Model year 2023 · Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD

2023 Volkswagen Atlas: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas at 20–23 mpg combined across 8 versions. NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 160 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

20–23

NHTSA overall rating

5/5

Recall file dated Oct 28, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 28, 2026, 7:36 AM EDT

NHTSA lists this vehicle as ATLAS CROSS SPORT.

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Volkswagen dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2023 Volkswagen Atlas recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 6 safety recalls for the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas, newest first.

Suspension and 1 more component

NHTSA 25V434000 Reported Jun 30, 2025

Filed by: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. 42HX)
Components: Suspension; Service brakes
Units affected: 546 (estimate)
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Air bags: Sensor: Occupant classification: Front passenger

NHTSA 24V464000 Reported Jun 20, 2024

Filed by: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. 69PZ)
Units affected: 271,330 (estimate)
Problem: 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Suspension: Critical fasteners

NHTSA 22V807000 Reported Oct 26, 2022

Filed by: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. 42M2)
Units affected: 33 (estimate)
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Engine and engine cooling: Engine: Hard parts internal/mechanical

NHTSA 22V753000 Reported Oct 7, 2022

Filed by: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. VW: 13i4, Audi: 13i5)
Units affected: 76,515 (estimate)
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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).

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Service brakes, hydraulic: Foundation components: Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

NHTSA 22V718000 Reported Sep 26, 2022

Filed by: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. 47T2)
Units affected: 555 (estimate)
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Air bags: Side/window

NHTSA 22V152000 Reported Mar 28, 2022

Filed by: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. 97GF)
Units affected: 222,892 (estimate)
Problem: 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2023 Volkswagen Atlas fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2023 Volkswagen Atlas EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
Atlas	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 8-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	21/25/23 mpg	$2,900	387
Atlas	3.6L 6-cyl	Automatic 8-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	18/24/20 mpg	$3,350	445
Atlas 4motion	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 8-speed	All-Wheel Drive	Regular	20/24/22 mpg	$3,050	411
Atlas 4motion	3.6L 6-cyl	Automatic 8-speed	All-Wheel Drive	Regular	18/23/20 mpg	$3,350	450
Atlas Cross Sport	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 8-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	21/25/23 mpg	$2,900	391
Atlas Cross Sport	3.6L 6-cyl	Automatic 8-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	18/24/20 mpg	$3,350	435
Atlas Cross Sport 4motion	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 8-speed	All-Wheel Drive	Regular	20/24/22 mpg	$3,050	412
Atlas Cross Sport 4motion	3.6L 6-cyl	Automatic 8-speed	All-Wheel Drive	Regular	18/24/20 mpg	$3,350	443

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2023 Volkswagen Atlas crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2023 Volkswagen Atlas NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport SUV AWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars	15.1%	Standard
2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport SUV FWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars	16.9%	Standard
2023 Volkswagen Atlas SUV AWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars	15.9%	Standard
2023 Volkswagen Atlas SUV FWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars	13.6%	Standard

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2023 Volkswagen Atlas owner complaints

Owners have filed 160 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas, most recently on Oct 26, 2026. 5 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 6 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2023 Volkswagen Atlas complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Engine	43
Electrical system	38
Unknown or other	29
Air bags	27
Fuel/propulsion system	20
Service brakes	18
Exterior lighting	15
Power train	8
Forward collision avoidance: Automatic emergency braking	6
Forward collision avoidance: Warnings	6

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Volkswagen Atlas model years

Volkswagen Atlas by model year
Year	Combined	Recalls	Complaints	Overall rating
2027 Atlas	23–25 mpg	—	—	—
2026 Atlas	21–23 mpg	2	12	5/5
2025 Atlas	20–23 mpg	5	76	5/5
2024 Atlas	20–23 mpg	8	277	5/5
2022 Atlas	19–23 mpg	7	263	5/5
2021 Atlas	18–22 mpg	17	647	5/5
2020 Atlas	19–22 mpg	11	135	5/5
2019 Atlas	19–22 mpg	12	484	5/5
2018 Atlas	19–24 mpg	17	466	5/5

All Volkswagen Atlas years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2023 Volkswagen models

2023 Volkswagen Arteon 2023 Volkswagen GLI 2023 Volkswagen Golf/GTI 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 2023 Volkswagen Jetta 2023 Volkswagen Taos 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan

Sources

Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 28, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Volkswagen.