Volkswagen Atlas Complaints

981 consumer complaints on file.

#11602502July 16, 2024
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Running lights (under headlight) went out before 60k Multiple vehicle report same problem
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11602370July 15, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal fluttered while depressed. Additionally, the contact heard a loud grinding sound while depressing the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11601312July 11, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My 2021 Atlas with around 28,000 miles turned off on me instead of restarting while the auto start/stop function was engaged. This happened 3 times. 1) June 26, 2024 I was in standstill traffic. My auto start/stop was engaged and when I took my foot off my brake to move, my Atlas engine turned off (power stayed on) and a message appeared stating “please start engine manually”. I had to switch my car from Drive to Park and then turn it on again. 2) June 26, 2024 I was parking and when maneuvering in to a parking spot and took my foot of the break, my Atlas engine turned off (power stayed on) and a message appeared stating “please start engine manually”. I had to switch my car from Drive to Park and then turn it on again. 3) July 8, 2024 same as number 2. Except I know for a fact that my start/stop was turned off. I took it to the dealership and they found that my battery failed and replaced it. About a week later is when the 3rd incident occurred. My car is currently at the dealership where “they aren’t finding any faults”. It is incredibly dangerous to have a car unexpectedly turn off on you while in the middle of a highway, intersection, or really around any other cars. The dealership cannot reproduce the problem; however, it is sporadic. Multiple forums online mention other owners having the same exact issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11601227July 11, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Sunroof exploded while driving on the freeway with no other cars around
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11601219July 11, 2024
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V464000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11601218July 11, 2024
AIR BAGS, SEATS
Right now there is a recall for an incorrectly working airbag for my volkswagon and i have a lease that is up next month. They will not buy back my vehicle because of the recall and the fact that they have no fix. I have a family of 5 and need all 5 seats and now cannot drive my car with everyone without a giant safety risk. This is happening in concert with a faulty air conditioning unit in the vehicle that has been serviced more than 5 times in a 3 year period and is currently at the dealership to have the a/c unti fixed but now is not willing to negiotate because they know they cannot resell the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11600814July 10, 2024
ENGINE
While reversing, the car shut down while moving. I had to bring the car to a stop, put in park, and restart the car. Second occurrence parking and while pulling in the engine stalled while moving and had to stop, park, and restart engine. No warning lights on dash. Dealership unable to reproduce. Upon looking online this seems to be a common issue for these vehicles. Others complained that it happens when accelerating at stop lights which could cause a crash.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11600426July 9, 2024
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
At approximately 8500 miles the car started randomly stalling, maybe once or twice a week. Now at 9600 miles it stalls every time we drive the car. This is not the Start/Stop system as we deactivate that when we get in the car. Typically, the car is warm, the AC is on, we have idled with the car in park then place the car in gear to drive and it dies. The dealer claims they cannot duplicate the problem. Also, the throttle is very non-linear. One time you push the throttle a little and the car takes off slamming you back in the seat. The next time you can push the throttle halfway down before the car responds then it just slowly accelerates. This problem has not been brought to the attention of the dealer yet but will upon the next appointment. This is very dangerous as other drivers are expecting you to move but you have to put the car in park and restart it. This could get someone killed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11598747July 4, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My 2021 Atlas, has started to shut off by itself when put in park. "MESSAGE- engine will shut off automatically to conserve battery" it randomly shut off when the car slows down stopped or on in reverse. This has occur while stopped on red light, reverse or even when driving slow. . This is a very dangerous problem and safety issue that can result in collisions / injuries or worse.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11598416July 2, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
3 weeks after buying the car, I turned it on and there was an awful clicking noise. I turned the car off and the clicking was still happening and then both door started smoking. We had to pull the battery and have the car towed. Dealership had to replace electrical panels in the doors.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11598413July 2, 2024
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Multiple times the interior lights will not turn on or the turn on by themselves and flash even after turning the car off and on again. Brought it to the dealership with the complaint a few times, and dealer told me nothing they could do even with the video of it happening. When this is not working, the emergency call and other features do not work either.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11598361July 2, 2024
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine shut off How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Yes shut off, while driving on local road way. Also shut off on the highway. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Dealership cannot recreate issue, still has vehicle. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? VW dealership Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Purchased new in 2022 from VW dealership, has all required services, aside from the electrical malfunctions which began last year has been ongoing no other issues. We have video
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11596506June 25, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Vehicle is shutting off when coming to a stop light or sign or when placed in park.. throws a message on dash to restart manually. Has happened intermittently since purchase used in December 2023
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11595953June 23, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Just purchased vehicle, light: SOS: EMERGENCY CALL FUNCTION, SERVICE VEHICLE is continuously turning on, you turn off car, it goes away. Start car and drive, turns right back on. Have been to dealer and was told module would need to be replaced car is 3 years old. It's a constant beeping/ distraction. The potential consequences of not addressing the issue are unclear. There exist numerous blogs and consumer reviews about this issue, indicating that consumers must constantly expend funds to rectify the issue, when it should ideally be managed by the manufacturer. This is unacceptable. Are we being sold lemons here in California?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11595188June 18, 2024
AIR BAGS
Passenger air bag sensor defect Diagnosed by local dealership and quoted $800 for repair.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11594499June 15, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER
We bought this vehicle with 15,000 miles in January 2023. Since then, we have made close to 30,000 miles, currently sitting at 44,000 miles. Today, I discovered another crack in the windshield. This would be our 5th windshield since we own a car. I had numerous vehicles but never had a crack. Further investigation on my part revealed that this is an extremely common problem with the VW Atlas. It impairs my view; sun light is breaking over those cracks, and not to mention that glass can break if I hit a pothole.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11594473June 14, 2024
AIR BAGS
My 2021 Atlas has been giving me an “error: airbag” warning for the last 12 months, off and on. I’ve taken it to the shop multiple times for this issue and there are no codes that indicate anything is wrong. The first time the issue occurred, it would ding and pop up the warning while driving, and would only pop up one time over the course of my drive. The shop checked it out and said the “sensor was loose”. The second time it happened (3 or so months later), it would ding at me multiple times over the course of my drive and while I was parked. I took it in yet again and they said it was just messy under the seat and that’s probably why. Four weeks later, it’s happening again. I am beyond fed up with having to take it in over and over again for the same thing, and they never find a problem. I need a reliable car as I have kids and a husband and I’m not willing to risk their safety. I am strongly considering getting rid of the car, due to this issue alone.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11594277June 13, 2024
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
On [XXX] I was driving approximately 30 mph on a sunny, 83F day. There were no other vehicles around me, no pedestrians, no bicycles, no animals, etc. I was traveling south on a straight section of the road when my car came to an abrupt and complete stop. The car's automatic braking system was engaged without any prior warning. The car went from 30mph to 0 mph instantly. There was a loud beep, the red ABS indicator light came on, the wipers started operating involuntarily. The force of the momentum cause items to fly forward in the car. The seatbelt locked up. The force of the stop also caused whiplash and the belt tightening caused pain to my ribs and back. I was stunned and scared. Thankfully, no cars were around me and I was going 30mph instead of 70mph when I travel the highway most of the time. If someone was behind me or I had been traveling faster, the incident could have had grave consequences. I was next to a dentist office so I pulled into their parking lot slowly. I turned the car off and looked at the exterior. There was no indication that I had struck anything and there was nothing in the road that would have set the system off. Not even a leaf or bug. I had received a letter 2 days prior about a class action lawsuit against VW describing this same issue going back to 2017. I looked up what to do in the situation and everything online suggested deactivating that feature on the car. I turned the car on and deactivated it. I drove 15 mph to my office 0.4 mi away because I was scared it would happen again. I called my dealership and scheduled a diagnostic appointment. They couldn't get it in until [XXX]. They have had it overnight and have pulled data from it and sent it to VW in Germany apparently. Since I deactivate the feature before each trip, the problem has not happened again for me. There are many stories of this happening online but VW hasn't issued a recall at all and says it isn't an issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11594115June 13, 2024
STEERING, WHEELS, SERVICE BRAKES
Steering wheel vibrates when going 55mph and over. Tired have been balanced and aligned I bought new tires and rims and got them balanced and aligned as well spent a lot of money and it’s still an issue. Vehicle pulls to the left, even with an alignment done. Taken to multiple shops they “can’t find the issue” .. my brakes grind, squeak, but again they said they are perfectly fine. My touchscreen turns off randomly for days won’t turn on nothing works on it and because of that I can’t put it in ECO mode , use navigation, or any other features and because VW couldn’t replicate the same issue they can’t fix it despite my many videos I showed them. I have only had the car since Feb 26,2024 and put more money into this than I’d like.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11593915June 12, 2024
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Our Vehicle's GPS system will not calibrate and the navigation system is completely off when driving. The affected safety and driving systems have caused our car to stop suddenly at freeway speeds on the freeway, As well, while driving in town, our safety deterrent systems will alert constantly due to the wrong location is being sent to the car. Volkswagen Company notified dealerships yesterday to prepare for an onslaught of consumer complaints about this issue. There is no expected timeline to deal with this directly as it is not a hardware issue but rather a cellular GPS issue with Verizon wireless. Volkswagen has no intent on dealing with the safety issues with this car and accepts that your car may stop suddenly on the freeway because the car thinks you are in a school zone. My family's safely comes first and we can no longer drive our car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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