Skip to content
Volkswagen Atlas Cross SportModel year report

2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Problems

Complaints
20filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
18,000miles, 1 complaints with mileage
Recalls
6campaigns on record
Trend
Too newThis model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.
NHTSA crash rating
5 / 5stars overall, 2 rated versions
EPA fuel economy
23 mpgcombined, 2.0L 4-cyl FWD · 21 city / 25 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 20 consumer complaints for the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The part named most often is engine, with 6 complaints (30% of the total), followed by air bags (5) and other or unknown (4). 1 of the complaints include a mileage, and 100% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 18,000 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns and 331 technical service bulletins for this model year. Engine complaints overlap with 43 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Air bags complaints overlap with 2 recall campaigns covering the front passenger and 12 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Engine: “The car will stop suddenly at a red light or when slowing in traffic without warning. I have to stop the car, put in park, and restart the engine often when the light turns green and I'm not moving The ACC eco-feature is typically off/disabled, so it isn't the issue. A few scary times being in traffic at a red light and then the car stops working. Not an engine problem. Earlier versions have had a recall, but not my year. May need to consider extending the recall and fix.”

NHTSA complaint #11546246, filed 2023-09

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 unavailable. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”

NHTSA complaint #11614892, filed 2024-09

Other or unknown: “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. …”

NHTSA complaint #11514836, filed 2023-03

Brakes: “Our VW Atlas Cross Sport 2023 was involved in an accident on August 3, 2025 where the Automatic Emergency Braking and Forward Collision Warning did not work. Firstly, we reported issues with our brakes several times and took the vehicle to Rick Case VW in Weston/Davie more than once to rectify this problem. However, the problem has never been fixed, and persisted up until the time of the accident. Secondly, the vehicle's navigation system stopped working during the week of July 28th, and this was reported to Rick Case VW on July 30th. …”

NHTSA complaint #11687902, filed 2025-09

Mileage when problems were reported

100% of the 1 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 18,000 and 18,000 miles.

0%0–10100%10–250%25–500%50–750%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (1 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 18,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

This model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.

20232024920252026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Atlas Cross Sport · SUV AWD★★★★★4 / 4554 · 15.1% risk
Atlas Cross Sport · SUV FWD★★★★★4 / 4554 · 16.9% risk

Driver aids listed by NHTSA for the 2023 model year: forward collision warning standard, lane departure warning optional, automatic emergency braking standard.

Neighbouring years: 2022: same overall rating; 2024: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Atlas Cross Sport FWD2.0L 4-cyl8-speed automatic212523$2,900
Atlas Cross Sport FWD3.6L 6-cyl8-speed automatic182420$3,350
Atlas Cross Sport 4motion AWD2.0L 4-cyl8-speed automatic202422$3,050
Atlas Cross Sport 4motion AWD3.6L 6-cyl8-speed automatic182420$3,350

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 331 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 331 bulletins →

Other model years of the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20252511,0005523Too new to compareToo new
202410121,3508523Too new to compareToo new
20232018,0006523—Too new
20227825,000752330 · FewerRising
202116514,5001452276 · MoreStable
20201089,0001152250 · TypicalStable

All Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport have?

NHTSA recorded 20 consumer complaints for the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 6 complaints (30% of the total), followed by air bags with 5.

Has the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport been recalled?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport 5 out of 5 stars overall, across 2 rated versions (body style and drive). Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport get?

The EPA rates the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport (Atlas Cross Sport, 2.0L 4-cyl) at 23 mpg combined, 21 city and 25 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,900 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport reported?

Among the 1 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 18,000 miles and the middle half falls between 18,000 and 18,000 miles; 100% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.