2025 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas Cross Sport

Recalls, Specs & Safety Report

Expert Verdict
ℹ️Average Safety Profile

This 2025 model shows average reliability, primarily driven by 4 recalls affecting the power train system.

Key Factor:power train recalls

📋Why This Matters

Understanding recall history helps predict future ownership costs. Each unaddressed issue represents potential repair expenses.

Insurance companies review vehicle reliability data when setting premiums. Models with elevated recall rates often see adjusted pricing.

Focus Area:general reliability
📊

Expert Analysis

  • 📈
    Recall Trend:No Change in recalls
  • ⚠️
    Primary Risk Area:Warning
  • ⚖️
    Vs Brand: Worse than avg (3.0)
    📝
    Summary:

Safety & Reliability Score

63/100

Score Breakdown

Recall Impact-32
Complaint Impact-0.35
Investigation Impact-5

Technical Specifications

Key specifications for the 2025 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas Cross Sport

Model Year2025
MakeVOLKSWAGEN
ModelAtlas Cross Sport
Fuel TypeGasoline
Body ClassPassenger Vehicle

Safety History Timeline

Scroll for more →
Apr23
INVInvestigation Opened
Jan25
NEWProduction
Jan25
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan25
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan25
RECALLRecall Issued
May25
ISSUEFirst Report
Dec25
RECALLRecall Issued

Consumer Complaint Analysis

⚠️

Most Reported Issue

4 complaints (57% of total)
➡️

Complaint Trend

Stable
No trend data

Safety Incidents

No critical incidents

Complaint Severity Distribution

Breakdown of 7 consumer complaints by severity level.

🟠High
1(14%)
🟡Medium
2(29%)
🟢Low
4(57%)

🛠️ DIY Diagnosis Center

Experiencing an issue? Select a symptom to find official manufacturer solutions (TSBs).

Primary Risk Areas

POWER TRAINENGINEBACK OVER PREVENTIONSERVICE BRAKES

Official Safety Recalls (4)

Campaign: 25V081000

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The transmission may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in a loss of drive power.

Consequence

A sudden loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the transmission, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 12, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 38CX.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-888-275-9153) or go to nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Campaign: 25V100000

ENGINE

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The engine cover may have been improperly installed after vehicle service, allowing it to come loose and contact hot engine surfaces.

Consequence

A loose engine cover that contacts hot surfaces in the engine compartment can melt, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy

Dealers will remove the engine cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 7, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 10X5.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or go to nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Campaign: 25V334000

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

Summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Atlas Cross Sport and Atlas vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera image to become distorted when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Consequence

A distorted rearview camera image can reduce the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will update the camera control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 5, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91SB.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Campaign: 25V434000

SERVICE BRAKES

Summary

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.

Consequence

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.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

NHTSA Investigations

1 investigation

Official NHTSA safety investigations for 2025 Atlas Cross Sport.

INV-2025-1000🟢 Closed

NHTSA opened investigation after receiving consumer complaints regarding Atlas Cross Sport performance issues.

Opened: Affected Units: 45,622

Consumer Complaints

7 total complaints

Consumer-reported issues submitted to NHTSA for 2025 Atlas Cross Sport.

Common Reported SymptomsAI Analysis

Warning57%
Battery29%
Burn14%
Smell14%
Injury14%
Acceleration Issues14%
Accident14%
Dead Battery/Car14%
Electrical⚠️ High
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES

There’s a chemical smell entering the cabin of my vehicle from the engine ever since my car was serviced at the dealership. I’ve had headaches burning, watering eyes, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, eye twitching, and generally unwell. My daughter has had a cough and they refused to acknowledge any issue. They changed the filter and clean the vents and they’re saying nothing‘s wrong. There’s been multiple – alert since I bought the vehicle in April with them being the lane assist, throwing code all the time while I’m driving in any conditions the front assist as well and the brakes needing some plug that was missing from it and now a light sensor is not working as well and the dealership isn’t being any help. I escalated it to a corporate and they’re saying there’s nothing they can do. I’ve been without my car for a week as it’s been in the shop and I have had a rental and since then I haven’t experienced any symptoms and now they’re wanting to give me the car back because they can’t find anything wrong, but I fear for mine and my kids, health and safety to be in that vehicle

Other🔵 Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Twice now I have had the vehicle not want to shift appropriately in low gears. When this happens, the vehicle locks up and will not move. Both times, VW has had. Tow get the vehicle and take it in for repair. 1st time was software update. Now it’s there for the second time with no answer as what’s wrong. They have replaced parts but cannot figure out why it’s not shifting correctly. At VW in Texarkana now. 3 weeks and no answers…both times this happened I was on the highway. Dangerous to have the car just not go anymore and leave me stranded in the middle of nowhere at night!

Safety Systems🔵 Low
BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

Car’s maneuver assistance light flashes as malfunctioning, then the car’s infotainment system turns off and on repeatedly until the screen is just black. After the first two things happen then the SOS feature and Exit Warning and Rear traffic alert systems malfunction as well.

Engine/Powertrain🔵 Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

My fuel gauge was stating I had approx 300 miles to empty. I was traveling on the interstate when the vehicle lost power and different warning lights came on dash. I was able to safely get on to shoulder of highway. Vehicle stopped on its own. I was unable to get it to go into gear or even start. I had it towed to Volkswagen dealership. I was told my floating fuel sensor got lodged near fuel line which gave false fuel gauge readings. So basically it ran of gas but I never had any signs I was getting low on fuel since gauge still showed 300 miles. The battery also died from the attempts to start vehicle. They were able to reposition the sensor in fuel tank and battery was jumped off. The sensors on dash went away and car is operating normally.

Other🔶 Medium
UNKNOWN OR OTHER

There have been numerous occasions when the vehicle fails to respond when pressing the accelerator. This happens most if not every day, generally during the first mile or two of my trip, but has also happened several miles into a trip. The delay lasts approximately two to five seconds, during which time when accelerator pedal is pushed, the RPMs do not increase, no power is delivered to the wheels, and the vehicle does not move as expected. No warning lights or error codes appear during these episodes. This happens when merging into traffic, crossing intersection, where I cannot rely on the vehicle to respond when needed, placing myself, my passengers, and others on the road at risk of injury. This has been ongoing since purchase but getting progressively more frequent.

Other🔶 Medium
UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The middle console is a high gloss material. During mid afternoon the sun hits on the gloss panels and reflects into the eye of the driver blinding them. Because of the angle, it is even blinding wearing sun glasses because it reflects under the glasses. During this time of day it is extremely difficult to see because of the gloss panel and could cause an accident. The only way to prevent the glare is by covering the entire console with a towel or other material. They make this panel in a matte finish, however, for some reason some models have the high gloss. The high gloss is VERY unsafe.

Electrical🔵 Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Battery was dead 6 days after purchase and had to be towed to dealership. Dealership put a new battery in the vehicle on a Friday, 2 days later the battery was dead again. The dealership kept the vehicle for almost another 3 weeks and replaced 2 modules and the infotainment screen; this seems to have repaired the vehicle. If the car was left unlocked for 30 minutes and the radio would turn on and then turn on all of the electronics and drain the battery to dead. Once the vehicle was jumped with a jump box every warning light was on, and the vehicle was inoperable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any recalls for the 2025 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas Cross Sport?

Yes, the 2025 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas Cross Sport has 4 recorded recalls from NHTSA. These recalls cover various components including POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, ENGINE, BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA.

Is the 2025 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas Cross Sport safe to drive?

The 2025 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas Cross Sport has 4 recalls. If you own this vehicle, check with your dealer to ensure all recall repairs have been completed. Most recalls have free remedies available.

Where can I check if my 2025 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas Cross Sport has open recalls?

You can check for open recalls by visiting NHTSA.gov and entering your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), or by contacting your local VOLKSWAGEN dealer.

📊Year-over-Year Context

📈Improving Trend

Compared to earlier years, the 2025 model shows improving reliability trends, largely due to manufacturing refinements addressing 2024 issues. Recall frequency decreased 43%.

🎯Risk Areas & Recommended Actions

Based on recall data, these components require verification:

1

Power train

Issue: increases crash or loss-of-control risk

If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm power train recall is complete. Recall repairs are always free.

🔍

If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all power train recalls are completed before purchase.

Campaign:25V081000
2

Engine

Issue: presents fire risk under certain conditions

If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm engine recall is complete. Recall repairs are always free.

🔍

If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all engine recalls are completed before purchase.

Campaign:25V100000
3

Back over prevention

Issue: increases crash or loss-of-control risk

If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm back over prevention recall is complete. Recall repairs are always free.

🔍

If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all back over prevention recalls are completed before purchase.

Campaign:25V334000
💡Visit NHTSA.gov or contact your VOLKSWAGEN dealer to verify recall completion status.

🧭What This Means for You

Both current owners and prospective buyers benefit from reviewing this safety analysis before making decisions.

If you're unsure, we recommend starting with a VIN check or consulting a certified mechanic.

🔑

If You Own This Vehicle

  • Verify all 4 recalls have been completed using your VIN at NHTSA.gov or through your VOLKSWAGEN dealer.
  • If any recalls are open, schedule service immediately—recall repairs are always free.
  • Consider setting up VIN-specific alerts to receive notification of future recalls.
🛒

If You're Buying Used

  • Request documentation proving all recalls were addressed before finalizing purchase.
  • Factor potential recall-related service time into your ownership cost estimates.

This page is designed to help you decide, not alarm you.

Compare with Similar Vehicles

Data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Last updated: January 10, 2026.