Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2022 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated that overnight 1/3 of the engine oil had leaked onto the ground. While starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal oil burning odor and visible smoke coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the VVT sensors, timing cover gasket, and timing cover needed to be replaced. The parts were replaced; however, the oil leak persisted, and the parts were replaced a second time. The contact was informed that the PCV was inoperable as per the Emissions Service Action Code: 10LP. The contact was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure; however, the contact was advised that the repair would be an out-of-pocket expense, minus the PCV. …
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop at 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled and became inoperable. The contact was unable to pull over to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. Several unknown messages were displayed. The contact stated that the failure recurred 10 minutes later while driving in a parking lot. The dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated that on several occasions while stopped at a light, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted after one attempt on each occasion. The coolant system warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 15,969.
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the crankcase ventilation valve had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,346.
This vehicle has an issue where the engine stalls when operating a slow speeds/a stop. When the engine stalls, a message appears on the dashboard stating that you must put the car in park, turn off the ignition, restart the car, and then put it back into drive. This has posed as a significant risk to myself, my wife, and our [redacted] daughter. Additionally, my wife is currently [redacted]. The engine has stalled on us in the middle of an 8 lane intersection when attempting to turn left, when merging onto a highway, and numerous other very dangerous situations. This issue begin about 1 year after purchasing the car (brand new) from Volkswagen. Since then, we have brought the car back to the dealership where we purchased it (Heritage Volkswagen Parkville) over 5 times to have them look into this issue. …
Description of Fault This vehicle exhibits a recurring, intermittent failure of the electronic throttle control system. Three distinct symptom patterns have been observed: 1.Throttle non-responsive at stop-start (approx. monthly/bi-monthly): After coming to a complete stop (e.g. at a traffic light), pressing the accelerator pedal produces no engine response. The vehicle will not move. Switching the ignition fully off and performing a cold restart resolves the issue immediately. 2.Throttle failure while vehicle was in motion (Wednesday, March 4, 2026): While my wife was driving the vehicle, the throttle stopped responding entirely mid-journey. The accelerator pedal produced no engine response while the vehicle was moving at speed. This is a direct and serious safety hazard. As with other incidents, switching the ignition fully off and performing a cold restart resolved the issue. …
The engine has shut off on multiple occasions since we bought it in 2022. It appears to shut off at traffic lights and we are given the indicator message to start car manually. Typically when this happens we have to put the car in park and restart the engine. Just the other day 5/13/24 this happened again while I was sitting at a traffic light and I put the car in park and restarted the engine and as soon as I did it, the car shut off again, it did this 3 times in a row before I was able to get the car moving. We have taken it to the dealer and there are no error codes they can find and they cannot mimic what is happening either. This is a huge safety issue as I am highly afraid one of these times that I will be stopped at a light trying to get my car to start and will get rear-ended or worse.
We are having the same issue that others have noted where the engine shuts off while driving. This has happened 2 times now. The vehicle is only 1 month old with right at 1,000 miles. When the engine shuts off, a message comes on the display to put the vehicle in park and start the engine manually. This is not part of the start stop system as it happens while the vehicle is moving. Since you have to put it in park in order to restart it, this is a huge safety issue as you have to stop in the middle of the road or highway when it dies. We have an appointment at the dealer, but the earliest date they had available for drop off is about a month away. There are no current recalls for my VIN.
5 days after purchasing the brand new vehicle I was driving on the highway and felt and heard a clunking sound. Shortly after the check engine light and EPC light came on. Then as I was driving (55mph) I lost all power. The dash was telling me to restart my engine manually as I was driving. I was able to get to the side of the road - in a very unsafe location and had to wait for a tow. When the vehicle got back to the dealership they said it looked like the engine had just exploded. In the oil pan was chunks of metal. The entire engine and turbo had to be replaced. The entire situation was extremely dangerous and no one has an explanation for why this happened.
Connecting rod bearing caused the engine fail. The Vehicle is currently in the Dealer's service shop. I was driving in a very busy highway with my wife when suddenly a lot of smog start coming out of under the hood and the vehicle suddenly stopped in the middle of the highway. Had to stop traffic to be able to pull over. Another vehicle stopped to help us and handed a fire extinguisher because she though it caught on fire. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer. The vehicle has been inspected by the manufacturer. No warning lamps or messages, but the vehicle began to jerk a few seconds before it totally failed.
Related recalls
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.
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.
Engine complaints in other Atlas Cross Sport years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2022 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2022 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, 27% of the model year's 74 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2022 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 22V-753 (hard parts internal/mechanical, Oct 7, 2022). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2022 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 51,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.