2021 Volkswagen Arteon problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Tires:sidewall (2) · Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings (2) · Wheels (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Volkswagen Arteon model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (4)
Equipment:electrical:infotainment:software 2022-07-20 · campaign 22V514000 · 43,091 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Golf GTI, Jetta GLI, Jetta NF, Arteon FL, Tiguan LWB, 2022 Taos, Jetta PA, Tiguan PA, 2021-2022 Atlas Cross Sport, and Atlas FL vehicles. The manufacturing process of the eMMC memory module in the infotainment system may cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the infotainment software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DV.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:critical Fasteners 2021-09-08 · campaign 21V695000 · 99 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Arteon vehicles. The pressure input rod connection on the brake booster may be loose and could detach.
Risk: A detached pressure input rod will cause the brake pedal to fail, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will tighten the pressure input rod connection, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 28, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 47R3.
Tires:pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems 2021-04-21 · campaign 21V274000 · 149 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Arteon vehicles. The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) sensors were incorrectly calibrated and may not detect the position of a wheel sensor after tire rotation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Risk: The TPMS may misidentify a tire with low air pressure, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wheel electronics and tire valves, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 25, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 44R2.
Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera 2020-11-18 · campaign 20V716000 · 32,048 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas Cross Sport, Tiguan LWB, Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas FL and Arteon vehicles. The rear view camera could malfunction during an ignition cycle, leading to a black screen or infotainment system freeze. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A black or frozen rear view image reduces the driver's visibility when reversing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the infotainment system software, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91BB/91BC.
Service bulletins (401)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Engine 2026-09-17 · V0116152014815_20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
suggested fuel additive
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-09 · SM 39-2026 · Other
this special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
Service Brakes 2026-08-27 · V4622022067177_5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
repair or replace information
Power Train 2026-08-10 · V4015022033347_8 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
replacement instruction
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-06 · TT 00-13-04_7 · Other
permission to change daily order upgraded to red order
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-04 · V0026012081638_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
differences between a leak and seepage
Showing the 6 most recent of 401 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-03-09 · Vehicle Speed Control“date: march 9, 2026 formal complaint: safety concern regarding unintended acceleration** vehicle information: year/make/model: 2021 volkswagen arteon vin: [xxx] purchased from: clay cooley volkswagen (october 2024) to whom it may concern, i am writing to formally report a series of escalating electrical and mechanical failures regarding my 2021…”
2025-10-01 · Tires“several of the tires showing delamination according to the dealership. extremely hazardous to drive on tires as is. manufacturer (continental) advised me on 9/25/2025 they would replace 5 tires (car purchased new, came with full size spare). continental representative give me their contact information and stated that they would have to deal direct…”
2025-04-10 · Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection“travel assist alert keeps going off for no reason. it is very annoying…”
2024-04-02 · Engine · 6,000 mi“the contact owns a 2021 volkswagen arteon. the contact stated that while driving approximately 18 to 23 mph, there was a loud clanking noise coming from the engine. the air bag warning light illuminated. the vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. t…”
2024-02-23 · Unknown Or Other“this defect causes multiple, non-periodic, but repeated, "travel assist unavailable" audible and visual alarms at seemingly unrelated and unpredictable times while driving. my favorite times are when you start making a turn after coming to a full stop and it alarms, asking you to take your eyes off the road and look at the dash. there is no way …”
2024-02-16 · Lane Departure: Warning“after the vehicle has been sitting for some time, it will repeatedly beep and display “travel assist not available” with a warning triangle. it seems to be steering wheel related. it does not do it sitting still, only while moving. this happens every morning for the first few minutes of driving - often for several miles, and is getting worse. today…”
2023-08-14 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings“in differing lighting conditions, the forward-looking sensor that controls my frontal assist becomes disabled. the system automatically retests itself occasionally, and sometimes straightens itself out but on other occasions, it just makes a bell sound, and reminds me that my frontal assist is not available at this time. i have brought this to the …”
2023-02-11 · Electrical System“the infotainment system begins to lag after being connect for >30 minutes. the touch screen stops responding to immediate inputs and takes up to 15 seconds to respond. soon after, the screen will go black and not display any information when connected to carplay. controls become very slow to respond and the map colors and images becomes scrambl…”
2023-02-10 · Unknown Or Other“travel assist blends the functions of adaptive cruise control and lane assist to ensure that your volkswagen maintains a safe distance from the vehicle ahead and keeps you centered in the lane. constant travel assistance issue warning light during driving, and randomly turning on/off or turning the wheel, going over bumps. this issue was address at…”
2022-07-12 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings · 💥 crash · 🔥 fire“auto ran into a slow moving car at the top of a hill. minor damage to other car. fire started on the arteon and then totalled the car. this could have caused death. car was inspected by insurance company and they determined the car to be a total loss. no other analysis has been completed. no warning lamps or message or symptoms of problems exi…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.