The Lemon Index

All cars · Volkswagen Atlas · 2023

2023 Volkswagen Atlas. Advanced data.

The raw numbers: engines, recall campaign numbers, failure mileage and manufacturer communications.

Lemon Index137100 = average car
Complaints156NHTSA, first 3 years
Sold95,675U.S. model year
Per 100K sold163complaints

Engines and drivetrains 4

EngineTransmissionDriveCity / hwy / combinedFuelFuel cost/yr
2.0L 4-cyl turboAuto (S8)FWD21 / 25 / 23Regular$2,700
2.0L 4-cyl turboAuto (S8)AWD20 / 24 / 22Regular$2,850
3.6L 6-cylAuto (S8)FWD18 / 24 / 20Regular$3,100
3.6L 6-cylAuto (S8)AWD18 / 23 / 20Regular$3,100

EPA test versions for this model year. Fuel cost is the EPA's current estimate, not the price in that year.

Failure mileage by system

Half of owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 18,500 and 48,500 miles. Median 29,800, from 12 complaints with a mileage.

Mileage owners typed into their NHTSA complaint, all complaints for this model year. People report some problems late, so read it as a range.

Complaints by system

SystemShare of complaints
Engine27%
Electrical23%
Airbags17%
Fuel or ev drive system13%
Brakes12%

One complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add to more than 100%.

Severity, all complaints

TotalCrashesFiresInjuriesDeathsTows
15650507

As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.

Recall campaigns 6

  • 25V434000 Jun 2025 Service Brakes

    Defect. 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.

  • 24V464000 Jun 2024 Air Bags / Sensor / Occupant Classification / Front Passenger

    Defect. 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.

  • 22V807000 Oct 2022 Suspension / Critical Fasteners

    Defect. 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.

  • 22V753000 Oct 2022 Engine And Engine Cooling / Engine / Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical

    Defect. 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).

  • 22V718000 Sep 2022 Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings

    Defect. 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.

  • 22V152000 Mar 2022 Air Bags / Side/Window

    Defect. 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.

NHTSA investigations

StatusSubjectOpenedClosed
ClosedInadvertent automatic emergency braking20232024

Manufacturer communications 349

Volkswagen filed 349 service communications for this car with NHTSA.

  • Engine oil consumption measurement
  • Engine Oil Consumption Measurement Instruction and Work sheet
  • Customer states rattle from below the vehicle Customer states MIL-on, P0442 stored in ECM…

Crash ratings by version

VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
Volkswagen Atlas SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆
Volkswagen Atlas SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆
Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆
Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆

Safety equipment

Electronic stabilityForward collision warningLane departure warning
StandardStandardOptional

Nearby model years

YearLemon IndexComplaintsSoldTop system
2020806688,491Electrical
2021376420115,687Electrical
202218720782,025Brakes
202313715695,675Engine
2024279274114,387Electrical
202511273102,608Electrical

Sources: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications; EPA fuel economy data; YouTube video titles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.

Updated

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