Most common 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport problems
Share of the 19 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport complaints by model year
Best Atlas Cross Sport years: 2023, 2025, 2022. Years to avoid: 2024. Compare all years →
2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport recalls (6)
Service brakes
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…
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.
Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification › Front passenger
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the PODS sensor mat and wiring harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 30, 2024.
Suspension › Critical fasteners
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Volkswagen Atlas FL and 2022-2023 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The driver-side rear trailing arm bolts may not have been tightened properly, allowing them to loosen and fall out.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver side rear trailing arm bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 25, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
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.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
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.
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.
Air bags › Side/window
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…
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.
What 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport owners say
Engine & cooling
My car cuts off while driving. For instance, I was at a red light, in the left turning lane, and the light turned green. I pressed the gas and it started going and then just cut off. Luckily there was no car behind me. However, I was halfway in the intersection as cars were coming towards me. I had my 3 year old in the car. This is very dangerous. This is just one incident. When backing out of a parking spot, I will get half way out of the spot and it cuts off. I've taken it to the dealership, but they won't help since they can't duplicate it. I reached out to Volkswagon on Twitter and all they did was have me take it to the dealership again. I received the same, non-concerned, attitude. Nothing has been done. I bought this car brand new. Also, the screen cuts off randomly and has to restart.
The vehicle simply shuts off with no warning or reason. I should NOT have to explain to anybody how this is a safety hazard to the driver and others around the vehicle. It shuts down while in a car wash and the vehicle is in Neutral. Thus, I have to brake, place the trans in Park then manually restart. The same happens at Stop Lights. All the time this is happening, the vehicle's "Auto On/Auto Off" mode has been manually disabled. VW KNOWS about this issue, although the dealerships like to play dumb, as it has been going on for several years now with still no solution in sight! Had I known about this issue before purchasing the vehicle I would never have purchased it! I would LOVE it if VW would buy back the vehicle and allow me to look for another SUV from an American car manufacturer.
Air bags
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V464000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V464000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Electrical system
Multiple issues since purchasing the vehicle in 01/2023. - First evening in the driveway all of the windows went down. The vehicle was not running. This has happened two other times. - I went out to me vehicle one day and the back tailgate had opened on its own. - One day I went out to the vehicle to put something in the back. Opened the hatch and the vehicle started "bucking" and would not stop. This lasted approximately 5 minutes. - Multiple times the vehicle will make a loud POP sound (sounds like a gunshot) and then I lose all media volume. Sometimes it will come back on if I park the car and restart it, but not always. - There was an incident when the car sounded like someone was changing radio stations. It was very loud and continued even when I turned the radio off. The dealership was able to duplicate this and found an electrical connection that was not secure. …
My car cuts off while driving. For instance, I was at a red light, in the left turning lane, and the light turned green. I pressed the gas and it started going and then just cut off. Luckily there was no car behind me. However, I was halfway in the intersection as cars were coming towards me. I had my 3 year old in the car. This is very dangerous. This is just one incident. When backing out of a parking spot, I will get half way out of the spot and it cuts off. I've taken it to the dealership, but they won't help since they can't duplicate it. I reached out to Volkswagon on Twitter and all they did was have me take it to the dealership again. I received the same, non-concerned, attitude. Nothing has been done. I bought this car brand new. Also, the screen cuts off randomly and has to restart.
2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 8-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 25 / 23 |
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 8-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 24 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport a good car?
Based on 19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2023 Atlas Cross Sport rates better than average: 68% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Atlas Cross Sport at the same age. It is one of the best Atlas Cross Sport years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport?
The engine & cooling — 6 complaints, 32% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the air bags (5) and electrical system (3).
How many recalls does the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, the most recent from June 30, 2025 (service brakes). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2023, 2025 and 2022. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024. See the full Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport years comparison.
At what mileage do 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 18,000 miles; 100% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 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.