2021 Volkswagen Atlas problems
NHTSA has received 777 complaints about the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas, and 19% of them involve electrical system. After that come brakes (13%) and engine (11%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 777 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 19% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 16 and 1
- Injuries and deaths
- 16 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 12,000 miles 56 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 38 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 10 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 7 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 1 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 0 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 0 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 56 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 12,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 14,000 miles (10 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 16 complaints mention a crash; 1 complaint mentions a fire; 16 injuries reported. Its complaints are less severe on average than those of 88% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2021 ranks 1st most-complained-about out of 8 model years of the Volkswagen Atlas with enough data (777 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 17 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Evaporative Emission Control (EVAP) system traps harmful fuel vapors from the gas tank, storing them in a charcoal canister before burning them in the engine
Our 2021 VW Atlas was rear-ended while stopped at stop light. The other driver was going an estimated 45 MPH. At impact, the driver seat broke backwards hitting our 5 year old child in the face. The child was in a 5-point harness car seat and the only injuries resulting from the accident were to the face and head. We were taken to a children's hospital in an ambulance where the child stayed 5 nights with facial fractures, a broken nose, skull fracture, and CSF leak.
Vehicle lost total control on the freeway I lost control crashed off the freeway into a ditch no airbags deployed the whole frame was total loss the entire atlas lost control No airbags as I went into a ditch hit a freeway sign and I’m still suffering nerve damage and chronic back pain
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the message "Apply Brakes" displayed and the vehicle abruptly stopped. During the failure, there were no other vehicles or objects were nearby to cause the Forward Collision Avoidance safety feature to be activated. In addition, the contact indicated that while driving the vehicle, safety messages would be displayed that included the cruise control and parking sensors unavailable.
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while approaching a stop light, the brakes failed upon depression of the brake pedal, and the vehicle rolled to a stop. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and the ABS was replaced; however, the failure recurred soon after the repair. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was advised to file a claim with the manufacturer.