Complaint volume
456 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
2019 Volkswagen Atlas Complaints
456 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas, grouped by component category.
456 Total complaints
7 Crash reports
0 Fire reports
9 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, forward collision avoidance, service brakes. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 7 crash reports, 0 fire reports, 9 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 135 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 20,040 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to air bags, forward collision avoidance, service brakes?
- 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 2019 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.
2019 Volkswagen Atlas
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas complaints?
7 Crash
0 Fire
9 Injury
0 Fatality
7 Towed
4 Medical attention
What are the most common 2019 Volkswagen Atlas complaint categories?
AIR BAGS 110
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 36
SERVICE BRAKES 26
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 26
STEERING 21
ENGINE 19
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 12
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 12
POWER TRAIN 12
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 8
456 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | While driving the vehicle turns off automatically... and you are prompted to restart the vehicle. On Saturday while in traffic the vehicle has turned off on three occasions. This is highly dangers... To be more specific, it tell you to put he car in PARK and restart. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | STEERING | -Service inspection on my vehicle found my steering rack is failing (video at dealership and service report notes this) -Due to no part availability from the manufacturer, we were unable to repair the vehicle at this time -I inquired about a loaner vehicle when picking up the vehicle at the dealership and was instructed to call customer service -Customer service stated they did not have control over a loaner and instructed me to call dealer again (Case number [XXX]) -Due to safety concerns as well as risk for further damaging the vehicle, I am unable to continue to drive my car in its current condition -When discussing the issue with the dealership they stated they did not have enough loaners to offer a vehicle and instructed me to again call customer service Upon investigation it appears VW Atlas vehicles 2019 has not issued a recall on the steering rack. Forums from customers have stated things like “you are 400th on the list to receive this part” I have been told another customer attempted to drive their vehicle in the 7 months they have been waiting on a steering rack and the vehicle is now no longer drivable but was also instructed by the technician that “the vehicle is safe to drive” INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | The 80 valves have been replaced 4 times. This causes my car to stall, leaving me at the mercy of incoming traffic. The guarantee is about to expire, leaving me with a problem that will cause financial and physical risk of the car stalling. This has been a recurring problem since I purchased the car | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | My 2019 Volkswagen Atlas 3.6L has shut off multiple times while driving, including once at 55 mph. I consistently receive a “Stop/Start System Error” message at startup. As of today, the check engine light has come on and there is an extremely strong smell of gasoline at the rear of the vehicle after driving. The fuel smell is intense enough to make me concerned about fire risk. I have young children, and this is my only vehicle. The combination of engine stalling, an active check engine light, and a raw gas smell poses a serious safety hazard to my family and others on the road. This appears to match known issues under VW’s recall 20V716000 for cracked fuel injectors and TSB 01-23-09 for engine control software glitches. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether more 2019 VW Atlas vehicles—including mine—should be included in these recalls, and whether VW is providing adequate support to affected families. I cannot safely drive my vehicle, and I cannot afford a rental. This is an urgent public safety concern. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | STEERING | My wife and children are currently stranded 800 miles from home after our Volkswagen began shaking severely on the freeway. She brought the vehicle to Douglas VW in NJ, where the service team confirmed the steering rack is failing and verified the symptoms she experienced. Despite this, they told her it could take up to a year to fully fail and that it was “safe” to drive—an unacceptable and dangerous recommendation. We were then told the part is back-ordered for up to a year. Volkswagen has refused to provide a loaner vehicle during this wait, leaving my family without transportation. Meanwhile, we’ve been offered only a $1,500 credit toward a new vehicle, which does nothing to address the immediate issue. This is not an isolated case. It’s well documented online that this is a recurring issue with this year, make, and model. We’ve also been told the shortage is due to the part being reengineered, and that VW is prioritizing new vehicle production over existing customers dealing with critical failures. This is not just inconvenient—it’s unsafe. Volkswagen’s refusal to provide adequate support leaves my family in an impossible position through no fault of our own. We are asking for immediate action. Our case number with VW customer is [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | STEERING | The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front end of the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering rack was faulty and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the steering rack parts were on backorder and the vehicle was not able to be repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 78,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 78,000 |
| May 2025 | AIR BAGS | The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | SUSPENSION | The vehicle was repaired under a recall for the link stabilizer in 2021. The vehicle is now making the same rattling sound that it made prior to being "fixed" by the recall. I would contend that the "fix" that was implemented did NOT correct the original problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | AIR BAGS | I requested a repair for safety recall 69FB about a year ago and my dealer says that they still do not have the parts to make the repair. How can you decide that a problem may result in death or injury but not expedite the repair? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | STEERING | My car started shaking while driving at high rates of speed. Also while hitting bumps at high speed or the brakes. I took it to the VW dealer and they told me the steering rack was going out. When trying to get it fixed I was told the part is on back order for months. They told me there was 400 people ahead of me. This seems like it should be a recall with so many people reporting the problem. And a safety issue with not being able to get the part. VW is bad about doing an extended warranty to avoid a recall also. It NEEDS to be recalled before someone gets hurt or killed. And if they can’t get the parts they need to offer another way out of it. Please help! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | AIR BAGS | I have the same airbag error issues as same year and model car. They are not considering it as part of the recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Vehicles stalls randomly all the times ,moving or not . Almost got rear ended several times . Spent 3k at Vw in Brandon for brakes that were only 70k miles on them . But they still squeal . Can’t fuel with gas as the pressure just pushes the fuel back at me . Seems worse in warmer weather . Vw said they would not touch the charcoal canister as that what I’ve deemed is the issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Driving at constant speed on highway, vehicle either loses acceleration and / or applies brake for short moment. Tapping the accelerator appears allow the vehicle to resume to initial intended speed. Automatic braking, not intended by the driver is a safety risk for both this and adjacent drivers. The problem has been reproduced by a dealer service center. No other agencies have inspected the vehicle's problem. No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms evident. Dealer has had the vehicle to two weeks and has not provided a viable resolution. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | SEAT BELTS | Seatbelt sensor will not go off even when seal belt is fastened. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | STEERING | Steering rack and pinion (steering gear) is failing. There is a violent intermittent vibration in the steering wheel when driving. I have had an import repair shop check out the car - I did have some suspension work done on the rear as well as replaced the sway bars in the front (still had the vibration and it continues to worsen). After more review of the issue and numerous test drives it was determined that the steering rack and pinion was the issue and needed to be replaced. I authorized the shop to order the parts back in January, however they have been unable to get the part as it has been on back order. I have contacted other shops as well as dealerships and getting the part will require a substantial wait. This is a significant safety issue and even Volkswagen parts department here in High Point NC acknowledged that the part has been "upgraded" a few times so clearly its a known issue. I do not know how this sort of a safety issue cannot be a recall. As the car's warranty is expired and this is not a recall, we are stuck navigating between driving a car that may be unsafe, renting a car or trying to get by on one car when we require 2. We have no option here but to wait, hope and pray that nothing significant happens. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | The car stalls when pulling out. We have had many close calls entering traffic and the car will not react to giving it gas. I’ve taken it to three dealers who all say it is not showing a code and they can’t get it to reproduce the problem. I bought the car new and it has less than 60,000 miles. It does it in all types of weather, extreme cold and hot weather, going uphill or downhill, several times stopping at the mailbox the engine dies and I have to restart. It does it even when the start-stop system is disengaged. There were no warnings beforehand, no one has been able to confirm the problem, no one has inspected any components. I’ve asked three different dealerships to find the problem with no luck. My car is available for inspection. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | STEERING,SEAT BELTS | With the past year, have had 2 dangerous safety issues pop up. 1. April 2024, seat belt malfunctioned causing an error message. From what the VW dealer told me, the seat belt would not lock, therefore requiring a replacement of the entire assembly Had to drive home several hours with this error message. Should a 5 year old car have such issues? 2. January 2025, steering began to feel very sloppy. Was informed Steering rack assembly had excessive play inside the steering gear. Presume losing steering at highway speeds would be quite dangerous. Replacing seat belt assembly cost $1261.25, the steering rack assembly replacement will cost $1988.75. Both should be recall items and covered by VW. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | On January 20th 2025, we were driving on an open street with moving traffic. The automatic braking system kicked in for no apparent reason and the car slammed on the brakes on its own resulting in us almost being rear ended. Our safety and the safety of others was put at risk due to the car braking with no warning and for no reason, causing the person behind us to almost hit us. In the past, the car has randomly loudly beeped at me and given me the forward collision warning for no reason, but it has never auto braked like that for no reason. It was scary and makes me concerned about the safety of the vehicle for my family. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | vehicle constantly shuts down in the middle of road and have to put in park and restart. all signs point to faulty EVAP system which seems to be the largest VW problem in EVERY forum that I have come across to figure out how to fix it. I have contacted the dealer and the dealer are not nice people and very money hungry. I have had to buy and change out charcoal canister myself. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | AIR BAGS | The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V215000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the remedy parts were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that a second notice would be mailed when the remedy was available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness | The magnetic chest clip does not stay clipped/locked. Can easily undo the chest clip without use of the buttons to release it. If car seat was in a crash, child may not be adequately restrained. Car seat has not been inspected by anyone other than parents, mother is a CPST though. Chicco is currently mailing out a replacement. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | AIR BAGS | I have an error for my passenger airbag sensor, it is the same error that is present on current recalled Atlas models from the same year that I have, however; my vin is included. I would like some type of solution from the manufacturer to resolve this issue due to the current status and frequency of this issue on 2019 Atlas models | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Vehicle will get a stop/start error and stall at low speeds in traffic or at stop lights/signs. Have to put vehicle in park and manually restart. had the same issue at 20k miles and they replaced the carbon canister. This time they won’t replace it until the error code shows. Truly a safety hazard and I can not put my kids back in this car | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | On [XXX], when I was driving the car at [XXX] at normal speed, suddenly my car accelerator stopped working (Not moving forward while giving the throttle) and I hardly managed to pull my car to the side from the middle row of the road and the car stopped its engine. I saw an indication in the tachometer -EPC. I waited for 30 seconds as I was panic, then I tried to restart the car, it started after a few seconds and the EPC error slowly disappeared. I was so frightened and managed to drive the car to the hotel later. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2019 VW Atlas SE V6 fwd with 66,xxx miles USA. Just very recently at this mileage I experienced stalling at low speeds or coming to stop and engine has died on 2 occasions. Once reversing out of my driveway sand dealing getting reverse to neutral to eventually fully stop and to shift into drive as I occasionally do but this time the engine died as I shifted to neutral. No known warning lights at that time. Second time I came to slow and then stop at a median to u turn as I've done numerous times but while stopping there waiting for cross traffic to clear, engine died and dash message said to restart manually. I put into neutral and restarted car. Days after, I see dash message of error, start stop disabled/malfunction. Thereafter for almost a week, start/stop would not engage at all. I researched and had a gut feeling that the service campaign letter I received from VW regarding charcoal canister extended warranty would be relevant. My gut feeling, and research, and now finally confirmed by dealership, the issue is in fact the charcoal canister and N80 valve. I now lost confidence in VW quite beyond fully. My very first issue was the sway bar end link issue which I think became a service campaign issue. I wasn't informed of any issue in this case but felt a gradual degradation in handling and ride quality around 3x,xxx miles and took it into dealership to inspect. End links replaced under warranty with updated parts and car felt normal and can to itself. Second big issue and annoyance was the passenger airbag detection system. I received letter that my car affected and thought a fix would arrive soon but was paranoid about having front passenger riding bc the issue was that system might not detect person sitting there and not deploy airbag in accident. Frustrating to have a fix come almost a year later!!!! Other issue, leaking or low or missing coolant warning, cylinder misfire and water pump replaced. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |