What Volkswagen Atlas owners have reported to NHTSA, the service bulletins the manufacturer sent dealers, and any federal defect investigations, by model year. See Volkswagen Atlas safety recalls or check your VIN.
Complaints owners filed with NHTSA, by the model year of the vehicle. A high count can also mean a popular year, so compare it with how many were sold.
| Year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injured | Deaths | TSBs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 110 |
| 2025 | 72 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 196 |
| 2024 | 268 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 306 |
| 2023 | 152 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 338 |
| 2022 | 255 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 455 |
| 2021 | 640 | 18 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 619 |
| 2020 | 133 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 622 |
| 2019 | 480 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 713 |
| 2018 | 465 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 818 |
The vehicle systems named most often in Volkswagen Atlas complaints (one complaint can name several).
In the owners’ own words, as filed with NHTSA. Unverified reports; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
A car cut in front of me and I swerved to avoid a crash and hit the street curb. My right front tire blew and all curtain airbags blew. I was able to coast forward and turn into a parking lot entrance driveway. The impact was not large enough to damage the rim and simply blew the tire. In my opinion this was not a large enough impact to require airbag deployment and presented a dangerous situation where all the airbags made it impossible to see while needing to continue control of the car.
While driving at 5 mph, the vehicle suddenly revved up and shifted into neutral. The vehicle then stopped abruptly and would not shift. The gear shifter showed neutral but the vehicle could not be moved as it was in park. The tow truck driver had to manually override the transmission to get it onto the flatbed tow truck. The dealer diagnosed a problem with the selector shifter and replaced it. When picking up the vehicle at the dealer, the same issue occurred as I was pulling it out of the parking spot. The dealer brought the car back in for further inspection. I am waiting to hear from them. I believe this is a serious safety issue due to the sudden stopping of the vehicle.
Daytime Running Lights Failure - 2023 Model with 82,000 miles. Found numerous instances in online forums and social media post about problem. Daytime running light doesn't work which puts at risk Yes, problem has been confirmed. No component has not been inspected. No warnings or messages. Noticed daytime running light was not working.
Malfunctioning Component/System: The vehicle is experiencing two separate, severe safety malfunctions: Issue 1 (Engine Stalling): The engine completely shuts off while the vehicle is actively in "Drive." Issue 2 (Unintended Lockout): The vehicle automatically locks all doors with the keys inside, even when the engine is off and doors are being actively used. Safety Risk to Others: Issue 1: The sudden engine shutoffs occur while waiting at stoplights, stop signs, or in moving school student drop-off zones. This creates an immediate risk of a rear-end collision or being stranded in active traffic. Issue 2: This defect creates a critical life-safety hazard for children. While the car was parke…
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V590000 (Steering); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. 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.
I was on day trip (XXX) and car worked fine in the morning. After a lunch stop, started the car, infotainment system would not turn on, had multiple errors on my dash including road sign recognition system not being available, error message for SOS system, handsfree phone connectivity was non-functional, no back up camera displayed on screen, no charging ports functional below the infotainment unit, wireless charging system failed, etc. VW dealer which has done 99% of the service to my car diagnosed on XXX the "5F module and the back up battery" had both failed. They indicated they could get the back up battery but the 5F module was on national backorder with "no ETA on when the parts wil…
The infotainment system continues to âglitchâ with the faded screen and the hot pink/purple lines that go across the screen. This was upon starting my car, I hadnât even put it into drive. It took over 3 minutes of trying to restart the system to reset it- which I finally gave up and started to drive away. The infotainment system finally shut off about 3/4 of mile away from my house (and I hadnât touched it since putting my car into drive). This has been an intermittent issue since I bought the car in 10/2024 (certified preowned).
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V590000 (Steering); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to steer. Additionally, the vehicle shut off while driving and came to a stop in the middle of the road, nearly causing a crash. Upon restarting the vehicle, the check engine warning light and several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failures was a persistent failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Repair instructions and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about known issues. A TSB is not a recall, and the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty; ask your dealer for the bulletin number.
Repair or Replace Information
Brake rotor resurfacing
Resurfacing Rotors during Perfect Delivery Inspection
Oil leak from Cylinder Head Cover; Customer states MIL-on, Transmission warning light on, harsh shifting; Coolant leak from the cylinder head gasket, Low coolant level, Visible coolant leak, or Coolant warning message in instrument cluster; Customer states no start condition; Customer states no start condition; Customer states wind noise and or water ingress; Customer states there is a noise when pressing the brake pedal; Customer states there is a leak from the front of the vehicle
Oil leak from Cylinder Head Cover; Customer states MIL-on, Transmission warning light on, harsh shifting; Coolant leak from the cylinder head gasket, Low coolant level, Visible coolant leak, or Coolant warning message in instrument cluster; Customer states no start condition; Customer states no start condition; Customer states wind noise and or water ingress; Customer states there is a noise when pressing the brake pedal; Customer states there is a leak from the front of the vehicle
Battery Checking Procedure before replacement
Warranty Alignment Worksheet
This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
Replacement instruction
Permission to change Daily Order upgraded to RED Order
Differences between a leak and seepage
Programming update of the transmission control module -J217-
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opens these when complaints point to a possible safety defect. Many end in a recall.
On September 28, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE23017) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Front Assist automatic emergency braking (AEB) system in model year (MY) 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. The reports alleged that activation of the AEB system occurred while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration. Volkswagen indicated that it is aware of a total of
On September 28, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE23017) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Front Assist automatic emergency braking (AEB) system in model year (MY) 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles.The reports alleged that activation of the AEB system occurred while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration. Volkswagen indicated that it is aware of a total of 29
On March 29, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE21-008 to investigate instances of fuel injectors leaking in the engine compartment in model year (MY) 2018 through 2020 Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs. These vehicles are equipped with either a 3.6 or 2.0 liter engine. The subject investigation concerns vehicles equipped with 3.6L engines. Prior to opening the investigation, ODI also observed that warranty data for the fuel system from TREAD reporting was an out
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation public data (complaints, manufacturer communications, investigations), model years 2010 and later. Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA.
In complaints filed with NHTSA for model years 2018–2026, owners most often name: electrical system, engine, air bags. 2,474 complaints are on record.
No. A complaint is an unverified report from an owner. A technical service bulletin (TSB) is the manufacturer telling dealers how to fix a known issue; it is not a safety recall and is usually covered only under warranty. A recall is a formal safety action, and its repair is free.
File a vehicle safety complaint at NHTSA.gov. NHTSA reads every report, and patterns of complaints are what open defect investigations and, eventually, recalls.
