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 not…
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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.
NHTSA ODI #11754756
Mileage unknown · Jul 30, 2026
Fuel/propulsion SystemUnknown Or Other
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 stallin…
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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.
NHTSA ODI #11753871
26,500 miles · Jul 21, 2026
Electrical System
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 unab…
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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.
NHTSA ODI #11751739
Mileage unknown · Jul 20, 2026
Engine
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 als…
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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.
NHTSA ODI #11751507
Mileage unknown · Jul 14, 2026
Exterior Lighting
The front right Daytime running light went out at 82K miles.
NHTSA ODI #11750265
52,000 miles · Jul 6, 2026
Engine And Engine CoolingFuel System, Gasoline
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 s…
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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.
NHTSA ODI #11748465
Mileage unknown · Jul 4, 2026
Electrical SystemEngineExterior Lighting
The vehicle shuts off unexpectedly. When parked or reversing. Requires the car to be put in park and then restarted.
NHTSA ODI #11748253
Mileage unknown · Jun 22, 2026
Exterior Lighting
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 day…
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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
NHTSA ODI #11745814
Mileage unknown · Jun 15, 2026
Electrical SystemEngine
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 w…
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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.
NHTSA ODI #11744100
Mileage unknown · Jun 14, 2026
Exterior Lighting
DRL on passenger side stopped working about a year in to purchasing the vehicle
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport and 2023-2024 ID.4 vehicles. Certain bolts on the chassis, brake system and/or suspension (such as bolts for certain cross member, engine mount, control arm, subframe, rear brake carrier, etc.) of affected vehicles may not have been correctly tightened during the manufacturing process.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A loss of vehicle control increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 25, 2025. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42HX.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Suspension
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport and 2023-2024 ID.4 vehicles. Certain bolts on the chassis, brake system and/or suspension (such as bolts for certain cross member, engine mount, control arm, subframe, rear brake carrier, etc.) of affected vehicles may not have been correctly tightened during the manufacturing process.
Consequence: A loss of vehicle control increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 25, 2025. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42HX.
Service Brakes
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport and 2023-2024 ID.4 vehicles. Certain bolts on the chassis, brake system and/or suspension (such as bolts for certain cross member, engine mount, control arm, subframe, rear brake carrier, etc.) of affected vehicles may not have been correctly tightened during the manufacturing process.
Consequence: A loss of vehicle control increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 25, 2025. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42HX.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Atlas and 2020-2024 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may experience a fault in the wiring and deactivate the front passenger air bag when the seat is occupied.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the PODS sensor mat and wiring harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 30, 2024. Owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, on October 18, 2024, December 10, 2024, December 20, 2024, and January 17, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69PZ.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Audi Q5 Sportback, Q5, 2022-2023 Volkswagen Atlas FL, and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The engine connecting rod bearings may become damaged, which can result in engine failure.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A damaged engine can result in engine failure and a stall, increasing the risk of a crash. If the engine failure causes an oil leak, it can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace an affected engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 6, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 13i4 (VW) and 13i5 (Audi).
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2023 model year Atlas FL and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. Certain brake lines may leak at the threaded connections.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A brake fluid leak may increase the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the affected brake lines, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on November 23, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 47T2.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Atlas, 2020-2023 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021-2023 Atlas FL vehicles. The door wiring harness electrical contacts may corrode, disrupting the electrical connection and delaying the deployment of the driver or passenger front side air bag during a side impact crash.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will secure and, as necessary, replace any the front door wiring harnesses showing a fault code, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97GF.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
On September 28, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE23017) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Front Assist automatic emergency braking (AEB) system in model year (MY) 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles.The reports alleged that activation of the AEB system occurred while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration. Volkswagen indicated that it is aware of a total of 292 reports that may relate to the alleged defect in MY 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles.Volkswagen stated that some customers possibly had an inadequate understanding of Front Assist and its limitations. However, many consumer complaints alleged that Volkswagen dealerships were unable to reproduce the condition or Volkswagen dealerships informed the consumers that this braking is considered normal Front Assist operation. ODI's analysis shows that MY 2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles have the highest rate of unique incident reports alleging AEB inadvertent activation when compared to their Volkswagen peers.The rate of unique incident reports alleging AEB inadvertent activation in MY 2018 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles was comparable to their Volkswagen peers. To date, ODI has received a total of 69 consumer complaints of inadvertent activation of Front Assist in MY 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. In total, ODI reviewed 264 unique (i.e., non-duplicative Vehicle Identification Numbers) reports that may relate to the alleged defect, which include eight reports of incidents involving an alleged injury and two reports involving a crash. PE23017 has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA24004) to further assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety related consequences of the inadvertent AEB activations in MY 2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
On September 28, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE23017) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Front Assist automatic emergency braking (AEB) system in model year (MY) 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles.The reports alleged that activation of the AEB system occurred while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration. Volkswagen indicated that it is aware of a total of 292 reports that may relate to the alleged defect in MY 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles.Volkswagen stated that some customers possibly had an inadequate understanding of Front Assist and its limitations. However, many consumer complaints alleged that Volkswagen dealerships were unable to reproduce the condition or Volkswagen dealerships informed the consumers that this braking is considered normal Front Assist operation. ODI's analysis shows that MY 2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles have the highest rate of unique incident reports alleging AEB inadvertent activation when compared to their Volkswagen peers.The rate of unique incident reports alleging AEB inadvertent activation in MY 2018 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles was comparable to their Volkswagen peers. To date, ODI has received a total of 69 consumer complaints of inadvertent activation of Front Assist in MY 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. In total, ODI reviewed 264 unique (i.e., non-duplicative Vehicle Identification Numbers) reports that may relate to the alleged defect, which include eight reports of incidents involving an alleged injury and two reports involving a crash. PE23017 has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA24004) to further assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety related consequences of the inadvertent AEB activations in MY 2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Forward Collision Avoidance
On September 28, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE23017) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Front Assist automatic emergency braking (AEB) system in model year (MY) 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles.The reports alleged that activation of the AEB system occurred while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration. Volkswagen indicated that it is aware of a total of 292 reports that may relate to the alleged defect in MY 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles.Volkswagen stated that some customers possibly had an inadequate understanding of Front Assist and its limitations. However, many consumer complaints alleged that Volkswagen dealerships were unable to reproduce the condition or Volkswagen dealerships informed the consumers that this braking is considered normal Front Assist operation. ODI's analysis shows that MY 2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles have the highest rate of unique incident reports alleging AEB inadvertent activation when compared to their Volkswagen peers.The rate of unique incident reports alleging AEB inadvertent activation in MY 2018 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles was comparable to their Volkswagen peers. To date, ODI has received a total of 69 consumer complaints of inadvertent activation of Front Assist in MY 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. In total, ODI reviewed 264 unique (i.e., non-duplicative Vehicle Identification Numbers) reports that may relate to the alleged defect, which include eight reports of incidents involving an alleged injury and two reports involving a crash. PE23017 has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA24004) to further assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety related consequences of the inadvertent AEB activations in MY 2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
2023 Volkswagen Atlas Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year
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