There are 2 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sportin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The Atlas has stalled twice since purchase. Both times I was coming into and out of a parking spot. The second time I was almost rear ended by another car. The car asked me to start manually. Both times Auto start/stop was disabled.
Since purchased new on January 29, 2021, I have encountered the same issue. When stopped and about to accelerate, the vehicle will hesitate. This happens with the start/stop engaged and disengaged. As I press the accelerator, nothing happens, then suddenly the car will take off. This happened when I test drove the car (I chalked it up to the start/stop mode), sitting at a light making a U turn to the left.. Since purchase this has happened multiple times, usually when the vehicle wheels are turned to left or right but this past week-end, it happened as I finally was able to accelerate after hesitation and traveling in a straight line. Dangerous to say the least! Dealer says they cannot replicate and they basically do nothing other than suggest I put a few more miles on it. Currently around 6000 miles.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026