2019 Volkswagen Atlas Complaint Log

2 fuel injectors have gone bad and 2 more are on their way out with 52,000 on the car. Just outside of the 6 year warranty.

I recently purchased this vehicle used on February 28. On March 20th, I hit a pothole not realizing that my driver's side and passenger side rear springs had broken. The driver's side is completely sideways with no support. I traveled with my [XXX] nieces and [XXX] nephew not realizing it was unsafe. When I took the car to the mechanic, he informed me that 2019 VW Atlas had a recall on the rear coil springs. My car was not included in that. It is currently unsafe to drive, and will require repairs. I have not made a car payment yet. There was a tire warning but when I checked the tires, they were fine so when I reset the warning, nothing came back as an issue. This put the lives of my young nieces and nephews at risk of serious harm. I would like VW to pay for the repairs but they won't because it's not part of recall 42J2/42J3, NHTSA recall 18V904000 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The week of February 23, 2026, the airbag warning light has come on in my dashboard advising that there is something wrong with my airbags. It has barely been 6-7 months (in August 2025 ) that my VW Atlas was serviced due to a recall specifically for the airbags and now an alert on my dash for this safety hazard is appearing again. I called my local dealer who told me as the recall was already serviced, there is nothing they can do as far as honoring it and I would need to pay. Prior to the recall I didn’t have an alert and now after it’s been apparently fixed my vehicle has this alert. This is extremely dangerous as if involved in accident could cause needless deaths if the airbags are not properly working or malfunction and VW is not taking responsibility !!

Component Failed: ABS Braking System / Wiring Harness. Safety Risk: While driving at highway speeds with my service animal, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic ABS failure. The brakes became unresponsive, and the dashboard displayed multiple critical safety warnings, nearly resulting in a collision. Confirmation: The failure was confirmed by Schumacher VW (West Palm Beach) during a forensic inspection. They identified the cause as a corroded/damaged wiring harness—the exact defect visible in a diagnostic video from Jim Ellis VW one week prior. Warning Symptoms: "Front Assist" and sensor warning lamps appeared on [XXX]. I paid Jim Ellis VW for a diagnostic; however, they failed to repair the visible defect and later falsely denied to the BBB that the diagnostic ever occurred. Summary: This vehicle (VIN: [XXX] ) has a documented safety defect that was identified by a technician but concealed by dealership management. This concealment led to a total loss of braking assist while the vehicle was in motion. The vehicle is currently available for inspection at Schumacher VW. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The vehicle warning lights come on and off to make it seem like I am about to hit or to close to something when I am not moving at all. The vehicle putts and stalls while driving like it wants to cut off. It also does this when I am at a complete stop as well as if I am backing up Warning lights on the dash appear than disappear sometimes as well.

1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine and the HVAC systems. Specifically, a persistent "ghost misfire"—where the engine vibrates and shudders without triggering a dashboard warning light—and a total heater failure. The vehicle is currently held at the dealership; all service records (RO# 367641, 367891, 367980, 368179) are available. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The "ghost misfire" causes shaking and hesitation during acceleration, creating a risk of losing power or stalling in high-speed traffic. Because the vehicle's diagnostics do not trigger a warning light for this condition, the driver has no advance notice of a potential engine failure. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. Dealership technicians confirmed the misfire on Feb 9 (RO# 367891) and found a defective spark plug gap (.024” vs. .036”). On Feb 25, the service consultant confirmed the "ghost misfire" remained active. The heater failure was confirmed via a 'Heater Support Pump Dry Run' fault code (RO# 367641). 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The vehicle has been inspected by dealership technicians. Formal complaints have also been filed with the California Bureau of Automotive Repair and the California Attorney General. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Symptoms began following a service on Jan 30. Feb 8: Exhaust malfunction light (MIL) appeared briefly with severe shaking. Feb 9–present: Exhaust malfunction warning lights appeared briefly and then disappeared, but the engine vibration and "ghost misfire" symptoms remain active and undetected by the vehicle's onboard diagnostics. Feb 17: Total loss of heat occurred during a highway drive without a dashboard warning lamp

I am reporting a critical safety failure of the ABS wiring harness following service at Jim Ellis Volkswagen. I originally brought the vehicle in for a "Front Assist" safety light diagnostic. Immediately following the service, the ABS wiring harness failed, disabling my braking safety systems. The dealership is currently withholding the diagnostic report and technician notes that would confirm the state of the wiring harness during their inspection. This failure has rendered the vehicle undriveable and creates a severe safety risk to the driver and public.

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving over a bumpy road surface at 5-10 MPH or at higher speeds, the front end of the vehicle shuddered significantly. The vehicle was taken to Firestone, where it was determined that the front stabilizer coupling rod had failed. The contact related the failure to Volkswagen Campaign Number: 40R1; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a power-steering rack and pinion failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the case was escalated to the supervisor. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 166,000.

The radio keeps turning off and on and random stuff keeps popping up on the dash I have read that atlas models from 2019 to 2023 have wiring harness issues why Is there no recall for this and all research I have done with what is going on is leading up to a wiring harness issue

My engine light is on. I got a diagnostic test which shows the catalytic converter is failing (emissions related). This should be included in the current 2020 recall 24FK but my VIN is not included in the recall. I don't understand why it's currently not included. Can it be added?

My vehicle has P0420 and P0430 code errors, indicating a problem with the catalytic converters/emission system. There is a current recall on 2018 VW Atlas vehicles for this issue, but it does not include my vehicle. It appears this recall needs to be extended as the same issue is occurring on other 2018 VW Atlas vehicles.

In July 2022, VW replaced the cylinder head and gaskets of my 2019 VW Atlas due to warped head. The vehicle was brought in for service because the low coolant light was on. The repair was done under warranty. In January 2024, the low coolant light came on again 31k miles after the first repair. We were told it was normal for this vehicle to burn coolant. Service refilled coolant. Since that time customer would refill the coolant when the low coolant light came on which was approximately every 6 months. Customer made appointment to bring in the vehicle because the low coolant seemed to be more frequent with evidence of a coolant leak. On November 6, 2025, service department informed customer that the Water pump was bad and needed to be replaced. On November 7, 2025, service department informed customer that they couldn't hold pressure and they had to test the block which would be on November 10, 2025. On November 10, 2025, service department informed customer that coolant was leaking into the head due to warped head.

Water pump failure leading to replacemnet of of water pump and valve cover gasket on engine. 2019 Atlas vehicles have been covered in a recent settlement but my trim model did not qualify.

The electronic steering gear is malfunctioning and making a clicking sound when the steering wheel is turned at 90-degree angles in either direction. The dealership (Bud Brown VW, Olathe, KS) advised me that they have had 3 VW Atlas vehicles with the same problem over the past month. I believe this is a manufacturer defect that could cause loss of steering and potential injury or loss of life.

The second row captains chair seat belt latch on the passenger side does not latch fully. It latches and can be pulled out by hand. If a wreck were to happen, the passenger would not be truly restrained causing bodily harm or death. The problem has been reproduced at a service center. It has not been inspected by police, insurance or representative. No warning lights or messages for the seat belt. The car will randomly stall while rpms are low, liking making a turn, pulling into a parking spot or stopped at a traffic light (while auto start/stop is turned off). It makes me put the vehicle in park and restart the engine. This can cause wrecks that could cause bodily harm or injury. It has been reviewed by a auto mechanic. The engine light and evap system light will randomly come on and go off.

I’ve consistently had a coolant leak with my engine water pump. Constantly have to refill the coolant. The reason I’m making this complaint is because yesterday October 1, 2025 I filled up my coolant and I drove a few miles to the grocery store and my coolant was empty and I got a coolant, low warning light and the coolant pump was completely empty. This is becoming very expensive and should not happen on a certified preowned vehicle with only 75,000 miles.

Emergency brakes activated while driving normally with no obstructions in front of me. This could've caused an accident if there were other vehicles behind me.

My water pump is going bad with only 64,505 miles on it. My VIN number wasn’t included in the federal emissions warranty of 80,000 miles or 8 years. I believe this is an oversight. Please review why my vehicle was excluded from the extended warranty.

With auto stop/start disengaged, vehicles stalls at slow speed (approaching a stop sign) or while idling at a stop light. displays "start car manually" when this happens. Now error code displays "Error Stop-start" The stalling has happened 5 times this week.

Rear coil spring broke under normal driving conditions. This vin # was not part of the original recall. And dealer refuses to help. This is an obvious issue that is the same as the original recall and this vin should be added and covered.

Car will randomly stop when using the auto start/stop feature. It can do this at slow speeds or when slowing down. Huge risk.

PODS system recall from 2023 was replaced, but now the same error message for the airbag not working for the front passenger air bag is now coming on again. VW dealership will not replace a second time, they are aware of the problem and have refused to help in any way. No passenger can be in the front passenger seat because the airbag does not turn on when the seat is occupied.

I was driving on the SB 55fwy in light stop and go traffic and had my ACC w/ traffic aware system engaged. My car was doing as it normally does, keeping a safe distance to the vehicle in front of me, automatically slowing, stopping and accelerating at a safe speed for the conditions. This feature I had been using on my car since I originally purchased it and paid for these safety features. When traffic was not stopped it was traveling between 15-20mph. All of the sudden my dashboard lit up with error messages, audible warnings, and check engine light, all flashing and beeping at me and before I quickly glanced at the dash to the alarming warnings, I had rear ended the car in front of me. This took me by complete shock as my car had always been overly cautious about applying emergency braking in close situations. This time it did nothing. The error message said Adaptive Cruise Control sensor had failed and along with that it had disabled all of the safety features I had become accustomed to and paid extra for, including, the emergency braking and front end collision warning. This caused almost $14k in damage to my vehicle and more so potentially could have put my entire family in danger. The sensor failure caused the accident, the damage to the other car that I was traveling behind and any potential injuries from the driver of that car. I have given this same statement to my insurance company, however no one has reached out to investigate the cause of the failure, not even the dealership service center, where I had originally had my damaged car towed to so they could check and verify with their scan tools that I had a faulty sensor. Also my vehicle had just been serviced the month prior and all software was updated at Norm Reeves Volkswagen, Irvine, CA.

The vehicle experienced sudden loss of engine power accompanied by the illumination of the EPC (Electronic Power Control) warning light. The exact cause is fuel injection, but the issue appears related to the know EVAP problem on this car model. The problem may still be reproducible. The vehicle stalled multiple times while driving on a state highway (steady low load) and when approaching traffic. In each case, I had to come to a complete stop and restart the engine. This posed a serious risk of rear-end collisions or being struck by cross traffic, especially when power was lost during deceleration or merging. The EPC light appeared each time the issue occurred, immediately after the engine lost power. No other warning lights or messages were observed prior to/after the failure. The problem began occurring intermittently and without prior symptoms.

While driving 25 mph with no traffic or people around the car came to an extreme sudden stop and without warning. The dashboard lit up red with warning lights and warning alarms sounded followed by complete shutdown of cars systems. No skidding or tire screach - just an instant forceful stop, as if engine cutoff and breaks forcefully seized simultaneously. We were able to restart car and immediately drove to dealership a couple miles away to report an extreme safety concern. Because there was no traffic or people around we feel it has something to do with a sensor and the automatic breaking system. The car was dropped at local dealership (LowCountry Volkswagen - Mount Pleasant SC) for inspection. This was a dramatic event and safety for driver and others was put at risk due to such a forceful stop. We have serious concerns driving vehicle. What would.happen of system failed driving at higher speeds or if traffic was around? Vehicle has been at dealership for 1 day and problem has not been duplicated. Vehicle has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, or insurance but can be made available. Dashboard lit up with red warning lights at time of incident. There were no warning lights or messages prior to incident.

Brake booster faulty, alert continuously came on and off while driving at different speeds created drastic changes in cars braking ability that were potentially hazardous if driver did not pull over.

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the automatic braking system independently activated. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the instrument cluster displayed two vehicles crashing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact stated that the failure had previously occurred twice. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,192.

●Vehicle tries to pull me into a completely different lanes I have no intentions of trying to go into while on the highway ●Vehicle completely shut off WHILE DRIVING. Electrical panel flashed with all the lights then said to start Vehicle manually. ●Vehicle's gas saving feature when stopped, works intermittently and RANDOMLY, even with same applied brake pressure.

There is a yellow triangle on my dash and when the dealer did the troubleshooting they indicated that there is a fault in the system with the transmission shifter and a part is needed to correct the issue. The vehicle is just beyond the warrantee period with 39,000 miles.

The contact owned a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that when driving at various speeds, when veering towards the left or right with the vehicle, the vehicle would turn in the opposite direction the steering wheel was being directed. The contact would have to turn the steering wheel in the desired direction to straighten the vehicle and turn it towards the intended direction. The lane assist would cause the vehicle to misread the direction of the road and turn the vehicle in the opposite direction. The failure had become progressively worse and more persistent. The contact stated that while driving past a driveway, the Lane Assist determined there was a curb near the vehicle, aggressively turning the vehicle towards the curb, causing the vehicle to crash into the mailbox near the driveway. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed and totaled. The mailbox was damaged. The contact stated that they received bruises to their hands from attempting to correct the direction of the vehicle, and no medical attention was needed. The police were contacted, and a police report was made; however, the contact was waiting for the police report identification number. After the incident, the contact learned that their vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (Air Bags), which explains that the air bags may fail to deploy. The remedy for the recall had not been completed before the incident occurred. The dealer was informed of the failure; however, the contact had not heard back from the department that they needed to speak with. The manufacturer was contacted; however, a complaint was not filed. The contact was advised to call back to file with the correct department, which was closed at the time. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

Rear coil spring failed under normal driving conditions. Previous recall on select 2019 Atlas models however my car was not included in the recall.

When coming to stop car will turn off at random. Car will still be in drive and alert comes up that says to restart the engine. Requires me to quickly put car in park and restart car in order to drive. This has happened numerous times for no apparent reason.

While operating the vehicle, it will turn off randomly when coming to a stop. It happens at street lights, stop signs or slow moving traffic. This happens even while manually turning off the auto-stop feature. This is dangerous because in order to turn it on again, the car requires you to be at a complete stop with the vehicle in park. This can lead to an accident on the highway while in slow traffic, going uphill on a bridge, going over train tracks, etc. I have not sent it back to the dealer. This is a known issue with the VW Atlas though. No warning lamps or messages appear in the vehicle.

The 80 valves have been replaced 4 times. This causes my car to stall, leaving me at the mercy of incoming traffic. The guarantee is about to expire, leaving me with a problem that will cause financial and physical risk of the car stalling. This has been a recurring problem since I purchased the car

While driving the vehicle turns off automatically... and you are prompted to restart the vehicle. On Saturday while in traffic the vehicle has turned off on three occasions. This is highly dangers... To be more specific, it tell you to put he car in PARK and restart.

-Service inspection on my vehicle found my steering rack is failing (video at dealership and service report notes this) -Due to no part availability from the manufacturer, we were unable to repair the vehicle at this time -I inquired about a loaner vehicle when picking up the vehicle at the dealership and was instructed to call customer service -Customer service stated they did not have control over a loaner and instructed me to call dealer again (Case number [XXX]) -Due to safety concerns as well as risk for further damaging the vehicle, I am unable to continue to drive my car in its current condition -When discussing the issue with the dealership they stated they did not have enough loaners to offer a vehicle and instructed me to again call customer service Upon investigation it appears VW Atlas vehicles 2019 has not issued a recall on the steering rack. Forums from customers have stated things like “you are 400th on the list to receive this part” I have been told another customer attempted to drive their vehicle in the 7 months they have been waiting on a steering rack and the vehicle is now no longer drivable but was also instructed by the technician that “the vehicle is safe to drive” INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My 2019 Volkswagen Atlas 3.6L has shut off multiple times while driving, including once at 55 mph. I consistently receive a “Stop/Start System Error” message at startup. As of today, the check engine light has come on and there is an extremely strong smell of gasoline at the rear of the vehicle after driving. The fuel smell is intense enough to make me concerned about fire risk. I have young children, and this is my only vehicle. The combination of engine stalling, an active check engine light, and a raw gas smell poses a serious safety hazard to my family and others on the road. This appears to match known issues under VW’s recall 20V716000 for cracked fuel injectors and TSB 01-23-09 for engine control software glitches. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether more 2019 VW Atlas vehicles—including mine—should be included in these recalls, and whether VW is providing adequate support to affected families. I cannot safely drive my vehicle, and I cannot afford a rental. This is an urgent public safety concern.

Driving at highway speeds when the vehicle hit certain bumps the front end would wobble and cause significant vibration and loss of control steering (death wobble). This was reproduced by both and independent shop as well as mechanics at West End Volkswagen in Henrico Virginia. They replaced the entire steering rack to resolve the problem. They stated while I was there that this was the second steering rack on an Atlas this week they had replaced. The problem started around [XXX] and was fixed on 7/9/25. I don't currently have the original part and I don't know whether the Volkswagen dealership kept it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My steering wheel and front wheels shake uncontrollably make it dangerous to drive . A complete rack and pinion needed to be replace . The atlas only has 85000 miles . This happened at as slow as 10 miles an hour. Making the vehicle very unstable

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the Central Warning Light illuminated. The contact arrived at the destination and turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the warning light was no longer illuminated. The contact stated that the same warning light illuminated several weeks later and remained illuminated even after turning off and restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel tank had experienced a minor collapse due to a malfunctioning valve and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.

My wife and children are currently stranded 800 miles from home after our Volkswagen began shaking severely on the freeway. She brought the vehicle to Douglas VW in NJ, where the service team confirmed the steering rack is failing and verified the symptoms she experienced. Despite this, they told her it could take up to a year to fully fail and that it was “safe” to drive—an unacceptable and dangerous recommendation. We were then told the part is back-ordered for up to a year. Volkswagen has refused to provide a loaner vehicle during this wait, leaving my family without transportation. Meanwhile, we’ve been offered only a $1,500 credit toward a new vehicle, which does nothing to address the immediate issue. This is not an isolated case. It’s well documented online that this is a recurring issue with this year, make, and model. We’ve also been told the shortage is due to the part being reengineered, and that VW is prioritizing new vehicle production over existing customers dealing with critical failures. This is not just inconvenient—it’s unsafe. Volkswagen’s refusal to provide adequate support leaves my family in an impossible position through no fault of our own. We are asking for immediate action. Our case number with VW customer is [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I requested a repair for safety recall 69FB about a year ago and my dealer says that they still do not have the parts to make the repair. How can you decide that a problem may result in death or injury but not expedite the repair?

The vehicle was repaired under a recall for the link stabilizer in 2021. The vehicle is now making the same rattling sound that it made prior to being "fixed" by the recall. I would contend that the "fix" that was implemented did NOT correct the original problem.

Seatbelt sensor will not go off even when seal belt is fastened.

I am filing this complaint due to a serious and unresolved safety issue with the steering system of my 2019 Volkswagen Atlas SEL 4Motion R-Line. The vehicle was diagnosed with a failed steering rack, which presents a significant safety hazard due to impaired steering response and potential loss of control. The part needed for the repair has been on national backorder for over a month, with no estimated time of availability. This delay has left me without a safe, operable vehicle and has created a major hardship for my family. I contacted Volkswagen Customer CARE to request assistance and escalation. Unfortunately, they were unable or unwilling to escalate the issue to a Regional Case Manager, and offered no support, solutions, or alternatives to address the safety or mobility concerns caused by this prolonged delay. In contrast, the dealership—Volkswagen of South Mississippi—has been extremely helpful and professional throughout the process. They confirmed the diagnosis and are ready to perform the repair, but are completely dependent on Volkswagen to supply the required part. Through online research and owner forums, I’ve learned that steering rack failures and backorder delays are common with the 2019 Atlas, which indicates this could be part of a larger systemic issue affecting many owners. I am concerned that this situation poses an ongoing public safety risk, particularly if drivers experience steering loss unexpectedly. I respectfully urge NHTSA to investigate this matter and determine whether it warrants a broader safety recall or regulatory action. The current lack of support from Volkswagen, combined with the unavailability of critical steering components, is unacceptable and may leave affected drivers at serious risk.

Driving at constant speed on highway, vehicle either loses acceleration and / or applies brake for short moment. Tapping the accelerator appears allow the vehicle to resume to initial intended speed. Automatic braking, not intended by the driver is a safety risk for both this and adjacent drivers. The problem has been reproduced by a dealer service center. No other agencies have inspected the vehicle's problem. No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms evident. Dealer has had the vehicle to two weeks and has not provided a viable resolution.

My car started shaking while driving at high rates of speed. Also while hitting bumps at high speed or the brakes. I took it to the VW dealer and they told me the steering rack was going out. When trying to get it fixed I was told the part is on back order for months. They told me there was 400 people ahead of me. This seems like it should be a recall with so many people reporting the problem. And a safety issue with not being able to get the part. VW is bad about doing an extended warranty to avoid a recall also. It NEEDS to be recalled before someone gets hurt or killed. And if they can’t get the parts they need to offer another way out of it. Please help!

Vehicle vibrates and rumbles at very low speeds and almost feels like the engine is giving out. I was told by my local VW dealership that the rack and pinion steering is failing and is the cause for this vibration. When attempting to have the problem resolved by their mechanics, I was told that it could take 30 days to get the part. After 60 days of waiting for the part, I cancelled the order and took my deposit back. I've recently learned that this part needed to replace rack and pinion can take up to 7-12 months to acquire. I am interested in seeing this mechanical issue being recalled by the NHTSA to have Volkswagen held responsible for such a travesty.

On January 20th 2025, we were driving on an open street with moving traffic. The automatic braking system kicked in for no apparent reason and the car slammed on the brakes on its own resulting in us almost being rear ended. Our safety and the safety of others was put at risk due to the car braking with no warning and for no reason, causing the person behind us to almost hit us. In the past, the car has randomly loudly beeped at me and given me the forward collision warning for no reason, but it has never auto braked like that for no reason. It was scary and makes me concerned about the safety of the vehicle for my family.

With the past year, have had 2 dangerous safety issues pop up. 1. April 2024, seat belt malfunctioned causing an error message. From what the VW dealer told me, the seat belt would not lock, therefore requiring a replacement of the entire assembly Had to drive home several hours with this error message. Should a 5 year old car have such issues? 2. January 2025, steering began to feel very sloppy. Was informed Steering rack assembly had excessive play inside the steering gear. Presume losing steering at highway speeds would be quite dangerous. Replacing seat belt assembly cost $1261.25, the steering rack assembly replacement will cost $1988.75. Both should be recall items and covered by VW.