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 2022-01Related service bulletins
- 10251674Mar 11, 2024Air Conditioning, Cleaning of the R1234yf Refrigerant Circuit (U.S. Only) updated to adjust Flush machine filter pricing.
- 10249415Jan 18, 2024Rear Evaporator Diagnostic assistance
- 10249414Jan 18, 2024A/C Compressor leak diagnosis
- 10245617Nov 13, 2023Reporting procedure for A/C compressor replacement regardless of the reason for failure. Update to model year applicability and new warranty GFF labor operation number
- 10243301Sep 28, 2023This Document informs dealers on the Sunroof Class Action Limited Warranty Extension revision. Revised to include info on how to proceed with vehicles not applicable to the…
- 10243298Sep 28, 2023This Document informs dealers on the Sunroof Class Action Limited Warranty Extension FAQ for commonly asked questions. Revised to include info on how to proceed with vehicles not…
- 10241197Aug 22, 2023This Document informs dealers on the Sunroof Class Action Limited Warranty Extension FAQ for commonly asked questions
- 10241196Aug 22, 2023This Document informs dealers on the Sunroof Class Action Limited Warranty Extension
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors): other model years
Other parts of the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas
149 complaintsBrakes
98 complaintsEngine
86 complaintsOther or unknown
79 complaintsExterior lighting
70 complaintsForward collision avoidance
69 complaintsAir bags
66 complaintsFuel system
42 complaintsBody and structure
22 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
15 complaintsVehicle speed control
14 complaintsSteering
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