Complaint volume
452 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2018 Volkswagen Atlas Complaints
452 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, grouped by component category.
452 Total complaints
5 Crash reports
0 Fire reports
12 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are air bags, electrical system, engine. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 5 crash reports, 0 fire reports, 12 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 218 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 23,186 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to air bags, electrical system, engine?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2018 Volkswagen Atlas?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2018 Volkswagen Atlas
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas complaints?
5 Crash
0 Fire
12 Injury
0 Fatality
11 Towed
2 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Volkswagen Atlas complaint categories?
AIR BAGS 78
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 42
ENGINE 41
SERVICE BRAKES 40
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 32
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 11
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 11
SEATS 11
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 10
STEERING 9
452 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2021 | SEATS | MY 6-YEAR-OLD SON WAS IN THE MIDDLE LEFT SEAT, I PULLED THE CAR OUT OF GARAGE AND DROVE UP TO THE INTERSECTION NEXT TO MY HOME AND APPLIED GENTLE BREAK. HIS SEAT CAME ALL THE WAY IN THE FRONT AND HIS NOSE HIT THE DRIVER SEAT. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IT HAS HAPPENED THAT SEAT WAS NOT PROPERLY LOCKED. AFTER IT HAPPENED SECOND TIME, WE HAVE BEEN CAREFUL TO CHECK THE SEAT BEFORE WE START DRIVING. WE HEARD THE CLICK SOUND INDICATING THAT THE SEAT WAS PROPERLY LOCKED. IT'S BEEN A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE FOR THE YOUNG ONE. I'M ALSO ATTACHING THE PICTURE OF HIS BRUISED NOSE. | Crash: No Fire: No Injuries: 1 | 19,170 |
| Feb 2021 | ENGINE | I HAVE TAKEN MY 18 ATLAS SEL PREMIUM IN AT LEAST 4 TIMES TO HAVE THE COOLANT CHECKI HAVE HAD THE LOW COOLANT WARNING COME ON 3 TIMES STATING THERE IS LOW COOLANT. THERE IS A STRONG BURNING COOLANT SMELL RADIATING FROM MY VEHICLE ON MANY OCCASIONS. WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER THEY HAVE DONE OVERNIGHT PRESSURE TESTS AND CANNOT FIND THE LEAK. MY CAR IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY AND I FEAR NOW THEY WILL FIND THE ISSUE AND MAKE ME RESPONSIBLE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 25,000 |
| Feb 2021 | SERVICE BRAKES | I HAVE A 2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS SEL.. THE BREAKS KEEP GOING OUT RANDOMLY AND AN ALARM GOES OFF THAT THE BREAK BOOSTER IS FAULTY... IT MAKES A HORRIBLE CLICKING NOISE LIKE THE BREAKS ARE TRYING TO WORK BUT THERE IS NOTHING FOR LIKE 10-35 SECONDS. IT HAS HAPPENED MORE TIMES THAN I CAN COUNT... I HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP (HALLMARK VOLKSWAGEN- COOLS SPRINGS, TN) AND THEY TOLD ME TO DRIVE SAFE VW WAS WORKING ON A RECALL!? WELL I HAVE ALMOST HIT A CAR AND BLOWN THROUGH A STOP SIGN BECAUSE MY CAR WON'T STOP' LOOKING FOR MORE HELP BC THE LOCAL DEALER IS USELESS. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN MY CAR, NOR DO I FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY CHILDREN IN IT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 71,100 |
| Jan 2021 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | ATLAS IS ON ITS 3RD BATTERY IN 30,000 MILES. WHEN THE BATTERY FAILS IT WILL DIE IN AN INTERSECTION DURING AUTO START STOP. AFTER BOOSTING ELECTRONIC STEERING, BRAKES, ADAPTIVE LIGHTING, REGULAR LIGHTING, BLINKERS ALL FAIL AND OFTEN LIMITS TO 15 MPH | Crash: No Fire: No | 30,000 |
| Dec 2020 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILURE AT 76,000 MILES. ALSO REPLACED SENSOR FOR FRONT ASSIST ERROR LESS THAN 1 YEAR AGO AND IT'S NOW GIVING WARNING LIGHT AGAIN. VW SAYING I HAVE TO PAY $450 TO RECALIBRATE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 76,000 |
| Dec 2020 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | CAR RANDOMLY PUTS TRANSMISSION INTO EMERGENCY MODE | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2020 | AIR BAGS | CAR INDICATING AIR BAG PROBLEMS. SAYING AIR BAG ERROR. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2020 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | ON A DOWN HILL GRADE THE FUEL TANK STOPS DELIVERING FUEL WHEN THE TANK IS AT A 25% LEVEL | Crash: No Fire: No | 50,676 |
| Oct 2020 | AIR BAGS | AIRBAG ERROR MESSAGE ON DASHBOARD/LIGHT ILLUMINATED. 2018 VW ATLAS 20K MILES | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2020 | SEAT BELTS | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 16,520 |
| Sep 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | BLIND SPOT AWARENESS SOMETIMES DOES NOT ALERT TP CARS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE BLIND SPOT LIGHT REMAINS ON AFTER A TURN SIGNAL IS ACTIVATED AND COMES ON WHILE ON SOME ROADWAYS FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE VEHICLE IS MOVING DURING THESE PROBLEMS. ONGOING PROBLEM FOR OVER A YEAR | Crash: No Fire: No | 38,000 |
| Sep 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I HAVE A 2018 VW ATLAS SE NOTICED THIS CAR DOES NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO OPEN THE TRUNK OR BACKDOOR FROM WITHIN THE CAR. THIS HAS TO BE DONE FROM THE OUTSIDE AT ALL TIMES. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURE VW CUSTOMER CARE 1-800-822-8987 AND I WAS INFORMED I NEED TO UPGRADE TO THE NEXT TRIM TO GET THE ABILITY TO DO SO. I THOUGHT THIS WAS A STANDARD FEATURE IN ALL CARS? THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SHOULD A THIRD ROW PASSENGER NEED TO USE THE DOOR FOR EMERGENCY PURPOSES. UPGRADING TO A LIFT GATE WHICH COMES WITH THE NEXT TRIM IS NO EXCUSE FOR VW NOT TO HAVE A BASIC MANUAL OPENER. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2020 | SERVICE BRAKES | THE PARKING BRAKE WILL NOT TURN OFF ONCE PRESSED. THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR THREE WEEKS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 34,000 |
| Aug 2020 | SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, ENGINE AND BRAKES STOP WORKING 2 TIMES. GOT THE CAR IN THE VW SHOP , THEY SAID IT WAS A LOOSE FUSE CONNECTOR. THEY "FIX IT" AND 2 DAYS LATER WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. CAR WILL BE BACK ON SHOP. CALLED VW EACH TIME, OPENED A CASE WITH THEM TO. | Crash: No Fire: No | 37,500 |
| Aug 2020 | STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES | I'VE HAD SCARY PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE ASSIST AND LANE ASSIST. WITH LANE ASSIST THE VEHICLE HAS MADE SUDDEN VIOLENT TURNS TO STAY IN A LANE. SOMETIMES IF THERE'S A GAP IN THE ROAD LINES (SUCH AS A TURN LANE) LANE ASSIST CAN BE UNPREDICTABLE. ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL WORKS FINE BUT I'VE HAD SEVERAL INSTANCES WHEN TRAFFIC AHEAD STOPPED ABRUPTLY WHERE IT WOULDN'T HAVE STOPPED IN TIME TO AVOID A COLLISION. | Crash: No Fire: No | 25,000 |
| Jul 2020 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | CAR WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY, TURNED CAR ON AND LIGHTS INDICATED LOW VOLTAGE AND TURNED CAR OFF. TURNED CAR BACK ON SO CAR COULD CHARGE BATTERY BUT A/C WASN'T WORKING AND POWER STEERING WASN'T WORKING SO PUT IN REVERSE TO SEE IF IT WAS A FAULT AND START DRIVING AND EVERYTHING DIED INSTANTLY AND CAR HAD TO BE TOWED FROM SPOT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 30,000 |
| Jul 2020 | ENGINE | UNEXPLAINABLE LOSS OF COOLANT. MY CAR WAS 4 TIMES AT DEALERSHIP AND THEY NEVER FIND ANY LEAKS BUT I'M LOOSING COOLANT AND SOMETIMES IT CAN SMELL IT EVAPORATE WHEN I PARK MY CAR. | Crash: No Fire: No | 41,000 |
| Jun 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | REAR PASSENGER WINDOW WHEN ROLLING DOWN WOULD STOP HALFWAY DOWN INCONSISTENTLY THEN WOULD JUST FALL IF YOU TRIED TO ROLL IT DOWN. TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AFTER DIAGNOSTICS IT IS AN ISSUE WITH THE PIN. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 33,000 |
| Jun 2020 | SUSPENSION | THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE DROPPED 5" TO 6" AFTER DRIVING APPROX. 400MILES. THE DRIVER SIDE WHEEL WELL IS 1.5" FROM THE TIRE & THE PASSENGER SIDE IS 2" AWAY. THE WHEEL WELL HAS A "WARPED" WHEEL WELL. THE SPRINGS SEEMS TO BE LOCKED OR DROPPED. LOOKING AT THE ATLAS IN PROFILE THE REAR IS LOWER THAN THE FRONT. BEFORE THE TRIP I WAS ABLE TO WALK UNDER THE TAILGATE WHEN OPEN WITHOUT HITTING MY HEAD & NOW THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE IS LOW, I HAVE TO BEND OVER TO PREVENT HITTING MY HEAD. PLEASE NOTE, I AM NOT A TRAINED SERVICE TECH. I AM AN OWNER; I AM DOING A PROCESS OF ELIMINATION FOR WHY THE REAR IS LOWER. I SEARCHED GOOGLE & FOUND THAT IN FEBRUARY VOLKSWAGEN RECALLS 6,322 VEHICLES TO REPAIR FAULTY REAR SPRINGS. BUT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT LISTED ON THE RECALL. I AM OUT OF STATE FROM MY PURCHASED DEALER & THE LOCAL DEALER DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL LISTED AS "FAULTY REAR SPRINGS" FOR MY VIN. WE HAVE 20' BLACK RIMS / WHEELS ON THE VEHICLE. THE PHOTO SHOWS THE FACTORY INSTALLED TRAILER HITCH RECEIVER AT 13" & ACCORDING TO VW WEBSITE IT SHOULD 19". (FEB. 18, 2019 - VOLKSWAGEN HAS RECALLED 6,000 VEHICLES TO REPAIR POSSIBLE FAULTY REAR SPRINGS. ACCORDING TO THE AUTOMAKER, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A REAR COIL SPRING MIGHT SHATTER CAUSING HANDLING PROBLEMS AND THE POSSIBILITY FOR AN ACCIDENT.) *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 13,000 |
| Mar 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EQUIPMENT,ENGINE | 2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE BEING UNRESPONSIVE. *LD CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE HAS HAD SEVERAL ISSUES SINCE PURCHASING IT. ON 05/07/18 , WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, VEHICLE BECAME UNRESPONSIVE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. ON 02/21/19 THE VEHICLE'S REMOTE START STOPPED WORKING AND THE COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER AND THE CYLINDER HEAD AND CATALYST WERE REPLACED. ON 05/30/19 THE A/C UNIT WOULD NOT BLOW OUT COLD AIR AND VIBRATED WHEN TURNED ON. THE A/C BLOWER MOTOR WAS REPLACED. ON 07/02/19 A LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH AND A RATTLING SOUND CAME FROM VENTS. DEBRIS WAS FOUND IN THE VENTS AND TRACES OF METAL WERE FOUND IN OIL. THE OIL WAS CHANGED AND PARTS WERE REPLACED. ON 12/2719 THE COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON. METAL SHAVINGS WERE FOUND IN THE OIL. VEHICLE RECEIVED A NEW ENGINE. ON 02/17/20 A NOISE IS HEARD WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF FAILURES. MANUFACTURER OFFERED TO PAY REMAINING BALANCE ON VEHICLE, SO THAT CONSUMER COULD TRADE-IN VEHICLE. CONSUMER DECLINED OFFER. *DL | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Mar 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES | MARCH 5, 2020. 2018 VW ATLAS, 2017 MID-YEAR DELIVERY. THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE OCCASIONS OF EMERGENCY BRAKING BEING PERFORMED BY THE CAR WITHOUT DRIVING CONDITION NEEDING THE SAFETY INTERVENTION. THERE HAVE BEEN FIVE OCCURRENCES TO DATE WITH THE VEHICLE: 1. DRIVING I-75 IN TO ATLANTA --WHILE DRIVING NEXT TO AN 18 WHEELER (18-W) [TANKER] , THE CAR SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES WHILE AT A SPEED AROUND 75 UNTIL THE CAR WAS BEHIND THE REAR OF THE TRAILER. THERE WAS NO CONDITION FOR NEED THIS REACTION (THE 18-W AND I MAINTAINED LANE CONTROL.) 2. SOME RANDOM MONTHS LATER, THE CAR PERFORMED A EMERGENCY BRAKING WHILE ON I-20 WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN TWO 18-WS [ 2 TANKER]. THE CAR SPEED WERE INTERSTATE SPEEDS AND NO CONDITIONS THAT NEEDED THE INTERVENTION. 3. WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC CLOSED TO I-20 ON A FOUR LANE SECONDARY ROAD, THE VEHICLE SLAMMED ON THE BRAKE DUE TO TRAFFIC BACKUP AT A STOP LIGHT. IT CASED MY CARGO TO SLIDE FORWARD TO ALL THE SEAT BACKS. 4. THIS WAS ANOTHER BRAKING ACTION OCCURRED WITH AN 18W [FLATBEAD]. 5. MARCH 3, 2020, THE LATEST WAS A SIMILAR EMERGENCY BRAKING WITH NO WARNING LIGHTS. THE BRAKING ACTION WAS NOT AS HARD AND RELEASED AFTER CLEARING THE REAR TRAILER OF THE 18-W. SINCE THE CARS DO NOT GENERATE AN ERROR CODE THE COMMON DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS ARE NOT ABLE TO FIND A FAULT. THE SAFETY SYSTEMS SHOULD BE MODIFIED TO GENERATE INCIDENT CODE WHEN EMERGENCY BRAKING OCCURS SINCE THE CONDITIONS ARE PERFORMED IN A ROBOTIC FUNCTION (NON-DRIVER CONDITION). I GENERALLY TALK TO THE VW SERVICE TECH ABOUT THIS FINDING EVERY TIME I AM IN VW SERVICE AREA TO SEE IF THE CONDITION IS PRESENT IN OTHER VEHICLES. | Crash: No Fire: No | 30,500 |
| Mar 2020 | POWER TRAIN | ERROR MESSAGE: 'TRANSMISSION IN EMERGENCY MODE. YOU CAN CONTINUE DRIVING'. CAR RUNS FINE. IF YOU STOP THE CAR. PLACE IT IN PARK. TURN IT OFF. AND RESTART, THE MESSAGE MAY GO AWAY. USUALLY IT COMES ON WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED, AND SHIFTED INTO REAR OR DRIVE. FEELS LIKE A FALSE POSITIVE. PERHAPS A SMALL ISSUE WITH THE SHIFTER. TRANSMISSION CHANGES GEARS WITHOUT PROBLEMS. TOOK CAR INTO GALPIN FORD IN NORTH HILLS, CA UNDER WARRANTY. THEY CLAIMED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM RETURNED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. | Crash: No Fire: No | 40,000 |
| Feb 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I FORGOT TO ADD IN MY ORIGINAL COMPLAINT THAT WHEN THE FAULTY BOOSTER WARNING CAME ON SO DID MY EMERGENCY BRAKE AND I WAS HAULTED WHILE DRIVING AND THIS REALLY FREAKED ME OUT AS I HAVE 4 CHILDREN AND THE REASON I PURCHASED THE CAR WAS FOR ALL THE SAFETY FEATURES AND NOW I FEEL THE EXACT OPPOSITE! | Crash: No Fire: No | 25,000 |
| Feb 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | THE FAULTY BRAKE BOOST WARNING CONTINUES TO COME ON WHILE DRIVING EVEN AFTER BEING "FIXED" BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE CARS BRAKES LOCKED UP ON ME WHEN I WAS REVERSING INTO A PARKING SPOT? THEN THE CAR TURNED COMPLETELY OFF?? I HAD TO TURN THE CAR BACK ON AND CONTINUE TO PARK?? THERE WAS ALSO AN AUTO START/ STOP ERROR WARNING THAT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING!! | Crash: No Fire: No | 25,000 |
| Feb 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WHILE DRIVING OUR VEHICLE DOWN THE FREEWAY OUR SUNROOF UNEXPECTEDLY EXPLODED OUTWARDS. THE GLASS IS CLEARLY FORCED FROM THE INSIDE OUT. VW DEALERSHIP AND VW GLASS EXPERT CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS NO SIGN OF OUTSIDE INTRUSION THAT WOULD OF CAUSED THE GLASS TO BREAK. FORTUNATELY, THAT MORNING WE CLOSED THE SCREEN THAT COVERS THE PANORAMIC SUNROOF. ONE OF OUR CHILDREN WAS IN THE BACKSEAT AND HAD THE COVER NOT BEEN CLOSED THEN THEY WOULD OF BEEN COVERED IN GLASS. VW HAS DENIED OUR CLAIM FOR A LEMON BUYBACK. WHILE VW HAS REPAIRED THE SUNROOF, WE FEEL THAT THIS REPRESENTS A STRUCTURAL DEFECT AND THAT IT IS UNSAFE TO CONTINUE TO CARRY OUR FAMILY AROUND IN A VEHICLE THAT CAN SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY EXPLODE A VERY LARGE GLASS WINDOW DOWN UPON OUR FAMILY. UNFORTUNATELY AT THIS TIME WE DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO NOT USE THIS VEHICLE AS IT IS THE PRIMARY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION. | Crash: No Fire: No | 16,500 |