Recalls (4)
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗
Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.
Check on NHTSA ↗Front Passenger Air Bag May Not Deploy
- 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.
- 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 March 22, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69FB.
Tire Pressure Loss Not Detected/FMVSS 138
- 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."
- Consequence
- An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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 Audis customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.
Delayed Deployment of Front Side Air Bag
- 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.
Reduced GVWR Label Missing/FMVSS 110
- 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."
- Consequence
- Without the reduced GVWR label, the vehicle could be overloaded, leading to a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.
Owner complaints (27)
27 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The electrical system is mentioned most often.
As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.
Most-reported components
| Component | Complaints | % of 27 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 11 | 40.7% |
| Air bags | 8 | 29.6% |
| Forward collision avoidance | 7 | 25.9% |
| Steering | 5 | 18.5% |
| Unknown or other | 5 | 18.5% |
| Service brakes | 4 | 14.8% |
| Engine | 3 | 11.1% |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 7.4% |
| Power train | 2 | 7.4% |
| Lane departure | 1 | 3.7% |
How 2020 compares with other Atlas years
Best and worst Atlas years →| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 466 | 17 |
| 2019 | 480 | 12 |
| 2020 | 27 | 4 |
| 2021 | 476 | 17 |
| 2022 | 183 | 7 |
| 2023 | 134 | 5 |
| 2024 | 171 | 8 |
| 2025 | 49 | 5 |
| 2026 | 10 | 2 |
Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Crash tests: 5 stars overall
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), 2020 Volkswagen Atlas suv fwd, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Fuel economy: up to 22 mpg combined
- EPA annual fuel cost
- $3,050
- CO₂ tailpipe
- 408 g/mi
- EPA class
- Small Sport Utility Vehicle
What it costs you to run
Miles ÷ 22 mpg × $4.354 (EIA US average regular, week of Oct 5, 2026, all taxes included). Source: EPA · EIA.
EPA label estimates from lab tests; your mileage will vary.
Specs by configuration
| Engine · transmission | Drive | City / Hwy / Comb | EPA $/yr | CO₂ g/mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 L 4-cyl · 8-speed automatic | Front-Wheel Drive | 20 / 24 / 22 | $3,050 | 408 |
| 2 L 4-cyl · 8-speed automatic | All-Wheel Drive | 18 / 23 / 20 | $3,350 | 439 |
| 3.6 L 6-cyl · 8-speed automatic | Front-Wheel Drive | 17 / 23 / 19 | $3,550 | 461 |
| 3.6 L 6-cyl · 8-speed automatic | All-Wheel Drive | 16 / 22 / 19 | $3,550 | 480 |
| 3.6 L 6-cyl · 8-speed automatic | All-Wheel Drive | 16 / 22 / 19 | $3,550 | 480 |
Source: EPA fuel economy data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026. Configurations are listed when EPA and NHTSA records match.
Looking at a 2020 Atlas for sale?
Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.
Where to next
2020 Volkswagen Atlas FAQ
How many recalls does the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas have?
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns: 23V215000 (air bag), 22V815000 (tire), 22V152000 (air bag), 22V086000 (equipment). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.
What are the most common 2020 Volkswagen Atlas problems?
Owners filed 27 complaints with NHTSA. Electrical system (11), Air bags (8), Forward collision avoidance (7) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.
What mpg does the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas get?
EPA rates the 2 L 4-cyl · 8-speed automatic version at 20 city, 24 highway and 22 combined mpg. Other configurations are listed in the fuel economy section.
What safety rating did the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas get?
NHTSA rated the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas suv fwd 5 stars overall, with 5 stars frontal, 5 stars side and 4 stars rollover (15.9% rollover risk).
How does the 2020 Atlas compare with other years?
Among the 2018–2021 Volkswagen Atlas model years at least five years old, the 2020 drew the fewest complaints (27) and the 2019 the most (480). The 2020 drew 27. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.
How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes
Data sources
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - US DOT recall completion rates (data.transportation.gov)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA ODI owner complaints
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA NCAP 5-Star Safety Ratings
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EPA fuel economy data (licence confirmation pending)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EIA weekly retail gasoline prices
Weekly, all taxes included
Processing
- Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
- Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.
Limitations
- Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
- Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
- Recent model years are still collecting reports.
Review
Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.
Changelog
- 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.