2023 Volkswagen Atlas Engine Problems

I am reporting a significant safety compliance issue involving a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicle and the fraudulent reporting of a safety recall completion. On March 21, 2026, I attempted to purchase the vehicle listed above. This vehicle is subject to NHTSA Recall 22V753 (VW Campaign 13i4) regarding engine connecting rod failure. Before signing, I requested documentation proving the recall had been performed. The dealership staff repeatedly insisted that the recall "had to have been completed" as part of the CPO process. Upon my further insistence, the dealership finally admitted that the recall work had NOT been performed and stated it would "be completed on Monday." However, a check of the VIN on [XXX] and VW’s public portal shows "0 Open Recalls," indicating the dealership has officially marked this safety recall as "Closed" or "Completed" in the system despite the remedy not being applied. This dealership is actively marketing and attempting to deliver a vehicle with a known engine failure risk as "Certified" while falsifying federal safety records. This is a clear violation of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act and poses an immediate risk to any consumer who might purchase this vehicle believing the safety defect has been remedied. Vin number is [XXX] I can't personally verify that the vin number falls within the lot described, however given their response was "our bad we're doing this on Monday" I can only come to the safe conclusion in my purchase decision that it does recall this recall procedure and that they fraudulently marked this recall as completed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds or while the vehicle was parked, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the sound might be caused by unknown engine parts rubbing against each other. The mechanic related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V753000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.

While operating my vehicle, the engine shuts off and stalls unexpectedly, including while driving at low speeds. When this occurs, the vehicle loses power and must be manually restarted, creating a dangerous situation, especially in traffic. This issue began within the first year of ownership and has continued despite multiple service visits. Early on, the dealership was unable to diagnose the issue and at times stated the condition was “normal.” Volkswagen dealerships later identified the issue as related to a defective canister / EVAP system component. The same component has required multiple repairs, including a repeat failure after the initial repair. Volkswagen issued an extended warranty covering this defect. Despite these repairs, the vehicle continues to shut off and stall, including while driving. The vehicle has also experienced remote start failures with messages instructing the driver to manually start the engine, which a dealership confirmed is related to the same defect. This creates an ongoing safety risk, particularly because I transport children in the vehicle.

The oil separator / PCV system on my 2023 Volkswagen Atlas failed prematurely, causing oil leakage and abnormal crankcase pressure. This resulted in oil escaping into the engine bay and related components. Failure of this system can lead to oil contacting hot engine surfaces, potential fire risk, loss of oil pressure, and possible engine damage. The defect occurred well before expected service life. Volkswagen has issued a service action related to premature oil separator/PCV failure, indicating the manufacturer was aware of this issue. However, owners were not proactively notified prior to failure. This appears to be a pattern issue affecting multiple vehicles. I am concerned about the safety implications and the risk of repeat failure even after repair.

Engine turns off completely traveling at moderate speeds in drive gear while approaching and then stopped at lights or stop signs. Issue became more constant and prevalaint with time. Message then shows up " Please start engine manually P". Vehicle then has to be put in "park" and manually restarted. All this is completed in a panic and a rush as your are on a road with traffic and cars behind you. Randomness and type of stall makes it difficult to document issue live and in it's entirety as it happens. Issue cannot be foreseen. This is a very dangerous situation and a accident waiting to happen. This is a known issue on this model VW commencing in prior year models as documented by thousands online on forums, chats with documented fixes. Such as one being extended warranty "VWP-23-04 on part. VW dealers visited refuse to address potential causes or related parts as issue cannot be "recreated". Have presented documentation of times and dates this has happened and pictures of dash message but since vehicle "technically" doesn't show a FAULT, issue is not being addressed by dealers. VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR DRIVER AND PASSENGERS, AS WELL AS OTHER DRIVERS.

Complaint Summary: The PCV valve (oil separator, part number 06Q103495F) has failed twice within 20,000 miles on my 2023 Volkswagen Atlas 2.0T. The first failure occurred around 50,000 miles and was repaired under warranty. The second failure happened around 70,000 miles, after warranty expiration. Description of Issue: In both cases, the failure was identified when the low engine oil warning light appeared, followed by visible oil leakage across the top of the engine and the catch plate area. Upon inspection, oil was found covering surrounding components, and the dealer confirmed the PCV assembly had failed and was leaking internally and externally. The PCV system is integrated into the valve cover, and when it fails, it causes crankcase pressure loss, oil blow-by, and potential engine damage or fire risk if oil contacts hot components. This is not normal wear; it’s a known recurring failure on EA888 2.0T engines used across multiple VW models. Safety Concern: A leaking PCV valve can cause: •Excessive oil consumption •Oil spray onto engine components, posing a potential fire hazard •Unstable idle or stalling due to vacuum imbalance •Risk of engine damage if crankcase pressure rises The part has been revised multiple times by Volkswagen but continues to fail prematurely. The lack of a recall or warranty extension leaves owners paying for repeated replacements of a defective component. Request: I urge NHTSA to investigate widespread premature failures of the PCV/Oil Separator assembly (06Q103495F and superseding parts) on Volkswagen EA888 Gen 3 engines used in the Atlas, Tiguan, and other VW/Audi vehicles. This appears to be a design flaw rather than a normal maintenance issue and could lead to oil fires or mechanical damage if ignored.

I own a 2023 VW Atlas purchased new from a Volkswagen dealership. In October 2024, while the vehicle was under warranty, I reported engine hesitation, rough idle, and near-stalling. I showed the service advisor a video I recorded of the issue happening in real time. Despite this, the dealership refused to investigate further because no check engine light or fault codes were present. I was sent home without diagnosis or documentation. Months later, the issue worsened and was diagnosed as a failed fuel injector — now quoted at nearly $3,000 to repair, plus a $175 diagnostic fee. VW refuses to cover the cost or provide goodwill assistance, stating that the dealership couldn’t replicate the issue and therefore couldn’t act. I was also denied the ability to speak with a service manager when the failure occurred. This injector issue clearly began during the warranty period and was dismissed without proper investigation. The behavior compromised the vehicle’s driveability and posed a potential safety risk to me and my children. There needs to be accountability when clear evidence is provided and dealerships refuse to act until the problem escalates past warranty coverage. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate fuel injector failures in the 2023 VW Atlas and the pattern of warranty denial tied to lack of fault codes, despite clear performance issues and owner-supplied evidence.

Vehicle stalls when at very slow speeds which requires you to put the vehicle in park and restart. This has happened over 15 times and last time was 10/29/24.

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.

Vehicle engine shuts off automatically when in ideal or in parking mode.

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 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 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.

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.