2021 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas Problems & Complaints
Real owner complaints and problems reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). View common issues by component.
381
Complaints Reported
Complaints by Component
AIR BAGS
35 complaints
Upon a low speed curb strike, predominantly striking the rear driver tire and partially the front driver tire, during a slide under 30mph, the curtain airbags deployed in the vehicle. Reading about this online, it appears others driving this type of vehicle have had similar reports of low speed tire strikes and airbags deploying. The airbags were more of a risk than the curb strike itself. With children in approved car seats in the rear, this was of course incredibly frightening. It appears VW is aware of the low sensitivity of their sensors that deploy this system, for which this sensor has been under recall in the past. Whether my sensor was repaired correctly is not understood. There is no other vehicle damage. The vehicle has been delivered to the VW dealer for inspection. It would be ideal for the NHTSA to look into whether the VW Atlas's curtain airbag deployment at low speed tire strikes meets the threshold for safety standards of deploying airbags. As there is a previous history for airbag issues with VW, it's not unrealistic this was a fault with the car and not the driver.
Dec 01, 2025
The airbag error light has come on my car multiple times since I have bought it new in 2021 at VW dealership. I have brought it many times to VW service center. Last week I had a coolant leak which they did repair, I paid $1400 for it already. But at the same time, I was told there is a recall on my vehicle. I told advisor that I thought it was taken care of already but was told it is not. So they worked on the recall. But THE NEX DAY, the airbag light came on again. I am worried for the safety of my family in this car. I was quoted $872.72 to have this fixed. This airbag error directly resulted after the recall work was performed on it. not 24 hours after I picked up the car, the light came on again. I spoke to manager Ryan and was told the price can be decreased to $400. I am apaled that I need to pay for this and to have the airbag light come on yet again. please see my transcript to VW and some of the service repairs done on this vehicle in regards to the "airbag error" I have a family and am worried for our safety in this car Please review
Mar 31, 2025
Manufacturer still does not have a remedy for open recall that was announced June 2024. Since this regards passenger detection and air bag deployment in the event of an accident, 9 months and still no remedy is unacceptable
Mar 07, 2025
Car displaying an error air bag message. Other 2021 VW Atlases are showing as recalled for sensor mat and wiring harness but my VIN is not showing.
Mar 05, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 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.
Nov 25, 2024
+ 30 more complaints for this component
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
32 complaints
The cars Headlight DRL burnt out and no way to replace them or turn of warning off without paying dealership $2K to replace whole light housing. See Reddit Post: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Nov 25, 2025
My daylight running headlights are out, went out before 40k miles. They said they would have to replace the whole assembly for over 1000 each. I have read many people’s complaints with the same issue. How can a car company not provide safe headlights that last more than 40k miles. I cannot afford to fix it and with all these atlas on the road with people in the same financial situation it is dangerous. They should have to replace these assemblies through recall before someone gets killed.
Nov 14, 2025
daytime running lights are not functioning and vw wants $1500 per side to replace. this is not reasonable.
Oct 29, 2025
Dual Daytime running light (DRL) LED headlights failures. The LED DRL strips integrated into the headlight assembly stopped functioning within 3 years of ownership (60,000 and 75,000) miles.. The failure requires replacing the entire headlight assembly, which can cost over $2,000 per unit, as the LED strip is not separately serviceable. DRLs are critical for vehicle visibility during daylight, reducing the risk of head-on and front-corner collisions by making the vehicle more conspicuous to other drivers. There is absolutely no reason these lights should be going out when they are intended to last up to 20 years and I believe VW is at fault and this should be a recall.
Oct 22, 2025
Passenger daytime running light has stopped working at 61,952 miles. This light is not able to be replaced by itself which is the issue. The entire lighting assembly has to be replaced costing $1400 for single, passenger side assembly, not including labor. At this cost, it is unrealistic and unreasonable to replace this safety feature every time it goes out. This is an unsafe design due to the fact that many customers would not be able to afford to pay more than $1400 to replace the light causing a potential safety hazard.
Sep 29, 2025
+ 27 more complaints for this component
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
28 complaints
Hood release latch is broken, no tension in the lever in the cabin. I'm unable to access the engine compartment. Car would not start this morning, and I'm unable to access the engine to jump start.
Dec 01, 2025
When the weather is warm and the vehicle get washed or experience heavy rain fall and vehicle is exposed there is a strong mildew Oder coming threw ventilation. Definitely a air quality problem.
Nov 08, 2025
The hood release cable broke during normal use. Unable to access engine and components. Unable to jump/service the battery or fluids if needed. Upon searching for solution for accessing, found this to be a very common problem.
Sep 22, 2025
I own a 2021 VW Atlas, subject to recall 24V464. I scheduled a recall service appointment weeks in advance at Colonial Volkswagen of Medford, MA (via the VW app for 8:30 AM on Aug 19, 2025). I received multiple confirmations by email and text from VW. When I arrived on time, the Service Advisor (Frank Dasilva) told me the parts were not available and the recall could not be performed. This was never communicated beforehand. I had rearranged my schedule for this appointment, including transporting my daughter to her internship in Boston, and this caused major disruption. When I expressed my frustration, the Service Advisor raised his voice, disclosed a personal health issue, and walked away. I was then told to wait for the Service Manager, who eventually arrived but gave dismissive and contradictory explanations. He claimed that no VW dealer orders recall parts before the customer arrives because they do not know the VIN or parts required. This is false—my VIN and recall number were known when the appointment was scheduled. The Service Manager’s tone suggested that performing the recall was a “favor” since I was not paying for it, which is unprofessional and misleading. Recall work is a federal safety requirement and VW dealers are compensated by the manufacturer. Colonial VW did not prepare for my scheduled appointment, wasted my time, treated me poorly, and failed to comply with the intent of the recall process. I was left without a solution, only told I’d be contacted “when parts arrive.” I am requesting NHTSA to review Colonial VW’s handling of recall 24V464, as this appears to be a failure to ensure timely and professional compliance with a federally mandated safety recall.
Aug 19, 2025
I had placed my personal items - purse, keys, phone, etc. in my unlocked vehicle in a safe location behind my condo building. I was running across to mail something and come right back. When I returned a short time later, the car had locked itself with my items inside. I found out after googling this later, that multiple people have had this issue -- when their key fobs have gotten low on battery, the fob will lock itself inside the vehicle. I had no way to summon roadside assistance, and so I had to break a window to gain entry to the vehicle. I also found out that this has happened to people with children who have been inadvertently locked inside a Volkswagon. I am trying to make sure this doesn't happen to others, and I would like to be reimbursed for my broken car window. The dealership has not confirmed this. I was trying to be in touch with Volkswagon customer service about it, but they said I have no recourse because my car is past warranty. My evidence of others is based on a reddit thread. [XXX] The safety issue is obvious - if young children were locked inside, it could be a huge safety issue. The vehicle has not been inspected yet. There was no warning that my key fob was low on battery. I will be taking the car in this week to get a price for the window repair. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Jun 03, 2025
+ 23 more complaints for this component
ENGINE
25 complaints
coolant leaks and potential engine overheating. replaced water pump 6 months ago and have to replace again
Jul 10, 2025
While I am driving, when I come to a stop or slow down to almost a stop my engine will periodically shut off where I need to put the car in park and turn the car off and then back on. This has happened multiple times but is especially dangerous when I am in stop/go traffic on a major highway and it happens. The check engine light does come on but the mechanics just turn the engine signal off and say there is nothing wrong. After a couple hundred miles the check engine light returns and the problem continues to persist.
Jul 01, 2025
Whenever I slow down at a light or go low speed in a parking lot my vehicle cuts off. This can cause a accident and the dealership said if there is not fault code there is no fix. It cuts off and say start the vehicle manually.
Jun 08, 2025
Engine completely stalls while driving, I have to put it in park and restart it. It has happened 5 times in the last 2 months. All at low speeds. Milage 58,000
Apr 30, 2025
When starting the car and backing out of our driveway, the car stalls it has to be put in park and then the ignition start button has to be pushed. This has happened several times.
Apr 14, 2025
+ 20 more complaints for this component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
25 complaints
Car will brake unexpectedly while driving which almost caused me to have several accidents while approaching traffic lights. Windows also open unexpectedly. All dashboard lights turn on while driving. Not very safe to drive at all.
May 23, 2022
BROUGHT TO DEALER ON 3/04/2022 ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WAS COMING ON AND OFF AT TIME AND HILL START ASSIST ERROR, DRIVERS DOOR MODULE WIRE HARNESS HAS SHORTED OUT AND PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER. POWER SEAT MOVING BY ITSELF. DRIVER SIDE REAR WINDOW GOING DOWN BY ITSELF. REMOTE START NOT WORKING. EMERGENCY BRAKE NOT WORKING AND APPLYING ITSELF WHILE DRIVING. ISSUE STILL HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED.
May 19, 2022
3/2/22 - radio randomly displayed "Loading...." 3/5/22 - message displayed about driver door contact switch 3/12/22 - message displayed saying "Fault: Electronic parking brake". Another message was displayed saying "Attention: The engine is running". About 8 hours later, I was approaching a red light, when I put on the brake to slow down the parking brake self engaged causing me to come to a sudden stop. The car behind me almost rear-ended me. Twenty minutes later I tried to roll down the driver's window. It would not roll down, then the back driver's window started rolling down, then the front driver's window rolled down, then both windows was going up and down.
Apr 21, 2022
Sometime in Dec 2021, i have started experiencing issues with the car where the driver side back window rolls down warning messages popup saying driver side door fault etc with the check engine light coming on. What is concerning is when the vehicle is going at slow speeds (<5mph), the electronic parking brake engages automatically making the vehicle come to a sudden stop with jerks. Weird thing is, the problem is present on some days and some days the vehicle is completely normal without any warnings, sounds etc. Took the vehicle in for an oil change and routine maintenance and was told this is a known issue and there is a recall on it, bit no fix available.
Apr 16, 2022
The remedy to my recall is not being performed within a reasonable time. I was in the road with my one year old and I was scared to get on the highway I was afraid someone would rear end us as the vehicle stops and turns on the check engine light and a warning light on my dash. I was driving and when I was coming to a stop the vehicle stops on it on and doesn’t give the person behind me enough time to break. I would honestly see if there is something that can been done as o don’t feel safe in my vehicle but I can’t afford to rent a car in the mean time it is my only transportation my son has a doctors appt @ 130 today and I’m afraid for his life and to drive there. I would really appreciate any help that you can offer.
Apr 14, 2022
+ 20 more complaints for this component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
23 complaints
Daytime running headlights went out
Jul 03, 2025
If you have the driver or passenger window down and try to roll it back up, it will roll all the way down before being able to roll back up. Stereo screen blacks out often while driving and won’t turn back on until you turn off and restart the car. Apple CarPlay won’t let the music selection display on the screen. I could go on and on and on. I hate this car and am almost 100% sure I got a lemon.
Mar 14, 2025
when I start my car, the infotainment center does not turn on, which means that I lose not just the luxury features that come along with it, but also the safety features, like the back-up camera and road sign recognition. Issues started in January 2025 as intermittent and are now an everyday, even multi-day occurrence. I suspect that it's due to the cold weather, as it didn't start happening until the temps got colder (snowy part of USA).. This is a safety issue, and makes me pretty concerned. I've tried to work with my local dealer, however they haven't been much help since the car's warranty expired in early January 2025. I was told that I have a faulty "5F module Product ID: 3G5-035-842-B". My concern is that we don't have access to the backup camera given the size of this vehicle. This youtuber posted a video of exactly the same issue that i have: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xac32juMW-k
Feb 05, 2025
My daytime running light is inoperative and no longer works. This one small LED strip on the passenger side light requires a $2,300 full headlight replacement, which is unreasonable for any consumer given the scope of the issue. My vehicle is only four years old, and several other customers are experiencing this same issue.
Dec 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, and while accelerating from a stop light, the vehicle occasionally lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle was restarted and operated as normal; however, recently the failure reoccurred, and the battery had to be jumpstarted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. There was no service performed. The manufacturer has not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 48,000.
Nov 20, 2024
+ 18 more complaints for this component
SERVICE BRAKES
21 complaints
Brakes with difficulty and makes noise time to time and braking is very uncomfortable. It seems like a struggle to break at each stop. Bought vehicle from Dublin VM, mentioned this after 1 day of purchase. Service dept stated its normal so I had Bigotires check brakes too n they said brakes look okay. I'm a Mom w a child so our safety is a concern when driving this vehicle!
Mar 22, 2025
Brakes make a grinding noise like they are grinding metal on metal, thinking maybe the car I had gotten needed a break change prior to me getting went ahead and changed the breaks- still metal and metal sound. The brake pedal will go all the way in as if there is no brakes. The car does not stop right away I have had a car in the shop twice already and both times they tell me they cannot determine on how to correct the issues.
Feb 02, 2025
After the vehicle has sat for a couple of hours, when I get in to drive and come to a complete stop, there’s a gurgling/swooshing water sound coming from the front brakes. I confirmed my pads and rotors are fine, but the functionality of the brakes appear to act up when the noise happens. I’ve seen this reported on numerous forums and this is a huge safety issue. The dealership says there’s nothing they can do and the brakes are operating as they should, but this noise is not normal.
Nov 14, 2024
Brakes had to be replaced at only 19,500 miles and now the car has 38,000 miles and they sound horrible again. The entire time I’ve had this car the brakes have made squealing and grinding noises. The VW dealer couldn’t access VW brakes last year due to shortage so put after market rotors on my car without my permission. I had a loaner and they called and told me my car was “ready” out of the blue. Horrible experiences. Will never buy a VW again.
Oct 19, 2024
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.
Jun 01, 2024
+ 16 more complaints for this component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES
13 complaints
Once starting the vehicle, the light comes on the dashboard; the notification states that the start/stop function malfunctions, the emergency break malfunctions, other multiple errors come in effect. Once coming to a stop light and the brakes are engaged to slow down, the emergency brakes engage and the car locks up. Almost got into an accident 6x. Immediately made an appointment to fix the recall and request for a loaner or rental vehicle, ignored by the dealership with a message of “will call”. The door becomes inoperable; can only open and close. Does not unlock/lock or roll down the window. The back driver side window automatically opens about 4 inches without consent.
Nov 25, 2022
When I was pulling out of a parking lot my rear drivers side mirror went down by itself and then my parking brake came on - I received an error saying "Error: driver door contact switch". I stopped my car and turned it off and then started it again and the error message went away. Four days later the same thing happened but I also received two more error messages "Fault: Electronic parking brake" and Error: Start/Stop as well as the same error as before :Error: driver door contact switch". I have my car scheduled to take it to the dealership tomorrow 8/4 at 8am and I am hoping this can be fixed as this is a big safety issue.... I have three children that are also in the car with me each day so it is imperative to have this rectified as safety is my top priority.
Aug 03, 2022
My vehicle is engaging the parking brake, uncontrolled window movement, and giving engine light on.
Apr 16, 2022
In January 18, 2022, when I cranked my vehicle and went to put it in reverse, the emergency brake engaged and my windows rolled down a quarter of the way. Accompanying this was a loud beep as well as warning lights glowing my dash. I thought it was a fluke, so I took the emergency brake off and killed the car. I cranked it back up and all was well. This happened several more times until I contacted the dealership on January 24, 2022. They informed me that this sounded like a door harness issue because I wasn’t the first one. They went ahead and ordered a part for my vehicle, but informed me that the part was on national back order. From January 24th until February 24, 2022, the dealership had no loaners to give me. Starting February 18th until the day the dealership had it, my vehicle started engaging the emergency brake while driving 40+ miles an hour. I felt extremely u unsafe and did not want my children in the vehicle, yet I had no vehicle to get us to/from work and school. I received a call from the dealership on February 23rd stating they had a loaner. I dropped my vehicle off on February 24th and drove a loaner until April 8, 2022 when they replaced my wiring harness. However, the wiring harness they replaced it with is faulty just like the one they took out, and it doesn’t satisfy the recall at all.
Apr 11, 2022
Car would engage normal/parking break when driving at low speeds (15 mph) as well as when coming to a stop (2mph). Car would not allow parking brake to disengage. Rear driver side window would roll down 1/3 of the way. We would need to restart car to remedy issue, however this happened a number of times.
Apr 11, 2022
+ 8 more complaints for this component
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
11 complaints
On 3/19/2024 while pulling into my driveway towards my parking garage my car suddenly stalled wiht loss of power and wouldn't accelerate into the garage. The warning lights came on for EPC light. I looked for the code online and to my surprise I found Atlas has been plagued with several of such issues . Please see below link https://www.vwatlasforum.com/threads/2021-atlas-fuel-injector-problem.6209/ There are cases where engines have been replaced and all this just after the warranty expires. IN my case a similart thing happened. The engine stalled at 50,035 miles and I called VW corporate to ask if they could honor the warrantly as this was very close to the warranty boundary date. They declined and I had to go to a dealer for repair. On 4/02/2025 The dealer quoted me $2489 to fix everything. Dealer found Fuel injector on cylinder 1 to be leaking doewn in to cylinder causing misfire and check engine light . Dealer replaced all O-rings and 1 fuel injector in the engine . It is really surprising to me that this is a known issue with O-ring and fuel injector and this has not been a part of recall. Had the loss of power happened on a highway and a truck was behind me I would have been in a major unsafe incident. All of this occurred when I and my kids were having a personal trauma of passing away in a car accident of a loved one which increased my grief.
Oct 14, 2025
Vehicle randomly stalls trying to leave from red lights or parking. Engine stumbles and vehicle dies causing many near accidents as you must put vehicle in park and restart.
Jul 28, 2025
On many occasions over the past few months have had our car start to die while driving along the road. We have taken to shop, replaced battery, and no one could replicate issue. Just today my family (3 kids and my wife) were driving 35mph when the RPM started to drop randomly. We lost acceleration and while we were turning across traffic the car died. Luckily we rolled across in time to not be t boned. We turn off “auto start stop” each time we get in the car as we were told by mechanic that could be issue After it persisted randomly, we found maybe the battery was the reason, so we replaced that. Now we are one month on a new battery and keep “auto start stop” off, and it happened again today! VW forums point to a vapor canister being the culprit, and now VW has extended the warranty for this issue supposedly. I didn’t know about this at all. Very worried to have my wife and kids in that car I wish this was a recall,
Apr 13, 2025
The start/stop system keep giving error and shut down the car and give a message " start stop error start manually " this can be dangerous as it happens in traffic or at stop signs and stop lights.
Mar 08, 2025
The vapor canister (charcoal canister) and related parts have failed on 3 different occasions over the past 1.5-2 years. This caused the car to stall while operating without any warning from the vehicle. The cars has to be put into park and the engine restarted before it can be operational again. The dealer has inspected and replace parts of the system each time it has happened, and has explained that this is a known problem for the vehicle. No final solution has come from VW corporate to solve the problem, so they have been instructed to keep replacing the components as necessary.
Nov 12, 2024
+ 6 more complaints for this component
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
10 complaints
after heavy rain, the forward looking radar will start stop working with no warning, cause AEB and forward warning not functioning, greatly increase risk of collision. the problem is consistent with heavy rain, but dealer refuse to do any repair because it didn't happen normally. the problem appeared on 03/31/2024, 06/30/2024, 08/18/2024 every time there is a heavy rain, with picture as proof.
Sep 14, 2024
My vehicle while driving on the highway at 65-70mph had the automatic emergency brake system engage. We came to a complete stop and if the highway was not empty could have resulted in a traumatic incident for my family and I. I called Volkswagen and they do not have a fix for this issue. This is our only vehicle and we are not comfortable driving it. It could happen again and could be worse than the first time.
Jul 20, 2024
I was driving on surface streets at approximately 25mi/hr when the car suddenly breaked on its own all lights in the dash turned red and the car made an alarm sound. This lasted a few seconds but the cars behind me had to break in order not to rear end me. The sudden break felt like I got hit by another car
May 04, 2024
Component Malfunction: Emergency Braking system (EBS) engaged without warning systems alerting inside the car cockpit at a speed of 50 MPH on a high speed 4’ lane street. The car would not move forward and disengage the EBS until the ignition was turned off and appeared to reset the car. The driver was able to drive to the next driveway and inspect the car and review the site on the street where the car suddenly engaged the EBS. There was no visible evidence of debris or obstacles in the path of travel. Safety: The sudden stop physically jolted the driver, causing muscle soreness for several days. There were no cars in the area at the time, if there had been, the car would have created a major accident due sudden stop in traffic and potential physical damage to the driver. The sudden stop did impact the drivers shoulders and back muscles for several days of soreness. Dealership confirmation / Inspection: The issue was reported to the dealership and the next day was driven to the dealership (at the request of the dealership service team). The dealership is currently inspecting the vehicle. No other inspections occurred outside the owners visual inspection of the wheel wheels and brakes immediately after the EBS incident Prior warning lights / related incidents: There was warning lamps that lasted for about a mile of driving approximately a week before this incident and the car sensors have suddenly gone off in the past without any cars in the vicinity. The car has also been having wire harness issues in the drivers door that result in unresponsive or opposite operation of the window switch on the drivers side door.
Jan 20, 2024
MY BRAKE WARNING COMES ON FROM TIME TO TIME WHILE DRIVING, ADAPTIVE ACC WARNING LIGHT COMES ON FROM TIME TO TIME LETTING ME KNOW I NEED TO STOP USING IT, FRONT SENSORS COMES ON WHILE DRIVING LETTING ME KNOW I'M TO CLOSE TO AN OBJECT WHILE DRIVING AND THERE'S NO VEHICLE THERE OR CLOSE TO MY SUV. THIS HAS HAPPEN ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND BEEN TAKEN TO VW SERVICE DEPARTMENT, (VW OF OAKLAND), AND WAS TOLD THEY CAN'T RECREATE THE PROBLEM . LAST DATE THIS HAPPEN WAS 01/03/24, I HAVE VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT ON MY CELL PHONE.
Jan 04, 2024
+ 5 more complaints for this component
STRUCTURE
7 complaints
Battery died, needed to jump battery. Hood latch cable snapped when pulling hood lever.
Jul 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally loud grinding and squeaking sound coming from the vehicle. There was an abnormal sound of rushing water underneath the floorboard. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.
Feb 05, 2025
Peeling clear coat at 47,000 miles. Dealership said paint warranty ended at 36,000 miles.
Jun 10, 2024
The hood release broke, and we can no longer open the hood of the vehicle. There is no tension in the release mechanism, and it appears the release cable has broken/become loose. Without the ability to open the hood, I can’t check my oil, refill engine coolant, refill wiper fluid, etc., let alone investigate an issue. Generally unsafe to drive. There were no warnings on the dash (the lever was simply dangling). We took the car to the dealer, and they confirmed the hood release was broken, and likely a bad cable (as anticipated). Online research confirmed this is a common issue among VWs, especially the Atlas.
May 08, 2024
I opened my hood while parked in my driveway to use the fuse puller tool in the engine fuse compartment as my infotainment screen was out and i wanted to check the fuse under the dash. There is a slight incline in my driveway but not much. I left my hood up while i used the tool and switched a fuse under the dash to check my infotainment screen. When i went back to put the fuse tool in the engine compartment and closed my hood i heard a low clang. I didn't think much of it and went back to close the fuse box under the dash. Then i noticed the hood release latch was not sitting flush to the vehicle and was pointing at a 90 angle up. I tried to push back into position but there is no hold and now my hood is locked. There is no way to open the hood with the under dash latch broken. My car has about 56,000 miles on it and I am scared to drive my vehicle not knowing if the hood will fly up at any moment. I called the dealer and because my car is out of warranty at 50k miles they refuse to fix the hood latching mechanism unless i pay out of pocket. I am scared to drive my 2 yr old vehicle because of all the little issues coming up right outside my warranty. No warnings or messages came up before the issue happened and I am not sure what will happen if I need to get into my engine compartment. This seems like a big safety issue and i am going to be left with correcting on my own before driving the vehicle again.
Nov 06, 2023
+ 2 more complaints for this component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE
7 complaints
Vehicle was stopped at a traffic light and running. Once the light turned, the vehicle shut off immediately after the accelerator pedal was depressed. Transmission had to be shifted to park to restart the engine. This happened three (3) times at the same light. This is the fourth incident in the last six (6) months.
Apr 16, 2025
I was at a stop sign when I went to pull out from the stop sign the car stalled. I had to put the car in park press the start engine button again in order for the car to restart. This has happened at least 10 times since purchasing the car.
Apr 14, 2025
Vehicle idles and dies, dashboard error shows manual restart necessary. This happens at red lights, in carpool, on the interstate if traffic has slowed, potentially a huge hazard for being rear ended. You have to put the car in park and manually restart the vehicle. VW is inspecting today but has not been able to recreate the issue. VW forum online has many car owners with the same issue and concerns. Check engine light and auto start/stop errors are almost continuous now. Check engine light came on/off about 4 months ago and would clear and then reappear. I assumed maybe bad gas that needed to burn off, the auto start/stop also had intermittent errors.
Apr 02, 2025
I was sitting at a stop light and the car just SHUT OFF and would not re-start. It was very dangerous. The start/ stop system was enabled as it always is - since it defaults to this feature when you start the vehicle. The electronics starting glitching when the car shut off. This is not the 1st time the car would not start, it has happened 3x over the course of 3 weeks. When we try to jump start the vehicle it has taken up to 30 minutes to sit on charge to get the car to turn over. We have had the battery tested and charged at VW all test come back that it is a good battery. Seems that the start/stop system is faulty and drains the battery. I have spoke to VW and booked an appointment to have the look at this issue. Something is Seriously wrong with this vehicle and start/stop system. I have read many posts that I'm not alone with VW Atlas leaving families in dangerous situations because the car just shuts off and won't re-start.
Mar 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH and decelerating, the vehicle stopped abruptly. The driver's side rear window independently rolled down and the parking brake inadvertently engaged. The contact was able to pull over and drive to her residence. Additionally, the alarm was beeping. The check engine and battery warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that a message was displayed that the engine was still running. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the door harness needed to be replaced; however, the parts were on back order. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
Mar 18, 2022
+ 2 more complaints for this component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
6 complaints
Upon starting car All ADAS functions did not work. Warning lights came on. Did not work for several days. Took to dealership and they found a sensor in tire to be faulty
Apr 14, 2025
The forward collision warning activated out of the blue and the automatic emergency braking was applied for no reason. Was driving to go pick up daughter from school on March 11, 2024 at approximately 11:50 AM. Driving on neighborhood road with speed limit of 40 mph. Driving at 40 mph with no other vehicles anywhere near me in front, behind, or in opposing lane. All of a sudden the front collision warning light on dash popped up and the emergency brakes applied for no reason! This caused the vehicle to seize up and come to a screeching halt. Luckily there were no vehicles behind me that could have rear-ended me, and there were no other vehicles coming from opposing direction that I would might have slid into. There was NO reason why this should have happened. There were NO vehicles anywhere in the vicinity. No leaves falling, no debris in the roadway, nothing. No inclement weather, it was sunny and dry but cold approximatley 40 F. Inspected front of vehicle afterwards and there was nothing obstructing the sensors or cameras on front end.
Mar 11, 2024
As part of the existing recall on my vehicle, I am noticing serious mechanical issues ranging from the parking brake engaging when approaching a stop, the rear window rolling down (it's 0 degrees out), failure of Adaptive Cruise Control and a host of other electrical issues. The dealer is unable to see the car for 3 weeks and despite acknowledging my problems are consistent with the recall and have no loaner available for me in the meantime. VW Care informed me that my only recourse is to "call around" until I find one that can help me sooner. They will not offer to reimburse for a rental vehicle. This is unacceptable, the problem is not the dealer but a mechanical issue and VW needs to recognize that if their dealerships can't help because of workload then they need to support their customers.
Dec 28, 2022
Parking break engages while driving. Windows roll down door contact light flashes
Mar 16, 2022
I have a faulty Door harness that causes the vehicle to think they the door is open, when it is not. Because the car thinks the door is open, the E brake engages while driving and a loud beeping ensues. Several sensors also start flashing like check engine, start/stop system failure, check oil, etc. the part is back ordered with no ETA and VW don’t do a recall because they don’t want to be on the hook for all of these cars. A quick Google search will show you that this is a widespread safety issue that is being ignored
Feb 10, 2022
+ 1 more complaint for this component
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
6 complaints
Object, too small to be seen or causing sound on impact while driving on HWY, ruptured the gas tank, making it loose gas / heavily dripping gas. No warning on car computer. I did not notice the leak until arriving at my destination and I don’t really want to think about what could have happened. Gas dripping could have caused car go up in flames, causing severe damage to passengers, other vehicles, other people. Car was inspected at VW dealership, gas tank needed complete replacement. Same dealership advised same day another VW came into the dealership with exact same issue. VW states no warranty. I’m seriously wondering if VW gas tanks are made of such weak material / are insufficiently protected to cause such a huge safety concern.
Jul 25, 2024
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)
Jun 03, 2024
Vehicle stalled on highway while driving. Vehicle stalled on secondary highway while driving. Check engine light came on and vehicle inspection revealed fuel level sensor A circuit range performance. Mechanical fuel pump failure.
Sep 01, 2023
Low Pressure in Tank Fuel Pump Failed - Car Towed to Dealer Vehicle lost all power at speed on highway Informed by dealer that issue is not uncommon, 1,800+ fuel pumps on backorder No warning prior to failure
Aug 06, 2022
After starting the car, saw a start-stop assist error, but car seemed to start up normally. The car was slow to accelerate. Then a strong smell of gasoline followed by the EPC and check engine light. Pulled the car over and turned it off. Very strong smell of gasoline. Then noticed the gasoline leaking under the car. My safety was definitely put at risk as fuel leaks around ignition sources can cause fires. Luckily this time I was alone in the car. Had the vehicle towed to the dealership. Was told the issue was the fuel injector and happened at the factory. Manufacturer is aware of the issue. Dealership has replaced the fuel injector.
Sep 27, 2021
+ 1 more complaint for this component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE
5 complaints
pulling into a parking, backing out of my driveway on to the road, rolling with my foot off the gas preparing to brake the car shut off in gear. it is very dangerous happening when we back out of the driveway on to the road having to shift to park and manually restart the car. it happens with the auto shut off both on and off. this is a big issue that needs resolved before someone gets seriously hurt.
Jun 25, 2025
Brought car in for a noise 12k miles ago and dealer said all was well. I then brought the car back and they heard the sound, wanted to explore and take apart the engine and found I have a collapsed lifter on the exhaust cam which if a defect, should be completely covered by the manufacturer not just a portion of the repair. Also, this could cause further issues and damage with the car which is concerning since it had been going on for some time. I am just looking to see what further resolution can be made in regard to this. My car is still in the shop since last week. The dealership has been great in allowing me to have a loaner vehicle but I just want to make sure I don’t have more major issues form this not being taken care of as soon as it should have been.
Oct 21, 2024
Vehicle shuts off when driving. No faults pop up on the dash until 2 days ago when i was driving on the highway and it completely turned off. Message on the screen told me to manually turn it back on but i could not. The vehicle could not turn back on.
Sep 02, 2024
Frequently when the vehicle drives very slowly in bumper to bumper, or when coming to a stop the engine will completely stop. Electronics stay on but a message telling me to turn the car appears on the dash. I then have to put the vehicle in park and then press the power on button, put the car back into drive. The car continues to state there is an error with the Automatic shut off feature. I have brought this to my VW dealership twice now for a fix. The first time they said it was an update which did nothing. The 2nd time they replaced a valve and that also did nothing. This has done this many times in bumper to bumper traffic and is very concerning/dangerous. It seemed to be less of a problem during cold weather and an increasing problem the warmer it gets.
Apr 05, 2024
2021 volkswagon Atlas, needed new oil pan after few months due to major oil leak. had to pay out of pocket for rental 1 week. Wipers came flying off on driver's side hitting side window scratching car. Dealership said nothing wrong (my dad tightened bolts they were loose) heater in back started making horrible noise, said nothing was wrong. Needed new breaks, rotors numerous times. When backing up makes horrible noise, to this day. 10/7/23 driving down road at 28 mph my car stalled out. Did this numerous times w/in 3 weeks, brought to dealership said they couldn't find anything wrong. Kept happening brought it back. They change emission module & oil. Car started sounding like a tractor. Brought it to different dealership. Going down road at 45 mph with 4 kids in car. Car stalls out. No steering no breaks. Super scary. Car keeps stalling out, going down road at 58mph car stalls out, no steering no breaks again everything locks up. 18 wheeler behind me, 3 kids in car. Brought to another dealership, they stated never heard of car stalling out before. They stated other dealership put wrong oil in, they did another oil change and said my car was safe to drive. Car still kept stalling out almost every time I slowed down or came to a stop, or even when starting it before leaving had to restart numerous times. Fast forward car been in shop since 2/1/24. Said metal shavings in oil filter now needs new motor & theres bearings missing. (they told me car was safe to drive) we asked about safety issue, they said what safety issue? Whycar keeps stalling? Said never heard of this issue with the cars before. they want 9k for a rebuilt motor w/ way more miles than my car has now, Ive been in rental for 3 weeks out of pocket pay. Dealership can't promise me this will fix car. Car is a death trap and I have precious cargo, I don't feel safe driving it. Research says lots of people having same issues. VW Rep says never heard of this. Called lawyers yup its a common lawsuit, lemon car.
Feb 17, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
5 complaints
SOS light is not working with active subscription, showing error light. Seems to be a problem as multiple Volkswagen owner are having the same issue.
Feb 24, 2025
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?
Jun 23, 2024
The car started giving multiple warnings and the check engine light went on. When these warnings started, it would force the windows to go down and put the emergency brake on. It is a huge safety concern because when this issue worsens, it will throw the emergency brake on any time the car begins to slow down - so if a driver is actively driving the car and slowing for traffic - it will suddenly have an emergency brake trying to bring the car to a stop. The issue (Driver Door Contact Switch Error) has been confirmed by dealership. Car has been in the shop for 2 months waiting for a replacement part but in the meantime the dealer has multiple Atlas's waiting to be fixed for the same issue and the problem is all over the internet. It is unsafe to have these cars on the road.
Feb 25, 2022
Within seconds of starting the vehicle, error codes started appearing on the dashboard and beeping noise stating to park the car and not drive. The back window will roll down on its on and the parking break will engage if it wasn’t engaged already. I would turn off the car and it would go away But after a few minutes the car would start beeping and all kinds of lights and error code started appearing again. After getting this error message and the constant beeping, the emergency brake turns on and the window from behind driver's door lowers like 5 inches from top. At this point, I cannot lower window and I cannot turn off emergency brake. The code started appearing about a week prior to December 8 which was the final straw. It got to a point that while driving, if I took the foot of the gas pedal, the emergency break will engage automatically as I was going 10-15 miles per hr. Everytime I slowed down and was coming to a stop the car will engage the emergency break. I had to turn off the car and back on in order to keep going. This almost caused me to be hit multiple times until I was able to get to a safe location and away from the main road. I’ve read many others complaint similar and I think this should be a recall. It is a safety hazard when the emergency break engages once you slow down and foot is off the break. This particular car was fixed on Nov.5 for a recall related to coupling rods. I was told that the issue now is called a “driver front door harness” fault which the wires think I’m opening the door while driving so it engages the emergency break. Vehicle is currently at dealership and has been since Dec. 8 with no estimated time of repair due to waiting on parts.vehicle has been in my possession since Jan. 9, 2021.
Dec 12, 2021
My 2021 Atlas turned itself off while I was going down the road at 70 MPH. I had over 1/2 tank of gas. I was able to get to the side of the road, put the car in park, and restart.
Oct 26, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS
5 complaints
3 weeks ago, the warning light of the front airbag turned on. The airbag system has a malfunction and is available for inspection I did research and found a Safety Recall on my car (VW Atlas SUV FWD 2021) with the Code: 69PZ I have not received any notice from my car dealer or manufacturer I am worried that the faulty airbag system could deploy in the middle of a drive or not deploy in case of an accident.
Feb 10, 2025
This is regarding the passenger side airbag/sensor that needs recall in my 2021 VW Atlas. Is there still no planned fix for this? If so, why not? We are getting close to 6 months from the first notice and it is inconvenient to not have passengers be able to ride safely.
Dec 01, 2024
Passenger airbag light coming on and off. VIN is not associated with the widespread VW recall but it is affecting my 2021.5 VW Atlas currently. Decided to look it up and saw the recall however my VIN currently isn’t listed.
Jul 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while placing a child in the driver’s side rear seat of the vehicle the doors locked independently. The contact stated that the key fob and manual key was inoperable while attempting to unlock the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was notified of a wiring harness failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V152000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 17,000.
Apr 11, 2022
Airbags Light on , associated with faulty wire harness. Car at dealer waiting for part. Back ordered for 5 months: told unsafe to drive. Dealer said airbag delay after collision
Mar 19, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
5 complaints
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.
Jul 11, 2024
Engine stalled again, no warning, no check engine light, nothing when coming to a slow stop. Had to place vehicle in park, shut ignition off, open driver side door, close door. Only then I was able to start the car. This is the second time this happened.
Apr 11, 2024
Vehicle stalled and shut off 5 times while driving in past month. Took it to VW Dealership. They said low voltage on battery could make the stop/start feature not able to restart car. They also stated fuel injector #3 error was showing on diagnostic machine. After replacing battery, spark plugs, and gasket ($2300), dealership says that fuel injector error still showing and would cost $1400 to replace. They said it is recommended and my car shutting off is fixed with battery replacement. 24 hours after picking up from dealership, car shut off AGAIN. I have read on forums this is a known issue and many have resolved issue with evap cannister (charcoal) replacement. This is a big safety issue and VW needs to remedy issue as a recall
Feb 24, 2024
Car shuts off randomly when slowing down. Changed out the charcoal canister and purge valve and it is still doing it
Feb 13, 2024
Engine cuts off at slow speeds or at a stop. Engine failure requires placing vehicle in park and restarting. This occurs at least once per day. Display notes that vehicle requires manual restart. Took to dealer and they advised nothing was wrong.
Feb 03, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING
4 complaints
The daytime running light strip in the headlight fails. Identical failure to the Honda Accord - which had a recall/warranty extension issued.
Sep 02, 2025
I continue to receive an error message to " check rear tail light " ... I have had the actual light and wiring assembly replaced. The error message continues. I have taken it to two VW dealerships - neither of which know how to fix the problem, and can only suggest days of a wild goose chase to find the problem. One dealership opined that the wiring was coroded, which was causing the error message. This raises other safety concerns of fire, etc.
Apr 21, 2025
My passenger side LED daytime running light failed. We just crossed over 50k miles. This is a 1300 part. After reading online it seems this is a major issue with these vehicles and around this mileage. This appears to be something that needs to be investigated and the manufacturer should have to cover under recall. It’s likely not a coincidence there are this many people reporting the same issue on the same vehicle models/years.
Dec 20, 2024
LED daytime running lights went out a few weeks ago at the same time, then yesterday both headlights went out at the same time as well. There have been no damages or wrecks in my vehicle and I am the only owner. There are no warning lights and according to the MyVW app, everything is fine. I cannot see well while driving at night anymore and this will cost me $2,000 to replace at only 60,000 miles.
Nov 08, 2023
SEATS
4 complaints
Upon stopping at an intersection, one of the bench seats quickly shot forward and slammed a child in a car seat into the rear passenger seat. Thankfully there were no injuries, but this required the driver to pull over and investigate what happened with the seat. There appeared to be nothing that would have caused the seat to move forward.
Jul 26, 2022
I am reporting a design defect in the VW Atlas second row bench. There is no sensor or warning for the driver when the bench seat is not secure. When the car came to a stop from a low speed, the bench fell forward with enough force to fracture my child's leg who was sitting secure in a child's car seat. We reported the design problem to the manufacturer. The vehicle manufacturer inspected the vehicle for a manufacturing defect, not a design defect. When asked to pursue an inspection on design defect, the manufacturer noted they would and did not. This problem is replicable. Our concern is that the car does not alert the driver that the bench is not secure. Our incident could have been avoided if there was a driver warning.
May 22, 2022
The captain seats lurches forward at a high speed without any warning as well as without any precipitating event. This has occurred three times, once with the driver side captain seat and two times with the passenger seat. The indicator on the top of the seat was down before each event so the assumption was the seat was securely locked in position. A child was in a car seat on the passenger side captain seat during the last unlatching event resulting in the child hitting the back of the passenger seat knocking her front teeth loose and bruising her nose (pic attached). The driver stopped in traffic and put the car in park to get out and assist the child as this was the only way to get the seat back in position. The car is to be inspected by the dealer today.
May 11, 2022
We have a 2021.5 Volkswagen Atlas with captain’s chairs in the 2nd row. Our 4 year old was riding in a forward-facing car seat installed with lower anchors + tether strap in the 2nd row driver’s side and a friend’s 8 year old was riding in the 3rd row driver’s side in a backless booster. I was in the front passenger seat and my husband was driving. While my husband was braking, the 8 year old lifted up on the 3rd row access lever, located on the upper left side of the 2nd row driver’s side captain’s chair. The 2nd row captain’s chair lifted up, slid forward, and SLAMMED my 4 year old son into the driver’s seat. The 8 year old immediately panicked, which caused me to turn around. My 4 year old was not making any noise - almost certainly because his nose and mouth were pressed tightly into the back of the driver’s seat, preventing him from making a sound. While in the front passenger seat, I tried to push the captain’s chair back into place - but it was way too heavy. Luckily, we were on a road where my husband was able to quickly pull over and jump out to put the captain’s chair back into place. As soon as my husband started to move the captain’s chair away from the driver’s seat, my 4 year old started screaming. After this incident, our 4 year old showed us that while buckled into his forward-facing car seat in the 3rd row of the Atlas he was able to use his foot to lift up on the 3rd row access lever, causing the captain's chair to slam into the back of the front seat exactly as happened when the 8 year old lifted the lever during our trip.
Jul 01, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES
4 complaints
My vehicle experience inadvertent windows rolling down, inadvertent parking brake engagement at low speeds and a warning regarding a faulty door sensor on multiple occasions.
Jun 29, 2022
Phantom breaking, vehicle alerts, windows rolling down, driver side door not opening, parking break engages, windows stop working.
Mar 24, 2022
Problem started initially with random safety alarms and lights going off. Then alerts that door was open, or Advanced Driver Assistance Systems were not available. Then windows would roll down, for no reason. This happened within the first 2,000 miles of driving. Then on February 19, 2021 after multiple alarms going off, the car initiated the emergency brake while I was driving in a parking lot. My car stopped on it's own, suddenly. Luckily there was no one behind me. There are 7,500 miles on the car when the emergency brake incident occurred. I took it to the dealer the next day and was told since the car stopped at such a slow speed it should be safe to drive.
Mar 23, 2022
Could automatically brake at slow speeds, windows would go up and down basically the car would go crazy.
Mar 18, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES
4 complaints
After installing a software update, we noticed an issue with our Atlas where the parking brake is engaging suddenly at very low speeds, maybe around 4 mph but definitely before the vehicle is completely stopped. It feels very odd and has even come close to getting us rear ended from behind. It is intermittent and happens on seemingly random days/times, and at the same time as when the parking brake comes on, a bunch of audible alarms and warning messages pop up, and the drivers side windows roll down on their own about 4-5 inches. One of the dash warnings is saying something about a faulty door sensor.
Apr 01, 2022
The shocks will all of a sudden come up with “parking brake Fault”, “start/stop” fault, “driver door switch fault”, Che j engine light comes on. It will then randomly throw on the parking brake while driving causing the vehicle to come to a complete sudden stop while driving then the back windows will roll down. It does this off and on…
Mar 19, 2022
Hello, I'm writing to share a safety concern regarding the 2021 VW Atlas. In January 2022, I was driving with my small children in the vehicle. The alarm went off for no reason when I first entered the car. Next, my passenger side windows went down on their own and would not go back up. All sorts of alarms/light went off in my car. Next, it started to throw my vehicle into emergency brake while driving. VERY DANGEROUS! This should be a safety recall. The vehicle has been in the shop for 2 months, waiting on a part.
Mar 17, 2022
The below are known issues dating back to at least 2020 Atlas models, but this first appeared in our vehicle mid-November 2021; we purchased the car new June 2021. The driver door contact switch has failed. There are annoyances - the widows randomly roll down, lots of dinging, warning lights, etc. - but the safety issue is that the emergency brake will come on sometimes when you brake. We have a child and cannot risk suddenly being stopped on a highway. Because of this, the car is undriveable. VW estimates the part will be available in 2023, so there are people driving around with this safety issue because they have no second car and people who are paying a loan on a car they cannot drive. These issues have been replicated by the dealer. The case has been escalated to VW and there is no sense of urgency. See here for reports of others with the same experiences: https://www.vwatlasforum.com/threads/error-driver-door-contact-switch.6359/
Jan 28, 2022
POWER TRAIN
3 complaints
The Bevel Box was broken due to a defect CV axle. The axle pushed out of the bevel box and separated at the cab joint.
Dec 10, 2025
Vehicle often stalls at stops, been doing a lot of research and a lot of people have the same issue all over forums with the VW atlas across all years, its a safety issue that needs to be addressed. most of the forums and VW techs say its the vapor canister going bad but with a newer car we shouldn't have to get it replaced every 10k miles. you don't want your car stalling at a intersection with traffic with your kids and family in the car, its dangerous and VW needs to fix this issue
Aug 14, 2025
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.
Jun 10, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER
3 complaints
Windshield repeatedly cracks with no visible sign of impact. A quick Reddit search shows lots of other people having the same issue
Oct 11, 2025
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.
Jun 15, 2024
2021 VW Atlas. Outside mirror heaters are not working. There is a VW Tech Tip 662003 that describes the problem, however, the dealership Bud Cleary in Auburn WA is refusing to perform repair, saying mirror heaters only work when the ambient temperature is below 40 degrees and here in Washington state our day time temperatures are almost always higher. I drive at night so I experience severe outside mirror fogging in all kinds of temperatures. Cleaning, wiping mirrors offers little relief. Rear window heater works fine. So I am caught in a Catch-22 situation. I can't "prove" that a problem exists, yet I experience it every night. VW knows that a problem exists, yet the dealership refuses to perform a simple firmware flush, hiding behind the curtain of "policy."
Oct 12, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE
3 complaints
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving approximately 2 MPH, the rear windows inadvertently rolled down independently. The contact also stated the vehicle stalled. The contact shifted to park(P) and restarted the vehicle. The contact also stated the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and while driving. The vehicle was shifted to park(P) and restarted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who determined failures with three recalls on the Volkswagen Atlas for low speed, intervention park brake, and NHTSA Campaign Number 22V152000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 1,000.
Jun 29, 2022
While the vehicle is in motion, the warning buzzer keeps dinging saying the engine is running. The red flashing light (in the door) flashes. Keep getting the warning triangle for the door harness problem. Also keep getting ERROR:START/STOP. My parking park has also engaged a couple of times while in motion. This is dangerous and needs immediate attention. This happens every day.
Apr 28, 2022
Alerts of door being open, back windows then go down and parking break engages out of nowhere. The Check engine light comes on and there is a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark. Driver Door Contact Switch”, “Attention: Engine is Running”, “Fault Electronic Parking Brake”, and the Emergency Brake automatically engaging.
Feb 24, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
3 complaints
VW Atlas 2021 is having issues with the driver side harness which there is an active recall without repair for. Car started to show error messages related to parking brake, air bag functionality, windows roll up and down, parking brake has engaged while driving in early April. Multiple dealers contacted and no loaner vehicle or repairs identified or offered. Car feels completely unsafe to drive due to random braking and error messages.
May 31, 2022
Although this is not the first issue with my VW 2021 Atlas, it will be my last. As I was driving down a two lane highway to my daughter's softball practice, the emergency break turned on and my vehicle completely jolted to a stop. By the grace of God, no one was behind us. Prior to this recent incident, the windows started to roll up and down on their own and the "Fault Parking Break" alert will appear on my dash. This occurs randomly, day or night, sunny or rainy, cold or hot. The vehicle has been to the dealership for this issue, but the alert continues. I purchased this vehicle March of 2021, issues did not occur until December and it has gone down hill quickly. Right now, this vehicle is deemed "undrivable" and will be at the dealership. This vehicle is also under the new recall where the airbags do not deploy. There is no fix for this.
Apr 11, 2022
While my wife was driving home from work, all lights on the dashboard illuminated and the airbag warning symbol came on as well as both front windows opened on their own. Upon arrival at home as she pulled into the drive the emergency brake momentarily activated. Luckily the brake activated once she had pulled out of the main traffic or she may have been hit from behind. She called Bud Brown, our local VW dealer and was advised it was a known issue with the wiring on a door harness. She was advised that this part is not available and may not be available for many months and that there was nothing we could do. At present due to the known nature of the issue, it has not been inspected by VW or anybody else. At present when starting my car, only the airbag warning light is lit up. The car is available for inspection at any time and by anybody.
Mar 28, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
3 complaints
Several times while driving at 30-35 mph, 3-4 times so far, the emergency brake will just suddenly slam the car to a halt with the emergency brake. Also, the warning lights, possibly for collision, will just go off for no reason at all. Very scary and very dangerous. I have taken it to the dealer several times, as I have two young children, and they have not been able to diagnose or fix the problem.
Apr 02, 2022
I was driving between 25-30 mph at dusk. Suddenly a loud red warning appeared on the dashboard, and the car came to a screeching halt. I did not touch the brakes - it happened all on its own. There was nothing in front of me, such as a collision. It was not raining. The only factor that changed, which might be completely coincidental, is that I was just going over top of a large metal plate on the street that is used to cover road construction. The plate was just like any other, and stuck up maybe an inch. By the brakes slamming on, I was hit by the car behind me, who was also going 25-30 mph. This caused my passenger to be thrashed around - luckily neither of us were hurt. The driver of the other vehicle was not hurt but his car's hood was badly damaged. He had two kids in the back seat. I see this article, but when discussing it with the dealer, they claimed to have no knowledge of the issue or recall, even though it says the issue has been happening since 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/19/vw-recalls-246000-atlas-suvs-due-to-issue-with-airbags-brakes.html If this had occurred when a car was not just right behind me, but maybe 20 car lengths back, they would have plowed into me going 30 mph. This could have been extremely bad, and someone could die from such a situation. This is not the first time the loud warning light has come on for no reason. Every so often it will come on, even though there is nothing close to the vehicle. However, it is the first time it has braked like this. I have also found the software to be very glitchy at other times. Suddenly the radio might turn off, the navigation system goes very wrong, and so forth. When mentioning this to the dealer, they blamed Apple due to CarPlay. When I explained that these have nothing to do with CarPlay, they had no response. A software update did just occur maybe a week or two ago. I don't know if this is related to the brake issue.
Mar 30, 2022
Starting in November, a series of alarms would go off on the dashboard on the engine, lane assist, collision warnings, etc. As the problem progressed, the windows would go down automatically, and in the most severe instances, the car would engage the emergency park brake while coming to a stop!!! This happened more and more frequently to the point the car became undrivable as you awaited the car engaging the emergency parking brake while coming to a stop!!!! The car has been at the dealership since 11/22/21 as the door control wiring harness is on backorder. Someone will get hurt if this goes unrepaired.
Feb 15, 2022
STEERING
2 complaints
Steering wheel shakes at speeds over 65 mph, I had multiple repairs in 4 years and each time it is only a year fix. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Nov 25, 2025
After starting vehicle the steering wheel locked up. It would allow you to drive forward and reverse but would not allow the steering wheel to turn. Prior to failure my wife and I noticed sometimes while driving down the interstate or highway it was difficult to turn steering wheel. Although random it was concerning checked power steering fluid and belts all looked good. Yesterday had to have vehicle towed due to faulty steering wheel.
Apr 05, 2025
SEAT BELTS
2 complaints
The seat belt receptacle on the rear passenger side seat has failed. The vehicle is barely 4 years old. The dealership offered to replace it at a cost of 808.00. There was no warning that it would fail, it simply quit working. There has not been any foreign substance spilled on the receptacle. There were no injuries, but the seat belt is a critical safety feature and should last longer than 4 years from new.
Nov 17, 2025
Seatbelt light stays on and dings at me while driving, even though I am buckled. I’ve tried turning the car on and off to reset the seatbelt sensor and it doesn’t work.
Mar 14, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
2 complaints
When I went to start my vehicle on 6/26/25, I noticed that the instrument cluster was stating an error: "COMPASS IS NOT AVAILABLE". The vehicle continues to go through an entire list of items not available. including the radio and infotainment system, navigation. I should also mention that the dash also was showing that the outside camera was not available to me. I live in a small town and shopping is very limited and I drive 32 miles for decent groceries and clothes for my family, and I rely on that radio for company, sometimes, and for weather and traffic so if I don't have these items I could get stranded in the middle of the desert. No one has looked at the car yet for this problem. I have no clue how this happened.
Jun 27, 2025
Our car starting firing many warning every time we would drive it including breaking without us telling it to. We took it in twice for it to be fixed, the first didn't work and the second they replaced a door chasey and I hope it works long term. Very scary to be driving with 2 little kids in the back and a possessed car. Super dangerous.
Mar 20, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE
2 complaints
VW Atlas randomly shuts off when coming to a stop or slowing down. I have to put the car in park and then restart the vehicle. This is incredibly dangerous and scary. This has happened at least 5 times now, all while driving on the road and in traffic. No warning lights popped up. A few times it said I need to manually restart the engine. The most recent time it didn’t say anything at all, my vehicle just slowed down and would not accelerate. I have noticed this issue both when enabling and disabling the Auto Start/Stop feature.
Jun 16, 2025
Got Error: Start-Stop
Apr 22, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES
2 complaints
Front brakes squeal when the ceramic brake pads are engaged against the rotors. Gurgling and grinding noises behind the steering wheel and behind the brake pedal indicative of brake line issues. Brake lines not bled correctly, air in brake lines, or issues with the brake booster or pressure switch systems. Front brake issues occur the most in reverse during initial startup, when driving at a low speed, and during rainy or damp weather. Rear brakes give a loud squeal in reverse during initial startup.
May 13, 2025
There were multiple incidents where the windows would roll down and the error came on state "Driver Side Contact Error", once where the driver side door would not open, I had to crawl out the passenger side, and multiple times when the parking brake would not disengage. All of these issues have been said to be the drivers side harness kit, no rhyme or reason and lights and errors would go off after each incident. The main safety concern caused be this is when i was driving down a hill coming to a red light, i was reducing speed but was not stopped and the parking brake engaged on its own. I came to a dead stop in the middle of the road, luckily no cars behind me and on a clear road, the dash lit up with multiple errors but all disappeared before i a could write them all down. The dealership where my car current is has stated there is a parts bulletin out on this part causing all these issues with the door harness kit, but no recall. They also could not guarantee that my parking brake would not engage again while the car was in drive, but did not want to offer me a rental car because Volkswagen doesn't consider it a "Safety issue". I know there are 5 other vehicles at the dealership with the same issue as mine (as of January 10th). This is happening in brand new cars, my car is a 2021 and have not even owned it a year.
Feb 15, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
2 complaints
Upon starting the car All of the above warning lights came on the dashboard and did not function. Power steering,l and all adas did not function. Took to dealer and sensor was replaced.
Apr 14, 2025
Door harness replacement needed, car is only a few months old, less than 10k Miles. Various sensors go off indicating a contact door switch issue, and the parking brake will go off and windows will open. This happened to me with children in the car and snowy weather, which could have caused an accident when the parking brake went off while driving.
Feb 18, 2022
TIRES
2 complaints
Tire: Continental CrossContact LX Sport 255/50 R20 105T Incident Description: While traveling about 65mph, in the center lane of I-40, under clear weather conditions, the vehicle, a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas SEL Premium, experienced a sudden and catastrophic failure of the left rear tire. No object or pothole was hit in the road. The failure was characterized by a loud noise, an immediate deceleration of the vehicle, and significant vibrations. No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to the failure. Actions Taken: The vehicle was safely maneuvered from the center lane to the right shoulder of the highway without further incident. Upon exiting the vehicle, a visual inspection revealed that the left rear tire had exploded, causing extensive damage to the vehicle’s left side. The damage included significant harm to the wheel well, rear suspension, and other structural and mechanical components. Additionally, remnants of the tire were found in the middle of the highway that were unable to be retrieved safely. Subsequent Measures: The vehicle was towed from the scene on a flatbed truck to a repair center and damage was repaired. Tire was submitted to Continental for review under a property damage claim. Continental declined culpability, citing potential previous damage to the tire sidewall that may not have been visible. Tire had no visible damage prior to the blow-out.
Oct 14, 2024
Continental cross contact LX Sport 255x50x20 has a large bulge/bubble approx 21/2” from the letter T on Contact on the sidewall. This tire has had issues since new with losing air pressure. The drivers side rear has had same issue with losing pressure. It has a bulge in same spot on tire sidewall.
Jan 30, 2022
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE
2 complaints
Engine nearly stalls at low speeds in either toward or reverse - such as in parking lots or when backing up a driveway. The car will also surge at moderate speeds (30-40 mph). Car hasn't actually stalled yet but feels like it's about to until I press on the brake. The problem occurs randomly and would be very difficult to reproduce. The transmission will also shift violently randomly during the 30 - 40 mph range.
Aug 11, 2024
On four occasions, (at a stop light/intersection, in a car line, in a drive thru, and in a parking lot), the engine has shut off while driving. All four times, I have been in Drive and the car will stall and a "start engine manually" message pops up. Each time, I had to completely stop, put the car in park, restart the engine, and put it back in Drive. This has definitely put myself and the safety of others at risk because it has caused my car to stop while on the road, as well as other locations where there are moving vehicles. If my vehicle were to stall at a time when I am in the middle of traffic, the time it takes to react to put the vehicle back into park, then restart the engine, then put it back into drive could lead to an accident. I.havw tried to call the VW dealership and left several messages to report these incidences, but they have not returned my calls. I have also tried to calW Customer Care, but I haven't been able to get through. The "start engine manually" alert only shows when the engine has cut off and the car stalls. No other indicator or warning lights are present.
Mar 21, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
2 complaints
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.
Jul 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while approaching a stop light, the brakes failed upon depression of the brake pedal, and the vehicle rolled to a stop. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and the ABS was replaced; however, the failure recurred soon after the repair. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was advised to file a claim with the manufacturer. The manufacturer denied the claim but offered her a buy back. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer unrepaired. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.
Aug 25, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
2 complaints
The gps in the vehicle navigation shows an inaccurate location of the vehicle, which causes problems for adaptive cruise, and vehicle safety notifications on the dash. Incorrect speed limit indicators occur as a result, and vehicle navigation is rendered useless. It looks ridiculous to all passengers as the vehicle will show on GPS somewhere it isn’t, even driving through fields where there are now roads. Problem is intermittent and can last for days or minutes at a time. Known problem on the 2021 as well as more recent models of the vehicle.
Dec 20, 2023
Drivers side wire harness. All sorts of alarms going off, windows going up and down on their own, parking break engaging on its own while driving!!! Absolutely unsafe vehicle & VW was not helpful or cooperative.
Mar 17, 2022
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2 complaints
The viechle appears to be having a very common issue of the Hood Latch being broken or snapping. I was left stranded with my car with a dead battery unable to access the battery to jump it.
Sep 17, 2023
The sunroof exploded while driving with no external object impacts. The retracted roof exploded sounded like a gunshot. I was driving about 75mph on Hwy 70 from Colorado to Utah. There were no vehicles around us.
Jun 01, 2021
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
2 complaints
The contact owned a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving at approximately 15 MPH, she had turned the air conditioner on and felt that hot air was blowing out. The contact stopped at a traffic signal turned the vehicle off and on again and noticed that the air conditioner was now blowing cool air. The contact had begun to smell a burning rubber smell and noticed that smoke was being emitted from under the hood on the driver's side. The contact stated that when she stopped at another traffic signal all of the dash alarms began to flash and she heard warning chimes sound as well. The contact pulled over into a parking lot and turned the vehicle off. The contact stepped out of the vehicle when she saw black and white smoke coming from under the hood, then flames burst out from under the hood. The contact stated that the entire front end of the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The fire department was called and extinguished the flames with water. The contact stated that the heat and flames melted the front tires. The fire department wrote a report. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The contact stated that the vehicle was declared a total loss by her insurance provider. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Mar 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that an unknown exhaust warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the fuel injection system to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000. Vehicle has been repaired.
Dec 14, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,LANE DEPARTURE
2 complaints
While driving in a city, the emergency parking brake would switch on everytime i slowed down or came to a stop. Multiple other warnings happened such as lane assistance unavailable. And one of my windows would roll down part way.
Nov 28, 2022
The driver door contact switch and door harness is faulty, which triggers several errors while driving. The lane keep assist and departure warning does not work when this is happening. Additionally, when braking, the car has several alarms that chime repeatedly, including low coolant, driver door contact switch, electronic parking brake failure, hill start assist, and dynamic cornering lights. The car beeps nonstop while the brakes are applied and the car is at a complete stop. The parking brake also engages when the brakes are applied, making it very unsafe to drive. When I called the dealership to schedule an inspection, they reported that they don’t need to inspect the car because they know exactly which part is causing the problem, and ordered me the part. However the part is on back order, so I’ve had to drive the car in this condition, as they will not put me in a rental. The dealership has Informed me there is nothing else they can do, and Volkswagen customer care will not respond to my requests to discuss.
Feb 20, 2022
AIR BAGS,ENGINE
2 complaints
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V152000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing electrical issues. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the warning messages "Automatic Start/Stop Is Not Available", " Lane Assist Is Not Currently Available”, “Faulty Electronic parking Brake" "Door Is Ajar Fault" and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the front driver's side window was inoperative and the rear driver's side window would continuously roll up and down independently while driving. Additionally, the contact stated while coming to a stop, between 1-2 MPH, the parking brake would engage independently, causing the vehicle to jolt. The contact had to disengage the parking brake each time. Additionally, the contact stated that the front driver's side door lock chime reminder would engage while driving with the door locked. The local dealer was contacted and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to not drive the vehicle. However, the manufacturer provided no assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 15,150. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
May 04, 2022
Airbag light illuminated on this vehicle yesterday, however, it’s not currently listed in campaign 21V892, but I believe it could also possibly be affected by the airbag control module issue. This vehicle also shuts down when stopped, and at times will not automatically restart when the drivers foot is removed from the brake. This has almost caused driver to be rear-ended multiple times, when the traffic signal turns green, yet the vehicle engine will not restart. The only way to restart is to press the brake again, put transmission/gear shifter into park, and restart vehicle, then put vehicle back into Drive. This is not only a hassle, but is dangerous, as other drivers expect that when the light turns green, this vehicle should then be driven forward, but at times, the engine failing to restart causes an unsafe driving condition. The adaptive cruise control also doesn’t perform as expected and has completely failed to engage over the summer of 2021. When ACC malfunctions, cruise control isn’t able to be used at all. I’ve taken this vehicle in for inspection of the ACC issue, but the service Dept was unable to find a cause. They updated vehicle software and I have not experienced the ACC issue since.
Dec 13, 2021
AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
2 complaints
My airbag light randomly went on a few days after my 10k miles inspection at the Platinum VW dealership in Hicksville, NY. I brought it in and was told there is a safety issue due to a faulty sensor in the passenger side door which can both cause the airbag not to deploy (or to randomly deploy) and can also cause the parking break to automatically engage while the car is in motion. While the VW dealership was totally not transparent about this, the rental agency told me that i was there were more than 15 customers before me with the same issue in the same car, and that one such customer's breaks automatically deployed while the car was in motion at over 30mph. I called VK corporate and they
Mar 17, 2022
My wife was driving our 5 day old Atlas along the interstate with cruise control set at 65mph. She was traveling up an incline that had a slight turn to the right along the interstate. There was not a car within 500+ yards of her car. All of a sudden she started hearing beeps and the car abruptly slammed on the brakes causing the Atlas to shift all of its weight to front and causing the rear tires to lift off of the ground. The front driver side portion of the car then skidded across the asphalt and into the safety rail. The airbags NEVER deployed although the entire front was destroyed. My wife has had trauma from this accident and VW never offered a single thing for any kind of help. The car was brand new for $44,000 and took on $27,000 worth of damage so it was not enough to be a total loss. We have the automatic braking de-activated because we are terrified of it.
Mar 16, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE
2 complaints
Upon starting vehicle, dash screen indicated that there was an issue with the Driver Door Contact Switch, and back driver's window lowered automatically. This automatically triggers the emergency brake to engage. If you disengage the emergency brake, the vehicle beeps, acting like a door is open, even with all doors closed. There were other incidents where this did not happen until driving on the road, in which the vehicle would engage the emergency brake as it was stopping. The brake would have to be manually disengaged in order to keep driving down the street. This may have been a safety hazard to others around if the vehicle all of a sudden turned on the emergency brake. This problem is not new to the local Volkswagen dealer, where my vehicle has been for the last month. Eight other vehicles are there with the same issue. They said that a door harness replacement is needed, but this part is backordered for the foreseeable future.
Feb 28, 2022
ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29TH, I STARTED MY CAR AFTER IT HAD BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE FOR SEVERAL DAYS IN THE RAIN. AFTER BACKING MY CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND THEN PROPELLING FORWARD, WATER (EASILY 1.5-2 CUPS) CAME OUT OF THE REAR VIEW MIRROR ONTO THE PANELING BELOW. THE WATER CAME OUT OF THE BUTTONS AS THEY WERE PUSHED ON THE PANEL. IN ADDITION, THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND, YOU COULD SEE THE CONDENSATION IN THE BUTTONS. AS A RESULT, THE AC/HEAT PANELING DID NOT WORK CORRECTLY FOR SEVERAL DAYS. WHEN I WOULD TURN ON THE CAR, THE PANEL WOULD LIGHT UP AND AT TIMES, I COULD NOT TURN OFF SOME OF THE FUNCTIONS. THIS HAPPENED FOR AT LEAST 4 DAYS. I CALLED MY VW DEALERSHIP ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29TH WHEN I DISCOVERED THIS. HOWEVER, VW COULD NOT FIT ME IN TO LOOK AT THE CAR UNTIL MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND. ALSO TO NOTE, THE ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON AND GONE OFF SEVERAL TIMES THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND. I WILL ALSO ADD THE ENTIRE DRIVER'S SIDE CEILING FROM THE WINDSHIELD TO THE SUNROOF WAS SATURATED WITH WATER. ONE PUSH OF THE FINGER AND WATER WOULD COME SEEPING OUT OF THE CEILING. AFTER TAKING IT TO VW THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH ANY SEALING OR ANY LEAK. I FEEL CONFIDENT THE SUNROOF WAS SHUT WHILE MY CAR WAS OUTSIDE AS IT HAD BEEN RAINING/SLEETING FOR A WEEK AND I HAD NO OPPORTUNITY TO USE THE SUNROOF.
Nov 06, 2020
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
1 complaint
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. In addition, the EPC engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred while the contact's wife was in traffic. The contact's wife was able to safely drive the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The contact's wife noticed a burning odor. The contact's wife exited the vehicle. The contact arrived at the location and the insurance company was contacted. The insurance company advised the contact to have the vehicle towed to the dealer. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with misfire in cylinders 2,5 and 6. In addition, the contact was informed that the cylinder and the spark plugs were soaked in fuel. The contact was informed that the failure was described as fuel fowling. The contact was informed that all six fuel injectors and spark plugs needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that 3 fuel injectors and the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The contact referenced recall NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V245000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however the contact's VIN was not associated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact's repair was denied. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Dec 12, 2025
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1 complaint
The car began revving at lights when I was in drive and stopped at red lights. The normal at rest rev is 0.75 however I have seen it as high as 1.5 and had to put the car into park to reset the acceleration. This had been consistently happening over the past month. The first visit to the dealer, I needed a new battery... that didn't fix the issue. The tech said that after the battery was replaced that the scan showed no error codes. The only codes before the battery replacement were low voltage indicators throughout the car. The next day the same issue happened again. The second scam showed no faults however I asked them to clean the throttle body (which they never suggested) and they did. They said that they recalibrated the new clean throttle body measurement to the computer. For the following 10 days, when I stopped at a light, the tachometer was perfectly stable at 0.75 and there was no "jumping" around like before. Until this day, the acceleration happened at a "stop". However on day 11 after the throttle cleaning, I was SLOWING DOWN to approach a red light and the tachometer revved to 3.0 and I needed to stop immediately and throw it into park. This is so dangerous. I may cause an accident by either lurching forward or needing to hit the breaks to stop the acceleration. There are no error or warning lights that show on the dashboard!!! After the battery was changed, the dealership said they had someone drive it for 10 miles to recreate the issue but found none yet it started up the next day. GROK has been helpful. It suggested first the throttle cleaning which did help, and three other repairs. I'm planning to pay a shop that deals with German cars specifically to scan and evaluate. The car has 43,000 miles on it. This is a testament to German engineering? No longer. I have never seen this in any other of my vehicles. All three uploads failed even though I got them to the most minimum of info.
Sep 19, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
1 complaint
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start due to battery failure. The contact attempted to open the hood of the vehicle to charge the battery; however, the hood failed to unlock. The contact stated that an unknown dealer had previously replaced the hood release due to the failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who completed the first repair. The dealer determined that the hood release needed to be replaced with a stronger part. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer documented the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a vehicle safety complaint. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
Jul 30, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES
1 complaint
Due to a faulty door wiring harness (a VW recall) the car has multiple electrical issues. The car shuts itself down, loss of blinkers, speedometer, brake lights, parking brake engagement and ALL electrical functions, every alarm goes off in the car, windows roll up and down, doors will lock and unlock while driving. Which is terrifying/life threatening while driving 65 MPH on a highway with kids. We have this on video. Most recently, it shut down and would not start again. The dealership has now attempted to fix this problem 5 times and cannot get the alarm lights to turn off so now the car is not even drivable. We have tried to work with VW for a buyback twice and started this process (16 months into owning the car) when the car was under full warranty. They continued to deem the car safe and fixed and the same issues would sporadically happen. After these two cases for VW to buyback the car and them rejecting it, we are now out of warranty and they will not work with us. We bought the car brand new.
Jul 24, 2025
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1 complaint
There is an error with the start-stop feature and it causes my car to stall while driving it. This is very dangerous considering it tells me to put it in park and start the car manually. It's almost caused me multiple accidents.
Apr 10, 2025
Carry Handle, Shell, Base
1 complaint
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The base to my baby’s car seat. We have the Maxi-Cosí Peri 180 Rotating Car Seat. My husband and I were placing the car seat to clip in to the base. When doing so it span around and would not stay locked I place. Once we clipped the car seat in and turned it to lock it kept spinning even when the lock button symbol showed it was locked. I took my baby out of the car seat and my husband tried to see if maybe the car seat needed to be reinstalled or fixed. But that did not resolve the issue. The car seat kept spinning around and not locking still. I do have doctor appts and many school events for my daughter at school this week. I cannot afford to purchase another car seat right now. I am going to have to use the seat belt to keep the car seat from spinning on its own. I am at all costs trying to my hardest to have to leave home. As it’s is honestly frightening. How was the child’s safety put at risk? My Child’s life was put as risk by the base not staying secure and spinning. As well as not staying locked to keep him safe. Also, this happened to us while we were at a store so we had not choice but to put him back in the car seat and my daughter and I held the car seat in place while my husband drove back home. As we did not want to get into and accident and the car seat not keep our baby safe. This was scary as I’m wondering now how low he this base been this way. So glad I caught it as I do not want to put my baby back in the car seat. We need to get another brand because we are mortified. Has the car seat been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No. WE HAVE VIDEO FOOTAGE of the car seat issue. If a link/email be sent to me so I can email this over please.
Apr 07, 2025
WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1 complaint
Rattling or metal grinding sound coming from the right rear tire/wheel. I’ve had it checked out by two different dealerships and neither of them found a problem. The metal rattling noise occurs mostly while I’m doing in town driving (30-40 mph) but recently started doing it on the freeway as well. I don’t feel safe driving this car at all.
Mar 14, 2025
VISIBILITY
1 complaint
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud explosion before shards of glass fell from the moon roof onto the rear center seat. There was no impact to the moonroof to have caused the moon roof glass to explode. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Mar 07, 2025
STEERING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
For steering: There is a grinding noise that happens each time I turn my wheel when turning into a parking spot or making a non wide turn. It happens every single time that I do it. For Automatic Emergency Braking: It turns on while I am in the middle of driving constantly.
Feb 05, 2025
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1 complaint
I have had issue after issue with this car ever since I got it. Within the first year of my lease, my car was at the dealership for 4 to 5 months. Most of it in one long stint. The vehicle was consistently having problems. All the while, I’m paying for a car I wasn’t even able to drive for a huge chunk of year 1. One time, the car completely shut down and stopped in the middle of the freeway with my three young children in the car with me. The brakes on this car have been an issue since I bought it as well. Not only have the brakes squeaked the entire time I’ve owned the car, VW has since come out and said that the brakes are defective but they’re unwilling to offer any solution. There have been factory issues with this vehicle many many times that have caused real safety issues. Rarely did Volkswagon actually offer any sort of fix or realistic timeline for when I can expect things to be addressed. Even in some cases, they just completely ignored me as if I’m just a number and not an actual customer Who drives his children in this car. This was my third Volkswagen. I have always sang the praises of VW. But this experience has quite literally made me never want to buy another Volkswagon product again. I have about nine payments remaining on my lease and I am anxious to move on to a better safer vehicle with a brand that does right by the consumer. Volkswagon told me that even with all of what I’ve been through with Volkswagon, which is on the record by the way in the form of repair orders, as well as cost to customer service, I did not qualify for a buyback on my vehicle. Nor would they let me just return my lease. The dealership has basically said that their hands are tied. And corporate has repeatedly done nothing, and turned me away. I asked that you guys step in not only for me in particular, but for all the other Volkswagon owners who are unhappy. And there are many. Especially those who drive the same make, and model is me, the atlas. Thank you.
Oct 23, 2024
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1 complaint
The car stalls and turns off when operating at a slow speed, both in forward or reverse. This is a serious and potentially deadly problem. With my two young children in the car, I was turning left across three lanes of oncoming traffic. When I began to accelerate, my car stalled in the middle of the first lane. I had to figure out what happened, put it in park, restart the car and finish my turn before being hit by oncoming traffic. This has happened 2-3 times each day since this started last week. This has nothing to do with Eco mode or automatic start/stop feature. I am familiar with both of those and disengage them when I start the car. The car has approx 28k miles and is well maintained. It is still well within warranty. The check engine light came on and the code it throws is P0496 for a bad EVAP system. I took it to VW dealer and they re-created and diagnosed the problem. Essentially, the EVAP system has faulty parts and it is causing the gas tank to collapse. The EVAP canister, the purge valve and the gas tank all need to be replaced. The problem is they do not have the parts to replace the gas tank. And they have no idea when they are going to get them. Literally, no time horizon. The VW service advisor admitted that they’ve seen ‘some frequency’ with this problem lately, mainly on 2019-2023 models. It’s a parts issue, not a wear & tear nor maintenance issue. If you look this up online, you’ll see hundreds of posts about this issue with similar scary situations like mine. Couple this with the active recall already in place (passenger airbag may not deploy in an accident) and there’s no solution for that recall, either. My family feels in jeopardy every time we drive our family car. Why is there not a recall for the gas tank collapse? How can we compel VW to produce a remedy in a timely manner? This is going to be a fatal issue for some family. Please help. I am happy to document and share photos/ videos of the situation.
Sep 08, 2024
POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1 complaint
In May I brought the vehicle to the dealership because the vehicle was turning off at low speeds (exiting a parking lot) or switching from Drive to Reverse. This was in conjunction with the check engine light coming on. The dealership diagnosed it as a fuel sensor failure, which they told me was safe to drive, and they'd order the part. I went back the next week when the sensor had been received and the repair was made. Last week, the low fuel alert flashed when I knew the vehicle was not low on fuel. The alert was not stable for a few days (it turned on and then turned back off, and then on again), and the vehicle started to have the same issue of stopping at low speeds. I had it towed to the dealership because I was too worried to drive it. The dealership diagnosed it with a 'swollen and leaky gas tank'. They sent photos upon request and the gas tank appears to have a tear. It is not due to any accident or road debris. The VW dealership has recommended a complete gas tank replacement, and let me know the gas tanks are on back order and did not have a date it would be available. This is extremely dangerous situation because 1. it was leaking gas and 2. it was coming to a stop. I drive around children (my own and others) and I can't imagine if something had happened while I was in driving around a car of kids. I read on different sites (Reddit and other car sites) and it seems the stopping problem with the Atlas is somewhat common, unfortunately. I am curious if it's due to a bad gas tank or if it is a separate malfunction with the vehicle. I called the Volkswagen Care Line and was told that they were sorry, but my vehicle was no longer under warranty, so they were unable to give me any information or guidance.
Aug 29, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1 complaint
The vehicle would turn off randomly when stopped at a Stop sign or traffic light. It the had to be put in park and restarted. The dealership Kelly VW in Danvers, MA diagnosed the problem and this is what the invoice said. "cel is on code p0461 is active. performed tsb hooked up battery charger and updated ecm per tsb" Si, in my opinion this is at the least a potentially serious safety issue that should have warranted a recall and/or something that would be covered under the 80,000 mile or 8 year Federal Emissions Warranty
Aug 15, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
On [XXX] my 2021 Volkswagen Atlas cut off on [XXX] at the red light and I was almost rear ended multiple times until a kind gentleman moved my car out of the intersection. It has been parked in my driveway since because the battery won't hold a charge. I had the battery tested but the machine read that something is draining the battery even without keys being in the car ignition switch. The windows goes up and down by themselves without the power being engaged. The car is surging and all of these things are included on a recall list for Volkswagen which I will include in this complaint but Volkswagen specifically Kurt O from VW Social Media said that won't do anything to help. I truly believe they are picking and choosing whose VIN number to repair and the rest are left to their own vices. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Aug 01, 2024
AIR BAGS,SEATS
1 complaint
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.
Jul 11, 2024
STEERING,WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES
1 complaint
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.
Jun 13, 2024
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE
1 complaint
My vehicle has stalled out before for no reason and the dealership is unable to help in diagnosing the issue without a fault code. This issue has been ongoing since i purchased my vehicle in 2021. Three years later as I was making a sharp left turn going very slow my car stalled out, engine light came on and I received a start/stop error along with a message stating to restart the engine manually. Again this has been happing since i purchased brand new from dealership. Every turn I make going uphill, my vehicle stutters and rpms revved up which is very unsafe and has me on constant alert. Now that an engine code appeared, I am out of warranty and dealership still refuses to help with the issue. code fault i received from engine light is P0496.
Apr 23, 2024
Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness
1 complaint
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? I feel that the straps are faulty and have been for some time. I tried to follow up with Nuna directly and was not successful as apparently a carseat that was purchased in 2021 is out of their warranty (yet kids should be in carseats for a VERY long time). The carseat is available upon request for inspection. I cannot get a tight pull on the crotch pull to make the straps tight on my child. They seem to always feel loose and such a struggle to pull the strap. The straps feels as though they have lost their "taught-ness" and are loosy goosey just feeling. How was the child’s safety put at risk? I don't feel the straps are tight enough to his body to keep him safe in the event of an accident. I can't get the pull strap to budge, it feels stuck or broken inside and you cant get to it at all. Has the car seat been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? I had filed a report with Nuna but they were unable to do anything because of the warranty no longer being valid.
Mar 21, 2024
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES
1 complaint
The breaks are very loud- squeaky and grinding. Have had them checked several times and break pads are in good condition. Additionally after the car is idle for several hours, it’ll be a loud gurgle when breaks are applied the first few “stops”. Additionally, when driving in cold weather the rear the stability assist light on the dash will engage. It will flash on and off so to be uncertain if the traction control is engaged on possible slippery roads
Dec 17, 2023
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE
1 complaint
1. STEERING MAKING NOISE DURING TURN/REVERVSE/ FORWARD/PARKING ETC.. DEALERS TRIEDD TO FIX IT BUT NOT SUCESS. 2. ERROR: START / STOP ENGINE AT CERTAIN SITUATION AND STALLING WHILE DRIVING. INCIDENT ON VARIOUS DATE
Aug 21, 2023
STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES
1 complaint
I have several issues. My main concern is when turning on an incline (hill or mountain), my vehicles rpm's rev up and I am unable to stop it for several seconds. Sometimes, it will clunk and the rpms will go back to normal after sever seconds but most times the vehicle just jerks and the rpms come back down. I drive through a street with a 4 way stop very often and the issue happens every time. Secondly, i am not sure if its my steering or my brakes but when i come to a stop there is a clicking noise at my pedal and it makes it a little tougher to stop the vehicle. I can be at a full stop and if i push my brake pedal down more, it will click multiple times. I have also noticed this jerk/click when i make a sharp left turns such as in a parking lot. My vehicle jerks a bit while it clicks and i am concerned something will brake while i am turning or stopping and my wheels wont stop.
Aug 02, 2023
AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
I was hit from behind and slammed into the car in front of me while stopped at a light. The collision totaled my Atlas at 95% The air bags did not deploy nor did their give a warning for the collision. The damage was so severe that the inner frame of the vehicle is beyond repair. Recent warranty repairs were done to this vehicle prior to the accident one set to the dash electronics in the .ast 4 months. This car remains at the body shop awaiting INS settlement for the car
Mar 01, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES
1 complaint
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was confirmed that no cause of failure was found. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.
Jan 17, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
We have an open case with Volkswagen, but the remedy part is on back order, in the meantime we have to use this unsafe car. The dealership where car was purchased from is not providing a loaner/rental despite being told by our Volkswagen care team specialist that he is obligated to. The car emergency brake comes on at every stop(I’m shook at every stop, knots in my stomach every single stop I make, stop sign, trying to park, red lights), driver side front and back windows open spontaneously, non stop beeping(anxiety inducing) when car is parked idle, driver side window doesn’t open manually pressing the button, CAR DOES NOT LOCK On driver door, like not at all, alarm will go on sometimes when opening, but it is never locked posing a serious threat, anyone can open my door if I am stoped at a light, or idling in car. Car can be stolen at any point, I feel unsafe and very distressed.
Nov 18, 2022
PARKING BRAKE,AIR BAGS
1 complaint
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V152000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the recall and referred the contact to another dealer. The contact stated that the closest dealer was too far for him to travel. The contact also stated that while traveling at slow speeds, the parking brake would independently engage without warning. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.
Sep 26, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the message "Apply Brakes" displayed and the vehicle abruptly stopped. During the failure, there were no other vehicles or objects were nearby to cause the Forward Collision Avoidance safety feature to be activated. In addition, the contact indicated that while driving the vehicle, safety messages would be displayed that included the cruise control and parking sensors unavailable. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was contacted and the contact was informed that the failure was related to the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V152000 (Air Bags); which included a wiring harness repair however, the parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was 31,000.
Jun 21, 2022
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS
1 complaint
This vehicle will suddenly just stop driving, including highway speeds. There is no rhyme or reason why this happens. Volkswagen of America refuses to assist, along with Volkswagen of Boise, Idaho refuses to look at the vehicle. After several attempts to have them diagnose the vehicle they refuse as the Service Manager has “banned” us from coming there. The Service Manager and General Manager are racist since we were from California. We now have a vehicle that does not operate due to a recall and cannot service at the local authorized dealership. The next closest dealership is approximately 160 miles away. Many of my neighbors from California has said the same issue, and sold their vehicles just because they could not service the vehicle at Boise Volkswagen.
May 27, 2022
PARKING BRAKE
1 complaint
The emergency brake randomly turns on when starting the Atlas, the brakes will automatically brake at very low speeds, the windows randomly role down and/or will not be able to roll up, the car shuts off randomly after coming to a stop (I need to push the start button to start it again), the Atlas will begin to drift after shutting off. The Atlas currently has a recall for "Front Door Wiring Harness". I took it to the dealer and they did diagnose this. I do not feel comfortable with my wife driving the car with my kids. There is currently not a "remedy". Volkswagen would not provide a replacement and/or rental while waiting for a "remedy".
May 12, 2022
WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES
1 complaint
Vehicle’s electronic emergency brake system engaged while driving at low speed, below 15mph. Loud scraping sound repetitively heard from driver side tire.
May 03, 2022
VISIBILITY,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES,SERVICE BRAKES
1 complaint
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes erroneously engaged nearly causing a crash. Additionally, the door locks would randomly unlatch and the driver’s side window would erroneously roll down. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 8,000.
Mar 31, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
1 complaint
My 2021 Volkswagen Atlas is having an issue with a faulty wiring harness in the driver-side door that causes the car to brake unexpectedly while driving in traffic, putting me at risk of causing an accident or being rear-ended. This issue also causes the windows the randomly roll down, and I can no longer lock or unlock the driver's side door. When I put the car in drive, the warning light for the door being open comes on the dashboard and it plays the warning sound as if the door is open. I first contacted Darcars Volkswagen in Silver Spring, MD regarding this issue on March 22, 2022, and was referred to Volkswagen Customer Care because there is no ETA for when the part will be available for the fix. Volkswagen cannot provide a rental or loaner car for me at this time, leaving me without a car and making loan payments on a car I cannot drive due to the electrical issue. I have asked Volkswagen to buy back this car at my loan pay-off amount since they cannot provide transportation while they fix this issue, and they do not know when the issue will be fixed. Volkswagen has yet to answer my request to buy back the car.
Mar 25, 2022
AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES
1 complaint
The recall on my car says - Safety Risk: In the event of a side crash, when the side airbag deployment may be necessary, the side airbag may deploy later than designed. This may lead to an increased injury to vehicle occupants. VW should, but refuses to buy this car back from me. It is unsafe to drive and/or put our children in the car in this condition.
Mar 25, 2022
ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
While driving on March 12, 2022, multiple alarms beeping and warning indicators appeared on the dashboard and the emergency brake suddenly engaged immediately halting the car to a complete stop. This happened multiple times during a short drive. On March 16, 2022, while this vehicle was parked with the engine running, more warning indicators appeared. The first was " Fault: Electronic parking brake" and the second was "Caustion: Engine is running". Right after that, two windows partially rolled down on their own. About 5 minutes later, as I was pulling into my driveway, the same two warning indicators came back on - this time the vehicle was in motion. This vehicle is scheduled for routine maintenance on March 22, 2022 and this was mentioned to the service department at the time the appointment was made. The vehicle has not yet been inspected. There is no warning when these issues are going to happen making it unsettling to drive this vehicle not knowing when or if it will abruptly stop on the road or highway. This is definitely a safety issue. Photos of the March 16, 2022 indicent are attached to this.
Mar 21, 2022
PARKING BRAKE,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1 complaint
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the parking brakes and alarms illuminated on the instrument panel. The driver’s and rear passenger’s side windows rolled up and down independently. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified; however, informed the contact that parts were not available. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 15,000
Mar 18, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES,BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
We have 2021 Atlas purchased Nov. 2020 the AEB and parking collision sensors and system engage at random times while driving. The most recent incident was while parking the car 3/13/22 there were no cars in the parking lot and while turning into the lot and parking spot the AEB engaged and stopped the car completely this is not only unnecessary but while having kids in the car I was left to look around and be like what just happened. Finally parking the car the car was not near the curb on the front nor the side. This happens while driving and I would hate for it to happen on a freeway in rush hour traffic. Because of this feature defaulting like it has for the past months I know take surface streets on the way home from work. When taking the vehicle to the dealership they are dumbfounded have ran test and state there is nothing they can do- They are aware of the issue but its one of those things that "you had to be there" to experience what I am talking about. When i run the Car Net app - there are no recalls or updates or known issues with my vehicle. Yes the car is available for inspection. I would say in the past year this has happened 7-10 times. This feature is great when you need it or when it is supposed to work but at times when it is not needed puts our safety at risk.
Mar 16, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE
1 complaint
While driving at highway speeds at random the vehicle would brake on its own engage the parking brake and roll windows down. We tried to have the vehicle looked at Boise Volkswagen and they refused to schedule and inspect the vehicle. We even advised the dealer of an open safety campaign/recall and they also still refused to service the vehicle. Unfortunately next closest dealership is 157 miles away from our home.
Mar 16, 2022
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
My 2021 Atlas was braking or randomly turn off while I was slowing down at lights. The brakes were make a "gurgling" sound. I brought to service dept and was told they did not know what it was because they could not recreate it. The engine light went on 11/29/21 and I dropped at service. I was told it was the door harness. The service dept confirmed this.They actually told me I could drive but it might randomly stop-I didn't want to risk that because I didn't think it was safe.. I waited 3 months without my car for the part. I was not given a loaner or rental. I got my car back on 3/1.
Mar 15, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,WHEELS
1 complaint
I purchased a brand new 2021 VW Atlas Cross Sport . In January I started experiencing major electrical sensor failures including automatically opening the windows, engaging the electronic parking brake when in motion, power steering sensor warning, engine warning and epc warning. VW has told me this is a wiring harness failure and they have over 6000 cars with this problem and can not give me a date as to when the parts will be available. I can not drive the car any distance for fear it will break down as I have had to have it towed once already. VW of America has provided no resolution for time to fix this brand new car.
Mar 10, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
The driver side door contact switch is faulty. It is throwing the emergency braking system on stopped or in park. There is no ETA for repair at this time.
Mar 07, 2022
STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1 complaint
The EPC light came on and caused the vehicle to stop working, steering, brakes, sped, were affected immediately as I was on the interstate.car was basically limping. I dropped car off at dealer and they said it was misfiring due to bags gas. Car has 8000 miles and was only 9 months old. Repairs cost over $2000 and they said it was not covered under warranty as the fuel injector was damaged after what they said is bad gas. It is a know issue the fuel injectors are bad with the VW atlas. The government needs to stop VW from selling vehicles in the states and needs to recall the atlas for safety issues as this caused me to almost crash my car due to a faulty fuel injector!
Feb 24, 2022
AIR BAGS,LANE DEPARTURE
1 complaint
The side airbags for this vehicle have been deployed, and there is no physical damage to the car and no indications of a collision. The side airbags deployed after checking a curb at 30 miles an hour. The incident happened in January of 2022. The other thing that happened during this incident, is that the passenger seat (that was not occupied) was deployed causing my wife to receive a concussion. We contacted VW corporate, and they deny any wrongdoing after they have "thoroughly evaluated" the data from the car, which I have asked for and have not been formally given. The dealer nor VW corporate has conveyed if this issue has been reproduced and the service tech shared that this should have not happened but ultimately he is not the deciding authority for such a matter as this. I had informed the dealer in Dec. 2021 that there was an issue on the right side of the vehicle (passenger) and they were not able to look into it. It is possible that this matter would have been avoided if it was looked at in Dec. 2021. I was not aware of giving permission to the manufacturer for my daily vehicle stats; I have to imagine this is another issue of privacy and do not recall signing a waiver of any sort regarding this. The lane-keeping assistant feature seems to not be working either which if it was it would have corrected it back into the middle of the lane.
Feb 14, 2022
VISIBILITY,AIR BAGS
1 complaint
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V892000 (Visibility, Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. A dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Jan 24, 2022
AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1 complaint
Driving at freeway speeds between Elko Nevada and Salt Lake City Utah car completely lost power shut off had to coast To a stop and restart the engine after several semi’s and vehicles passed us honking their horns
Nov 26, 2021
LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
Lane Assist erratic performance. 1)On October 21st, 2021, while leaving a parking slot (cars parked on both sides of the affected vehicle) the “Lane Assist” warning and the Instrument Panel “Lane Assist” light came up (i.e., LANE with a CAR on the lower side of the Instrument Panel). This occurred while moving less than 5 mph. The parking brake activated stopping the car and the lane assist was disabled (i.e., turned off). 2)On October 25th, 2021, while turning on the vehicle, a “Malfunction” was briefly displayed on the Instrument Panel. There were no cars or objects on either side of the vehicle. Immediately after, a warning symbol and a yellow Lane with a Car symbol was displayed. The Lane Assist was disabled. The warning signs were cleared after the car was turned off and back on, but the Lane Assist remained disabled (i.e., turned off).
Oct 27, 2021
EQUIPMENT
1 complaint
We have had a 2021 Atlas Premiun R Line for about 2 months and we have had issues with the audio system output loading (radio won't play mostly, can't speak or hear calls, nav won't load) but everything shows up on the screen. When this happens I have been holding the power button in for 10 seconds or so and it will fix the problem but today it wouldn't work and I had no radio or couldn't talk or hear calls. Has anyone else experienced this? If so what's the fix?
Aug 05, 2021
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL (ACC) DISENGAGES AND SHOWS ACC ERROR, IF THE CAR WAS REMOTELY STARTED AFTER THE SUV IS PARKED WITH ACC STILL ON. DRIVER MUST TURN OFF THE CAR AND MANUALLY RESTART, OR ENSURE THAT THE ACC IS TURNED OFF BEFORE NEXT REMOTE START. VW IS AWARE OF THIS AND IT IS COMMONLY DISCUSSED ON ALL VW CONSUMER FORUMS. VW HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS FOR OVER TWO YEARS AND DESCRIBES IT AS A SOFTWARE PROGRAMMING PROBLEM. STILL NO REPAIR, AND WAS NOT DISCLOSED TO US WHEN PURCHASING. AFTER SEVERAL TRIPS TO THE DEALER, I WAS ABLE TO FIND THIS PROBELM ON THE VW FORUMS. DEALERS ARE CLAIMING ALL SORTS OF REASONS FOR THE PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY OPERATOR ERROR.
Mar 06, 2021
WHEELS
1 complaint
THE VEHICLE COLLECTS SNOW/ICE WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING CAUSING IT TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE. RCM FROM VW CALLED TOLD ME TO KEEP DRIVING WHEN IT IS VIOLENTLY SHAKING BECAUSE THE SNOW WILL MELT WHILE YOUR DRIVING IN -10 DEGREE WEATHER. I HAVE HAD VEHICLES THAT COLLECT SNOW WHEN IT IS PARKED OR GO THROUGH A 15 INCH TALL DRIFT BUT NEVER THIS BAD AND NEVER WHILE DRIVING AT A CONSTANT SPEED. I HAVE HAD TO PULL OVER MULTIPLE TIMES ON A 35 MILE DRIVE ON PAVED ROADS TO CLEAN SNOW OUT AND RISK GETTING HIT BY OTHER VEHICLES. WHICH HAS ACTUALLY ALMOST HAPPENED TWICE. OTHERWISE IT STARTS TO SHAKE SO BAD I FEAR I WILL LOOSE CONTROL AND ROLL THE VEHICLE. HAS HAPPENED EVERY TIME WE GET A SNOW STORM. I HAVE HAD OR DRIVEN OVER 20 VEHICLES AND HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE COLLECT SNOW WHILE I WAS DRIVING 55-65 MPH.
Feb 15, 2021
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1 complaint
ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONS AND IS RENDERED USELESS WHEN VEHICLE IS STARTED UTILIZING REMOTE START. VEHICLE MUST BE STOPPED TURNED OFF AND STARTED WITH PUSH BUTTON IN ORDER TO CLEAR THE MALFUNCTION AND USE CRUISE CONTROL. VOLKSWAGEN USA TECHNICIANS TOLD DEALER TECHNICIAN THAT THERE IS NO FIX FOR THE ISSUE.
Aug 21, 2020
SEAT BELTS,SEATS
1 complaint
REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELTS CAN BECOME CAUGHT IN OVER-SHOULDER SEAT RELEASE LEVER (AFFECTS ALL REAR SEATS, EXCEPT MIDDLE BENCH SEAT). THIS CAN PREVENT SEAT BELTS FROM RETRACTING PROPERLY. THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY WHEN MIDDLE ROW SEATS ARE RETURNED TO SEATING POSITION FROM FOLD-DOWN POSITION. THIS SLIGHTLY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE T TO BE SEAT TO RELEASE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION.
Jul 12, 2020
Frequently Asked Questions
How many problems does the 2021 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas have?
The 2021 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas currently has 381 owner-reported complaints according to NHTSA database. These complaints are organized by component to help identify common issues.
What are the most common problems with 2021 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas?
The most common problems reported for the 2021 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas are organized by component above. Each component section shows owner-reported issues, crash reports, and fire incidents to help identify patterns and problem areas.
Where does this 2021 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas problem data come from?
All problem and complaint data for the 2021 VOLKSWAGEN Atlas comes directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) database. These are real complaints submitted by actual vehicle owners.
Other Years - VOLKSWAGEN Atlas
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2018 Problems
2017 Problems
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2015 Problems
2014 Problems
2013 Problems
2012 Problems
2011 Problems
2010 Problems
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2008 Problems
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2004 Problems
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2000 Problems
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