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2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport airbags problems

37 complaints (22% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 17,000. 7 crashes reported.

owner complaints
37
of this car's complaints
22%
typical mileage
17,000
crashes
7
recalls
3

Which part fails

Owners did not name a specific part.

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport airbags problems in other years

20202021202220232024

Specific symptoms reported on the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport airbags

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Airbag light 5

Related recalls

Air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passengerReported June 20, 2024 · 271,330 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Atlas and 2020-2024 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.
Risk
A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the PODS sensor mat and wiring harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 30, 2024. Owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, on October 18, 2024, December 10, 2024, December 20, 2024, and January 17, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1‑800‑893‑5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69PZ.

Recall number 24V464000 · Recall details

Air bags: side/windowReported March 28, 2022 · 222,892 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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.
Risk
A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
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.

Recall number 22V152000 · Recall details

Air bags: air bag/restraint control moduleReported November 17, 2021 · 54,429 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The air conditioning system drain tube could be blocked, causing water to leak inside the vehicle near the air bag control module.
Risk
A water leak may damage the air bag control module, causing an inadvertent air bag deployment and increasing the risk of injury or a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will repair the drain tube and replace the air bag control module, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1‑800‑893‑5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 87H4.

Recall number 21V892000 · Recall details

What 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Aug 5, 2026 · Airbags · TX

Got an airbag alert light on driver console. Took it to VW dealer in [XXX]. They said the driver side airbag has a short to ground. And it’s not covered under the warranty. And it’s $2000 to fix. There has been a lot of problems with the wire harness from the manufacturer. And I feel like they should repair it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Feb 2, 2026 · Airbags · 35,000 miles · IL

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated that after being stopped at a traffic light, while making a left turn in the snow, the contact was unsure if the vehicle had fallen into a pothole or had driven over a speed bump when the driver's side curtain air bag, and the passenger's side curtain air bags, unexpectedly deployed. Additionally, unknown sensors were beeping, and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the sensors beeped while driving in the snow. No warning light was illuminated. There were no injuries sustained. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. The Police Department was called to assist with traffic because the vehicle was blocking the roadway. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it remained unrepaired pending an inspection. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. However, no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

Filed Mar 4, 2025 · Airbags · NC

I received notification via carfax, VW app, AND by mail about the passenger air bag faulty PODS system recall in September 2024. I was told by my local dealership there was no active fix for the issue at the time. I then had my 50k mile service completed in December 2024 the week before Christmas and the service department stated they still had not received a fix for the recall code and that it would be rolling out in stages and to wait for a resolution. It is now March 2025 and I do not feel safe driving this vehicle with my family knowing there is a possibility of the airbags not deploying in the event of a car accident. The website even suggests not to drive the vehicle with this recall.

Filed Feb 26, 2025 · Airbags, Seats · MI

Car dealership attempted to fix recall related to Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS). Dealership technicians experienced issues completing the repair and contacted the vehicle manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer claims that the issues experienced during repair are due to damage and are refusing the pay for any fix to the recall. I am not aware of any damage the system would have experienced, other than being known to be defective and under recall. The manufacturer's proposal is that I pay approximately $1,300 to replace the system, which is known to be defective and under recall, or accept my vehicle back with a faulty PODS. It is the manufacturer's responsibility to replace this system, which is known to be defective and under recall. The nature of the problem is extremely serious and could involve injury or loss of life to my family. Therefore, I am not willing to accept the vehicle back with a defective PODS.

Filed Dec 10, 2024 · Airbags · WA

I own a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport that more recently in June 2024 received a recall on its Passenger Airbags stating that it may not function properly in event of a crash. I want to point out that this is the only vehicle in the family and teenagers do ride in the front seat. I was informed of the recall via my Progressive App in June 2024 and Volkswagen who issued the recall did not inform me until end of August 2024 a 3 month delay. I have been in communication with Volkswagen Corporation to work together to come up with a plan to resolve the issue in a manner that would work for both parties. I was notified by Volkswagen on December 4, 2024 that a repair for my vehicle is available and I should contact my local VW dealership to make an appointment to get this recall repaired. I went in person to VW of Tacoma, I made contact with one of their representative (not sure if this person even worked there as she had no proper name tag or proper VW uniform). The whole process seemed non transparent as when I asked for her name she would not give her name despite of multiple requests. My experience with this person was very nerve racking as it was unclear if I was being subject of fraud. I specifically asked to speak to the manager whose name was Jerry Podgoski. Despite of the information regarding the availability of the my recall repair part the dealership still refused to provide repair for my vehicle's recall. Jerry Podgoski gave me the false idea that their dealership would be in touch however to date I have not heard back. I later found out the name of the service tech who refused to give her name was Maile Magpoc, she was not a pleasant person to deal with and the whole interaction seemed shady. I would like the federal safety agency to be involved as the recall from VW involves airbag and from the information I received from VW America repair is available and VW of Tacoma is refusing to provide the repairs on the recall issued by VW of America.

Filed Dec 10, 2024 · Airbags · WA

I own a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport that more recently in June 2024 received a recall on its Passenger Airbags stating that it may not function properly in event of a crash. I want to point out that this is the only vehicle in the family and teenagers do ride in the front seat. I was informed of the recall via my Progressive App in June 2024 and Volkswagen who issued the recall did not inform me until end of August 2024 a 3 month delay. I have been in communication with Volkswagen Corporation to work together to come up with a plan to resolve the issue in a manner that would work for both parties. I was notified by Volkswagen on December 4, 2024 that a repair for my vehicle is available and I should contact my local VW dealership to make an appointment to get this recall repaired. I made an appointment with VW of Olympia for the repair of the recall on December 10, 2024 and at this time they are refusing to make the repair. I am concerned about the safety of my teenagers who ride on the passenger seat. This 2021 VW Atlas Cross Sport is the only vehicle in the family and at this time neither the VW nor the dealership are offering any alternatives nor loaner car disregarding safety of my teenagers who ride in the passenger seat. I am asking the federal safety agency to be involved to help offer a resolution so that I can get this recall remedied in a timely manner. I appreciate your time. Regards, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Nov 6, 2024 · Airbags · OH

My car was purchased on Sept 5th, only to be told there was a recall and could not legally be released to me. Its been months and still no answers.

Filed Nov 4, 2024 · Airbags · AK

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V464000(Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Oct 24, 2024 · Airbags · CA

The recall has been an ongoing issue; since I am from a smaller valley, Imperial Valley, my dealership has not been able to provide the parts for the repair, this is a major recall seeing as the passenger seat airbag may not deploy. I see no urgency to repair and no customer care. I personally have had to call the dealership asking for updates multiple times and no one is able to assist with the repair due to not having parts. I use my vehicle to rent on the TURO app and this has held up part of my income due to not being able to list the vehicle due to the safety concern. A prompt response or repair would greatly be appreciated from the dealer if they truly car about the safety of their customers.

Filed Sep 24, 2024 · Airbags, Tires · IL

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated that the TPMS warning light illuminated and turned on and off. The contact inflated the tires. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V464000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local 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 failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Questions about the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport airbags

Does the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport have airbags problems?

Owners have filed 37 complaints about the airbags of the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, 22% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport airbags problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 17,000 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport airbags?

Yes, 3 recalls: 24V464000, 22V152000, 21V892000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

What year does the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport have bad airbags?

The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport model years with the most airbags complaints are 2021 (37 complaints), 2020 (23 complaints) and 2022 (11 complaints).

Other 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport problems

Electrical 54Brakes 36Engine 35Driver assistance 32Lights 18Fuel system 17Visibility 5Steering 4Suspension 4Acceleration 3Transmission 3Seats 2Locks 1Tires 1Wheels 1

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