Volkswagen Arteon Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used Volkswagen Arteon options? We analyzed 5 model years (2019–2023) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the Volkswagen Arteon has 103 owner complaints and 6 safety recalls across model years 2019–2023. The most reported issue area is TIRES. 2021 drew the most complaints; 2019 drew the fewest.
- Make
- Volkswagen
- Model
- Arteon
- Model years analyzed
- 2019–2023 (5 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 103
- Safety recall campaigns
- 6
- Crash-related complaints
- 3
- Fire-related complaints
- 3
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2021 (42 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2019 (8 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- TIRES
- Reliability signal
- Below Average
By model year
Volkswagen Arteon: which years to avoid & which to buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
NCAP crash test ratings for this model are not yet loaded or this vehicle was not tested in the years analyzed. NHTSA tests a subset of new vehicles each year. Check nhtsa.gov/ratings directly for the latest results.
What the complaint data suggests
Below AverageThe VOLKSWAGEN ARTEON has 103 NHTSA complaints and 6 recalls on record. 3 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 103 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 6 federal recall campaigns
- 3 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Sep 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
6 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:CRITICAL FASTENERS
SERVICE BRAKES
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2019–2023. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 103 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
103 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
Four tires have split, all in the same place (inside) and around the entire tire with very little mileage, dealership inspected the vehicle and found nothing wrong with the car, all problems pointing to the tires, there is documentation and video of this issue however, they continue to put these tires on the car and the tires just keep splitting, really afraid to drive the car now that Iv'e read where others are having the same issues, this is a safty hazard and could cause serious injury, need someone to look into this asap Thanks
Volkswagen has issued an interim safety recall for certain VW vehicles. We believe this also incorporates VW Arteon. The Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) detects a malfunction, switches off the passenger airbag, displays an Airbag error and renders the passenger seat inoperable due to increased risk of injury. I’m alerted by the illumination of the airbag warning light, an acoustic warning sound, an error message displayed on the instrument cluster. I’ve been to 2 Volkswagen Dealerships, they report this is a common concern noted and should be reported to NHTSA.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Arteon equipped with Continental Tires, Tire Line: ProContact TX, Tire Size: 245/35/R20, DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle started shaking without warning. The contact pulled over on the side of the road and noticed that the front passenger’s side tire had a bump on the sidewall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the tire was replaced. On another occasion, the contact noticed that the front driver’s side tire had a bump on the sidewall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer again and the tire was replaced. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.
Sunroof blew out at 70mph making a sound like a gunshot from within the car. Nothing externally or internally hit the glass. Sunscreen protected the passengers as 75% of the glass blew out and scratched the roof, trunk and back panels of the car traveling at highway speed. Car was under manufacturer’s original factory warranty but when the VW dealer contacted VW they denied it being a warrantable item despite the warranty book saying defective glass is warranted. My comprehensive auto insurance is paying for the new sunroof and extensive paint costs minus my out of pocket deductible.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Arteon equipped with Continental tires, Tire line: ProContact TX, Tire Size: 245/35/R20, DOT number: (N/A). The contact stated that on several occasions at different intervals while driving at various speeds, the driver’s and passenger’s side front and rear tires experienced blowouts. After each blowout, the spare tire was placed on the vehicle. The vehicle was then driven to a tire repair facility and the tire was replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The approximate tire failure mileage was 40,000.
The rear view camera will occasionally not work. The first symptom is that the touchscreen instrument panel displays a pop-up dialog, randomly while driving, that says, "ParkPilot is not available right now." This dialog needs to be cleared by pressing "OK" before the rest of the navigation can be seen again. The more troubling symptom is that the rear view camera will occasionally not come on when either shifting into Reverse gear or even pressing the physical Rear View Camera button. I believe the two symptoms are related to problems with the vehicle's sensors and may be related to another recall that exists in the 2021 year of the same model (Arteon), with campaign number 20V716000. The dealer has not been able to reproduce the problem, but the issue occurs intermittently and causes a potential safety risk.
Read 14 more owner reports
HELLO, THIS VEHICLE IS WARPING ROTORS IN THE FIRST 10,000 MILES OF OWNERSHIP AND COULD CAUSE A WRECK. WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND APPLY LIGHT PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES I GET HEAVY VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE VEHICLE FEELS UNSAFE. THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY. VERY UPSETTING.
2019 VW ARTEON SE WITH 4 MOTION,15000 MILES. LOUD NOISE WITH SHAKING AROUND 2000 REV/MIN AROUND 40MPH COMING FROM PASSAGER FRONT SIDE, ANNOYING. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED,
SOS MODULE FAILURE 3 TIMES IN 8 MONTHS
On my driver's screen, an error message popped up that read "SOS, ERROR: Emergency call function. Service vehicle!" I took my car to the dealership. This was in November of 2023. They were able to remove the error message but the module itself was broken and the SOS feature was not working and would need to be replaced. This module also affects the ability to talk hands-free. This module has been on back-order for nearly a year. It is illegal in most states to use your phone w/ your hands, but more importantly, I was sold a car with the SOS feature and a hands-free (and more) phone/Carnet feature. This is affecting many VW models as well as Audi's and Skodas and is all over the internet. I've contacted VW USA and they are unable to provide ANY information on if and when the modules will be available and told me to "stay in touch" with my dealership. I am on my 6th VW and this is my first complaint. It's a BIG one! I can see a back order of 3-6 months, but NOT a year.
By browsing through any forum it is evident the VW Arteon has a reoccurring issue with the vehicle suddenly turning off ACC due to an issue with the vehicles travel assistance systems. Repairs forced to be made by the consumer includes multiple steering wheel changes sensor replacements and other things all occurring in under 3-4 years and under 30k miles of purchase
I need a switch that goes in the steering column. This switch controls auto start/stop, cruise control, lane keeping assist, front pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control and much more. This switch is currently not available and has been unavailable for purchase for well over a month. I feel that I am not driving a safe vehicle and that because my vehicle was low volume car there is very little concern from VW to get this part produced.
The warning lights flash on and off, sometimes multiple times a second, sounding a loud beeping each time. It is triggered at engine start and persists through all speeds. I have experienced it 0-70 mph. The flashing lights and associated rapid beeping indicating the failure is extremely distracting while driving. Warning lights and warning sounds are designed to alert the driver to a potential safety issue so ignoring the lights and sounds is dangerous in the event it is a different caution/warning. However, also not ignoring it is dangerous because of the frequency of the warnings which causes the driver to look in steering panel and not paying attention on the road,
This vehicle is fitted with low profile tires and alloy wheels that do not adequately respond to common road hazards such as potholes. At the time of purchase, I was informed by the dealership that other customers had experienced issues with flat tires and was urged to purchase additional tire and wheel protection coverage. I did purchase this coverage. I have owned the vehicle for less than two months and have experienced two blow-out flat tires. Each incident occurred while traveling normally maintained roads in clear conditions at speeds less than 45 mph. Blow out flats have out me and the other vehicle occupants at risk for collision, as well as additional risk of accidents while waiting stranded on heavily traveled roads. This tire/wheel combination is unsafe and should be recalled by the manufacturer and replaced with a more robust wheel/tire combination. Consumers should not be expected to bear the cost of the manufacturer’s poor design and marketing decision.
By browsing through any forum it is evident the VW Arteon has a reoccurring issue with the vehicle suddenly turning off ACC due to an issue with the vehicles travel assistance systems. Repairs forced to be made by the consumer includes multiple steering wheel changes sensor replacements and other things all occurring in under 3-4 years and under 30k miles of purchase
I need a switch that goes in the steering column. This switch controls auto start/stop, cruise control, lane keeping assist, front pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control and much more. This switch is currently not available and has been unavailable for purchase for well over a month. I feel that I am not driving a safe vehicle and that because my vehicle was low volume car there is very little concern from VW to get this part produced.
The warning lights flash on and off, sometimes multiple times a second, sounding a loud beeping each time. It is triggered at engine start and persists through all speeds. I have experienced it 0-70 mph. The flashing lights and associated rapid beeping indicating the failure is extremely distracting while driving. Warning lights and warning sounds are designed to alert the driver to a potential safety issue so ignoring the lights and sounds is dangerous in the event it is a different caution/warning. However, also not ignoring it is dangerous because of the frequency of the warnings which causes the driver to look in steering panel and not paying attention on the road,
This vehicle is fitted with low profile tires and alloy wheels that do not adequately respond to common road hazards such as potholes. At the time of purchase, I was informed by the dealership that other customers had experienced issues with flat tires and was urged to purchase additional tire and wheel protection coverage. I did purchase this coverage. I have owned the vehicle for less than two months and have experienced two blow-out flat tires. Each incident occurred while traveling normally maintained roads in clear conditions at speeds less than 45 mph. Blow out flats have out me and the other vehicle occupants at risk for collision, as well as additional risk of accidents while waiting stranded on heavily traveled roads. This tire/wheel combination is unsafe and should be recalled by the manufacturer and replaced with a more robust wheel/tire combination. Consumers should not be expected to bear the cost of the manufacturer’s poor design and marketing decision.
By browsing through any forum it is evident the VW Arteon has a reoccurring issue with the vehicle suddenly turning off ACC due to an issue with the vehicles travel assistance systems. Repairs forced to be made by the consumer includes multiple steering wheel changes sensor replacements and other things all occurring in under 3-4 years and under 30k miles of purchase
I need a switch that goes in the steering column. This switch controls auto start/stop, cruise control, lane keeping assist, front pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control and much more. This switch is currently not available and has been unavailable for purchase for well over a month. I feel that I am not driving a safe vehicle and that because my vehicle was low volume car there is very little concern from VW to get this part produced.
Showing 20 of 103 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact Volkswagen Arteon
These pages show model-year patterns across 5 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used Volkswagen Arteon, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Volkswagen Arteon has 103 complaints on record across 5 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Volkswagen Arteon has 6 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 3 of the Volkswagen Arteon's 103 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Below Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Volkswagen Arteon vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two Volkswagen Arteon vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Volkswagen Arteon has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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By state
Check a Volkswagen Arteon by state
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used Volkswagen Arteon.
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Volkswagen Arteon reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the Volkswagen Arteon reliable?
Below Average. The Volkswagen Arteon has 103 NHTSA owner complaints and 6 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is TIRES. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which Volkswagen Arteon years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2021 (42 complaints), 2023 (39 complaints), 2022 (12 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common Volkswagen Arteon problems?
Top reported issues: TIRES (45 complaints); FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE (27 complaints); LANE DEPARTURE (15 complaints).
Does the Volkswagen Arteon have recalls?
Yes — 6 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the Volkswagen Arteon. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.