Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 460 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–25 of 460 · page 1 of 19
EPC light Tire light My cold air doesn't work, cruise control, heating on driver side mirror. Not sure what else. I made my first car payment in June 2026. Looks like I got a lemon vehicle.
P255 / 50 R 20 Tire light stays on. Right front tire is low. I have to fill up all 4 tires. I just purchased this vehicle. Was I sold a lemon? My cold air doesn't work now either. I just made my 3rd payment on this Volkswagen Atlas SEL 2018 What all do I need to have inspected. The car dealership never inspected this vehicle when it came off the truck.
When attempting to drive out of a steep driveway to turn onto a main arterial, the car interpreted the hill as a potential collision and turned on the emergency braking. This left me half-way in the lane, at a complete stop, unable to accelerate and continue driving, with on-coming traffic at over 40mph heading toward me in what would be a T-bone collision. Traffic stopped giving me time to reverse back up the driveway. I further backed up to come down the driveway at a different angle but the problem repeated itself again. It was multiple seconds before I could even continue to accelerate and fully enter the lane of traffic. It was as if the car put itself into neutral. That being said no part of the car every even scrapped the pavement so clearly the car was not in danger of a collision with the cement. I have also left this driveway multiple times and never had it emergency brake before. We were almost in a T-bone collision due to the sensors initiating emergency braking despite speeds of under 5mph and now actual collision risk existing.
Dealer sold flood damaged 2020 Atlas 98k miles as safe vehicle. Found severe rust corrosion on steering column that could break while driving causing loss of control crash death. Also found 7 areas of toxic mold inside causing allergic reaction and breathing problems. Mold in seats, carpet, AC system. Dealer refused to repair and forced trade for overpriced 2023 Explorer with high loan. Vehicle unsafe - life threatening defect hidden by dealer. Steering and body structure compromised by flood water. Have photos of corrosion and mold as evidence. Vehicle available for inspection. Injury: Allergic reaction - skin rash, breathing difficulty, cough from toxic mold exposure. Senior driver [XXX] old. No crash yet but steering corrosion could cause fatal crash. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The water pump failed catastrophically at 63,100 miles, forcing a complete road-side breakdown and damaging the radiator. This is a known manufacturing defect affecting the 3.6L VR6 composite plastic pumps. Due to the failure of the pump, the radiator tank became hot causing a hole to form in the radiator and needing to be replaced. I still own this car and you may inspect it if needed. My safety was at risk as well as others safely was put at risk because this caused car to over heat leaving me broken down on the side of the road. My mechanic at specialized auto repair confirmed and reported this issue to me and they provided the repair. It was not inspected by police, or insurance because it was a break down, not an accident and that's not coved by insurance. I knew that the car was overheating because waring system showed it to be overheating. It was actually more than over heating because of the water pump failure, the radiator melted causing car to dump all the coolant/water creating an over heating emergency. The warning system first appeared at the same time as the pump failure and the car had already overheated due to radiator hole when the waring system alerted me to the car overheating.
My infotainment system and back up camera have been having issues that I have been trying to get addressed since April 2026. I was told this is a known issue for VWs from the dealership service department and that I should replace the infotainment which has resolved these problems. I had to wait for the part to arrive, the infotainment center was replaced June 1, 2026. When I got the car back, the back up camera was again working but the infotainment center was again cutting in and out and glitching/ turning off. I brought it back to the dealership who informed me there had been a service update and to have the software updated. It worked for a short time, than began turning blank and not working. I again reached out to the dealership who opened a case with VW the company, and was told that they could not replicate the issue but would continue to work on the problem. On June 27th the back up camera started work but froze when I was reversing, again glitching. Because it had frozen while I was backing up I did not realize the footage was not live, and hit my neighbors car as a result. Their car had a hitch so was fine, but mine now has a noticable dent in the back bumper. I reached out to the dealership on June 29th who told me the case has been closed by VW of America. I brought it back in on July 7th for them to address the issues, they reached out again to VW of America to file a claim and was told there is no fix at this time. They are continuing to see if there may be software updates but that it is also older technology so that could be the issue. This is a 2018 Atlas SE TECH that only has 65,000 miles. I now cannot rely on my safety systems that I always usen living in a city to keep myself and my daughters safe when driving. Additionally, if this is not a fixable solution, I will need to replace this car, and I will have lost significant value since it is broken and there is not current fix in place.
Several times before I got the car stalled in the car wash which I thought that could no be important however yesterday Sunday 12, driving on I4 by Tampa bay in Florida when traffic was stocked and slow suddenly the car went off, so I geared neutral and started again. Then happened twice in total three times.
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, "low coolant" and "overheating" messages and the check engine warning light illuminated. On the first two occasions, the low coolant message appeared. The vehicle was pulled to the side of the road and inspected, and she observed a leak under the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer twice, where it was diagnosed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired twice, but the failure reoccurred approximately two years later. The contact stated that on the third occasion, an "overheating, turn engine off immediately" message appeared and an alert warning chime went off. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and turned off to cool down. The contact stated that when the vehicle was turned on, it began to overheat again. The vehicle was then towed to the same dealer, where it was diagnosed that the water pump and a possible additional unknown failure were the cause. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The dealer advised the contact that they may need to replace the head gasket as well. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
I was driving on 2nd Street and realized I wasn’t going to make it through the light, so I stopped. I noticed that I had stopped in the crosswalk, so I decided to back up. Before backing up, I checked everything—I looked in my left mirror, my right mirror, behind me, and also at the rearview camera. There were no cars in sight behind me. As I started backing up, I heard a beeping sound indicating there might be a car behind me. I checked my mirrors again and looked at the camera, but there was still nothing there. I continued backing up and kept hearing the beeping sound. I checked again—mirrors and camera—and still saw nothing, so I kept going. I sped up slightly. Then suddenly, within seconds, my car slammed to a hard stop. It was a very abrupt emergency stop that caused my head to jerk forward and backward. It felt like someone had hit me from behind. Right after, I looked at my dashboard and saw multiple red warning lights and messages indicating that an emergency situation had occurred. I immediately checked my rearview mirror and side mirrors again, but there were no cars behind me at all, only vehicles beside me on my right hand side that were going straight, since I was in a left-turn position. I am in hospital because of my pain. I have pain in my neck and head , I’m dizzy, the room is spinning, I’m nauseous. My nose is stuffy and I feel like I have cold, and my vision is blurry.
The passenger airbag ‘off’ light remains on even when a passenger is sitting in the passenger front seat. This remains on even after I’ve taken it in for a different component for the airbag that was recalled.
Both my low beam headlamps went out WHILE DRIVING. This is a major safety concern. It is also not an easy or inexpensive fix. The entire assembly must be replaced and not just a bulb. It is a $3000 replacement cost. The LED lamp should NEVER go out. Isn't that why LED was put in these lights? Why did VW make a headlamp that must be completely replaced and why are they charging $1000 for each headlight?
Vehicle has heavy leak from water pump. Most vehicles of this model have extended warentee due to class action lawsuit from failing water pump, primarily the 4cylinder models, but it is a well known issue among the V6 models, and some of those are covered as well. Vehicle has 56K miles at this time.
The vehicle intermittently displays a “Steering lock faulty, stop!” warning and fails to start. When this occurs, the vehicle cannot be operated at all. This issue has occurred multiple times within a short period and has persisted despite prior repair attempts by authorized Volkswagen dealerships. The failure of the steering lock system prevents the vehicle from starting, creating a safety concern as the vehicle may become unexpectedly inoperable and leave the driver stranded. The repeated nature of this issue raises concerns about the reliability and safety of the vehicle.
Multiple low coolant alerts. Dealer inspected 3 times and denied problem while vehicle still under warranty. Dealer simply topped off coolant and denied finding leaks or any other issue. Now low coolant again and EPC/ check engine light. Took car to independent owned shop who confirmed 2 water pump failures. Dealer refusing accountability for missing water pump issues that led to possible overheating damage. Big bill but dealer says my vehicle is not part of the ongoing water pump issues with other 2018 Atlas. My vehicle is being repaired by independent shop at my expense. Available for inspection if needed to further this complaint. Help is appreciated and desperately needed. Thanks.
Automatic parking brake comes on every time I start my car or park. It won’t come out of parking brake. The auto parking brake will not turn off. I can get it to drive eventually but the parking brake light stays on.
Dealer maintained with oil changes per the schedule. Cylinder head issue requiring engine replacement at 104,xxx miles. 3.6L VR6. This is unacceptable.
The passenger side low beam headlights failed at roughly 100k miles. The replacement part and labor quote from the dealership was roughly $1,500. I was able to find an OEM part online for $800 and install myself. Roughly 12,000 miles later the driver side low beam headlight has failed which will require a replacement as well.
Front parking lights do not remain on. Including lights under headlights and side marker lights. According to owners manual the parking lights should remain on while vehicle is off. The rear lights do remain on. The front lights turn themselves off after approximately 9 seconds. Condition started when lights were replaced by dealer with official OEM replacement units. Dealer has confirmed other examples of this year and model behave as described in the manual. Dealer has worked with VWoA engineers and have replaced multiple components (headlights, control modules, body control module) and attempted multiple software coding adjustments with no resolution found. Dealer is saying VWoA has no fix after having my vehicle since November 8th. I am concerned as I park my vehicle on roadsides while visiting job locations and now my vehicle has no illumination at the front while parked. Is there any definition of how long parking lights must illuminate?
My 2018 Volkswagen Atlas V6 experienced a catastrophic engine failure at approximately 116,000 miles. The vehicle has been at a Volkswagen dealership for approximately six months (since July 2025) while repeated diagnostic attempts and repairs were made. I was ultimately informed that the engine requires full replacement. No clear warning was provided prior to failure, and the prolonged diagnosis resulted in the vehicle being unusable for an unreasonable length of time. Volkswagen of America has declined to offer assistance despite the severity of the failure and extended time out of service. I have reached out to Volkswagon and so has the dealership (Paul Miller Volkswagen of Bernardsville). We each created a case each on my behalf but Volkswagon of America has declined assistance. I am concerned about premature engine failure and the lack of resolution.
LED Low beam headlights failed while driving at night from a long distance trip. This presented a major safety issue for my family since we could not see the road. This is a common problem facing many VW Atlas owners with low milage too Also, VW will not cover the costs involved since each headlamp costs $1200 and is not covered under their highest tier warranty plan (Platinum Warranty) that we purchased. Now we have a family car that we can only drive during the daytime. California requires daytime running lights on rainy days too which also presents a visibility risk to my family. I recently received a warning from a traffic police officer because I worked late and had to use my bright lights to get home after the sun had set.
I received a brake booster fault caution which was followed by the BRAKE warning light being illuminated. When I applied pressure to the brakes, it almost felt as if the ABS was kicking in, on a flat, dry road. The brake pedal would "jump" and depress farther on its own like there wasn't a good vacuum for the brakes. I've taken it to my local VW service center and was informed they had to call VW Corporate for assistance in a fix and was given a list of components to possibly replace that "may" fix the issue but even after replacement, some customers still experience the same issue. I am currently awaiting an estimate but have significant concerns that any repair work may not actually address the root cause of this issue and when it's related to a major safety feature like the brakes, that presents a significant concern.
I am reporting a failure by Volkswagen Group of America to provide a safe and timely remedy for Safety Recall 23V-215. Per the manufacturer's notice, the front passenger seat is unsafe for use until repaired. I physically surrendered my vehicle to Merced VW on Dec 29, 2025, due to this grounding safety risk. However, both the dealership and VW Corporate (Case #07228209) have refused to provide a comparable 7-passenger loaner or a direct-bill rental, despite this being my family's primary transportation for three children. VW Corporate has denied reimbursement, citing a '3-hour' labor time, while ignoring the actual grounding period caused by parts backorders. I am currently forced to pay out-of-pocket for a rental to ensure my family's safety because the manufacturer has failed to provide the mandated no-charge remedy or safe alternative transportation.
Both low beam headlights went out within two weeks of each other and the vehicle just hit 100,000 miles. Dealership states that replacing the entire headlight assembly is the only fix and will cost $3,000. So now both headlights (safety issue) are out and the vehicle cannot be driven safely. Other VW Atlas vehicles are having the same issue around 50-60K miles. There should be a recall on the head lamps for safety concerns and liability reasons.
Gas tank melted on top of the tank next to drive shaft and a hole was leaking gas- we are keeping the tank that was removed for investigation. Extreme safety issue that put my daughter and granddaughters at risk of fire/explosion when it was unknown that there was a gas leak while driving. The part was inspected by a repair shop in Lake Havasu AZ as well as the Capistrano Volkswagen, CA dealership and no explanation of the cause. Since the vehicle is out of warranty the VW.com and the dealership refused to replace without full charge. Insurance claim has been filed. There were no warning lamps messages or other symptoms of the failure. About 45 miles prior to gas leak detection, while fueling, the reverse pressure shutoff did not work, and a significant amount of gas was released at the station. No indication of a leak from the gas tank until the car stopped, then significant release onto the ground was observed.
While driving, the vehicle suddenly loses engine power and shuts off without warning. This has happened multiple times and creates a serious safety hazard because it happen in traffic multiple times . The problem appears to be related to the fuel pump control module and/or electrical wiring failure. Additionally, the power windows stopped functioning due to a failure in the driver door wiring harness, which is a known issue on this vehicle model year. The electrical malfunction and engine stall appear to be connected. This issue has been repaired because the dealership stated the warranty is expired, but this is a safety defect that can lead to a crash. There is also an open unrepaired recall on this vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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