RoadVitals

2018 Volkswagen Atlas Seat belts Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the seat belt system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Seat belts reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
13
Latest Mar 25, 2025
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
3%
of 460 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming seat belt

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Seat belts
Filed Mar 25, 2025

Back seat belt won’t un latch buckled in behind diver seat daughter is skinny enough to squeeze her way out safety issue. Just stopped working and now is stuck.

NHTSA ID
11650448
Incident
Mar 15, 2025
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Mar 16, 2024

Unknown- manufacturer still has not found a remedy for the seatbelt air bag issue and it’s been a year since they announced it

NHTSA ID
11577754
Incident
Mar 16, 2024
AirbagsElectricalSeat belts
Filed May 31, 2023

The Passenger Air Bag light comes on at random times, even when sitting in seat. It says the airbag detection system may be faulty and the airbag may not deploy when needed. There is a recall for some Volkswagen's but not mine. This light has been coming on for 2 years and it sounds like the recall but since my VIN number is not in the recall, I cannot get it fixed. I believe this may be the same problem as can be life threatening in an accident or another time. I would like Volkswagen to check and fix this under the recall that was made in 4/2023. Please help if you can.

NHTSA ID
11524647
Incident
May 24, 2023
BrakesSeat belts
Filed May 16, 2023

Brake booster fault warning, brakes want to lock up. Rear seat belt buckles won’t allow belt buckle to insert. Have received brake booster fault several times recently. If I stop motor and restart warning goes away and brakes function correctly.

NHTSA ID
11522358
Incident
May 15, 2023
Seat belts
Filed Dec 10, 2022

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

NHTSA ID
11496864
Incident
Dec 9, 2022
Seat belts
Filed Jul 7, 2021

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

NHTSA ID
11423743
Incident
Jun 13, 2021
Seat belts
Filed Oct 13, 2020

MY WIFE AND I HAVE A 2018 ATLAS. WE HAVE TWO CHILDREN, AND THEIR CAR SEATS ARE PLACED ON THE SECOND ROW SEATS. WE HAVE BEEN NOTICING THAT THE LATCH FOR THE SEAT BELT BUCKLES SECURING THEIR CAR SEATS WERE COMING UNDONE. IT WOULD LATCH DOWN AND WE WOULD PULL IT TO CONFIRM IT'S SECURELY LATCHED. THEN WE WOULD BE DRIVING IT NORMAL BUT LATER UPON REMOVING OUR CHILDREN FROM THEIR SEATS, WOULD REALIZED THAT THE SEAT BELTS BECAME UNDONE. I DID RESEARCH AND FOUND VW ATLAS 2018 MODEL DID HAVE THAT SAFETY ISSUE AND ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE AFFECTED VEHICLES I TYPED THE VIN NUMBER INTO THE NTHSA AND THE VW WEBSITE AND COULD NOT FIND A RECALL FOR OUR VEHICLE. WE NEVER GOT A RECALL NOTICE EITHER. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE FOR OUR CHILDREN, WHICH NEEDS TO BE REMEDIED ASAP.

NHTSA ID
11364238
Incident
Oct 1, 2020
Mileage
16,520 mi
Seat belts
Filed Sep 4, 2019

IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS I HAVE PURCHASED TWO 2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS SE SUV'S BOTH VEHICLE HAD A FAULTY SEAT BELT BUCKLES IN THE REAR SEAT SECTION. UNDER PRESSURE OF CAR SEAT INSTALLATION AND/OR NORMAL USE THESE BUCKLES HAVE BEEN DEEMED FAULTY BY A VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP AND I WAS ADVISED TO NOT USE THE BUCKLE UNTIL A REPLACEMENT WAS ORDERED. THE EASIEST WAY TO VISUALLY SEE THE DEFECT IS TO LOOK AT THE BUCKLE AND IF THE RED DEPRESS BUTTON RAISES ABOVE THE EXTERIOR PLASTIC IT IS CONSIDERED FAULTY AND SHOULD BE REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE ATTACHED ONE NORMAL PHOTO AND A FAULTY PHOTO.

NHTSA ID
11253308
Incident
Sep 2, 2019
Mileage
35,000 mi
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Feb 20, 2019
Crash reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE SLID ONTO A CURB, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG ERRONEOUSLY DEPLOYED. ALSO, THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELTS WERE DAMAGED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. HAWK VOLKSWAGEN (2861 WEST JEFFERSON ST, JOLIET, IL) AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000. *TT *TR

NHTSA ID
11181309
Incident
Feb 10, 2018
Mileage
2,000 mi
AirbagsBrakesSeat belts
Filed Dec 26, 2018

THERE HAVE BEEN SEVEN RECALLS ON THE 2018 ATLAS LAUNCH EDITION. COOK VW IN FALLSTON HAS REFUSED TO REPAIR AT LEAST 5 RECALLS. IT'S BEEN MONTHS AND THEY HAVEN'T REPAIRED ANYTHING. WE TOOK FAITH IN THESE PEOPLE AND THEY COULD CARE LESS FOR MY FAMILY'S SAFETY. TODAY WE GOT A RECALL LETTER ABOUT THE IGNITION. THAT MAKES 6 RECALLS THEY WILL NOT FIX. MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. DON'T HAVE DATES BUT THEY SHOULD BE IN THE DATABASE AT THIS DEALERSHIP. THEY ALL HAPPENED IN 2018.

NHTSA ID
11163592
Incident
Mar 1, 2018
Seat beltsSuspension
Filed Nov 8, 2018

TAKATA RECALL

NHTSA ID
11150213
Incident
Mar 2, 2018
Mileage
19,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Oct 25, 2018

WHILE MY FAMILY AND I WERE DRIVING IN OUR WEEK OLD 2018 ATLAS WE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND MY WIFE WHO WAS SECURELY SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WITH THE SEATBELT ON ALL OF A SUDDEN HIT THE DASHBOARD. WE PULLED OVER AMEDIATELY AND UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION WE FOUND OUT THAT THE SEAT BELT BECAME UNSTITCHED FROM ITSELF BY THE FLOOR ANCHOR.

NHTSA ID
11142623
Incident
Oct 22, 2018
Mileage
200 mi
Fuel systemSeat belts
Filed Jul 19, 2018

VOLKSWAGEN DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS INFORMED ME THAT THEY CANNOT RELEASE MY VEHICLE WITHOUT FIXING THE 69X1 SEAT-BELT RECALL ISSUE. THEY STATE THAT VOLKSWAGEN HAS NO ETA ON THE FIX, EFFECTIVELY LEAVING ME WITHOUT MY VEHICLE FOR SOME UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF TIME.

NHTSA ID
11112336
Incident
Jul 9, 2018

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.

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .