2020 Volkswagen Atlas
Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 2020 Volkswagen Atlas is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 335 on record.
2020 Volkswagen Atlas at a glance
Included: that car's specs and build sheet, model-year recall campaigns and a fair price.
2020 Volkswagen Atlas recalls 4
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020 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.
Fix: Dealers will replace the PODS sensor mat and wiring harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 22, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69FB.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan LWB, Golf Sportswagen A7, Golf Alltrack, Golf R GP, Audi Q3, Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas, Golf A7, Audi A3, 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021 Atlas FL vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system may not detect an air pressure loss in adequate time when deflating occurs among all four…
Fix: Dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audis customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 4…
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 impact crash.
Fix: 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. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97GF.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles equipped with accessory side steps. The reduced Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) label, reflecting the additional weight of the side steps, was not installed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and…
Fix: Dealers will install the reduced GVWR label, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 31, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 09D9.
Source: U.S. NHTSA, checked 4 Nov 2026. A campaign covers the model year; to see whether a particular car still needs the repair, check its VIN on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer.
2020 Volkswagen Atlas common problems
The most-reported problem areas across all 27 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.
2020 Volkswagen Atlas safety ratings
Rollover risk: 13.6% — NHTSA's estimated chance of rollover in a single-vehicle crash (dynamic test: no tip).
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), tested as the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas SUV AWD. Ratings can differ by body style and drivetrain.
2020 Volkswagen Atlas MPG & running costs
Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov. The EPA lists 2 versions of this model year; combined is shown as a range and the other figures are averages.
Estimated 5-year cost to own
A rough guide to what running a 2020 Volkswagen Atlas costs over five years and 75,000 miles.
How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. There aren't enough comparable listings to estimate depreciation for this model, so it is left out. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.
Dimensions & weight
Manufacturer-reported figures for the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas — ranges cover the 4 body / drivetrain versions on record. Source: Transport Canada vehicle specifications via NHTSA.
Investigations & service bulletins
NHTSA defect investigations 2
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking Closed
On September 28, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE23017) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Front Assist automatic emergency braking (AEB) system in model year (MY) 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. The reports alleged that activation of the AEB system occurred while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in su…
NHTSA #PE23017 · Forward Collision Avoidance · opened Sep 2023 · closed Dec 2024Fuel Injector Leak Closed
On March 29, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE21-008 to investigate instances of fuel injectors leaking in the engine compartment in model year (MY) 2018 through 2020 Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs. These vehicles are equipped with either a 3.6 or 2.0 liter engine. The subject investigation concerns vehicles equipped with 3.6L engines. Prior to opening the investigation, ODI also…
NHTSA #PE21008 · Fuel System, Gasoline · opened Mar 2021 · closed Oct 2022An investigation means NHTSA is examining a possible defect — it is not a recall, and many close without one.
Manufacturer service bulletins 625
Technical notes the manufacturer sent to dealers about known issues and fixes. Useful to mention to a mechanic — they are not recalls and repairs may not be covered. Showing the 10 most recent of 625.
Suggested fuel additive
Bulletin V0116152014815_20 · Engine · Sep 2026This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
Bulletin SM 39-2026 · Sep 2026This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct airbag basic settings programming.
Bulletin VOS-26-52 · Air Bags · Sep 2026Repair or Replace Information
Bulletin V4622022067177_5 · Service Brakes · Aug 2026Replacement instruction
Bulletin V4015022033347_8 · Power Train · Aug 2026Permission to change Daily Order upgraded to RED Order
Bulletin TT 00-13-04_7 · Aug 2026Differences between a leak and seepage
Bulletin V0026012081638_2 · Aug 2026This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct the issue: DA 0019 - Hotfix 12-V battery test(s) – No battery diagnosis - Inconclusive…
Bulletin VOS-26-42 · Electrical System · Jul 2026Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement
Bulletin V1718062017813_24 · Engine · Jul 2026Supporting FAQ for VWP-26-07 Main Engine Wiring Harness Limited Warranty Extension (Class Action)
Bulletin VWP-26-07 FAQ · Engine · Jul 2026Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, listed for the ATLAS FWD. Model-year data, not specific to one car.
About the Volkswagen Atlas
The Volkswagen Atlas is a mid-size crossover SUV manufactured by the German automaker Volkswagen since 2017. Developed mainly for the American, Chinese, and Middle Eastern markets, the vehicle is based on the MQB platform. In China, Mexico, the Middle East, and Vietnam the vehicle is marketed as the Volkswagen Teramont. It is positioned above the Tayron and in China, below the Tavendor and Talagon.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Describes the model line in general, not this model year specifically.
2020 Volkswagen Atlas trims & engines on record
2020 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles on record
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2SR2CA9MC556499
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2MR2CA4LC504561
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2GP2CA0MC524603
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2KP2CAXMC534825
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2WE2CA7MC204499
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2LC2CA9MC207316
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2KR2CA2MC506351
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2AP2CA4LC501538
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2HR2CA4MC537272
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2BR2CA4MC541523
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2GP2CAXMC522504
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2HR2CA1MC545412
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2LP2CA8MC514299
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2HR2CA8MC540059
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2HR2CA7MC541252
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2HR2CA3MC539997
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2RE2CA2LC214952
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V26E2CA8LC212965
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2KR2CA4MC507615
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2DP2CA6MC500115
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2NE2CA5LC214281
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2YE2CAXLC224415
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2HR2CA1MC513978
2020 Volkswagen Atlas1V2BR2CA0MC557444