2021 Volkswagen ARTEON
Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report
Quick Summary
The 2021 Volkswagen ARTEON has 25 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.3x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is driver assist/cameras problems (36% of all complaints), specifically: 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 wa. ⚠️ 2 fire reports filed.
25
Total Complaints
0
Recalls Issued
—/5
Safety Stars
0.3x
vs Segment Avg
Known Problems
DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS
9 complaints- • 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 wa
- • 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 wa
- • 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
“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 wa”
— NHTSA complaint filing
SPEED CONTROL
5 complaints- • 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
- • 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 - of
- • 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 of
“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 ”
— NHTSA complaint filing
TIRES
3 complaints- • Continental 245 35 20 tires. Experienced six (6) sidewall failures in 10 months from relatively average pothole or road bumps. Only one of the six failures occurred at a speed above 35 mph. Incident occurred between February 2021 and October 2021
- • Bubbles on sidewall of all tires, some multiple bubbles. Rotated on schedule, freeway driving.
- • 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 informati
“Continental 245 35 20 tires. Experienced six (6) sidewall failures in 10 months from relatively average pothole or road bumps. Only one of the six failures occurred at a speed above 35 mph. Incident occurred between February 2021 and October 2021”
— NHTSA complaint filing
OTHER
2 complaints- • 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
- • 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 of
“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 ”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ELECTRICAL
2 complaints- • 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 res
- • 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 el
“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 res”
— NHTSA complaint filing
Estimated Repair Costs
Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.
🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Based on 25 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:
- ☐DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS: 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 wa
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐SPEED CONTROL: 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
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐TIRES: Continental 245 35 20 tires. Experienced six (6) sidewall failures in 10 months from relatively average pothole or road bumps. Only one of the six failures occurred at a speed above 35 mph. Incident occurred between February 2021 and October 2021
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐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
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)
Volkswagen ARTEON — Year Comparison
How does 2021 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.
Full years-to-avoid analysis →NHTSA Safety Rating
No NHTSA safety rating available
At a Glance
- Complaints
- 25
- Recalls
- 0
- Fire reports
- 2
- Crash reports
- 2
- Injury reports
- 0
- Segment avg
- 80
Check a Specific VIN
See recalls for YOUR 2021 Volkswagen ARTEON