Your vehicle report
2022 Volkswagen Atlas
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 185
- Received Jan 2022 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Engine suddenly shuts off while driving24 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Brakes make grinding or squealing noise23 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Headlights dim or fail at night11 complaints · 5.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #24V464000Volkswagen 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.
- Recall #22V807000Volkswagen 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Engine suddenly shuts off while drivingFirst signal: Nov 2023
- Brakes make grinding or squealing noiseFirst signal: Jan 2023
- Headlights dim or fail at nightFirst signal: Jan 2026
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 3 crashes, 2 fires, 2 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 13 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
- Head gasket leaks coolant into engine
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Month | Complaints |
|---|---|
| January 2022 | 1 |
| February 2022 | 2 |
| March 2022 | 1 |
| April 2022 | 3 |
| May 2022 | 4 |
| June 2022 | 2 |
| July 2022 | 2 |
| August 2022 | 0 |
| September 2022 | 1 |
| October 2022 | 1 |
| November 2022 | 2 |
| December 2022 | 1 |
| January 2023 | 2 |
| February 2023 | 1 |
| March 2023 | 0 |
| April 2023 | 2 |
| May 2023 | 3 |
| June 2023 | 1 |
| July 2023 | 0 |
| August 2023 | 4 |
| September 2023 | 6 |
| October 2023 | 1 |
| November 2023 | 5 |
| December 2023 | 4 |
| January 2024 | 4 |
| February 2024 | 5 |
| March 2024 | 2 |
| April 2024 | 2 |
| May 2024 | 4 |
| June 2024 | 1 |
| July 2024 | 2 |
| August 2024 | 3 |
| September 2024 | 11 |
| October 2024 | 7 |
| November 2024 | 7 |
| December 2024 | 4 |
| January 2025 | 3 |
| February 2025 | 2 |
| March 2025 | 2 |
| April 2025 | 5 |
| May 2025 | 1 |
| June 2025 | 2 |
| July 2025 | 4 |
| August 2025 | 4 |
| September 2025 | 7 |
| October 2025 | 4 |
| November 2025 | 3 |
| December 2025 | 6 |
| January 2026 | 4 |
| February 2026 | 4 |
| March 2026 | 3 |
| April 2026 | 5 |
| May 2026 | 3 |
| June 2026 | 4 |
| July 2026 | 5 |
| August 2026 | 6 |
| September 2026 | 5 |
| October 2026 | 2 |
| Total | 185 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 24 | 13% | 8.1× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Nov 2023 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 7.2% |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 23 | 12% | 17.9× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jan 2023 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.4% |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 11 | 5.9% | 8.3× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jan 2026 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 4.2% |
| Rearview backup camera fails or goes black | 7 | 3.8% | 1.2× | NHTSA recall #22V514000 |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 7 | 3.8% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 6 | 3.2% | 1.4× | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 5 | 2.7% | 2× | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 5 | 2.7% | – | |
| Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own | 5 | 2.7% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 4 | 2.2% | 2.9× | NHTSA recall #22V152000 |
| Hood latch fails and hood flies open | 3 | 1.6% | 19.5× | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 3 | 1.6% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 3 | 1.6% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #24V464000June 20, 2024271,330 vehicles affected
air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #22V807000October 26, 202233 vehicles affected
suspension: critical fasteners
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #22V753000October 7, 202276,515 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanical
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.
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).
NHTSA recall #22V657000August 31, 20223,184 vehicles affected
trailer hitches
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The trailer hitch bolts may have been insufficiently tightened.
Loose bolts may fall out, causing the remaining bolts to break, which could lead to separation of the trailer hitch and trailer, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will tighten the trailer hitch bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 28, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 66N8.
NHTSA recall #22V514000July 20, 202243,091 vehicles affected
back over prevention: sensing system: camera; equipment: electrical: infotainment: software
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Golf GTI, Jetta GLI, Jetta NF, Arteon FL, Tiguan LWB, 2022 Taos, Jetta PA, Tiguan PA, 2021-2022 Atlas Cross Sport, and Atlas FL vehicles. The manufacturing process of the eMMC memory module in the infotainment system may cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will update the infotainment software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DV.
NHTSA recall #22V245000April 13, 20221,382 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system: injectors
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Atlas FL and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The long fuel injectors may have been assembled without filters.
Long fuel injectors with missing filters may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the long fuel injectors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 20, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24iD.
NHTSA recall #22V152000March 28, 2022222,892 vehicles affected
air bags: side/window
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.
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2022 Volkswagen Atlas.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN