BMW X1 vs Volkswagen Atlas

Which used car has the cleaner record?

We line up what owners actually reported to NHTSA — complaints and recall campaigns — for both cars, so you can compare their paper trail before you buy.

Last updated: June 28, 2026

Side by side	X1	Atlas
Body type	SUV	SUV
Years sampled	2016, 2020, 2024	2020, 2024
Owner complaints	202	189fewer
Recall campaigns	7fewer	12
NHTSA investigations	2fewer	3
Overall safety (NHTSA, US)	4/5	5/5
Combined economy (EPA, US)	9 L/100km	10.2 L/100km

Body type

X1: SUV
Atlas: SUV

Years sampled

X1: 2016, 2020, 2024
Atlas: 2020, 2024

Owner complaints

X1: 202
Atlas: 189fewer

Recall campaigns

X1: 7fewer
Atlas: 12

NHTSA investigations

X1: 2fewer
Atlas: 3

Overall safety (NHTSA, US)

X1: 4/5
Atlas: 5/5

Combined economy (EPA, US)

X1: 9 L/100km
Atlas: 10.2 L/100km

The quick read

Over the sampled model years, the BMW X1 has 202 complaints and 7 recalls, and the Volkswagen Atlas has 189 complaints and 12 recalls. Lower numbers point to fewer reported issues, but always confirm the exact car with a VIN check.

Check a X1 VIN Check a Atlas VIN

NHTSA (US) owner-complaint and recall counts over recent model years. A reliability signal, not a check of any one car. Always run the VIN.