NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Car stalls in reverse and random stalls driving at low speeds. They deemed carbon canister and N80 Valve. Replaced twice and only at 41k miles.
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V464000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The airbag light continuously goes off and makes a loud beeping noise and blinks an orange airbag light, I constantly have passengers in my front passenger seat. It is unsafe to be driving when it’s not sure that their airbag will deploy if in an accident.
While reversing, the car shut down while moving. I had to bring the car to a stop, put in park, and restart the car. Second occurrence parking and while pulling in the engine stalled while moving and had to stop, park, and restart engine. No warning lights on dash. Dealership unable to reproduce. Upon looking online this seems to be a common issue for these vehicles. Others complained that it happens when accelerating at stop lights which could cause a crash.
At approximately 8500 miles the car started randomly stalling, maybe once or twice a week. Now at 9600 miles it stalls every time we drive the car. This is not the Start/Stop system as we deactivate that when we get in the car. Typically, the car is warm, the AC is on, we have idled with the car in park then place the car in gear to drive and it dies. The dealer claims they cannot duplicate the problem. Also, the throttle is very non-linear. One time you push the throttle a little and the car takes off slamming you back in the seat. The next time you can push the throttle halfway down before the car responds then it just slowly accelerates. This problem has not been brought to the attention of the dealer yet but will upon the next appointment. This is very dangerous as other drivers are expecting you to move but you have to put the car in park and restart it. This could get someone killed.
PODS airbag sensor has been recalled since 6/19/2024 without remedy. Sensor is not detecting passenger and will not deploy in the instance of a vehicle accident. Being advised to not ride in the passenger seat of family vehicle.
Recall opened in June still no fix. How long does the manufacturer have to come up with a solution?
This is a continuous issue that has been pending for over one year.
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V464000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V464000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The steering vibrates during all driving activities, including accelerating, braking, and turning. At certain speeds, the vibration extends to the entire vehicle, making it feel unstable. There were no warning lights or prior indicators before the issue first appeared in mid-2024. This steering malfunction poses a significant safety risk to me and others on the road. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by a dealer, but it has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
I have attempted to have a recall repaired on the defected PODS sensor and everytime I have tried the dealership says that the part is on back order. I have had the airbag light come on multiple times with no remedy for the issue.
Vehicle engine shuts off automatically when in ideal or in parking mode.
On [XXX] I was driving approximately 30 mph on a sunny, 83F day. There were no other vehicles around me, no pedestrians, no bicycles, no animals, etc. I was traveling south on a straight section of the road when my car came to an abrupt and complete stop. The car's automatic braking system was engaged without any prior warning. The car went from 30mph to 0 mph instantly. There was a loud beep, the red ABS indicator light came on, the wipers started operating involuntarily. The force of the momentum cause items to fly forward in the car. The seatbelt locked up. The force of the stop also caused whiplash and the belt tightening caused pain to my ribs and back. I was stunned and scared. Thankfully, no cars were around me and I was going 30mph instead of 70mph when I travel the highway most of the time. If someone was behind me or I had been traveling faster, the incident could have had grave consequences. I was next to a dentist office so I pulled into their parking lot slowly. I turned the car off and looked at the exterior. There was no indication that I had struck anything and there was nothing in the road that would have set the system off. Not even a leaf or bug. I had received a letter 2 days prior about a class action lawsuit against VW describing this same issue going back to 2017. I looked up what to do in the situation and everything online suggested deactivating that feature on the car. I turned the car on and deactivated it. I drove 15 mph to my office 0.4 mi away because I was scared it would happen again. I called my dealership and scheduled a diagnostic appointment. They couldn't get it in until [XXX]. They have had it overnight and have pulled data from it and sent it to VW in Germany apparently. Since I deactivate the feature before each trip, the problem has not happened again for me. There are many stories of this happening online but VW hasn't issued a recall at all and says it isn't an issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
On a few occasions, even with the Start/Stop function disabled, the vehicle has completely shut off with no warning. It must be put it in park and restarted. Once it even turned off while reversing out of driveway and the steering wheel locked.
This is my second Volkswagen Atlas, that has the same issues of breaks making loud squealing noise when I hit the brakes. Volkswagen changed the brakes on my 2022 Atlas, then allowed me to trade it in for a 2023 Atlas. I been having the same problem with the brakes and all the dealers says is' ( Volkswagen is aware of the brake problem and working on a solution)., however it has been a ongoing issue for over a year. Just today in Walmart parking lot located at [XXX] , I hit brakes and the brakes squeal loud, this is not just an issue because of the noise, this is a safety issue. Now the dealer is telling me the brakes are only under warranty for 24,000 miles and my car has 34,000 miles, leaving me having to try to find out what to do on my own. My car note is $914.10, I love Volkswagen, but I will never buy another one. Imagine paying $914.10 per month for a vehicle that has a safety issue and the dealer has been working on a solution for over 2 years. The break lights doesn't come on, so the dealer stated it is only a annoying sound not a safety issue, I believed these vehicles need a examination or please examine mines, because if your brakes squeals, something is wrong with the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Booster seat in high back mode has a seatbelt threader that causes the seatbelt to lock inappropriately trapping the child in the seat and/or rendering the seatbelt dysfunctional for use. The seatbelt positioner on the carseat and overall design impede proper use of the vehicle's seatbelt. This happens both when child is in the seat or out of the seat, leading to difficulties either getting the child IN and OUT of the seat, which in an emergency where extraction is necessary would be a safety concern. Routinely, the booster seat had to be taken out entirely in order to get the seatbelt to unlock and restore its functionality, all of which limits the safe efficacious use of the booster. Whether installed by latch or just resting on the seat (both of which are manufacturer recommended methods for installation) this issue of design impeding vehicle seatbelt function occurs. Further, either in full-back mode or when the back of the booster is removed, the arm rest design impedes easy access to the car's seat belt apparatus making it difficult to click the belt in. I also found this issue was mentioned in this third party review of the Oobr seat: [XXX] . I contacted the manufacturer and was offered no recourse. Short of having video of when the belt is locked with child in place, I took photos showing the belt threader and how arm rest impede buckle. The belt positioner is causing the problem because it creates tension that causes the car's seat belt to lock rendering the seat impossible or very difficult and finicky to use with a seatbelt. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
On 04/24/2024 around 10:30pm I was driving on the expressway and all of a sudden the sound system was extremely loud it sounded like gunshots inside the car. I turned off the radio and it kept going. Luckily I was able to stop on the side of the road with my son in all this traffic. I turned off my vehicle but the noise kept going. My ears hurt for 2 days. Now I'm scared to drive my vehicle because if it happens again I'm scared I might have an accident since I suffer from anxiety. I already made an appointment with Volkswagen but its not until 4 weeks. Till 5/15/2024.
Driving down 4 lane state highway adaptive cruise on. Car in front of us pulled into left turn lane, was no longer in front of us. Dash lit up emergency notification and slammed us on breaks. Reported to VW told “likely a sensor issue tech just not there yet”. Happened again on state hwy. traveling at 65 mph. NO cars on hwy with us emergent message on dash and slammed on breaks. Recently happened when pulling off from stop light through 4 lanes of traffic. I was first car going between 5-8 mph. Dash lit up with emergency notification. Immediately braked and engine turned off. Car had already been taken into dealer for other electrical issues with infotainment and consistently told nothing wrong. Last time taken in for infotainment reported the braking issue. That is when they made statement about sensors. This could cause terrible car accident especially traveling at high speed or stopping in intersection where could be hit from behind or hit by oncoming traffic. Taken to VW multiple times. No problems ever identified. Only changes infotainment system AFTER I brought video evidence of what was happening. Cannot provide them with evidence of this occurrence. Last time take. In had no loaner available car was not left and evaluated bc of disagreement with service.
The contact owned a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving at 35 MPH, a vehicle was coming towards her in the opposite direction making a left turn, and she collided with another vehicle on its front passenger side. No air bags were deployed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was then towed by her insurance company. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The contact stated that she sustained injuries on her neck and back. The contact's daughter who was the front passenger sustained injuries on her neck, back, and left leg. Both have received medical attention vis doctors. The contact received NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V464000 (Air Bags) however the vehicle had already been deemed totaled. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Car stalled when stopped in drive. Car has auto start stop but did not restart when pressing gas pedal from break. Car had to be manually restarted. This is hazardous to myself and other drivers if I cannot start after stopping at a light, stop sign or in traffic. Problem is intermittent and occurs unpredictably. Car was recently purchased and inspected before purchase but not since. No warning lamps/message but message did appear to restart car manually due to the stall
Driving 45 mph on the highway, the vehicle suddenly loses power and shuts off. Dash instructed me to place the car in park and start the vehicle manually. This has happened 4+ times in the last two months. Volkswagen dealer states that no codes are showing and they are unable to fix it. This is extremely dangerous!!
The front left collision warning alarm goes off when apply brakes (a turn, stop sign/light, parking spot as examples) even though there is nothing in the proximity that would trigger a warning.
Starting at less than 15k miles the brakes started making loud grinding noises sounding like metal to metal grinding. The noises occured anytime the car was parked for any period of time. The noise would happen either in reverse or going forward. The car was taken to the dealership and I was told this was normal. I insisted it was not normal for a car with that many miles to have that kind of brake noise. The dealership replaced the brake pads and resurfaced the rotors. At 28k, the same problem with the brakes started again. The car is now at the dealership trying to get the issue fixed.
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds in stop-and-go traffic, and while idling, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power. The vehicle was shaking abnormally while driving at various speeds. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to start the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle occasionally failed to start and was towed to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who aligned the wheels and tightened the bolts. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of the loss of automotive power failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The dealer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 24,000.
The engine completely stalls while driving. It has happened many many times at various speeds and as well as in stop n go traffic. It’s happened on main highways like I-95. No check engine light or any other alerts appear. The screen says put car in “P” (park) and manually start engine. I’ve taken my car to the dealership to report the issue at my 20k miles service. They looked over the car and decided it must be the battery and replaced it. On my way home it stalled again and two more times throughout my day. I called the service department manager to tell her it’s still happening and how stressful and dangerous this is. She has asked for me to leave my car with them to try to figure out the issue. They are however well aware that’s is an issue with their vehicles. I’ve personally spoken to others who have the same vehicle having the same exact issue. These vehicles need to be recalled as soon as possible before someone gets into an accident.
The vehicle only has 15K miles and the breaks are already producing a grinding sound. Brought it back to the dealership and they said that the pads and rotors are measuring correct and that it was the humidity. No vehicle that we have ever experiences has had grinding, so new and blamed weather. They are stating that the pads and rotors are made up of higher iron and corrosion is happening quicker. This is unacceptable and put extra wear on the vehicle breaking components ultimately putting breaking at risk.
The radio will occasionally blast this really loud sound that sounds similar to a helicopter. The only way that I have found to stop it is to pull-over, turn-off the car, and wait for the radio to timeout (the radio will stay on for a period after the ignition is turned-off). From my online research (there are others with this same issue, and it appears to be related to the Fender sound system), the issue appears to be the main amplifier, but dealer has not been able to confirm this. This issue could potentially be dangerous as the sound is very loud and could possible scare someone into having an accident.
The car engine shuts off several times a day, all the dash lights comes on and say that I am driving with the emergency transmission mode. The break is making a noise like metal against metal. My wife and kids are in risk because this is happening in the middle of a busy California freeway. I set up 2 service appointments that takes almost a month to find availability and when you finally find, they need the car for at least a week for testing, but cant provide a car loaner. no warnings before the engine stops.
The design of the tilt and telescope steering column allows for an adjustment position that will cause the turn signal stalk to bind against the instrument panel trim with the steering wheel adjusted up and forward. This prohibits proper use of the turn signal and headlight dimmer functions. A clear design defect
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? YES How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? NO Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? NO Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?YES. They cannot reproduce as they test drive the vehicle upon arrival and it something that happens when the car has been sitting.
I have been experiencing problems with my car's navigation system where the system shows the wrong location of the car. It does not matter if I used the car's navigation system or Apple Maps via CarPlay, the location on the map is often wrong. This could easily be a safety issue especially when using the navigation system in an unfamiliar area. This issue seems to be widespread across different model years for the Atlas.
The tow hook, which is available for inspection at any time, will not attach to the vehicle. The inability to secure a kayak or any long load carried on a roof rack, to the front of the vehicle has proven to be a flyoff hazard to following traffic. This problem has been reported to and inspected by VW dealership. VW America has been advised. Case #06358772. Problem first came to my attention in the fall of 2023 when I attempted to secure a kayak to a Thule roof rack kayak carrier per Thule's instruction. Thule provides front and rear tie ratchet down cords with the rack system. Thule Rack Guidelines, North American English, states specifically in bullet #4 page C7," ....Kayaks, canoes and lumber must be tied down front and rear to the bumpers or tow hooks of the vehicle".
The car stalls while driving. The vehicle will just shut off while trying to back up, pull into parking lots, pull away at traffic lights, and trying to turn into a roadway. It has done this dozens of times. Volkswagon has replaced the eval canister numerous times, as well as other parts. It still constantly stalls while actively driving it on the road. It is extremely unsafe. The evap canister is the known issue, but it continues to break and the stalling issue continues.
There have been issues with my control panel/radio multiple times since purchasing this vehicle May 2023. At least twice, the control panel went black while I was driving, or backing, and would only reset after placing car in park and turning car off and back on. The issue was reported to dealer who said they couldn't recreate it and the system was up to date, so no help/fix. These occurred before the 10k mile service at dealership. A different time, the radio went silent and the control panel froze. The functionality only returned after doing a "hard reset" , as suggested in an online forum. Turning the vehicle on and off did not help. There was at least one other instance when the sound and functionality of the radio/media options completed shut off for several minutes before resetting itself while I was driving and unable to pull over to turn the vehicle on/off.
I was making a right turn, I pressed the gas and turned my wheel right to make the turn and the steering wheel then locked and I couldn’t straighten it out and ended up driving over the sidewalk and crashing into a building. My car was totaled and I went to the hospital due to airbag burns. My insurance picked up the car and it is available to be inspected.
The first incident that occurred is that my car came to a complete stop while I was backing out of a driveway. I did not move at all while I pressed the accelerator (tried this while in drive and reverse), but my car stayed on. No lights or warning signals came up. Turned car off and on again, and I was able to drive away with no issues. Exactly 1 week later, I was trying to cross a 4-way intersection - all stop signs. When it was my turn to go, I took my foot off the brake, but my car did not move. The only warning/message that came up was to manually start my car. I was unable to start my car again, and it felt like the brakes locked up. I couldn't press them down all the way. After about 5 minutes, I was able to start my car and move it off to the side of the road. It was 8 PM and I was 1 hour away from home with my infant in the back seat. My car was towed to the nearest dealership the next morning. I am being told there are 3 known recurrent issues with the Atlas model since 2017, but Volkswagen will not change any parts until a fault is picked up by the computer. The dealership has not picked up any faults, and I am told I will probably have to bring my car back 3-4 more times before anything will be done. I now have to drive my car knowing it will most likely shut off again at any time, and I have my infant with me 99% of the time. I am scared for our lives.
Engine unexpectedly stalls at low speed requiring a full restart. Happened one time to me less than 2 months after purchasing the vehicle brand new. Many others reported the same issue with this model and for them often times the issue persisted after dealer repairs (carbon canister replacement, etc). This is a very serious safety issue since a vehicle stalling unexpectedly in the middle of traffic can throw off the driver or other drivers on the road resulting in a collision. Some reports cite 2021 models and it is concerning the manufacturer did not address the problem going back 2-3 years.
The rear door on the SUV has opened spontaneously while parked on two occasions. The car has been owned by me for just 3 months and has 3577 miles on it currently. Within 2 days of taking delivery (129 miles) the care needed reprogramming. I noted a warning light and error message with auto start / stop 2 days ago. The dealer has not been able to reproduce this intermittent problem.
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that his wife placed a cushion on the front passenger’s seat and the occupant detection system failed to recognize that a passenger was seated in the seat, causing the air bag to turn off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the front passenger’s side air bag senor had not recognized that there was a cushion underneath the seat. The contact was advised not to place the cushion on the seat. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 544.
(part 2) vehicle service records available upon request. The only problem confirmed by the dealership is infotainment system issues on multiple occasions. All aforementioned issues in complaint 1 are legitimate safety issues. If a vehicle is in motion, or needs to be in motion on a public road/highway/crossing railroad & transit tracks, etc. and shuts down, sputters, or lunges, it could be fatal for not only myself and occupants of my vehicle, but could be a danger to others on the road or walkways as well. Further scenarios noted, but not limited to the following: 07/10/23, vehicle lunged forward as if I hit the gas while my foot was firmly pressed on the brake, while waiting to turn onto a busy state road. This is a huge safety issue. I could have rear-ended someone if they were in front of me, or hit into oncoming traffic if anyone was passing by at that moment. 6/25/23, while driving my VW dealership loaner vehicle, a '23 Atlas, engine jumped as if the gas peddle was pressed while at a complete stop in city-setting traffic and moved forward. I reported both incidents to VW dealership. I was told the F5 module was to blame for most issues, due to them being "COVID" era computer chips, and once they became available they would replace. 07/31/23, I was told a new module would not help, that instead a software update to the infotainment system should fix any problems, and the update was performed. To date, three software updates have been performed on this vehicle, including a new F1 module on 10/6/23. All problems still randomly persist, without rhyme or reason. These are not the only problems with this vehicle, per guidelines, I am keeping to immediate safety issues. 09/03/23 VW engaged brakes while backing up onto a brand new driveway with no vehicles, plants, people around. Back-up assist will not shut down while towing cargo carrier unless aftermarket part is purchased, making the vehicle brake as if avoiding crash and jarring occupants.
The “Front Assist” feature malfunctioned while driving. While driving at 29 mph, the vehicle “Front Assist” feature initiated. A red warning icon illuminated on the dashboard signaling an imminent/impending collision and caused the vehicle to immediately lock the vehicles brakes and seat belts. There were NO pedestrians, vehicles, or objects ahead or remotely close to the roadway. The front of the vehicle was clear or debris and foreign objects. It was sunny and clear. If the roadway was rainy or snowy — the brakes and steering locking up would’ve been catastrophic. Vehicle has not been to dealership for inspection/testing of the system as event occurred earlier today. Vehicle has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others as of present. Other than this event occurring once before, there has been no indication or warning lights — other than the large red dashboard icon.
I'm emailing due to issues with my 2023 Cross Sport I purchased. It's a dire situation, as I had issues with my 2021 Cross Sport and VW ended up repurchasing the vehicle from me due a number of safety concerns. During my search for a new vehicle, I could not find anything that I liked so I ended up contacting Hawk VW in Joliet, IL to ask about the new 2023 Cross Sport and asked if they were aware of any issues and they said no. I purchased a 2023 Cross Sport on September 28, 2022 in hopes that I would have a more pleasant experience. This is a decision that would come back to haunt me. I contacted my salesman on October 12th to let him know that the car wasn't driving well. I told him there seemed to be a kind of jerk or stall while I was driving. He told me that "the Cross Sport and all VW's do have an assist feature where if you suddenly press the gas the car will try to react that is were the sudden acceleration will occur." I told him it wasn't a sudden acceleration...it was more like a jerk and hard to explain. This would happen while I was driving. I kept driving and it would still happen, but I just went along with him saying it was the assist feature. On May 23rd, I emailed him to let him know that my car had off twice in a week with a message saying manually start engine. I took it in on June 5th and was told it was the fuel pump and fuel pump sensor. On June 13th I let them know it cut off again. I took it in on July 5th and was told it was the EVAP canister. Now today, July 10th, they are saying they will replace the fuel tank as well and the part should be in Wednesday. I feel as if VW is definitely aware of these safety issues, as there's a VW forum out there and a lot of owners are having the same issues. Something needs to be done before someone gets hurt, or worse. I pray that doesn't happen but this is truly ridiculous and frustrating at this point.
When the vehicle is wet (after car wash or when it rains), the breaks start screeching and the breaking jerks suddenly. It’s a terrible sound and terrible feeling because it’s unexpected and abnormal
Car was returned from VW dealer Friday for door harness replacement. Saturday night around 930pm we were driving on the toll road when the car starts malfunctioning at 75mph. Various warnings flashed and beeped. My husband was trying to keep control and merge over to slower lanes so we could pull over to safety. During this time the speedometer showed we were going zero which we clearly were not, windows started rolling down then the vehicles screens and outside lighting went black. This is at night while trying to get over 3 lanes of traffic safely. We coasted off ramp where car died. Had interior lighting on knobs, but no outside lights and could not start or be put into neutral. Stranded with windows stuck down and waiting long time for a tow truck due to holiday weekend (night before Easter). Poor tow truck driver had a difficult time due to how the vehicle locked up and could not be put into neutral, not even manually. The tow truck driver was finally able to get the car loaded and gave us a ride home. Due to holiday, VW roadside assistance was not available and couldn't tow to dealer until Monday. Monday morning the VW tow company had a difficult time getting vehicle loaded because the way it locked up and still would not start. It had power such as interior lights, but would not start, couldn't be put into neutral and windows still down. Due to the fact this has happened several times in this BRAND NEW vehicle I was able to record the incident. I can attach recording and screenshots if it will let me.
Purchased brand new 2023 Atlas Premium R line. First few weeks noticed exposed wires above pedals under steering wheel area, A/C not blowing cold air and touchscreen glitches. Took back to dealer March 2-18. They put a panel over exposed wires factory forgot. They also said they could not find anything wrong with AC or touchscreen. It was working fine, then few days later same problems followed by total power loss/ car completely shut off and locked up when accelerating at a traffic light. Then about week later car abruptly came to a complete stop while driving on road. No warnings prior, after randomly braking itself various alerts flashed and beeped while windows malfunctioned rolling themselves down. Screens then went black. The next day tried to test it out slowly to drive it back to the dealer, but did the same thing twice within 20 min. Luckily was driving at a slower speed this time. Had it towed to the nearest VW dealer where it currently is now. Reporting this braking, electrical malfunction because not only is a car that randomly stops and brakes itself dangerous to the people in it, it's a safety hazard for anyone behind or near it. Shocked this could even happen, I looked up the issue and found VW had a similar problem in others with the door harness, but this was at a faster speed and more than the brakes failed and went haywire. Something electrical or faulty wiring may seriously be wrong with these 2023's and don't want anyone to get hurt. The pictures attached are from second incident. Didn't know it was going to brake and stop so didn't have time to capture it stopping, and at the moment first instinct is to control car and pull over safely. But did manage to take pictures of random error codes before it goes black and back to normal like nothing happened. So scary and unsafe.
The wireless phone charging pad causes phone to become extremely hot to the point where the phone stops working and shows a warning message about its hot temperature --fire risk. Phone was in the wireless charging pad for about 30-minutes. My family and I have I-phones (Apple I-Phone Model 12). Prior to the hot temperature incident, the wireless charging pad would not charge the phone and on many occasions would not even register that the phone was on the pad to charge. This has happened with and without the phone's case and with different phones. The vehicle was checked by local VW Service department but not fixed because there is no repairs/updates provided by VW, per Service Advisor. Therefore the issue remains. Please address the wireless phone charger pad issue. Thanks.
The start/stop system will activate and shut the vehicle down totally (at random times), even when in drive, and at times prematurely before even coming to a complete stop. When you move the steering wheel or take your foot off of the brake, the vehicle should automatically start back up, but the vehicle totally shuts off, asking: "Did you forget anything? Everyone out of the vehicle?" [XXX], first occurrence of this completely shutting down in the city of Pittsburgh, PA, on a busy bridge after the vehicle was idling for about 45-60 seconds in traffic. I hadn't experienced this problem in any vehicle before, so it took quick thinking to figure out that I had to put the vehicle back into park before it would start back up. If I had to move quickly, I was not able to do so. [XXX] while pulling out from a stop, nothing in front of us at all, the vehicle started to shut down while pressing the gas and at the same time the front collision system was beeping even though there was nothing at all in front of us. [XXX] infotainment screen blacked out for the VW technician while it was in for service due to multiple issues. The reason I am stating that in this complaint: multiple VW technicians and service personnel have stated that the infotainment system is the brain for the vehicle, if it is acting up, can cause problems with almost anything in the vehicle. [XXX], in the middle of a quick 3-point turn at the end of my street, the engine shut down totally while shifting from drive to reverse, asked if I forgot anything/anyone in the backseat, then, when shifting to park (to start the vehicle back up a.s.a.p.), it started itself back up without me touching the start/stop ignition button. [XXX] while accelerating up a hill in Pittsburgh, the vehicle started sputtering as if it was stalling out, engine misfiring. [XXX] vehicle in drive, stopped for approx. 20 seconds, again shut completely down, shift to P to restart. (con't) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I was driving on a city road and making a right turn on a green light, I glanced to the left to avoid any driver possibly crossing a red light as I usually do as a defensive driver! Before I know it my SUV had jumped the median divider into the other side of the road and landed on another vehicle stopped. The safety system did not give me any signals to stop or to auto stop. I was very slow and from previous experience with this vehicle it did stop at being close to a concrete side of the street but in this situation it did not. None of ADAS parts of the system worked! My ATLAS is badly damaged so is the other car. I have other issues in the last month that were not as dangerous but are glitches in the safety and technology package. I contacted VW but they said that the design does not cover this, which is not correct based on other situations I noticed in the last three months since I purchased this vehicle.
The Airbag warning light turns on/off at random times while operating vehicle. Sometimes the light remains on until the vehicle is restarted. During the events, only the driver was in the vehicle and nothing was on top of the passenger seats. There is also a pop-up Airbag message that displays on the dashboard panel and stays on for several seconds, when the Airbag warning light turns on.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026