2018 Volkswagen Atlas complaints

Automatic Emergency Braking when driving across a light rail track. The location: an intersection at north San Jose, CA area. Google map location and street view attached The issue: 1) only at this location + for more than 3 times, when approaching or over the light trail track, my car dashboard displayed frontal collision imminent warning and the emergency brake was automatically triggered. One time it almost caused the car behind mine to rear me. 2) during all the incidents, there were no light rail train nearby. It didn't matter if there were cars in front of or beside mine. Traffic light were green. All day time; clear weather. 3) reported the issue to Volkswagon service station, technician checked but found no defect. 4) my car was purchased 2018. it didn't have this issue until starting from 2021 The workaround: it appears, while approaching the track, don't hit the gas pedal, then it will be fine. It could be there are some train signal system interfered with my car's collision warning system.

First time-Driving on road at 45 mph when my car started flashing red for a forward collision and my cars automatic emergency brake stopped me immediately with nothing in front of me on a clear road. The stop was so forceful we thought we were hit from behind with no one around us. The force causing both my teenage son and I to have strained necks with the force of us stopping immediately. I was forced so far forward my head hit the windshield. Second time-driving in a parking lot at 10 mph when my cars emergency red flashed in dashboard then immediately stopping my car with no car or speed bumps ahead of me. The car behind me nearly hitting me. We got out of car to ensure they had not hit us because again with the force of the immediate stop, all in the car were forced forward in a jerking position. Took into manufacture and they said nothing was showing up and they have no idea what I’m talking about

Front steering knuckles fractured on the vehicle while driving, causing me to lose control of the vehicle. Other Volkswagen Atlas' have been recalled for this same issue, but not my specific model. If this is a problem for similar vehicles, people will be at risk of serious injury or death if not fixed immediately. I currently am on a military assignment in Germany and am having difficulty working with the dealers here to confirm the issue. Luckily I was in a parking lot when my steering knuckles failed and was able to park the vehicle safely. There were no warning indicators on the vehicle before I lost control. The vehicle did have a few symptoms of failing steering knuckles, like grinding and shaking sounds.

I noticed about 6 months ago on a couple of occasions, while walking in front of my running 2018 VW Atlas. The sweet smell of antifreeze. I looked under my Atlas and did not see anything on the ground ( water, antifreeze ) and this happened just a few times. Then one 2/2/2023, I started up my Atlas to move it over and the low coolant warning signal came on my dash as soon as I started my vehicles. I did not have any of the specific coolant that the manufactured ask for it the time and after checking the reservoir tank the coolant level was down to the low mark on the reservoir tank. So I was able to put some distilled water in it which was about two cups 16 oz. Now after I have read all of the other issues that owners have had I am really worried that my vehicle will get worse. Then yesterday when I started my car in the morning I had a error message I shut the car off and restarted it and the message went away. I'm really worried that it is going to get worse and become more and more expensive. I am the second owner I bought it in April of 2020 it has a little over 28,000 miles on it yes 28,000 Mi for a 2018. I don't go very many places I take care of my elderly mother. I have looked at the VIN number to see if it is part of any of the recalls and it is not. It was part of the drivetrain recalls and that was fixed last year.

Car automatically brakes driving down road and all the dash lights come on.

Car hesitating and sounding as if it would shut down while lunging while idle. While braking downhill, car shakes violently, when either braking or coasting to a stop car begins lunging back and forth, while stopped or parked, car shakes back and forth from engine area. Fuel pump replaced, spark plugs and coils replaced. Did not fix the issues. Within 600 miles same issues started to come back. Check engine light started flashing again today and is now steady. Car seems to be extremely unsafe and of course all warranties expired. I started contacting the dealership before it expired and they did not return any of my messages. I was never able to talk to a person when calling the dealership.

Vehicle @ Danbury VW for repairs; per service advisor rear passenger seat belt was ripped/damaged; this seat belt is used on my child’s car seat and has not been involved in any incidents that would cause damage. The contact stated that the damage to the seatbelt in the second passenger seat row was repaired by the dealer. It was brought to their attention that the child car seat used in second row was the cause of the damage. However, upon trying to begin using the second row seating again, another fray in the seatbelt was found by the contact.

Car has been automatically shutting off at slow speeds such as red lights and trying to park. Mainly happens at lights as you break. The car was taken first to Tire Plus, they ran a diagnostic where they received an error and instructed me to take the car to dealer. Took car to VW and provided them with the tire plus paperwork and they stated the car is fine and they do not see anything wrong. They asked me to take a video when it happens. My son who relies on this car just took a video at a stop light and it is now being sent to VW to see what next step is. Car is getting close to warrantee expiration. I believe I have about 6k more miles to go.

On several occasions when braking to come to a stop at a relatively low speed, the car began lurching as pressure was applied to the brake pedal. The brake pedal was jumping up and down and making a hydraulic-type noise. At the same time, a message indicating "Brake Booster Failure" appeared on the panel, and the parking brake light illuminated. The problem resolved after sitting still for approximately 30 seconds. The car is currently being serviced at a Volkswagen dealership, and they have not been able to diagnose any issues.

The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH with her children in the rear seats, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to push the vehicle to the side of the road with the assistance of bystanders. The contact was able to jumpstart the vehicle and drove to her destination. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred on another occasion. The vehicle was pushed to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the cylinder head needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The front brakes unevenly wore to the point where the driver side brake is like new and the passenger side brake is a safety issue. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk Because of the extreme wear on the passenger side braking system the whole front braking system needed to be replaced prematurely to ensure safety. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? A simple Google search shows that this is a common issue with the 2018 VW Atlas. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? It was inspected by the manufacturer, but VW insists there is nothing wrong with the components despite not being able to explain why the passenger side front brake was so significantly more worn than the driver side front brake. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No. This was identified during an oil change. I was told that it was a safety issue for me to be driving on a front brake that was so worn. When I brought it in for the brake work, I suggested there was a defect in the design and the brake replacement should be covered by the warranty. I was then informed that I really didn't need to have my brakes replaced at this time.

The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that after turning the ignition to the off position, the engine remained running but then turned off after a short while. The check engine and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine had misfired and the ABS was faulty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.

Twice over last few months the vehicle has just stopped on me on its own. Yesterday it said brake floater faulty and brakes didn’t work right. I pulled over, shut truck off and restarted and went away. It was fine after that.

Similar issue to the current recall on VW Atlas SEL 2019. The suction jet in the fuel tank may have been welded in the incorrect position allowing fuel to leak. Additionally, the vehicle may stall due to uneven fuel distribution. Car will stall out (not auto shut off) and gas tank will airlock / leak depending on fuel levels. Gas guage will show 0 fuel when fuel tank is full.

The ACC and lane assist will not work. There is no obstruction of view from any sensor or camera. This is a known problem with VW and they haven’t done anything about this. This is a 2018 model. There is no reason for this to be happening.

Airbag error light

The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The stated while his wife was driving during heavy rain conditions, the front driver’s side windshield wiper failed to operate. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The vehicle was pending to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

We are RANDOMLY having our brake light come on, followed by an alarm and a “BRAKE BOOST FAULTY “ warning on out dash. While this is going on…the brakes will start “pumping” a few times with just a light touch of the brakes. This is starting to happen every day or two. The warning lasts about 30-45 seconds typically.

Alarm brake booster fault goes off and the brakes are harder to use and the brake effect is reduced. Have happend daily the last week.

Water pump failure

The Blind Spot and Rear traffic alert keep on turning themselves off. This has been happening randomly since 2019 and the vehicle has been back to the dealer in excess of 20 times. This is a major safety issue as my wife doesn’t always realize that these systems have decided to go offline. The vehicle has been in and out of the dealer and VW technical services have been involved but is no resolution. The vehicle now has 80k miles on it but the problem first occurred at 25k miles.

The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving approxi8mately 25 -30 mph the vehicle's brakes suddenly activate causing the vehicle to suddenly stop. The contact stated a warning light stating a failure with the brakes would illuminate. The contact would be able to continue operating the vehicle as normal. The vehicle had not been taken to a certified mechanic or dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 66,880.

Brake Booster faulty sensor, brakes spongy driving under 30mph happened twice now.

While I was driving the automatic braking system engaged on 3 separate occasions last night, thankfully there was no one behind me or it would have caused an accident. A warning light did appear on the dash that read faulty brake system. I am going to contact a dealer to have it looked at.

Engine stopped during on drive on highway and requiring to put in park to restart in the middle of the road. Dash board displaying “Start- Stop error “ with engine sign. So far car stopped three times while driving this time and a service is scheduled for June 17, with the dealership. Same thing happened and notified and serviced. At that time they have replaced the battery. I checked the battery in a auto shop and they told me the battery is good this time. Upon google search, noticed this is happening with other people as well.

Inspected vehicle ac system due to foul odor. In pulling back the passenger seat footwell panel I checked for ac drain blockage around the evaporator system. Drain tube was clean/clear but there was quite a bit of puddling around the airbag module located directly under the ac system. This is a known issue with the VW Atlas but my VIN was not included in the recall.

My trucks breaks has given out multiple times almost causing accidents in the middle of driving with no warning. Message on dash says faulty breaks , break failure before it quickly goes away. The abs break light comes on and the car stalls almost causing me to get rear ended. I purchased the car Oct 12,2021 car start having issues December 2021. It is extremely dangerous to drive. I took it to car max in forth myers fl when I almost hit a tractor trailer WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR ! Carmax refused to look at my vehicle or give me a rental for it being unsafe. This has happened on multiple occasions. I shouldn’t have to pay for something like this to get fixed when I was sold a faulty car from the start. I have spoke with a few Lawyers over this matter about CarMax and Voltswagon. I only have one photo I don’t have a chance to take other photos when it happens because Im to busy trying not to get hurt.

The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Auto Stop warning message was displayed and a loud audible beep coming from the vehicle to alert that there were vehicles ahead even though there were no vehicles ahead. Several unknown warning messages were displayed, and the vehicle then inadvertently steered to the right into oncoming traffic. The contact was able to regain control of the steering wheel however, the EPC warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to her residence; however, the vehicle was not able to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was not yet diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,500.

My car recently started feeling like my tires or rubbing on something when I make sharp turns. Now when I brake my car feels and sounds like it is grinding on something. It started happening while on way home from a trip a couple of days ago. While I wait for service appt the car is unsafe to drive as I need to really push on brake to ensure complete stop, it feels like the car is rubbing on metal and is very bumpy when coming to stop. Have only driven in slow speeds since returning home bc we are afraid the brakes will fail.

Water pump was replaced a few months ago after VW dealer discovering cracked pump housing during routine maintenance. A few days ago a "CHECK COOLANT LEVEL" message was displayed. Immediate check underneath vehicle found no evidence of external coolant leak. However, reservoir coolant tank found to be almost empty. Visual inspection of engine compartment showed all coolant hoses to be intact, cap secure on ball style reservoir tank without evidence of leakage. No odor of coolant in or around vehicle. Research on this problem found hundreds of 2018-2019 VW Atlas owners with identical symptom description, most ended up finding evidence of coolant in engine oil (crankcase). A sample of crankcase engine oil has been sent to an independent laboratory for analysis. The General Manager and Service Manager at VW dealer have been notified of the issue and that it is a known serious problem to VW Atlas owners despite not having risen to the level of a recall. Once VW has completed diagnosis and repair, the plan is to resubmit another sample for post-repair analysis. This vehicle was purchased new from VW and we are the first and only owners. With the exception of tire service and replacement of the battery, ALL other maintenance has been performed at VW. All recommended routine services have been completed on time, by VW per manufacturer recommendations. Let me be very clear on this point: WE DO NOT PLACE ANY BLAME ON THE VW DEALER(S) THAT HAVE SERVICED THIS VEHICLE SINCE WE TOOK DELIV

Emergency brakes occurred without anyone or anything in front of the car. Braking malfunction warning also came on.

Random and sudden braking of the Volkswagen Atlas, with the forward anti-collision signal lit on, whereas there was absolutely no cars ahead of the Atlas. It happened twice already, first on an highway driving at 60 miles/hr and a second time in a city at about 30 miles/hr. Fortunately, there was no crash. Our Volkswagen Atlas is still under warranty and we took it to Volkswagen of Kirkland, WA, who kept the car for two weeks for evaluation and investigation. After analysis, considering it happened only twice, Volkswagen Engineering USA (corporate) directed Volkswagen of Kirkland to return the car to us with no actions, asking us to report any future instances. They provided us with 3 complaint forms --> they might be expecting 5 events or crashes before taking it seriously. Prior to the two events of sudden braking, we have had multiple instances where the anti-collision signal and sound went on for no reason, but without braking.

Took my 2018 Volkswagen Atlas which I bought around 9/1/18 to my dealership for a failing battery. My car has 17,347 miles and I routinely take my car for the appropriate service. The test report on the battery states it is "worn out". Normally Volkswagen warranties this battery for 36 months and I was over this time frame for about 4 1/2 months. I feel that based on my driving and use for this car, that the battery is defective. I just want to make your agency aware of this particular part, as it is expensive to replace. $243.00 for the battery and $132.00 labor. Total $378.24 with tax. Perhaps other people have experienced this repair for a low mileage car and in my opinion not a very old vehicle. Thank you. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

I tried to merge to the left lane on the highway I-55 S (Chicago, IL), but the steering wheel was out of control and cannot be operated functionally all of sudden, which hit on the right side curb. There was no ice or water on the road. The weather is clear.

While driving on Saturday, Jan 8, 2022, my Atlas started leaking fuel. It felt like it just down-shifted on its own and the gas pedal stopped working. We were simultaneously overcome by the smell of gasoline inside the car. Both the engine and EPC warning lights were on. Thankfully, I was just about to pull into my driveway when this happened, so I was able to safely stop and we exited vehicle immediately. the entire engine was smoking and fuel was pouring out of the engine onto the ground. It eventually slowed to a drip. I called my local VW dealership but it was closed so I left a message. I also filled out on online service request the next day.

On 2020, the engine was stopped while I was driving, and the engine no longer work. I couldn’t start my car. The mechanic engineer said that I needed to replace the engine. However, my car had same issues about engine this year again. The engine was repeatedly stopped, and I had the engine warning light again. At first, they said they had to replace the engine, and at this time, he found the issue that the left cylinder #4 valve lifter/roller rocker securing clip to be missing and has been consumed by the engine and metal debris has contaminated the engine requiring engine replacement. I was so concerned my safety because of these issues. The engine should be replaced with a new one again. I am worrying my safety seriously because the engine issues are FATAL problems. I have owned the Atlas for about 40 months, and I have engine issues repeatedly. I am sure TWO replacement of the engine was not reasonable.

My car displayed a warning that my engine was overheating and to pull over immediately. My temperature gauge was at max HIGH and check engine light came on. Towed to dealer. Was told by VW that the secondary coolant pump had failed. It was replaced and then it happened again two days later. My car was towed back to dealer again who cleaned, drained and refilled coolant. Two days later it overheated again and my engine was making a crackling sound. I use this car to transport my three young children and I am afraid to drive it. The car is overheating after driving less than a half mile.

The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while, pulling out of the driveway traveling approximately 5 mph the second-row seat sprung forward, with a child utilizing a car seat. The latch was down. The occupant in the car seat struck her head on the passenger seat and medical attention was provided. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate mileage was 17,000.

Continually leaks coolant.

Volkswagen Dealership of Lake Charles, LA attempted to repair a safety recall on catalytic converter. When I picked my car up for the safety recall on the catalytic converter my car smelled like fuel and was leaking fuel and would not stay running and stopped running while driving in traffic and at stop lights and intersections. The dealership has had my vehicle for 3 months and still not repaired my recall correctly and I just got it back today October 4th and the problem remains unresolved. I attempted to back out into traffic and my car stopped running and there was incoming traffic. Luckily me and my 2 daughters were not hurt however this car is not safe and request the dealership fixes the safety recall correctly.

The red strap is extremely too easy to pull and is super accessible for children to reach. My son in the 3rd row pulled the strap and my son in the middle row flung forward. Had he had been literally an inch farther up, he would’ve been seriously injured. Something needs to be done about this. There was a viral post on social media about this not long ago. The straps either need a safety feature where they only work if the car’s door is open or parked. Or the straps just simply need to be placed somewhere else and not easily accessible to children placed in the 3rd row. This is supposed to be a family vehicle. Please fix it.

The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage, an abnormal odor was detected. The coolant warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions and diagnosed with a faulty water pump and head gasket. The dealer was unable to identify where the coolant was traveling to. The dealer refilled the coolant and replaced the timing belt, head gasket, and water pump three separate times however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

AIRBAG Caution comes on in 2018 VW Atlas and passenger airbag off light flashes and stays on. AIRBAG Caution stays on and then goes off intermittently. Matches gripe for 69AL Recall for 2018 VW Atlas.

Front left tire hit curb (25-30 mph) flattening tire and deploying all side curtain airbags while driving. No damage to the body of the vehicle. The Atlas was towed to VW dealership. We requested an investigation of the issue and the vehicle has remained at the dealership over a month now. Two years prior (2019) Atlas was serviced for airbag error indicator light staying on. No safety issue was noted and a new sensor was ordered for replacement. Did not receive notice of appointment if/when the replacement part was delivered to dealership.

2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS. CONSUMER STATED THAT THERE IS WATER IN THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOORBOARD. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE CONDENSATION DRAIN TUBE THAT WAS CONNECTED TO THE A/C EVAPORATOR COIL WAS TWISTED AT THE DRAIN PAN. THIS CAUSED THE WATER TO POOL UNDER THE FLOORBOARDS. THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THE AIR BAG WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER REFERENCED RECALL 87F9.

When driven on road, the car suddenly stopped without any sign. The car was towed to the dealer. I was told that the fuel pump wiring was chewed by rodents, so the car suddenly doesn't have any fuel at all. This incident is very life-risking. The fuel pump wiring is under the rear seat. I am not sure whether it is the defective design of the car which makes the fuel pump wiring without any protection is easy to be chewed by animals. Moreover, I keep the broken wiring which does not look like chewed ones.

2018 atlas I bought less than a year ago I was on the freeway when the car completely stalled I pulled over to try and restart the car but the car never restarted it was towed to Vw Thousand Oaks to find out that the engine went out I wasn’t under warranty because The warranty was up by miles I reached out to Vw corporate to see if they were willing to fix the car because the car wasn’t that many miles over and the engine went out in three years the corporate did not agree to help with the repairs the engine failure happened at 77,000 miles….

The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving at low speeds downhill, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the vehicle stalled randomly while near objects in the road when the collision avoidance feature engaged without warning. The contact called the local dealer where the collision avoidance feature was disabled remotely. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.

The 2nd row driver's side seatbelt buckle on my 2018 VW Atlas became deformed and broken. I took the vehicle to the dealership because a recall was made on these buckles for becoming unusable and unsafe due to child restraint interference breaking them. Volkswagen refused to fix the recalled buckle, citing it must have been an outside influence, however only child restraints have been used in seating positions, nothing has been done in the vehicle otherwise to substantiate these claims. We are the only owners of the vehicle. Because of the weakness already identified in the buckle housing, I feel this is not out of the realm of possibilities for this buckle. Volkswagen marked the vehicle as having recall work completed on this vehicle, however it has not been completed.

My 2018 VW Atlas came from the factory with the A/C condensation drain tube twisted. This is a known issue with almost 9700 2018 VW atlas vehicles. A safety recall was issued to replace the drain hose and the air bag module. Somehow my car was missed and the dealer and Volkswagen does not want to acknowledge the issue and replace the air bag module. The manufacture recall number is 87F9 the NHTSA recall number is 18V-537. The recall states that if the drain tube is twisted it and the module are to be replaced. I am trying to find out why my atlas was not listed in the recall. It appears to be in the VIN range listed on the recall.