Problems · by component
2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport electrical system problems
33 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport cite electrical system, 31% of all 108 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
33
31% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the electrical system
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“HVAC water tubing has leaked on to the airbag control module causing airbag errors and many other electrical faults. This is a known safety problem under recall 87H4, NHTSA campaign 21V892. However, Volkswagen stated my VIN is not eligible for this recall. Note: this diagnostic was not performed at a dealership but at an independent German car repair shop.”
“While driving, the vehicle experiences intermittent electrical malfunctions affecting multiple systems. The door locks cycle repeatedly, windows roll down on their own, and when attempting to roll the windows back up, they immediately roll back down. The dashboard lights flicker, become extremely bright, and at times go out completely. The central display (including Apple CarPlay) also shuts off entirely. Multiple warning alerts appear, including emergency brake warnings. These failures occur while the vehicle is in motion and create a safety risk due to loss of system visibility, inability to control vehicle functions, and unexpected vehicle behavior. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent repair shop due to these issues, where I was informed of Recall 97GF (wiring harness issue), which is associated with the same electrical failures. The vehicle was then taken to a dealership for recall service. The dealership retained the vehicle for approximately one week and advised that the repair resolved the issue. The vehicle operated normally for approximately three weeks following the repair. However, on or about [XXX], the same electrical issues…”
“The car was purchased brand new in 2020. In 2022, the heating core broke and had to be replaced. This has happened again. This is a safety issue, the defroster is blowing cold air and not clearing the windshield properly. Having to drive a vehicle while freezing is also a safety hazard. A vehicle that is 5 years old, should not have this happen twice. Volkswagen was contacted and said there was not anything they could do. I read online that many with 2019 & 2020 Atlas & Atlas Cross sports are having the same issue. It should not take an accident to happen for Volkswagen to do something, Volkswagen needs to correct this issue ASAP.”
“Having issues with the vehicle Power Train, Steering, Steering wheel locked, Suspension, Blind Spot Warning, Parking Collision, Automatic Emergency Braking are just a few I can remember. After all these dashboard lights started flickering the truck wouldn't turn back on leaving me stranded at least 3 times. I have called the local Volkswagen dealership since my lease is up in a few weeks and they will not take the truck if it isn't running. They advise to have it towed to the dealership to diagnose and give an estimate of the cost to get this fixed. It started with the dashboard lights turning on an off randomly.”
“About two months ago, all of sudden, all of the electronic safety features were going out as reported on the dash. ECS, Lane Assist, Forward/Rear Collission sensors, side detection sensors, parking assist, tire pressure sensors, Auto Start/Stop, and more. The fact that all of these electronic assist and safety features were all disabled made the care very dangerous and confusing to drive. Changing lanes for example became a safety hazard, backing up safety hazard, lane assist, safety hazard, side view sensors safety hazard, disabled ecs - safety hazard, etc. I took the vehicle into the dealership at 57K miles and under 4 years old only to find out there were no recalls issued, warranty expired at 50K miles and a $1600 repair/service bill. This issue should be investigated and, in my opinion, turned into a safety recall. There really is no reason a car less than 4 years old should have an electronic control problem withonly 57K miles other than poor design or poor manufacturing quality causing a safety problem. Dealer has confirmed it's due to the AWD Control Module, a Pump I believe, and corroded wire harness which comes with the pump, i'm told.”
“I have a problem with navigation. My location is not determined correctly, the route is constantly being reroute. vw atlas cs 2020 sel premium. This happens with regular navigation and with Google / Apple maps when connected via wire. The problem is 100% with the car. Took it to the dealer (Washington). They said it was a big problem and VW didn't know how to fix it. Navigation is an important element; during trips it is easy to get lost and create an emergency situation. The vw regional manager said that VW is trying to create a system update, but it will not be ready until 2025. They refuse to replace the information system.”
Showing 6 of 33 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.