The 2020 Volkswagen Atlas is a SUV that came with a choice of 2.0L 4-cyl and 3.6L 6-cyl engines. Even at 6 years old, a damaged or broken-down one still has real value for its parts. Running or not, we'll make you an offer and tow it away for free.
| Body style | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD, Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD |
|---|---|
| Engines | 2.0L 4-cyl, 3.6L 6-cyl (turbocharged versions available) |
| Transmissions | Automatic (S8) |
| Drive | Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive |
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
| Fuel economy | 16–21 city / 22–24 highway / 19–22 combined MPG |
| EPA annual fuel cost | $3,050–$3,550 a year (EPA estimate at current fuel prices, 15,000 miles) |
| Tailpipe CO₂ | 401–480 grams per mile |
| EPA fuel economy score | 3–4 out of 10 |
| EPA greenhouse gas score | 3–4 out of 10 |
| Curb weight (NHTSA test vehicle) | 4,580 lb |
| Gross vehicle weight rating | 5,622–6,019 lb |
| Versions tested by EPA | 7 configurations: Atlas Cross Sport, Atlas Cross Sport 4motion, Atlas, Atlas 4motion |
| Age | 6 years |
Specs, fuel cost and emissions from the EPA's fueleconomy.gov data; weights from NHTSA crash-test records. Your car's exact equipment may differ.
NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls covering the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas. Open recalls don't stop you from selling or junking the car, but check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which apply to yours.
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.
Risk: A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
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…
Risk: An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.
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…
Risk: A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
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…
Risk: Without the reduced GVWR label, the vehicle could be overloaded, leading to a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Owners have filed 27 complaints about the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas with NHTSA.
Complaints are reports from owners and aren't verified by NHTSA. One complaint can list several components. Mileage is the median odometer reading owners reported for that component.
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas, by version tested.
| Version | Overall | Frontal crash | Side crash | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suv, AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 13.6% |
| Suv, FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 15.9% |
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP). Ratings from different model years or rating systems aren't directly comparable.
Manufacturers have filed 624 technical service bulletins and communications with NHTSA covering the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas. These are repair instructions for known issues, not recalls.
10 of them are warranty extensions. Warranty extensions mean the manufacturer agreed to cover a specific repair beyond the normal warranty. They rarely still apply to a car this age, but they point to known weak spots.
Suggested fuel additive
This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to corre
Repair or Replace Information
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins).
NHTSA opened 2 defect investigations covering the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas.
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
On September 28, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE23017) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Front Assist automatic emergency braking (AEB) system in model year (MY) 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles.The reports alleged that activation of the AEB system
Fuel Injector Leak
On March 29, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE21-008 to investigate instances of fuel injectors leaking in the engine compartment in model year (MY) 2018 through 2020 Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs. These vehicles are equipped with either a 3.6 or 2.0 liter engine. The subject inve
‹ Sell a 2019 Atlas · All Volkswagen Atlas years
It depends on its condition, whether major parts like the engine, transmission and catalytic converter are still there, and current scrap and parts prices where you live. As a heavier vehicle, its scrap weight adds to the offer. Enter your ZIP code above for a free offer on your specific car.
Yes. We buy 2020 Atlass that don't start, were in an accident, failed inspection or have a blown engine or transmission. Towing is always free.
Yes. Open recalls don't prevent a junk sale. NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas; you can check whether any are still open on yours with the VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Usually the title and a photo ID. Rules differ by state, including what to do with your plates and whether to file a notice of sale. Check our state-by-state car title guides for the official forms.
Data retrieved October 2026.
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