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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | This incident has occured on multiple occasions & can be replicated with the "auto stop/start" engine feature active. The vehicle can be inspected. I will describe the last occurrence. I was parallel parking on a slight incline. I pulled forward past the available parking spot before backing in. I came to a complete stop. The parking sensors on the vehicle engaged due to a nearby sign/light pole. The "auto stop/start" engine activated & shut off the engine. I put the car in reverse. The car did not start. I started rolling backward downhill into the parking spot with no power steering. The engine was off. The car had to be put back into park to be restarted. I was finally able to parallel park. A prior incident occured while attempting to attach a boat trailer. I backed up & was misaligned to the trailer coupler. It engaged parking sensors on vehicle. I put vehicle in drive. I sat still for a second which allowed auto stop/start to activate. I let off brake and pressed gas. I rolled backward into trailer. The risk is a crash due to no power steering and no engine power. This could be very dangerous for a new inexperienced driver. This has not been replicated at a dealership. I have just recently figured out why this happened and have not taken the vehicle in. It has been inspected by no one. There are no warning lamps or messages other than the auto start/stop activated message. Normally, the car will start the engine if the vehicle is put in reverse or my foot is coming off the brake pedal. This does not happen if the parking sensors are activated simultaneously. I've had separate issues with the front warning sensors activating at random while driving city and highway speeds. The warning comes on with no obstruction ahead. Luckily, I have the automatic braking turned off. Otherwise, I'm afraid the car would automatically brake at random and I would be rear ended. Dealership has not replicated this issue, but they have been notified by myself of the issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | TIRES | We purchased our Volkswagen Atlas in September of 2019 and have driven it under 27,000 miles. In that time we have had 3 flat tires. The first one was when we first got it and was triggered by a hit to the curb. It was a gentle hit that surprised that it caused a flat. A few days ago on a clear day on a smooth road, we heard a pop from our front passenger tire. It was a flat. There was no pothole or object in the road. We took to the dealer and spent $1,500 where they replaced that tire and also replaced the front drivers tire due to dry rot cracks found in the thread. They also completed 4 wheel alignment. The next day I was driving and the pressure light came on and we had a flat tire in the back passenger side. As with the day earlier, there was nothing in the road and no pothole. It was a clear day. It made me google to see if there was some issue with these tires and I found this link [XXX] which states that " (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Atlas vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production." It does not appear when I check my vin number but to have 3 flat tires with less than 30,000 miles with at least two of them triggered by nothing that we could discern, I believe we may have been one of the 2019 Atlas's with these issues. Volkswagen was not helpful about this recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | 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 not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Was driving on interstate 24 between Nashville and Chattanooga, sunday Sept 17th around 1 PM, temp was about 80 F, out of no where, there was a loud boom , like a gunshot, between my wife and I ( Im driving ) I look over at her to see if she was OK, then looked up, I saw the first section of my sun roof glass had shattered into a spider web appearance, then suddenly a chunk of the glass, about 4 x 6 in, departed the roof panel over head while i was trying to slow down and pull over. I was going about 78- 80 mph. Once on the side shoulder, I retracted the sun shade cloth shield, it was fill with numerous shards, one which fell and hit my knee, causing a cut. Numerous shared were within the vehicle and our open top drinks. Since I was not comfortable drive at highway speeds, with potential shards coming into the cabin and impacting those behind, I drove several miles along the shoulder of the road to a gas station. There I bought gloves and removed what was left of the remaining panel and used duct tape to contain any remain glass. Im currently in contact with my VW dealer as to the status of its repair | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | 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 not yet available. An undisclosed dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | Start/stop error lightafter already replaced by dealership Brake booster faulty EPC light comes on-off randomly | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | AIR BAGS | Volkswagen has failed to provide a remedy for the airbag recall in a timely manner. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | AIR BAGS | On September 5th, I was driving home and my Airbag Error light and notice came on my dash. I got home, turned the car off and back on and it was gone. September 6th, it happened again. But when I turned the car off and back on, it stayed on. September 7th, it's off, but if anything is sitting in passenger seat, it's on, but the passenger airbag light on my controls says "off". The dealership says there is nothing they can do because there is an open recall, however, no repair yet. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | AIR BAGS | In May, I received notice of a defective airbag in the passenger side front seat of my 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. When I was driving and the malfunction occurred (an acoustic sound and "airbag off" lights), I followed the instructions on the recall notice and contacted my local dealer Wellesley Volkswagen to have it evaluated. On 6/8/23 the car was evaluated and I was told by the service department there was no fix for the problem and no timeline for the fix. I was advised to stop using the passenger front seat, because there was a chance the airbag would not deploy in a crash. This is my only vehicle and I have two young children. I am also a caregiver for my very ill mother, who is on oxygen. To transport her, I arrange to use another vehicle so she can sit comfortably. I cannot risk her safety! This has caused me such stress my father tried to help me by calling Wellesley VW, and he was told the only thing I could do was rent a car with my own money. I continued to get emails from Wellesley VW and Carfax this summer, reminding me about the recall. When I called the dealership this summer, I was told there was no fix and no timeline for the fix. I got an email from Wellesley VW on September 1 about the recall, and I wrote back but got no response. Today 9/7/23 called Wellesley VW service again, and was told there is no fix, not timeline for the fix, and there is nothing else they can do for me at this time. It has been 130+ days! Today I called the Attorney General of Massachusetts and filed a consumer complaint against Volkswagen of America, Inc. The airbag is one of the most important safety aspects of a motor vehicle. The fact that this has been going on for so long and there is no remedy is absolutely unacceptable. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | STEERING | The steering rack continues to fail in the VW Atlas. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | 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 not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. 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 and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | AIR BAGS | I Bought the SUV on 6-22-23 Tried to get the recall fixed on 8-11-23 And according to Volkswagen the recall came out on 4-4-23. This means I was sold a vehicle with a known safety recall with no current fix as was not alerted. I bought the vehicle to earn a living by renting it on Turo and they will not let it be rented with an open safety recall. I need to file a complaint. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES | The vehicle will make a loud alarm and the dash will display "Brakes Booster Faulty". The vehicle then will brake itself regardless of where you are and brake pedal will not work properly. This could cause you to get rear-ended as the vehicle will simply stop! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER | For 12 months, the windshield wipers, while in the off position, will turn on by themselves. Typically occurs when on the freeway in clear, sunny conditions, and occur as a result of hitting bumps in the roadway while traveling at speeds between 60 and 80 mph. They may go off once or multiple times over the course of a drive. Dealership was asked last summer and again this July to look into the issue with no resolution; was advised they could not replicate the error, they did not see any fault codes associated with the wipers and all electrical wires were in good condition with no damage. Being distracted by my wipers randomly going off takes my attention away from the road; I turn the wipers on and/or spray windshield cleaner to try and “clear” the error - neither of these solutions actually work. With no help from Pignataro VW, we’ll be seeking help from an independent VW mechanic. No warning lamps or other symptoms indicated an issue. Other than the dealership, no other individuals have inspected the car. The car is available for inspection though if needed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ENGINE | Engine shutting off intermittently. Engine has hut off at 10 mph currently. No, "not able to be recreated". No, but VW is aware of complaints at this time. Please restart engine manually was the only thing displayed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Unit will not start when showing 1/4 tank of fuel on a 3.85 degree decline. Fear of duplication of condition while in use on roadside. Condition is normal according to the manufacture. Condition is normal according to the manufacturer. P0089 and P0087 active with 1/4 tank on MFD display on a 3.85 degree decilne. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | 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 not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | 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 local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS | There is a great danger to the lives of passengers due to a defect in the safety system. So far, every time I call the manufacturer, they say the repair is unavailable. ! How long is the wait? And in the event of an accident or danger to the passengers, who is responsible? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS | I have been waiting on VW to fix their PODS system recall for 6 months now. Our front passenger seat flips between not registering the airbags when a passenger is present, so thinking that there is a passenger seated when the seat is empty. They still tell me there is no fix for the issue and the only thing I can do is not utilize the front passenger seat. This is absolutely OBSURED that it is taking this long to rectify this situation. I have a seat is unsafe and it does not appear there is any urgency on VW's part. 6 months with no fix is entirely too long. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | 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 not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | 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 not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the part for the recall repair was not yet available. No information on parts availability was provided. The contact stated that the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The forward collision warning randomly went off while crossing a bridge. Nothing was around. The car abruptly stopped itself and was unresponsive to the gas pedal and steering until it was fully stopped. No problems were detected at the dealer. We are afraid to drive our children in this car due to the risk of being rear-ended on a highway with a child in a rear-facing car seat. If this ever happens in a tunnel, it would undoubtedly cause a mass casualty incident. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | 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 not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | 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 not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that parts for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |