2023 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas

Recalls, Specs & Safety Report

5RecallsNHTSA Verified93ComplaintsNHTSA Data1InvestigationsNHTSA Data
Expert Verdict
⚠️Elevated Concerns

This 2023 model shows concerning reliability, primarily driven by 5 recalls—above the VOLKSWAGEN average—centered on the air bags.

Key Factor:elevated air bags issues

📋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.

Given this model year's elevated concern level, budget for a thorough pre-purchase inspection.

Focus Area:general reliability
📊

Expert Analysis

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

Safety & Reliability Score

50/100
Below Average

Score Breakdown

Recall Impact-40
Complaint Impact-4.65
Investigation Impact-5

Technical Specifications

Key specifications for the 2023 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas

Model Year2023
MakeVOLKSWAGEN
ModelAtlas
Fuel TypeGasoline
Body ClassPassenger Vehicle

Safety History Timeline

Scroll for more →
Jul22
RECALLRecall Issued
Nov22
ISSUEFirst Report
Jan23
NEWProduction
Jan23
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan23
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan23
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan23
RECALLRecall Issued
Apr23
INVInvestigation Opened

Consumer Complaint Analysis

⚠️

Most Reported Issue

24 complaints (26% of total)
➡️

Complaint Trend

Stable
No trend data
✅

Safety Incidents

No critical incidents

Complaint Severity Distribution

Breakdown of 93 consumer complaints by severity level.

🟠High
6(6%)
🟡Medium
30(32%)
🟢Low
57(61%)

Mileage Failure Analysis

⚙️Engineering Insight

Based on consumer reports, issues for this vehicle tend to peak around the 0-20k mileage range. The average reported failure mileage is 21,470 miles.

📊 Mileage data extracted from 18 of 93 complaints (19% coverage)
0-20k
9 reports (50%)
20k-40k
7 reports (39%)
40k-60k
1 reports (6%)
60k-80k
0 reports (0%)
80k-100k
1 reports (6%)
100k+
0 reports (0%)
* Analysis based on mileage data extracted from consumer complaint descriptions. Actual failure rates may vary.

🛠️ DIY Diagnosis Center

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

Primary Risk Areas

AIR BAGSSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULICENGINE AND ENGINE COOLINGSERVICE BRAKES

Official Safety Recalls (5)

Campaign: 22V152000

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

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.

Consequence

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.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Campaign: 22V718000

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

Summary

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.

Consequence

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.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Campaign: 22V753000

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL

Summary

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.

Consequence

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).

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Campaign: 24V464000

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

Summary

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.

Consequence

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.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

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 2023 Atlas.

INV-2023-1000🟢 Closed

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

Opened: Affected Units: 31,179

Consumer Complaints

93 total complaints

Consumer-reported issues submitted to NHTSA for 2023 Atlas.

Common Reported SymptomsAI Analysis

Warning26%
Stall20%
Acceleration Issues10%
Accident9%
Noise6%
Engine/Powertrain🔶 Medium
ENGINE

Engine turns off completely traveling at moderate speeds in drive gear while approaching and then stopped at lights or stop signs. Issue became more constant and prevalaint with time. Message then shows up " Please start engine manually P". Vehicle then has to be put in "park" and manually restarted. All this is completed in a panic and a rush as your are on a road with traffic and cars behind you. Randomness and type of stall makes it difficult to document issue live and in it's entirety as it happens. Issue cannot be foreseen. This is a very dangerous situation and a accident waiting to happen. This is a known issue on this model VW commencing in prior year models as documented by thousands online on forums, chats with documented fixes. Such as one being extended warranty "VWP-23-04 on part. VW dealers visited refuse to address potential causes or related parts as issue cannot be "recreated". Have presented documentation of times and dates this has happened and pictures of dash message but since vehicle "technically" doesn't show a FAULT, issue is not being addressed by dealers. VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR DRIVER AND PASSENGERS, AS WELL AS OTHER DRIVERS.

✨ AI Insight

This complaint matches keywords from official recalls:

Recall #22V753000

*correlation estimated by AI, not an official NHTSA link.

Nov 13, 2025Open
Engine/Powertrain⚠️ High
ENGINE

Complaint Summary: The PCV valve (oil separator, part number 06Q103495F) has failed twice within 20,000 miles on my 2023 Volkswagen Atlas 2.0T. The first failure occurred around 50,000 miles and was repaired under warranty. The second failure happened around 70,000 miles, after warranty expiration. Description of Issue: In both cases, the failure was identified when the low engine oil warning light appeared, followed by visible oil leakage across the top of the engine and the catch plate area. Upon inspection, oil was found covering surrounding components, and the dealer confirmed the PCV assembly had failed and was leaking internally and externally. The PCV system is integrated into the valve cover, and when it fails, it causes crankcase pressure loss, oil blow-by, and potential engine damage or fire risk if oil contacts hot components. This is not normal wear; it’s a known recurring failure on EA888 2.0T engines used across multiple VW models. Safety Concern: A leaking PCV valve can cause: •Excessive oil consumption •Oil spray onto engine components, posing a potential fire hazard •Unstable idle or stalling due to vacuum imbalance •Risk of engine damage if crankcase pressure rises The part has been revised multiple times by Volkswagen but continues to fail prematurely. The lack of a recall or warranty extension leaves owners paying for repeated replacements of a defective component. Request: I urge NHTSA to investigate widespread premature failures of the PCV/Oil Separator assembly (06Q103495F and superseding parts) on Volkswagen EA888 Gen 3 engines used in the Atlas, Tiguan, and other VW/Audi vehicles. This appears to be a design flaw rather than a normal maintenance issue and could lead to oil fires or mechanical damage if ignored.

✨ AI Insight

This complaint matches keywords from official recalls:

Recall #22V753000

*correlation estimated by AI, not an official NHTSA link.

Oct 7, 2025Under Review
Engine/Powertrain🔵 Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

I bought the car in 2023 with 700 miles on it. Since then when coming from a stop the engine delays for about 5-10 seconds when pushing the gas, it eventually goes and happens often but not every time. Another issue is when coming to a stop the car turns off without any warning. When you try to go you have to put it back in park and start the car again. This has happened about ten times in two years. The last couple of times it has happened more regularly and in dangerous situations. I have brought it to two different dealerships as I have a 5 year warranty. First one told me they couldn’t replicate the issue but only drove the car 1 mile. Second drive it 30 miles and also told me there was nothing they could do. I started a case with VW and they called back saying they may have an idea and i need to bring it back for a third time but they have silent since. They also refused to tell me what it was they wanted to check.

✨ AI Insight

This complaint matches keywords from official recalls:

Recall #22V753000

*correlation estimated by AI, not an official NHTSA link.

Oct 5, 2025Under Review
Electrical🔵 Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Daytime Running Light failure at 36K Miles on one side. Entire assembly requires warranty replacement with ACC sensor calibration. Appears to be a common issue.

Sep 12, 2025Under Review
Engine/Powertrain🔵 Low
POWER TRAIN

The car engine shuts off while driving at slow speeds ... many times while parked at a red light. The instrument cluster displays 'Please restart the engine'. The shutoff happens while the vehicle is in Drive mode. It is very dangerous and the VW dealership is not acknowledging the issue in spite of several online reports of it. https://www.facebook.com/groups/191339898236209/posts/1665305790839605/ https://www.vwatlasforum.com/threads/atlas-shutting-itself-off.3005/page-2

✨ AI Insight

This complaint matches keywords from official recalls:

Recall #22V753000

*correlation estimated by AI, not an official NHTSA link.

Aug 18, 2025Under Review
Electrical🔵 Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Daytime running lamps on both left and right side have failed and no longer working. Right side lamp failed first at roughly 95k miles on vehicle and was followed by left side failure at approximately 100k miles on vehicle.

Aug 15, 2025Under Review
Engine/Powertrain⚠️ High
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

My 2023 VW Atlas is stalling out in high temperatures. When you mash the accelerator, at times the vehicle will not go. From my online research, many others are experiencing this same issue and have found resolution involving charcoal canister + purge solenoid, fuel pressure sensor and software updates. The EVAP and fuel system could be tested manually. However, VW says because no codes show up, there is nothing wrong with the vehicle and will not provide any help whatsoever to me. This is going to get someone killed. I have taken to local dealer plus reached out to VW corporate with no help. My car is under warranty.

Aug 7, 2025Under Review
Electrical🔵 Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Head lights not fully functioning. Day time running lights not providing adequate visibility. There have been many complaints and many owners experiencing this issues routinely around the same amount of miles. There was no indication of the issue in any way shape or form on the dashboard .

Aug 4, 2025Under Review
Other🔶 Medium
UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I believe the charcoal cannister failed in my situation. I was driving my car on the highway in stop and go rush hour traffic and my car stalled out. I had to put it in park, press the break and the start button to get it going again. I was very close to getting rear ended. No warnings came on and no codes are up for the dealership to fix. I went to the dealership and they stated they couldn't recreate the problem and don't see a code, so therefore cannot fix anything. This same issue is noted in many instances online and in forums and chats about the 2023 atlas.

Jul 29, 2025Under Review
Brakes🔵 Low
SERVICE BRAKES

The breaks make a screeching sound and you can feel in the pedal the car wobbling/slipping. I took to be repaired under warranty and they said there's nothing wrong. Break pads and breaks are in good health accord them. They have no explaination for the sound.

✨ AI Insight

This complaint matches keywords from official recalls:

Recall #22V718000Recall #25V434000

*correlation estimated by AI, not an official NHTSA link.

Jul 22, 2025Under Review

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any recalls for the 2023 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas?

Yes, the 2023 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas has 5 recorded recalls from NHTSA. These recalls cover various components including AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL.

Is the 2023 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas safe to drive?

The 2023 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas has 5 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 2023 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas 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

➡️Stable Pattern

Compared to earlier years, the 2023 model shows stable reliability patterns. No meaningful structural change detected in recall frequency between adjacent model years.

🎯Risk Areas & Recommended Actions

Based on recall data, these components require verification:

1

Air bags

Issue: increases occupant injury risk

✅

If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm air bags recalls are complete. Recall repairs are always free.

🔍

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

Campaigns:22V15200024V464000
2

Service brakes, hydraulic

Issue: increases crash or loss-of-control risk

✅

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

🔍

If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all service brakes, hydraulic recalls are completed before purchase.

Campaign:22V718000
3

Engine and engine cooling

Issue: presents fire risk under certain conditions

✅

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

🔍

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

Campaign:22V753000
💡Visit NHTSA.gov or contact your VOLKSWAGEN dealer to verify recall completion status.

🧭What This Means for You

Families with young passengers, pregnant drivers, or those with frequent highway commutes should prioritize this information.

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

🔑

If You Own This Vehicle

  • Verify all 5 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 full service history and documentation of all recall completions.
  • Consider whether adjacent model years (2022 or 2024) show better safety metrics.
  • Budget for thorough pre-purchase inspection focusing on known problem areas.
⚖️

Compare Alternatives

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

Compare with Similar Vehicles

Compare vs
2023 Toyota Camry
View Analysis→
Compare vs
2023 Honda CR-V
View Analysis→
Compare vs
2023 Ford F-150
View Analysis→

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