The Lemon IndexAll cars · Volkswagen · SUV
Volkswagen Atlas.
The best Volkswagen Atlas years are 2020, 2022, 2019. Years to avoid: 2021, 2018, 2019. Across 2018-2022, it has a Lemon Index of 241, where 100 is the average car and lower is better.
Reliability by year, 2018 to 2025.
Every year. Lower is better. Tap a year for its full report.
Best years to buy
2020.
Quick answers.
Is the Volkswagen Atlas a good car?
Not overall: it draws more complaints than the average car, by owner complaints to the government per car sold (2018-2022: Lemon Index 241; 100 is average). Some years are much better than others: the best is 2020 and the worst is 2021.
What are the best Volkswagen Atlas years to buy?
By owner complaints per car sold: 2020, 2022, 2019.
What Volkswagen Atlas years should you stay away from?
The years with the most complaints per car sold: 2021, 2018, 2019.
How many recalls does the Volkswagen Atlas have?
83 safety recalls across the 8 model years we track. Most: 2018 (17), 2021 (17), 2019 (12). Each year's page lists them.
What are the most common Volkswagen Atlas problems?
Across every year, owners' complaints to the government name electrical, brakes and engine most. Some years are much worse than others: see the chart above.
Every year in one table
| Year | Index | Compared with average | Complaints | Top complaint | Recalls | Crash test | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 264 | 2.6× the average car's complaints | 232 | electrical (31%) | 17 | ★★★★★ | 19–24 |
| 2019 | 234 | 2.3× the average car's complaints | 197 | automatic emergency braking (26%) | 12 | ★★★★★ | 19–22 |
| 2020 | 80 | 1.2× fewer complaints than average | 66 | electrical (42%) | 11 | ★★★★★ | 19–22 |
| 2021 | 376 | 3.8× the average car's complaints | 420 | electrical (38%) | 17 | ★★★★★ | 18–22 |
| 2022 | 187 | 1.9× the average car's complaints | 207 | brakes (32%) | 7 | ★★★★★ | 19–23 |
| 2023 | 137 | 1.4× the average car's complaints | 156 | engine (27%) | 6 | ★★★★★ | 20–23 |
| 2024 | 279 | 2.8× the average car's complaints | 274 | electrical (29%) | 8 | ★★★★★ | 20–23 |
| 2025 | 112 | 1.1× the average car's complaints | 73 | electrical (40%) | 5 | ★★★★★ | 20–23 |
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the government within 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average, lower is better. How it works
Updated
Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
. Get the data