeks, but this time on a busy California freeway. I again had to be towed twice. The 3rd incident had an incredibly strong smell of gasoline vapors that consumed the inside AND outside of the cabin. In total, the vehicle (at 3 months old) had been towed 3 times, had 5 fuel pump replacements; and replacement of the fuel rails, fuel injectors, intake manifold gasket, and more. The Carfax report does not show all repairs performed. My life as well as the lives of my husband & children were put at risk when we nearly stalled out on the CA freeway while beginning our family vacation. I believe the most dangerous part was the gasoline vapors that consumed the inside & immediate vicinity of the vehicle. The dealerships code reader confirmed the issues with the fuel pump. The vehicle was inspected by the dealership. The warning lights that illuminated during the incidents were the EPC & check engine light. They illuminated at the immediate onset of the vehicle losing acceleration. I would like to note that this vehicle was eventually repurchased from VW under lemon law. I had to ask for reconsideration after the first request was denied. However, VW eventually made a horrible situation right and we are relieved this vehicle is off our hands. I do feel like I have an obligation, however, to notify NHTSA of these incidents as it could have had a much more devastating outcome.

NHTSA ODI #11546921

Mileage unknown · Sep 24, 2023
EngineUnknown Or Other

The car will stop suddenly at a red light or when slowing in traffic without warning. I have to stop the car, put in park, and restart the engine often when the light turns green and I'm not moving The ACC eco-feature is typically off/disabled, so it isn't the issue. A few scary times being in traffic at a red light and then th…

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The car will stop suddenly at a red light or when slowing in traffic without warning. I have to stop the car, put in park, and restart the engine often when the light turns green and I'm not moving The ACC eco-feature is typically off/disabled, so it isn't the issue. A few scary times being in traffic at a red light and then the car stops working. Not an engine problem. Earlier versions have had a recall, but not my year. May need to consider extending the recall and fix.

NHTSA ODI #11546246

Official recalls

6

25V434000 · Service Brakes; Suspension

Jun 30, 2025

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 & remedy

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.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Suspension

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.

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.

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.

24V464000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger

Jun 20, 2024

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 & remedy

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.

22V807000 · Suspension:critical Fasteners

Oct 26, 2022

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Volkswagen Atlas FL and 2022-2023 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The driver-side rear trailing arm bolts may not have been tightened properly, allowing them to loosen and fall out.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Unsecured bolts may cause the trailing arm to fracture, resulting in a sudden loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver side rear trailing arm bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 25, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42M2.

22V753000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:hard Parts Internal/mechanical

Oct 7, 2022

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 & remedy

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).

22V718000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

Sep 26, 2022

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 & remedy

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.

22V152000 · Air Bags:side/window

Mar 28, 2022

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 & remedy

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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.