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2020 Volkswagen Atlas Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 27 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas, most often about the electrical (41% of complaints). It is 8th of 9 Atlas model years by number of complaints and has 4 recalls.
Most common 2020 Volkswagen Atlas problems
Electrical
11 complaints · 41%The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving at 35 MPH on local streets, the accelerator pedal was slightly released however, the vehicle immediately stopped. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the destination safely. The contact took the vehicle to…
The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted with the passenger occupant detection system (pods) and electronic power control (epc) warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The…
Air bags
8 complaints · 30%Parts named most often: sensor.
The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag sensor warning light illuminated and the seat warming function failed. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the wiring in the seat was faulty and…
The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted with the passenger occupant detection system (pods) and electronic power control (epc) warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The…
Driver assistance
8 complaints · 30%Parts named most often: automatic emergency braking, warnings, blind spot detection, adaptive cruise control.
Steering
5 complaints · 19%The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was difficult to turn, and the hazard indicator warning light illuminated. In addition, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with…
Other or unspecified
5 complaints · 19%Brakes
4 complaints · 15%Engine
3 complaints · 11%
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2020 Volkswagen Atlas recalls
Air bags: front passenger
Risk: A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the pods sensor mat and wiring harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on march 22, 2024. Owners may contact volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69fb.
Full defect summary
Volkswagen group of america, inc. (volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2021 atlas and 2020 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.
Wheels and tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems
Risk: An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed november 18, 2022. Owners may contact volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or audiâs customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (audi) 45j7, and (vw) 45j6 and 45j8.
Full defect summary
Volkswagen group of america, inc. (volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 volkswagen tiguan lwb, golf sportswagen a7, golf alltrack, golf r gp, audi q3, audi a3 cabriolet, 2019-2020 jetta nf, jetta gli, golf gti, atlas, golf a7, audi a3, 2020-2021 atlas cross sport, and 2021 atlas fl vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system may not detect an air pressure loss in adequate time when deflating occurs among all four tires simultaneously. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 138, "tire pressure monitoring systems."
Air bags: side/window
Risk: A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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 defect summary
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.
Equipment: labels
Risk: Without the reduced gvwr label, the vehicle could be overloaded, leading to a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install the reduced gvwr label, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed march 31, 2022. Owners may contact volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 09d9.
Full defect summary
Volkswagen group of america, inc. (volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2021 atlas and 2020-2021 atlas cross sport vehicles equipped with accessory side steps. The reduced gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr) label, reflecting the additional weight of the side steps, was not installed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 110, "tire selection and rims."
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Inadvertent automatic emergency braking
Summary
On september 28, 2023, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation (pe23017) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the front assist automatic emergency braking (aeb) system in model year (my) 2018-2019 volkswagen atlas vehicles.the reports alleged that activation of the aeb system occurred while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration. Volkswagen indicated that it is aware of a total of 292 reports that may relate to the alleged defect in my 2018-2019 volkswagen atlas vehicles.volkswagen stated that some customers possibly had an inadequate understanding of front assist and its limitat
Fuel injector leak
Summary
On march 29, 2021, the office of defects investigations (odi) opened pe21-008 to investigate instances of fuel injectors leaking in the engine compartment in model year (my) 2018 through 2020 volkswagen atlas and atlas cross sport suvs. These vehicles are equipped with either a 3.6 or 2.0 liter engine. The subject investigation concerns vehicles equipped with 3.6l engines. Prior to opening the investigation, odi also observed that warranty data for the fuel system from tread reporting was an outlier for the my 2018 atlas.the allegation involved fuel injectors leaking fuel near engine compartment components that operate at high temperatures. Consumers allege a fuel leak, fuel odor, and/or an
Questions about the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas
- What are the most common problems with the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: electrical (11 complaints); air bags (8 complaints); driver assistance (8 complaints).
- How many recalls does the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas have?
- 4 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from March 29, 2023 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2020 a bad year for the Volkswagen Atlas?
- It is 8th of 9 Atlas model years by number of complaints, with 27 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.