Volkswagen Atlas Complaints

981 consumer complaints on file.

#11593643June 11, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
While operating the vehicle at about 50 to 60 mph the automatic emergency breaking system activated without warning and with no vehicles in front, and violently slammed on the breaks causing the vehicle to go into emergency stop in the middle of the highway. This then caused numerous vehicles following to take measures to avoid crashing into the rear of our vehicle. Numerous lights and warning lights started flashing on and off and parts of the screens went black and turned off and on. The car then kept the breaks locked down and we had to limp the car along the shoulder of the road to the dealership to have them look at it. This incident jeopardized the Safety of my family and other drivers and passengers around them. The dealership has not been able to replicate this issue so far. Prior to this incident the technology portion of the vehicle stopped responding, and we were unable to link devices to the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11593584June 10, 2024
STRUCTURE:BODY
Peeling clear coat at 47,000 miles. Dealership said paint warranty ended at 36,000 miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11593546June 10, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The Infotainment/Navigation system has knows issues in these cars. After several visits to the dealer we were told that it is somewhat fixed, well on a small trip 5-6 miles it now told us to take a turn into the wrong direction or one way street. There was a blind corner in about 50 yards in and while we were looking stunned and standing still that it asked us to enter the street, 5 seconds later a vehicle came blasting around that corner, it would have been head on collision.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11593544June 10, 2024
POWER TRAIN
Currently there are 17500 miles on the vehicle and at times the extreme harsch downshift is back. The car will shake so strong that it seems that someone hit us in the back. No hills, smooth and flat streets, no potholes. Not sure what is going on.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11593082June 7, 2024
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My vehicle has been to the dealership multiple times for incorrectly stalling, revving RPMS at uphill turns and rough idling with no corrective action taken. initial issues started around 30k miles and the dealership continued to tell me nothing is wrong because engine light was not on. I recently went over a speed bump in a school zone. My vehicle stalled and my engine light came on. Initial code was P0446 error code indicates an evaporative emission control system (EVAP) vent control circuit malfunction. The N80 purge valve and charcoal canister were to blame for this uneasy safety issue. I was told at the dealership that my charcoal canister might malfunction if i overfill my vehicle with gas which made me realize, this may have been the initial issue. I put gas until it clicks off but i have noticed my vehicle went from filling up with 16.5 gallons to stopping at 18-19 gallons. I have also noticed when i park my car and my gas is close to the empty line it shoots back up just a bit next time i turn on my vehicle. Now I am monitoring my gas gauge as this may be faulty and what caused all the safety issues I was experiencing. I drive my car very scared these days not knowing when it will randomly turn off on me while driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11593001June 7, 2024
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
LED strip for day time running light went out in both headlight assemblies within 9 months/14k miles of each other. Had to replace entire headlight assemblies. Passenger side at 49k September 2023 and driver side at 63k June 2024.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11592789June 6, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
CUSTOMER STATES THAT WHEN DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS 60 AND UP HEARING A POPPING TYPE NOISE SOUNDS LIKE POPCORN POPPING IN MICROWAVE CAN ONLY HEAR WHEN RIDING IN THE BACK SEAT Caused by ROAD TESTED AND VERIFIED A POPPING NOISE COMING FROM REAR OF INTERIOR NEAR TAIL LIGHTS. REMOVED VENTS TO FIND NOISE IS COMING FROM DEPRESSURIZATION VENTS OPENING AND SHUTTING. VERIFIED TO LIKE VEHICLE AND FOUND THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11592114June 3, 2024
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Frequently, the carbon/graphite canister causes issues - even the VW mechanic has admitted to me personally that it's a poor design. Other people mention this same issue here [XXX] This issue has caused safety issues for us several times during the time I've owned this vehicle. The vehicle can stall while backing up, or (less commonly) while driving forward at full speed. This did happen to us two years ago while driving over a bridge, the vehicle completely stalled while coming down the bridge on a highway. Fortunately we were able to pull off and restart the car which resolved the issue; we had to bring it into the dealership and they replaced the carbon canister. It's also happened while backing up out of parking spots and other times when the vehicle is in motion. This issue is common and VW has issued an extended warranty to cover the expenses incurred by this common issue, but they haven't recalled it, fixed it, or changed the design on newer cars either. I had to bring my car back today for this and am currently waiting for the parts - so here I have to drive it for at least another week while fully at risk of causing an issue; they also refused to give me a different car. Driving this car with such a frequent dangerous issue makes me wish I'd never bought a Volkswagen. I now need to get a different car purely because of this issue, so it's really just not right what VW is doing here. They need to be forced to fix this issue - I am not comfortable driving it or another VW knowing about this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11591863June 1, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES
I hear a loud grinding, metal-on-metal noise when braking or while driving. I also notice vibrations or pulsation in the pedal or steering wheel. Whenever the car sits for a period of time, about 90% of the time, the car will produce a massively loud metal-on-metal grind that can be felt in the brake pedal and steering wheel for the first 3 or so stops from 30mph or higher. The dealership claims it's "normal," which is unacceptable for a vehicle bought in 2021.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11591728May 31, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Panoramic Sunroof on VW Atlas spontaneously exploded. It is at the dealership currently for repair which I was told was an "outside" force that hit it, which is not true! My entire family was in the car while we had to be out of our house for a showing and while returning home we heard what sounded like a gunshot and glass breaking. I started shaking and my husband's ears started ringing it was so loud. I immediately, looked around and asked my kids if they were ok, and they stated yes. We looked up and as we heard wind and above our heads we saw the sunroof explosion. If we didn't have the sunroof shade shut glass would have rained in on us while we drove down the road. The dealership and VW refuse to take responsibility for the $4300+ repair. I was forced to claim it on my insurance which I assume was going to take care of it after reading numerous other reports that the dealer wouldn't take responsibility. There was no prior notice there was any issue with the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11591418May 29, 2024
AIR BAGS
The vehicle has been giving off an Airbag error warning when in operation. After taking the vehicle in to a VW dealership, they checked for any active recalls on the vehicle and told me that there were no recalls found for my make, model, and year vehicle and wanted to charge $200 just for them to check and see if there was a problem with the airbags. After doing my own check, I realized that the error message occurred because it was not registering that I had a passenger in the front passenger seat. The airbag in this location does not activate when someone is in the passenger seat. I've checked the NHTSA records to see that a recall was issued on this problem within the last 12 months and notification letters went out in March of 2024. The referenced vehicle is used and was purchased in January 2024 and should have been included in the recall register.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11591340May 29, 2024
AIR BAGS
Airbag:Error message on display. Passenger airbag not working properly when operating vehicle. Safety of family and children at risk when riding in front passenger seat of vehicle. Warning light appeared approx 1 month ago. Called dealership was told no recall, no fix.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11591018May 28, 2024
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Using adaptive cruise control with lane departure. Driving on a straight stretch of interstate in rain with audio (music) at high level. Car suddenly braked risking a crash. Vehicle does not do well on straight stretches of road. Thinks driver is not steering, and will populate a msg on dash, followed by a red light and a signal tone. These aren't easily noticed when head is up and eyes on road with audio level high. VW should change this to remove braking and instead it deactivates cruise and/or wheel vibrate only.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11591013May 28, 2024
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Using adaptive cruise control with lane departure. Driving on a straight stretch of interstate with audio (music) at high level. Car suddenly braked and jerked wheel right risking a crash. Vehicle does not do well on straight stretches of road. Thinks driver is not steering, and will populate a msg on dash, followed by a red light and a signal tone. These aren't easily noticed when head is up and eyes on road with audio level high. VW should change this to remove braking and instead it deactivates cruise and/or wheel vibrate only.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589690May 20, 2024
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I was driving approximately 72 - 74 mph on an expressway and approaching traffic ahead of me. To move around this traffic, I switched lanes and attempted to accelerate. Immediately upon pressing the accelerator, the vehicle began to sputter, jerk, and decelerate, and the engine revved at what sounded like a very high rate of RPMs. The vehicle continued to sputter and jerk as it decelerated to a speed of approximately 55 – 58 mph. Once the vehicle reached that speed range, I was able to maintain my velocity; however, the vehicle continued to sputter and jerk until I brought it to a full stop. Additionally, if I attempted to accelerate, the RPMs turned at a very high rate and no acceleration occurred. I reported the issue to the dealership immediately and brought it to the service department when they opened the following morning. At the time of writing this, the vehicle remains in their possession and has not been returned to us.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589516May 19, 2024
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
My wife and I bought a new VW Atlas 2.0 SEL on [XXX] 2024. On the way home from Auto Imports in Brainerd, MN, the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) shut off suddenly in the dark slowing the car until I disconnected the Adaptive Cruise Control. My wife drove our autistic grand daughter to her therapy session in Grand Forks, N.D. using as we customarily do [XXX] . It happened to her twice on the way home. We took the car to Valley Imports in Fargo four times and were told each time many other Atlas's were experiencing the same and other problems. ACC disengaging, brakes stopping the cars etc. The navigation system had to be repaired it was off by 1 mile and the Stop/Start system has never worked. The dealer told me The Start/Stop system only works in perfect conditions, not to cold, not to hot etc. It has never worked. After the dealer tried to follow the VW recommendations 3 times it continued. I have experienced the ACC defect dozens of times and on [XXX] 2024 7 times on [XXX]. We dropped the car at the dealer and after one week at the dealers on [XXX], 2024 , and a new radar sensor was installed, it happened again twice on the way home on [XXX] crowded with semi-truck traffic connecting the US to Canada. Most importantly on the return from the dealer or the third repair on [XXX], to Walhalla on [XXX], the brakes suddenly slowed the car from 75 to 68 until I could disengage the ACC. There were cars and semi-trucks following us creating a dangerous situation. All we need is for the ACC to shut off or the brakes to suddenly slam on as described in front of distracted semi-truck driver heading north or south on the interstate behind us and we have a disaster. We will not drive the car again nor risk my wife, grand daughter's or my life. I found the case of [XXX] v. VW U.S.D.C. [XXX]. VW has known about these dangerous defects, has done nothing and concealed them. Risking our lives. . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589495May 19, 2024
ENGINE, STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
On a few occasions, even with the Start/Stop function disabled, the vehicle has completely shut off with no warning. It must be put it in park and restarted. Once it even turned off while reversing out of driveway and the steering wheel locked.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11588630May 14, 2024
AIR BAGS
There is an airbag warning indicator on in my vehicle. I have reached out the manufacture of this car with no help. I am concerned that the safety of my vehicle is compromised. Who is to say that the airbag will fail during an accident or that the airbag would deploy on it's own without accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11588580May 13, 2024
ENGINE
The engine completely stalls while driving. It has happened many many times at various speeds and as well as in stop n go traffic. It’s happened on main highways like I-95. No check engine light or any other alerts appear. The screen says put car in “P” (park) and manually start engine. I’ve taken my car to the dealership to report the issue at my 20k miles service. They looked over the car and decided it must be the battery and replaced it. On my way home it stalled again and two more times throughout my day. I called the service department manager to tell her it’s still happening and how stressful and dangerous this is. She has asked for me to leave my car with them to try to figure out the issue. They are however well aware that’s is an issue with their vehicles. I’ve personally spoken to others who have the same vehicle having the same exact issue. These vehicles need to be recalled as soon as possible before someone gets into an accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11588579May 13, 2024
ENGINE
The car stalls while driving. The vehicle will just shut off while trying to back up, pull into parking lots, pull away at traffic lights, and trying to turn into a roadway. It has done this dozens of times. Volkswagon has replaced the eval canister numerous times, as well as other parts. It still constantly stalls while actively driving it on the road. It is extremely unsafe. The evap canister is the known issue, but it continues to break and the stalling issue continues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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