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2021 Volkswagen Arteon

Gas
Large Cars
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
C
Safety Signal
78 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns4
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA14
Crash ratingNHTSA overall—
Fuel economybest combined, EPA25 mpg
202420232022202120202019

The 2021 Volkswagen Arteon is sold in the U.S. as a gas large car with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Arteon, is EPA-rated at 25 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 14 complaints, most often about the forward collision avoidance.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
ArteonGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo223225$3,100
Arteon 4motionGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo203124$3,250

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 43260, 43259.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2021 Volkswagen Arteon is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (4)

Source: NHTSA recall database
○minor

Back Over Prevention

91DV
43,091 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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."RiskA rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 22V514000reported Jul 20, 2022Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

47R3
99 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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.RiskA detached pressure input rod will cause the brake pedal to fail, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 21V695000reported Sep 8, 2021Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Tires

44R2
149 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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."RiskThe TPMS may misidentify a tire with low air pressure, increasing the risk of a crash.FixVolkswagen 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.
NHTSA campaign 21V274000reported Apr 21, 2021Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
○minor

Back Over Prevention

91BB / 91BC
32,048 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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."RiskA black or frozen rear view image reduces the driver's visibility when reversing, increasing the risk of a crash.FixVolkswagen 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.
NHTSA campaign 20V716000reported Nov 18, 2020Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
14complaints filed

1 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2021: 1 · 2022: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 1

Most-cited components

Forward Collision Avoidance9
Lane Departure4
Tires3
Unspecified2
Electrical System2
Exterior Lighting1

What owners describe

“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 …”Mar 9, 2026 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report
“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 t…”Oct 1, 2025 · Tires · NHTSA owner report
“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 fa…”Apr 2, 2024 · Air Bags · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Other Arteon model years

A

2024 Volkswagen Arteon

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2023 Volkswagen Arteon

1 recalls · 13 complaints

A

2022 Volkswagen Arteon

0 recalls · 4 complaints

A

2020 Volkswagen Arteon

0 recalls · 2 complaints

A

2019 Volkswagen Arteon

1 recalls · 8 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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