Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 133 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2023 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 133 · page 1 of 6
I noticed today that my daytime running light strip is out on my driver side headlight I notice it’s a common issue on this year model Atlas. I know the daytime running lot helps people see you when your going down the road.
While performing a routine battery replacement on my 2023 Volkswagen Atlas, a wrench/socket contacted the vehicle's Engine Control Unit (ECU), which is mounted directly adjacent to the battery in the engine bay with no protective cover or shield separating the two components. Contact between the tool and the exposed ECU caused an electrical short that destroyed the module, disabling the vehicle. This is a known design issue — the ECU's unprotected proximity to the battery terminals creates a foreseeable risk of accidental short-circuit damage during normal, routine maintenance (battery replacement) that any owner or technician could reasonably be expected to perform. The vehicle was rendered inoperable as a result and required ECU replacement/repair. This appears to be a widespread pattern reported by other Atlas owners in online forums and by independent ECU repair shops specializing in this exact failure mode on 2.0L and 3.6L Atlas engines, suggesting a design defect rather than an isolated incident.
Auto has stalled 3 or more times without warning lights since purchasing 2 months ago Very unsafe for me and others stalling in traffic
I am submitting a complaint regarding a serious electronic/infotainment failure in my 2023 VW Atlas that occurred following VW’s software update. Prior to the software update, the infotainment system & related functions were operating normally. Following the update, the infotainment/navigation system failed. The center display is completely black. The loss of the backup camera is a particular safety concern because it removes an important driver-assistance feature used to detect people, animals, etc. behind the vehicle. The vehicle displays warnings that the Navigation System & Dynamic Road Sign Display are unavailable. As a result of this electronic failure, I have lost connectivity to my cell phone. I cannot use the vehicle’s hands-free phone function which affects vehicle safety/operation. A warning indicates that the tires are under-inflated. The tires have been checked & are properly inflated. This raises an additional concern about the accuracy & reliability of the vehicle’s electronic monitoring & warning systems. I took my Atlas to a VW dealership for diagnosis & have also contacted VW CARES. Despite VW acknowledging that the software update was likely responsible for the failure, VW has refused any aid because my Atlas has +100k miles. I am concerned that the manufacturer-installed software update has caused or contributed to a significant failure of multiple electronic systems & functions in my Atlas. VW is aware of a recurring MIB3 infotainment/software problem affecting Atlases and has issued technical service documentation concerning MIB3 infotainment systems that can fail to boot, freeze/reboot, & experience navigation malfunctions. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether this represents a broader software/electronic defect affecting VW Atlases & whether VW’s software update can cause or contribute to failure of the MIB3 infotainment system & associated vehicle functions, many of which are critical to safe driving.
Vehicle has issues with sputtering and stalling out when at idle and while reversing after warming up. The first time that the vehicle actually stalled while reversing, it had to be put into park and restarted. I took it to the dealership and they replaced the in tank fuel pump. When I got the car back it was still acting a little strange but I thought it was just the computer relearning process. Shortly afterward (approx 100-150 miles later) it started struggling at idle again. Yesterday the vehicle again died while reversing, which required being placed into park and restarting. The idle was struggling but I was able to reverse and continue driving. The idle remained in a state of struggle, sputtering and almost dying, as well as extremely slow acceleration until I was able to get onto the highway for a bit. However, it did struggle a bit during the bumper to bumper traffic that I came upon during the drive. At highway speeds the vehicle's acceleration is fine. I am able to use the Automatic Adaptive Cruise as well as drive without the cruise feature. The temperature of the vehicle is always normal and I ensure that the fuel gage does not drop below 1/4 of a tank and if it does it is during the trip to the gas station. I only use QT gas in my vehicle.
The steering assist became completely unavailable while the vehicle otherwise remained operational; the battery checked out fine; no failed component or root cause was identified; and steering was restored only through electronic re-adaptation of Address 44.
I went to the Volkswagen dealership to have a routine oil change done. They told me they could not perform the oil change because the hood latch release cable had snapped. I had just had the hood open that morning, so it was completely insane that they thought I brought the car in like that when they are the ones who broke it. They wanted to charge me $569 to replace it, or they wouldn't do the oil change. I walked because I wasn't going to pay to fix something on my own car that I didn't break. After reviewing online if there was a cheaper fix, thousands of VW owners are dealing/have dealt with the same issue. The fact that car companies are allowed to get away with installing cheap parts in brand new cars AND not issue a recall when thousands of reports suggest that it is an ongoing issue is absolutely insane. I am the sole owner of this vehicle, original, bought brand new. I am 9,000 miles out of warranty. Please help. The service advisor at the VW dealership (Hiley Volkswagen in Arlington, TX) refused to take any blame, claiming that it was like that when I came in. It is an easy money grab for dealerships, and it is highway robbery for the customer. The only suggestion he had was to reach out to VW Customer Care and see if they would assist in the payment. I have reached out to them but haven't heard anything.
On July 13, I was driving on the I-75 Business Loop access ramp near Bloomfield Hills with my entire family in the vehicle when the EPC warning light came on. The vehicle went into limp mode and subsequently shut down. I was able to pull the vehicle onto the shoulder of the access ramp before it stopped completely. With my entire family in the vehicle, being stranded on the shoulder of I-75 created a very unsafe and concerning situation. After allowing the vehicle to rest for several minutes, I was able to restart it and drive it home. I then arranged for the vehicle to be towed from my home to Mike Savoie Volkswagen for diagnosis and repair. The vehicle had already experienced a similar EPC-related failure previously and had been repaired by Mike Savoie Volkswagen. Following this July 13 incident, the vehicle remained at the dealership for further repairs and was returned to me on July 24. A copy of the repair documentation is attached.
On July 7, I was driving the vehicle with my son in the car when the EPC warning light suddenly came on. The vehicle immediately went into limp mode and subsequently shut down. I was able to maneuver the vehicle off the main roadway and onto the grass; however, this left my son and me in an unsafe situation on the side of the road. After allowing the vehicle to sit for several minutes, I was able to restart it and drive it a short distance to a nearby parking lot. I then arranged for the vehicle to be towed to Mike Savoie Volkswagen for diagnosis and repair. The repairs were completed, and the vehicle was returned to me by Mike Savoie Volkswagen on July 13. A copy of the repair documentation is attached.
Low beam light failed, was replaced under warranty. Now the other side low beam light is out, there is clearly an issue that VW needs to address here, I can't keep replacing headlights every couple years, this is crazy.
My car has started to stall out when I am stopped at a sign, light, reversing or a low idle. When I change to reverse from park, the car stalls. I have to put it back in park start and try to reverse again. Same thing happens when I go from reverse to drive. I have done a little research online, and a lot of these 2023 Volkswagen Atlas’s has this issue.
2023 Volkswagen Atlas R-Line. While driving (moving) on a congested road the vehicle signaled "Please start engine manually" the gas pedal became unresponsive. Power steering, radio, A/C, all still worked, but I had to come to a complete stop to restart engine. The same thing has happened multiple times now with the last one being in the middle of the road trying to complete a U-turn. This is incredibly dangerous for not only my family but others on the road not expecting a vehicle to stall. This has been identified by multiple other owners on-line. There is no warning or change in operation of the vehicle prior to the message coming up. This could lead to a crash, or worse a fatality.
The back up camera is no longer working as well as the infotainment system
Lost complete control of both the brake and the throttle while attempting to pull into a parking spot at low speed. Car started to roll backwards down a hill and I was unable to stop it. Had to cycle the car off and back on to fix it. Took it to a VW dealership service department and they reported no fault codes so there was nothing they could do. No check engine light or fault codes.
While driving, the vehicle stalls and shuts off completely without warning, creating an immediate safety hazard. This engine stalling occurs randomly at various speeds, including while actively operating the vehicle in traffic. There is no Check Engine Light (CEL), malfunction indicator, or dashboard warning prior to the stalling event, depriving the driver of any advanced notice to safely pull over.A subsequent inspection revealed that the evaporative emissions (EVAP) carbon canister is failing. The component failure allows unmetered fuel vapors or liquid fuel to flood the engine intake tract, rich-loading the engine and causing an immediate stall.
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while reversing, the vehicle suddenly shut off and was restarted. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on three occasions while reversing and while the weather was extremely hot. The vehicle was taken to the local O'Reilly Auto Parts Store who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 26,500.
4 times now when the vehicle, 2 times while the vehicle is moving forward and 2 times while the vehicle was moving in reverse the engine has completely shut off and the car stopped moving. The dash said the engine was off and the vehicle needed to be shifted to park and the engine turned back on. During this time the vehicle also lost power steering and brakes. I’ve taken it to the dealership multiple times and they could not diagnose the issue or duplicate it and tell me I need to pick the vehicle up and to just bring it back again.
The front right Daytime running light went out at 82K miles.
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while having a routine oil change at a local dealer, the dealer informed the contact that the cylinder head gasket was rusted. The dealer provided a 60 percent discount, and the vehicle was repaired. Six weeks later, while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle suddenly stalled, but the contact was able to avoid a crash. All of the warning lights illuminated. A mobile mechanic initially checked the battery and later determined that the fuel pump control module had failed. No further information was available. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The manufacturer had not been contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
The vehicle shuts off unexpectedly. When parked or reversing. Requires the car to be put in park and then restarted.
Component/System Failed: The driver-side daytime running light (DRL) failed unexpectedly. The failed LED lighting component is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: This failure created a significant safety concern because daytime running lights are designed to improve vehicle visibility to other drivers during daylight and low-visibility conditions. DRLs are an important safety feature intended to reduce the risk of collisions by making vehicles more noticeable on the road. The fact that one side of the front lighting system was not functioning reduced the visibility and recognition of my vehicle to other motorists. Additionally, no dashboard warning light, alert, or notification appeared to inform me that the daytime running light had failed. Without any warning system, drivers may unknowingly operate the vehicle with a non-functioning safety component for an extended period of time. Dealer/Service Confirmation: I was informed by Volkswagen service that the LED daytime running light assembly requires a full headlight assembly replacement. Inspections: At this time, the vehicle/component has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives. The component is available for manufacturer or agency inspection upon request. Warning Lamps or Symptoms Prior to Failure: There were no warning lamps, dashboard messages, or other symptoms prior to the failure. The vehicle provided no indication whatsoever that the daytime running light was no longer functioning. The issue was only discovered visually by another person outside the vehicle. Additional Concerns: I am also concerned about the cost and longevity of this component. The replacement part alone reportedly costs over $1,000, not including labor costs. This appears excessive for a vehicle that is only approximately three years old. LED lighting system
This vehicle has the auto stop start feature. The engine has shut off 3 times while driving and had to be restarted with the ignition since purchasing this vehicle. Twice at a red light and once while braking in a parking lot. This has created an extremely dangerous situation in traffic. When the light turned green the vehicle would not move. The vehicle had to be shifted to park and then started with the ignition. The traffic behind us almost rear ended the vehicle. The one time while braking in a parking lot the vehicle turned off while moving and braking. Had to move the vehicle to park and then restart.
DRL on passenger side stopped working about a year in to purchasing the vehicle
Daytime Running Light (DRL) failure on the passenger side. First noticed light does not work on 6/3/2026. An estimate for an independent repair garage is ±$2300.
There was a recall on my PVC part in my 2023 atlas. An effect of a clogged pvc is an oil leak. The Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) system relieves built-up pressure inside your engine. When it fails or clogs, this pressure traps air inside the crankcase. The excess pressure often forces oil out through the weakest points, which can mimic a bad seal or gasket. I took my car to the dealership in Md and they claim that I need to get new seals on several parts of my car but they claim that my oil leak its not related to the PVC. This is a 2023 car with one owner and no previous problems. There are thousands of complaints online about the PVC part continuing to fail and continuing to cause oil leaks in consumers cars. The oil leak has also caused my driving belt to fail and in my case shred while driving. This is unsafe and makes cars slow down instantly and can cause major car accidents. Why are consumers expected to pay for seal replacements when its related to failed parts on a car. The VW dealership said that my engine light would need to be on for them to say its a result of the failed PVC but my engine light was on when I dropped my car off. The dealership said they will not replaced parts that were effected from failed PVC due to car being out of warranty. My research tells me that Volkswagen is legally responsible. Because auto manufacturers are governed by strict liability laws, they are responsible for injuries and property damage flowing from the defective product they sold.VW wants consumers to pay $842 dollars to replace a part that cost less than $20. The VW company said that I needed to get my recall repair done earlier in order for them to honor the damages however Ive never seen a recall that came with a time limits on car repairs. This is highway robbery and VW needs to be held responsible for failing to maintain accountable and damages to consumers.
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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