Trim Report

Volkswagen Atlas SEL2021

Includes:VOLKSATL|SEL
$7,400
Starting From
2,280
Active Listings
Avg Mileage

Sourced from 2,280 active dealer listings as of

Min $7,400
Max $54,748
From $7,400
Fresh
Safety

14 active recalls on record. Review the safety section before buying

2021 Volkswagen Atlas SEL Pricing

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Where to Find Volkswagen Atlas SEL

Location data for all 2021 Volkswagen Atlas trims combined

38States

If you're near Florida, you're in luck: 10% of listings are there. But with 38 states represented, there's likely one near you too.

Volkswagen Atlas Safety & Reliability

Safety data for all 2021 Volkswagen Atlas trims

Elevated

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas's elevated safety profile includes 14 recall campaigns and 412 owner-reported complaints. Make recall verification part of your pre-purchase checklist.

14
Recalls
412
Complaints
7
Crashes
1
Fires
Recall Findings
21V0260002021-27-01
STEERING

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The front steering knuckle may fracture in the area of the strut mounting.

A fractured steering knuckle can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

View at NHTSA
21V1320002021-03-03
WHEELS:RIM

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The lug bolt holes on the wheels may have been machined incorrectly, preventing the wheel bolt from sufficiently attaching to the wheel bearing hub.

An insufficiently attached wheel may separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

View at NHTSA
21V8920002021-17-11
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

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.

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.

View at NHTSA
View all 14 recalls
20V5050002020-26-08
SEATS

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen ) is recalling certain 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Jetta, Jetta GLI and Tiguan and Audi Q5 and SQ5 and 2021 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. Parts of the front seat frame and backrest adjuster may not have been welded properly.

In the event of a rear-end crash, the backrest adjustment could break, possibly reducing the amount of occupant restraint, thus increasing risk of injury.

View at NHTSA
20V5040002020-26-08
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020 Atlas Cross Sports and 2021 Atlas vehicles. The driver's side headlight may have been aimed too low during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

A headlight aimed incorrectly aimed reduces the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

View at NHTSA
20V7020002020-13-11
TIRES:SIDEWALL

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport and 2021 Atlas vehicles equipped with Continental Cross Contact LX Sport tires, size 255/50 R 20 105 T. The tires may have been over cured.

Over cured tires can result in a sidewall break causing a sudden loss of air pressure or the tread separating from the tire. Both conditions increase the risk of a crash.

View at NHTSA
20V7120002020-17-11
STEERING

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. One or both steering knuckles may have been damaged during production.

A damaged steering knuckle can fail, causing a loss of steering, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.

View at NHTSA
21V6160002021-06-08
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:RELAYS/SOLENOIDS

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. Damaged relays may have been installed in the engine compartment fuse box, which could inadvertently activate the horn or engine starter.

A horn or starter that remains activated for an extended period of time can overheat, increasing the risk of fire.

View at NHTSA
22V0860002022-16-02
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

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 Rims."

Without the reduced GVWR label, the vehicle could be overloaded, leading to a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.

View at NHTSA
22V1520002022-28-03
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

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.

A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.

View at NHTSA
22V2450002022-13-04
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Atlas FL and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The long fuel injectors may have been assembled without filters.

Long fuel injectors with missing filters may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.

View at NHTSA
22V8150002022-31-10
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

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 tires simultaneously. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."

An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.

View at NHTSA
23V2150002023-29-03
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

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.

A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.

View at NHTSA
24V4640002024-20-06
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

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.

A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.

View at NHTSA

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Top Complaint Areas

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas has accumulated 412 NHTSA complaints over 1 years, with exterior lighting leading the pack. Know what to look for before you buy.

01Exterior Lighting38
02Air Bags36
03Unknown Or Other33
04Engine26
05Electrical System25
412 total across 1 model years (2021–2021)Full data at NHTSA.gov
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Volkswagen Atlas Fuel Economy

EPA fuel economy data for all 2021 Volkswagen Atlas trims

18–22mpg combined
·
16-21city
·
22-24hwy
·
$2,000-$2,450/yr

With 8 configurations tested, the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas ranges from 18 to 22 MPG combined. That's a 4 MPG gap that can add up to hundreds of dollars a year in fuel costs.

By Trim
Atlas - Automatic (S8)
22mpg
2.0L 4-cyl Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive
21 city24 hwy~$2,000/yr4/10 Average
Atlas 4motion - Automatic (S8)
22mpg
2.0L 4-cyl Turbo · All-Wheel Drive
20 city24 hwy~$2,000/yr4/10 Average
Atlas Cross Sport - Automatic (S8)
22mpg
2.0L 4-cyl Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive
21 city24 hwy~$2,000/yr4/10 Average
Atlas Cross Sport 4motion - Automatic (S8)
22mpg
2.0L 4-cyl Turbo · All-Wheel Drive
20 city24 hwy~$2,000/yr4/10 Average
Atlas Cross Sport - Automatic (S8)
20mpg
3.6L 6-cyl · Front-Wheel Drive
18 city23 hwy~$2,200/yr4/10 Average
Atlas - Automatic (S8)
19mpg
3.6L 6-cyl · Front-Wheel Drive
17 city23 hwy~$2,300/yr3/10 Poor
Atlas Cross Sport 4motion - Automatic (S8)
19mpg
3.6L 6-cyl · All-Wheel Drive
17 city23 hwy~$2,300/yr3/10 Poor
Atlas 4motion - Automatic (S8)
18mpg
3.6L 6-cyl · All-Wheel Drive
16 city22 hwy~$2,450/yr3/10 Poor

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

2021 Volkswagen Atlas SEL FAQ

Trim-specific pricing and feature questions

How does the SEL compare to other Volkswagen Atlas trims?

Every Volkswagen Atlas trim targets a different buyer. The 2021 model page compares all available trims side by side.

What should I know about maintaining the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas SEL?

The SEL shares its core mechanicals with other Volkswagen Atlas trims, so major service intervals are similar. Watch for exterior lighting issues, the most commonly reported problem area. There are 14 recalls to verify before purchase. The 2021 model page has the details.

What are the best years for the Volkswagen Atlas SEL?

Check the price-to-mileage ratio for each Volkswagen Atlas SEL year. The last year before a generation change is usually the most refined; the first year after is when resale drops fastest. The Volkswagen Atlas overview compares all years side by side.

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