2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport: raw data

Every record we hold for this vehicle, as plain tables, with nothing added. The consumer page shows the same records with the maintenance schedule, price ranges and nearby shops around them.

vehicle2020 / volkswagen / atlas-cross-sport
known issues8 clusters (reviewed 2026-08-26)
complaints106 on file (2020-08-19 → 2026-09-11)
recalls11
investigations1
farsnot identifiable in FARS
indexedyes
licenseCC BY 4.0 (derived)

Known Issues clusters all years →

Steering rack noise requiring replacementSTEERING6 complaints2020-09 → 2025-02atlas-cross-sport-2020-steering-rack-noise
  • 11366143 PERSISTENT NOISE WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT, LOUD CLICKING MORE SO WHEN VEHICLE IS STOPPED. VIDEO EVIDENCE PRESENTED TO DEALER AFTER IT HAD BEEN IN TO THE SHOP ONCE BEFORE AND IT WAS DETERMINED FAULTY STEERING RACK,
  • 11430536 For the second time since purchase 6/2020 we are taking the car in for suspected steering rack issues. We have already had the steering rack replaced, we have clunking/clicking when turning when we turn the wheel to the left
  • 11403708 THE INSPECTION MAY NOT HAVE BEEN DONE CORRECTLY AND IF THE PART BREAKS IT RESULTS IN A LOSS OF STEERING AND A TRAGIC ENDING FOR THE CAR AND DRIVER
GPS and navigation location inaccuracyUNKNOWN OR OTHER5 complaints2024-03 → 2024-06atlas-cross-sport-2020-gps-navigation
  • 11577730 The GPS system will not work in the vehicle that includes the built in GPS navigation, Apple Maps, Google Maps and WAZE GPS. This is a major safety issue because you cannot drive safely and look at maps
  • 11579757 When driving the car the GPS looses its location making it impossible to proceed to a planned destination. It causes you to try to fix the issue while driving and locating a place to pull off the road
  • 11585542 I having issues the the CarPlay gps. Only happens with my BW cross sport. The gps 20% of the time will not know where it is. It drifts off from where it is suppose to be
Hood latch release cable failureSTRUCTURE5 complaints2024-12 → 2026-02atlas-cross-sport-2020-hood-latch-cable
  • 11691685 2020 Atlas Cross Sport- hood release cable snapped- known issue. Many complaints online. Needs a recall! Dangerous
  • 11630017 August of 2023 the vehicle was taken to Charles Maund VW in Austin Texas due to the hood latch disconnecting/breaking under the hood. November of 2024, just outside the 1 yr warranty period, the hood latch again had become disconnected/broken under the hood
  • 11718465 February 2025, just outside the warranty period, the hood latch had become disconnected/broken under the hood. There is a point where the two piece cable is joined under the hood and the cable breaks at this point
Daytime running light premature failureEXTERIOR LIGHTING4 complaints2024-11 → 2026-05atlas-cross-sport-2020-drl-headlight-failure
  • 11737656 Both day time running lights failed right after warranty expired. This repair requires over 2300$ repair because both entire headlights need to be replaced
  • 11731274 Premature failure of left drivers side LED Daytime Running Light
  • 11623689 Daylight Running Lights (LED stripe) went out but in order to replace it, the whole headlight chassis need to be replaced because it’s embedded as part of the head light chassis instead of by replacing the LED running stripe alone
Car-Net SOS module failureELECTRICAL SYSTEM4 complaints2023-11 → 2025-03atlas-cross-sport-2020-carnet-sos-module
  • 11556585 The ControlNet module throws an error on the dash stating SOS Emergency error. The error cannot be cleared
  • 11570964 The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated that when the cellphone was connected to the cellphone port in the vehicle, the connection was inoperable
  • 11648002 About a year ago the light of the SOS appear in red and will not reset back to green. The SUV has a warning sign in the dash that does not go off: Error: emergency call function
Door wiring harness fault causing parking brake engagementELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE23 complaints2020-12 → 2026-04atlas-cross-sport-2020-door-harness-brake
  • 11463110 2020 VW Atlas Cross Sport. While traveling down the highway (medium speed) the vehicle abruptly threw itself into Park, and E-braked. Thankfully escaped a collision but the outcome could have been much worse. My safety and safety of others was put at risk
  • 11454822 Vehicle has a defective driver door harness which causes the vehicle to think the door is open. When this happens the emergency brake engages and all the windows roll down
  • 11383956 WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE UPON COMING TO A COMPLETED STOP, VARIOUS FAULT MESSAGES ARE DISPLAYED 'ELECTRONIC BRAKE ERROR/DRIVER CONTACT SWITCH ERROR, START/STOP ERROR'
Airbag warning light excluded from recall coverageAIR BAGS13 complaints2022-04 → 2026-06atlas-cross-sport-2020-airbag-warning-light
  • 11608131 There have been wide reports that 2020 atlas cross sports passenger airbag sensors malfunction. My vehicle has experienced this very problem. The airbag warning indicator came up on my dashboard indicating a problem
  • 11613024 Air bag light illuminated. VIN number not associated with current air bag recall even though it is exhibiting the very identical problem. Dealer will not acknowledge the recall since the VIN doesn’t show on the recall site
  • 11460027 The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V152000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable
Engine stall requiring manual restartENGINE4 complaints2023-07 → 2024-10atlas-cross-sport-2020-engine-stall-restart
  • 11618215 At a stop or slow speed the vehicle stalls. Acted like the start stop feature was engaging. Stalling out crossing lanes of traffic you have to out it in park and restart
  • 11534606 While driving at approximately 10-15mph the engine shut off and was forced to come to a stop and restart the engine. The error read "Engine start/stop error, manually restart engine."
  • 11550954 The vehicle randomly turns off and a message appears that states manually start the vehicle. It’s not the ECO start and stop system. I researched the Atlas online forum and this is a noted problem

NHTSA complaints (summary) all years →

countearliest_datelatest_datecrash_flaggedfire_flaggedtop_components
1062020-08-192026-09-1131ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:33; AIR BAGS:23; UNKNOWN OR OTHER:23; SERVICE BRAKES:18; FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE:15

Recalls all years →

campaign_numberreport_received_datecomponentsummaryconsequenceremedy
21V89200017/11/2021VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEMVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The air conditioning system drain tube could be blocked, causing water to leak inside the vehicle near the air bag control module.A water leak may damage the air bag control module, causing an inadvertent air bag deployment and increasing the risk of injury or a crash.Dealers will repair the drain tube and replace the air bag control module, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 87H4.
20V50400026/08/2020EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTSVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020 Atlas Cross Sports and 2021 Atlas vehicles. The driver's side headlight may have been aimed too low during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."A headlight aimed incorrectly aimed reduces the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will adjust the driver's side headlight, free of charge. The recall began September 9, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94N7.
20V50500026/08/2020SEATSVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen ) is recalling certain 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Jetta, Jetta GLI and Tiguan and Audi Q5 and SQ5 and 2021 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. Parts of the front seat frame and backrest adjuster may not have been welded properly.In the event of a rear-end crash, the backrest adjustment could break, possibly reducing the amount of occupant restraint, thus increasing risk of injury.Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seats, and, as necessary, replace the seatback frames, free of charge. The recall began September 11, 2020. Volkswagen owners may contact their customer service at 1-888-241-2289. Audi owners may contact their customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 72L1, 72K8, and 72K9.
20V71200017/11/2020STEERINGVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. One or both steering knuckles may have been damaged during production.A damaged steering knuckle can fail, causing a loss of steering, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the steering knuckle, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40Q6. Note: Owners are advised to DO NOT DRIVE the vehicle until the vehicle has been inspected and repaired if necessary.
20V70200013/11/2020TIRES:SIDEWALLVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport and 2021 Atlas vehicles equipped with Continental Cross Contact LX Sport tires, size 255/50 R 20 105 T. The tires may have been over cured.Over cured tires can result in a sidewall break causing a sudden loss of air pressure or the tread separating from the tire. Both conditions increase the risk of a crash.Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect DOT date code and mold number on the vehicle's tires to see if they are affected, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 30, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 44Q5.
21V02600027/01/2021STEERINGVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The front steering knuckle may fracture in the area of the strut mounting.A fractured steering knuckle can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace one or both steering knuckles, free of charge. The recall began February 16, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40Q7.
22V08600016/02/2022EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELSVolkswagen 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."Without the reduced GVWR label, the vehicle could be overloaded, leading to a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.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.
22V15200028/03/2022AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOWVolkswagen 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.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.
22V81500031/10/2022TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMSVolkswagen 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."An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.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 Audi’s customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.
23V21500029/03/2023AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGERVolkswagen 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.A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.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.
24V46400020/06/2024AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGERVolkswagen 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.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.

Investigations all years →

action_numberstatussubjectcomponentsopenedclosedrecall_campaignsummary
PE21008closedFuel Injector LeakFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS2021-03-292022-10-03·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 compartme

FARS occupant deaths all years →

not identifiable in FARS (absent, not zero)

Cite this

Derived data is CC BY 4.0. Link back to the page you used. Text and BibTeX below.

Wrench.Pro (2026). 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport vehicle data [dataset]. https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2020/volkswagen/atlas-cross-sport
@misc{wrenchpro_2020_volkswagen_atlas_cross_sport_2026,
  author = {Wrench.Pro},
  title = {Wrench.Pro vehicle data: 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2020/volkswagen/atlas-cross-sport}},
  note = {Derived from NHTSA public records. CC BY 4.0.}
}

hub · known-issues · methodology · license · research (interpretation)