2025 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport: problems, recalls and reliability
5 recalls and 23 owner complaints on record; most reports concern electrical system.
Data updated weekly · 4 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Jul 2026
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Hi, I have been an owner of 2025 Atlas Cross Sport Premium R line for over 8 months now. Since June 2026 I have 2 incidents of cracked front windshield. All VW manufactured glass for Atlas CS are made paper thin and prone to sudden damage upon small impact my road debris or rocks. I have owned cars in the past and never had this issue before. The quality of the glass does not coincides with fair business standards and it has made to the point of constant wear, so they continue to sell their glass through poor practices.”Owner report · Visibility/Wiper · Sep 2026
“I keep having issues with the entertainment screen where it stops working. When this happens there are multiple issues: I can not control the temperature and my gps shows I'm in a different town causing my heads up speed limit telling me the speed limit is 50mph in my 25mph neighborhood. Bill jacobs Volkswagen does not care as I have brought it in on multiple occasions and they keep informing me it works as designed. I have sent them videos and pictures. The entertainment screen controls everything in the car since there are no buttons anymore.”Owner report · Electrical System · Sep 2026
“When using adaptive cruise/lane keeping feature the vehicle when passing over another roadway will erroneously "see" a sharp curve and suddenly and unexpectedly apply significant braking force to slow the vehicle down and try to turn the car to the phantom curve.”Owner report · Forward Collision Avoidance · Jun 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“Car has been to [XXX] in [XXX] many times as the screen will go blank and freeze. Unable to change radio or temperature. Can not see when I go in reverse. I have to turn off the car for 30 mins to have the screen to work again. Volkswagen has been not helpful. Car gps and compass shows I'm in a different city. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”Owner report · Electrical System · Jun 2026
“New buy today 3/16/2025 from Carvana. Anyhow took vehicle to get a diagnostic and reputable mechanic shop. The auto scanner would continuously stall on the transmission check,would not produce a report nor respond. We did get a good reading for the engine but not once after several attempts would it generate a reading for the transmission. I am concerned as there does appear to be a slight jerk when shifting from one gear to the next,not a smooth transition at all between gears. Not the smoothest ride. There is definitely an issue and I'm sure others are experiencing this...unfortunately.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Mar 2026
“Car was operating normal up until 8:47 pm went to go turn car on and check engine light came on with notification “RISK OF ROLLING! P not possible. Please apply parking brake.” Car will go into drive, neutral, and reverse but does not move upon pressing gas pedal. Will not go into park and only allows hand brake when in neutral. Car will shut off but does not lock doors.”Owner report · Power Train,Electrical System,Engine · Mar 2026
“The rear taillight lens on my 2025 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport cracked without an impact or collision. Water has entered the taillight assembly through the crack, creating condensation/water inside the lamp and a potential risk of lighting or electrical failure. The vehicle is still within its new-vehicle warranty, but Volkswagen/the dealer declined to repair the assembly. The taillight remains available for inspection. There was no crash, fire, injury, or police report. I understand that similar taillight cracking and water-intrusion problems have been reported by other Volkswagen owners. I believe this may indicate a broader defect trend.”Owner report · Forward Collision Avoidance · Jan 2026
“Car’s maneuver assistance light flashes as malfunctioning, then the car’s infotainment system turns off and on repeatedly until the screen is just black. After the first two things happen then the SOS feature and Exit Warning and Rear traffic alert systems malfunction as well.”Owner report · Back Over Prevention,Forward Collision Avoidance · Oct 2025
“Twice now I have had the vehicle not want to shift appropriately in low gears. When this happens, the vehicle locks up and will not move. Both times, VW has had. Tow get the vehicle and take it in for repair. 1st time was software update. Now it’s there for the second time with no answer as what’s wrong. They have replaced parts but cannot figure out why it’s not shifting correctly. At VW in Texarkana now. 3 weeks and no answers…both times this happened I was on the highway. Dangerous to have the car just not go anymore and leave me stranded in the middle of nowhere at night!”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Sep 2025
“The middle console is a high gloss material. During mid afternoon the sun hits on the gloss panels and reflects into the eye of the driver blinding them. Because of the angle, it is even blinding wearing sun glasses because it reflects under the glasses. During this time of day it is extremely difficult to see because of the gloss panel and could cause an accident. The only way to prevent the glare is by covering the entire console with a towel or other material. They make this panel in a matte finish, however, for some reason some models have the high gloss. The high gloss is VERY unsafe.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Aug 2025
Recalls - 5 campaigns
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Atlas Cross Sport and Atlas vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera image to become distorted when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: Dealers will update the camera control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 5, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91SB.
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.
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.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling 2024-2026 Atlas Cross Sport and Atlas vehicles. The vehicles may experience a low-voltage electrical event that affects display screen functions. As a result, the rearview camera image may fail to display as intended.
Remedy: Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 4, 2026. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91TV. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 28, 2026.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The transmission may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in a loss of drive power.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the transmission, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 12, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 38CX.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The engine cover may have been improperly installed after vehicle service, allowing it to come loose and contact hot engine surfaces.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the engine cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 7, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 10X5.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2025 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all Atlas Cross Sport years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.
Check your exact Atlas Cross Sport by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2025 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport reliable?
NHTSA has 23 owner complaints and 5 recall campaigns on record for the 2025 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The most complained-about area is electrical system.
Does the 2025 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport have open recalls?
5 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning back over prevention. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.