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Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)Part report

2021 Volkswagen Atlas Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) Problems

Complaints
6about this part
Share
1%of 482 total for the year
Median mileage
29,000miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 6 complaints about the visibility of the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas, 1% of the 482 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 29,000 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“We bought this vehicle with 15,000 miles in January 2023. Since then, we have made close to 30,000 miles, currently sitting at 44,000 miles. Today, I discovered another crack in the windshield. This would be our 5th windshield since we own a car. I had numerous vehicles but never had a crack. Further investigation on my part revealed that this is an extremely common problem with the VW Atlas. It impairs my view; sun light is breaking over those cracks, and not to mention that glass can break if I hit a pothole.”

NHTSA complaint #11594499, filed 2024-06

“2021 VW Atlas. Outside mirror heaters are not working. There is a VW Tech Tip 662003 that describes the problem, however, the dealership Bud Cleary in Auburn WA is refusing to perform repair, saying mirror heaters only work when the ambient temperature is below 40 degrees and here in Washington state our day time temperatures are almost always higher. I drive at night so I experience severe outside mirror fogging in all kinds of temperatures. Cleaning, wiping mirrors offers little relief. Rear window heater works fine. So I am caught in a Catch-22 situation. …”

NHTSA complaint #11488939, filed 2022-10

“The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes erroneously engaged nearly causing a crash. Additionally, the door locks would randomly unlatch and the driver’s side window would erroneously roll down. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 8,000.”

NHTSA complaint #11459093, filed 2022-03, 8,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud explosion before shards of glass fell from the moon roof onto the rear center seat. There was no impact to the moonroof to have caused the moon roof glass to explode. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. The VIN was unavailable.”

NHTSA complaint #11646917, filed 2025-03, 50,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V892000 (Visibility, Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. A dealer was not 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”

NHTSA complaint #11448582, filed 2022-01

Related service bulletins

Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors): other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
202536%
2024116%
202321%
202232%
202161%
2019102%
201841%

Other parts of the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas

Electrical system
149 complaints
Brakes
98 complaints
Engine
86 complaints
Other or unknown
79 complaints
Exterior lighting
70 complaints
Forward collision avoidance
69 complaints
Air bags
66 complaints
Fuel system
42 complaints
Body and structure
22 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
15 complaints
Vehicle speed control
14 complaints
Steering
11 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology