Volkswagen Atlas, Golf R May Miss Safety Standards

NHTSA campaign 21V321000 · Reported May 5, 2021 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

high How serious is it? About this label

Vehicles that do not meet all federal safety requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.

Key facts

NHTSA campaign number	21V321000
Reported to NHTSA	May 5, 2021
Manufacturer	Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Part affected	Unknown OR Other
Vehicles covered	3 model/year combinations, model years 2018–2019
Do-not-drive advisory	No
Park-outside advisory	No
Repair	Free at any franchised dealer

What's wrong, in plain English

These vehicles were used internally by Volkswagen for its own purposes before being sold to customers, and they may have been modified at some point before that sale. Volkswagen did not confirm that these vehicles were built to meet all of the regulatory requirements that apply to them before they were sold. Because of this, the vehicles may not meet all of the federal motor vehicle safety standards that they are required to meet.

What you should do

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if your vehicle is affected. 2. Contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 to arrange next steps. 3. Volkswagen has stated it will repurchase these vehicles.

Where do I find my VIN, and what do I tell the dealer?

Your VIN is the 17-character code on the lower left of the windshield, on your registration and usually on your insurance card. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether this recall is still open on your car. When you call the dealer, say you have an open safety recall and give them NHTSA campaign number 21V321000. More in how recalls work.

Affected vehicles (3)

2018 Volkswagen Atlas
2018 Volkswagen Golf R
2019 Volkswagen Golf R

Who to contact

Volkswagen — official Volkswagen recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-893-5298

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Volkswagen recalls for vehicles with unconfirmed federal safety compliance · all 3 Volkswagen recalls in this area

Other Volkswagen Atlas recalls

Sep 11, 2026Volkswagen Atlas And Tiguan Steering Bolt May Breakhigh
Jul 22, 2026VW Atlas rearview camera image may not displaymedium
Dec 4, 2025Volkswagen Atlas May Have Incorrect Wheel Bolts Installedcritical
Jun 30, 2025VW Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport, ID.4 Loose Boltshigh
May 21, 2025Volkswagen Atlas Rearview Camera Image Distortionmedium
Feb 17, 2025Volkswagen Atlas Engine Cover May Cause Firecritical

All 48 Atlas recalls

Official notice

Component: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Touareg GP, Tiguan, Golf A6, E-Golf GP, CCF, 2016-2017 Passat GP, 2018-2019 Golf R GP, and 2018 Atlas vehicles. These internal-use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Safety risk: Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.
Remedy: Volkswagen will repurchase the vehicles. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01F1.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.