2021 Volkswagen Atlas, 2020–2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Recall: One or both steering knuckles may have been damaged during production

NHTSA campaign 20V712000 · Steering · filed Nov 17, 2020 · verified Jul 30, 2026

Units reported

776

Manufacturer

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Risk

Crash / injury

Owner letters

Mailing began Nov 19, 2020

The defect

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.

The risk

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

Check whether your specific vehicle is affected

Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.

Check VIN on NHTSA →

The fix — what to do

Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the steering knuckle, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40Q6. Note: Owners are advised to DO NOT DRIVE the vehicle until the vehicle has been inspected and repaired if necessary.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Affected vehicles

Make	Model	Model years
Volkswagen	Atlas	2021
Volkswagen	Atlas Cross Sport	2020, 2021

Related recalls

More Volkswagen Atlas recalls

Other campaigns involving Volkswagen vehicles

All Volkswagen Atlas recalls → · All Volkswagen recalls →

Source: NHTSA recall database, campaign 20V712000 (manufacturer number 40Q6). Data last verified Jul 30, 2026.