2018 Volkswagen ATLAS problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
462 owner complaints analyzed
16 distinct recall campaigns
15,371 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2018 model year. Data snapshot: . 218 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 110 of 462 complaints (23.8%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 110 | 23.8% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 76 | 16.5% |
| Steering behavior | 26 | 5.6% |
| Engine operation | 25 | 5.4% |
| Fuel system concerns | 21 | 4.5% |
| Transmission and shifting | 8 | 1.7% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 110 |
| Air Bags | 99 |
| Engine | 97 |
| Service Brakes | 74 |
| Unknown Or Other | 72 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 32 |
| Steering | 24 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 19 |
Electrical System: 110; Air Bags: 99; Engine: 97; Service Brakes: 74; Unknown Or Other: 72; Fuel/Propulsion System: 32; Steering: 24; Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking: 19
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 143 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 46 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 15 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 10 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 4 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 143; 25,000 to 49,999: 46; 50,000 to 74,999: 15; 75,000 to 99,999: 10; 100,000 to 149,999: 4; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (143). 244 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 74 |
| 2019 | 93 |
| 2020 | 28 |
| 2021 | 34 |
| 2022 | 30 |
| 2023 | 81 |
| 2024 | 65 |
| 2025 | 31 |
| 2026 | 23 |
2017: 3; 2018: 74; 2019: 93; 2020: 28; 2021: 34; 2022: 30; 2023: 81; 2024: 65; 2025: 31; 2026: 23
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 110 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 76 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 26 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11055999 · 2017-12-21 (December 21, 2017)
I CAME TO A FULL STOP AS I WAS ABOUT TO EXIT A DRIVEWAY. SINCE THERE WERE NO VEHICLES APPROACHING FROM EITHER DIRECTION AND THERE WERE NO OBSTACLES IN FRONT OF ME, I STATED TO PULL OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY WHEN THE AUTONOMOUS EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM SUDDENLY AND ABRUPTLY STOPPED MY VEHICLE WITH NO JUSTIFICATION. THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM FAILURE CAN RESULT IN INJURY.
Owner-reported narrative. 1,025 miles reported. Look up ODI 11055999 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11080311 · 2018-03-19 (March 19, 2018)
I READ UNDER A COMPLAINT SITE THAT YOU COULD PRESS THE START STOP BUTTON WHILE IN MOTION NOT IN PARK AND SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AT SPEED. I TRIED THIS AND IT DOES SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE. THE LOCATION OF THE BUTTON IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE GEAR SHIFT AND IS EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO CHILDREN AND ANY NUMBER OF ACCIDENTAL REASONS TO PRESS IT THE VEHICLE BECOMES VERY HARD TO STEER AND BRAKES BECOME VERY DIFFERENT WHILE NOT RUNNING. I FEAR FOR MY FAMILY. I TRIED THIS IN A PARKING LOT WHILE GOING VERY VERY SLOW TO ENSURE MY ABILITY TO STOP SAFELY IF NEEDE…
Owner-reported narrative. 83 miles reported. Look up ODI 11080311 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11078255 · 2018-03-08 (March 8, 2018)
BRAND NEW 2018 ATLAS BATTERY PROBLEM - BATTERY DRAINS COMPLETELY IN LESS THAN 3 DAYS WHEN CAR IS SWITCHED OFF AND PARKED IN ATTACHED GARAGE. HAPPENED TWICE IN TWO MONTHS. SERVICE RESPONDED BY SAYING THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPUTERS THAT DRAIN BATTERY EVEN WHEN CAR IS SHUTDOWN. SUGGESTED TO DRIVE FOR 30 MINS EVERY 2 DAYS. THE BATTERY DRAINED THE SECOND TIME INSPITE OF FOLLOWING THESE INSTRUCTIONS. COMPLETE BATTERY DRAIN IN LESS THAN 3 DAYS EVEN WITH CAR COMPLETELY SWITCHED OFF IN GARAGE IS UNACCEPTABLE.
Owner-reported narrative. 300 miles reported. Look up ODI 11078255 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11099361 · 2018-06-02 (June 2, 2018)
PURCHASED NEW 2018 ATLAS AT HEROG MEIER VW DEALERSHIP IN BEAVERTON OREGON ON 5-19-18. UPON DRIVING HOME FROM DEALERSHIP THE AIRBAG ERROR LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO OUT. CALLED DEALER ONCE HOME AND IMMEDIATELY DROVE BACK TO DEALER. THEY SAID TO DRIVE IT AND COME BACK MONDAY TO SERVICE DEPARTMENT. CAR HAS BEEN UNDER THREE ATTEMPTED REPAIRS SINCE THEN WITH LOCAL DEALER TECHNICIANS AND EVEN REGIONAL MID LEVEL TECHNICIAN CALLING THEM TO WALK THROUGH REPAIRS OVER PHONE. STILL NO FIX AND THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE CAUSE IS. IT IS NOW GOING ON ALMO…
Owner-reported narrative. 430 miles reported. Look up ODI 11099361 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11081172 · 2018-03-25 (March 25, 2018)
LANE ASSIST HAS JERKED CAR TOWARDS ONCOMING TRAFFIC ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS, MAKING IT A USELESS AND DANGEROUS FEATURE. ADVERSE WEATHER AND INADEQUATE ROAD LINES/MARKINGS EXASPERATE THE ISSUE, BUT I HAVE HAD INSTANCES WHERE NEITHER OF THESE CONDITIONS WERE PRESENT AND LANE ASSIST STILL JERKED THE CAR INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. IN ORDER TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT WHILE USING THIS FEATURE, ONE MUST KEEP AHOLD OF THE STEERING WHEEL MUCH STRONGER THAN WHAT IS TYPICAL, OTHERWISE IT WILL PULL OUT OF YOUR HAND. WHEN IT HAS OCCURRED, I HAD TO ACTIVELY FIGHT AGAINS…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11081172 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11098970 · 2018-05-31 (May 31, 2018)
THE DRIVER SIDE, FRONT WHEEL SUSPENSION SYSTEM HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE DUE LOUD VIBRATION NOISES, RATTLING NOISES, AND REPEATED STEERING ISSUES. THE STEERING WHEEL VIOLENTLY JERKS TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT AND PULLS THE CAR OUT OF THE DESIRED DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. THE VW ATLAS IS AT THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR A THIRD TIME SINCE DATE OF PIRCHASE (FEB 2018) FOR THE SAME STEERING ISSUES AND NOISE ISSUES. THE 'AUTO-BRAKING' SYSTEM THAT'S DESIGNED TO PREVENT REAR END COLLISSIONS HAS MALFUNCTIONED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. BOTH MALFUNCTIO…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 11098970 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11110801 · 2018-07-11 (July 11, 2018)
VEHICLE HAS A MANEUVER BRAKING SYSTEM THAT IS FAULTY. THE SYSTEM IS SUPPOSED TO DETECT IF THERE IS A VEHICLE OR OBJECT THAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO HIT AND AUTO BRAKE. WHEN I PULL OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AT HOME OR WORK THE SYSTEM AUTO BRAKES AND ACTIVATES THE MANEUVER BRAKING WHEN THERE IS NO VEHICLE OR OBJECT PRESENT. THIS SEEMS TO OCCUR ON DRIVEWAYS THAT HAVE A SLIGHT DECLINE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE WHEN THE MANEUVER BRAKING IS ACTIVATED THE CAR STALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD FOR NO REASON.
Owner-reported narrative. 4,486 miles reported. Look up ODI 11110801 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11113195 · 2018-07-23 (July 23, 2018)
I?M CONTACTING YOU WITH AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. THERE IS A SERIOUS DEFECT WITH THE VW ATLAS WE LEASED 2 MONTHS AGO. THE AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM DEPLOYS AT UNEXPECTED AND INAPPROPRIATE TIMES PRODUCING A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. THE AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM HAS ACTIVATED, DANGEROUSLY AND INAPPROPRIATELY, SEVERAL TIMES, USUALLY WHEN PULLING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY AND ATTEMPTING TO ENTER A LANE. ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO OBSTRUCTION OR RISK OF COLLISION, THE CAR SENSES THE INSIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN SLOPE FROM DRIVEWAY TO ROAD AND SLAM…
Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11113195 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11172011 · 2019-01-24 (January 24, 2019)
ENGINE WARNING LIGHT AS WELL AS EPC WARNING LIGHT CAME ON DURING NORMAL CITY DRIVING. POWER AND PICK UP OF THE VEHICLE BECAME GREATLY REDUCED MAKING TRAVEL OVER 15-20 MPH IMPOSSIBLE. UPON ARRIVING HOME AND TURNING CAR OFF, VEHICLE WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO RESTART. CAR WAS TOWED FROM HOME TO DEALERSHIP WERE IT WAS FOUND THAT ELECTRICAL MECHANISM IN VEHICLES HIGH POWERED FUEL PUMP MALFUNCTIONED AND QUIT WORKING. HIGH POWERED FUEL PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED.
Owner-reported narrative. 21,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11172011 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11174212 · 2019-02-21 (February 21, 2019)
2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO FUEL TANK ISSUES. *LD *TR
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11174212 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11140524 · 2018-10-15 (October 15, 2018)
NOISE COMING FROM TRANSMISSION AT TAKE OFF; PASSENGER DRIVER SIDE AND DRIVER SIDE DOOR WEATHERING SEAL COMING OFF; NOISE COMING FROM STEERING WHEN TURNING SOUNDS LIKE UPPER SUSPENSION MOUNT FAULTY.
Owner-reported narrative. 135 miles reported. Look up ODI 11140524 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11149492 · 2018-11-05 (November 5, 2018)
THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED 10/31/18 AND ON 11/4/18 WE ARRIVED AT A RELATIVE'S HOME IN WESTCHESTER. THIS AREA HAS NO SIDEWALKS OR PARKING LANE. WE PULLED ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE STREET TO PARK. THE STREET IS A SLIGHT HILL AND THE SHOULDER WAS VERY UNEVEN. THE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS UPHILL. MY HUSBAND HAD CUT THE WHEELS TO TH E ROAD WHEN PULLING IN. ONCE IN PARK AND THE CAR OFF, HE EXITED AND WALKED BEHIND THE CAR TO COME ROUND AND HELP ME GET OUT ON THE ROUGH SHOULDER. BEFORE HE MADE IT TO THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR, THE CAR STARTED ROLLING BACKWA…
Owner-reported narrative. 300 miles reported. Look up ODI 11149492 at NHTSA ↗