Volkswagen Atlas Complaints

981 consumer complaints on file.

#11740364May 27, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Front passenger-side daytime running light went out. Cannot be replaced individually. Must replace entire front lighting assembly at significant cost.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739993May 26, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The DRLs went out at the same time. It's still not working so it's available for inspection. DRLs are obviously safety-relevant. No warning, no messages. Checking fault codes shows "module overheating".
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739873May 25, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Passenger side daytime running light has burned out. Driver side daytime running light is starting to burn out as well. Starting to read that this is a problem for this year make and model of vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739751May 23, 2026
AIR BAGS, ENGINE
Ever since I bought this vehicle, it stalls randomly. Apparently this is a major issue with this car and complaints are all over the Internet by owners. I have a child and I am afraid to drive the car. I have bought the car to get fixed and it is still stalling. It appears that thousands of people have the same issue as some sort of canister needs to be replaced but even shortly after it is replaced, my vehicle stalls along with everyone else’s. Also, my info entertainment center has issues and my airbag has an error code right now. From what I am reading, this vehicle is a major hazard and is very dangerous to drive.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739668May 23, 2026
SEATS
Rear seat latch for the second row, which enables the seats to slide forward for passengers to enter the third row, does not latch correctly. Recent incident where child in car seat in the third row was thrown forward into the rear of the drivers seat (seatback) when the 2nd row seat latch mechanism suddenly released when applying light pressure to the brakes. Child was injured, suffered a laceration and bruising to his eye area.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11739342May 21, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Driver's side daytime running lights have gone out already after fairly low mileage. Have since discovered this is a very common issue for this model and requires entire headlight assembly replacement, which is over $1,000. This prohibitive cost lessens the likelihood of replacement for many drivers and since it is not legally required it negates the added safety value of these lights.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739249May 21, 2026
ENGINE
The vehicle has an oil leak in the crankshaft with 70 K miles, dealership states not covered by VW
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739147May 20, 2026
AIR BAGS
My daughter hit a deer while she was on the interstate, so she had her cruise control set at 72 mph, the deer came up out of the left/median ditch (she was in the left lane at the time). There was no warning as she did not see it at all, so there was an immediate, intense impact, enough where the hood of the car ended up opening up and smashing and coming to rest against the windshield. The Front end of the Atlas was HEAVILY damaged and NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED at all! The vehicle's seatbelt did lock up and keep her from slamming into the steering column and windshield and the vehicle's Front Assist Braking system did engage after the impact to slow her down and actually tried pulling her to the side of the road, although, that could be a flaw as well as it assumed that she was in the right lane of the road to begin with, so it pulled her to stop in the middle of the right lane of the Interstate. Thankfully it was late enough in the evening and no other traffic so she was able to figure that out in her post accident confusion and was able to get the car further off the road and call for help. The Atlas had to be towed from the scene. Prior to this incident there has been no issues with any warning lights coming on and we have had all past recalls taken care of through the VW Dealership we bought our VW from, so we assume that they were taken care of properly.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739130May 20, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Had new vehicle for 1 week and it broke down in a parking lot and would not start on 5/10/26. It was towed and dealership, found it to be a faulty feel injector system that was replaced. Picked it up from the dealership on 5/13/26 and I lost the ability to accelerate while on the interstate. It was towed back to the dealership who had to reach out to V. W headquarters to determine the problem. It was discovered that the electronic control module needed to be replaced. That unit is on back order and I still do not have my vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738832May 19, 2026
ENGINE
There was a recall on my PVC part in my 2023 atlas. An effect of a clogged pvc is an oil leak. The Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) system relieves built-up pressure inside your engine. When it fails or clogs, this pressure traps air inside the crankcase. The excess pressure often forces oil out through the weakest points, which can mimic a bad seal or gasket. I took my car to the dealership in Md and they claim that I need to get new seals on several parts of my car but they claim that my oil leak its not related to the PVC. This is a 2023 car with one owner and no previous problems. There are thousands of complaints online about the PVC part continuing to fail and continuing to cause oil leaks in consumers cars. The oil leak has also caused my driving belt to fail and in my case shred while driving. This is unsafe and makes cars slow down instantly and can cause major car accidents. Why are consumers expected to pay for seal replacements when its related to failed parts on a car. The VW dealership said that my engine light would need to be on for them to say its a result of the failed PVC but my engine light was on when I dropped my car off. The dealership said they will not replaced parts that were effected from failed PVC due to car being out of warranty. My research tells me that Volkswagen is legally responsible. Because auto manufacturers are governed by strict liability laws, they are responsible for injuries and property damage flowing from the defective product they sold.VW wants consumers to pay $842 dollars to replace a part that cost less than $20. The VW company said that I needed to get my recall repair done earlier in order for them to honor the damages however Ive never seen a recall that came with a time limits on car repairs. This is highway robbery and VW needs to be held responsible for failing to maintain accountable and damages to consumers.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738815May 19, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
The hood release latch cable on my 2021 VW Atlas snapped, making it impossible to access the engine compartment. This happened as I was at the store to change the battery in my vehicle. I had to jump start the vehicle twice earlier that day, as the battery was wearing out. Because the hood would not open, I was unable to change the battery. Luckily, the vehicle started, so I could drive it home, but otherwise I would have been stranded with no way to start the vehicle as I would not have been able to open the hood and access the engine or battery. This is a serious safety concern. It should never happen on any vehicle, but certainly not on a vehicle that is only a few years old.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738502May 18, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The daylight running lights failed at the same time. This a closed system so VW wants 1000 per headlight unit.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738295May 16, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
Car repeatedly shutting off while driving. Coal canister replaced multiple times but car has continued to shut off even after replacement.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738050May 15, 2026
AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, PARKING BRAKE
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the emergency brake engaged without warning. All the warning lights were illuminated. The windows went up and down without application. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V152000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Volkswagen South Towne Service and Parts Department: 11000 Frontage Rd, South Jordan, UT 84095, where it was diagnosed that the driver door module had failed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who informed there was no warranty coverage and no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737443May 12, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
I was casually checking my fluid levels when I opened the hood and there was a loud pop upon pulling the hood release lever. Numerous complaints online led me to believe that this was the hood release cable coming undone which now means I have no access to my battery and all components of the vehicle under the hood.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737346May 12, 2026
ENGINE
I have an Atlas Voltswagon 2021. I have a water pump leak issue with my vehicle. There is a recall warranty for this vehicle from 2014-2021 for this very reason, but my VIN is not underneath this because of the trim package I have. I believe this is ridiculous. My trim package sound not be excluded from this warranty if its a manufactural issue and the make, model and year are within this warrenty. I'm bringing this to your attention because it will cost me $2000 from a voltswagon dealership to fix and other people with my trim package will probably be dealing with this issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737256May 12, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION FOR THIS ISSUE WHICH IS THE DRL'S/DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS FOR THE VW 2021 (2021-2023 ACTUALLY) GIVE OUT/FAIL, AND THEY CANNOT BE FIXED WITHOUT REPLACING THE $1200 ENTIRE HEADLIGHT PART. CRAZY FOR A LIGHT THAT NEW TO GIVE OUT FOR SO MANY. I REFUSE TO PAY FOR THESE IT IS OBVIOUYSLY A DESIGN FLAW ON THEIR END. IN OUR CASE, BOTH DRL'S GAVE OUT. REGULAR NIGHT LIGHTS WORK BUT THOSE DO NOT WORK DAY OR NIGHT AS THEY SHOULD
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737200May 12, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My 2024 Volkswagen Atlas began displaying multiple warning messages involving the engine, drive system, and powertrain. Warning messages included “Engine: error start/stop,” “Drive system, please service vehicle,” and other engine/powertrain alerts. The vehicle has had intermittent check engine lights, shaking, rough operation, abnormal noises, and repeated warning messages that disappear and then return. This is a serious safety issue. The vehicle has lost power, stopped working, failed while in use, and broken down. On one occasion, when I attempted to drive forward, the vehicle moved backward instead. The vehicle displays repeated drive system and engine warnings and becomes unreliable during operation. I have children and regularly transport them in this vehicle, and I do not believe this vehicle is safe to drive. The vehicle is still under factory warranty, but I have been unable to obtain timely warranty service. The Volkswagen dealership in Jackson, Mississippi advised they have severe staffing limitations and limited diagnostic availability, and I was told I need to take the vehicle to another state for service. I was also told by Volkswagen customer service that towing assistance may be available under warranty, but when connected with towing assistance I was advised coverage was only for a very limited distance 6 miles! I was quoted approximately $1,900 to tow the vehicle to the available Volkswagen service location in Louisiana. Because the vehicle is not safe or reliable to drive, I have also been forced to pay out of pocket for a rental vehicle while attempting to obtain warranty repairs. VW refused to help me with a loaner or rental. I am filing this complaint because these issues appear to involve the engine, electrical system, and powertrain and create a serious risk of loss of power, unexpected movement, breakdown, or failure while driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737102May 11, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The daytime running lights are not working. It is a safety concern by not being seen easily by oncoming drivers. No warnings were given prior to going out. This seems to be a common problem among same vehicle make and model according to forums on the internet. The only way to be repaired is to replace the entire headlamp assembly at a cost of $1500-$2000 which is not feasible.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736671May 8, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Both LED headlight running day lights went out together.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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