Complaint volume
433 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
2021 Volkswagen Atlas Complaints
433 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas, grouped by component category.
433 Total complaints
8 Crash reports
1 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 exterior lighting, air bags, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 8 crash reports, 1 fire report, 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 36 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 21,554 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to exterior lighting, air bags, unknown or other?
- 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 2021 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.
2021 Volkswagen Atlas
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas complaints?
8 Crash
1 Fire
9 Injury
0 Fatality
10 Towed
6 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Volkswagen Atlas complaint categories?
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 47
AIR BAGS 37
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 33
ENGINE 28
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 25
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 25
SERVICE BRAKES 22
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 13
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 11
STRUCTURE 11
433 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2022 | AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | My airbag light randomly went on a few days after my 10k miles inspection at the Platinum VW dealership in Hicksville, NY. I brought it in and was told there is a safety issue due to a faulty sensor in the passenger side door which can both cause the airbag not to deploy (or to randomly deploy) and can also cause the parking break to automatically engage while the car is in motion. While the VW dealership was totally not transparent about this, the rental agency told me that i was there were more than 15 customers before me with the same issue in the same car, and that one such customer's breaks automatically deployed while the car was in motion at over 30mph. I called VK corporate and they | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | Hello, I'm writing to share a safety concern regarding the 2021 VW Atlas. In January 2022, I was driving with my small children in the vehicle. The alarm went off for no reason when I first entered the car. Next, my passenger side windows went down on their own and would not go back up. All sorts of alarms/light went off in my car. Next, it started to throw my vehicle into emergency brake while driving. VERY DANGEROUS! This should be a safety recall. The vehicle has been in the shop for 2 months, waiting on a part. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH on the highway, the brakes applied without the brake pedal being depressed. The contact was able to pull over and made it home safely. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and it was diagnosed as the wiring harness needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 12,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 12,000 |
| Mar 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Between mid-November and early December 2021, my 2021 Volkswagen Atlas started randomly braking while the vehicle was in motion. There were loud beeping sounds, multiple error notifications on the dash, and the rear driver's side window kept randomly going down. I recently read an article from an online publication called autoblog, which indicated to me that this problem is occurring in these vehicles at an alarming rate. The dealership has provided a loaner, which is significantly less than the vehicle I purchased. Meanwhile I am paying $564 per month for a vehicle I cannot use, and the dealership is unable to provide me with a date that the vehicle will be repaired. We are not into month four of this issue with no resolution in sight. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Drivers side wire harness. All sorts of alarms going off, windows going up and down on their own, parking break engaging on its own while driving!!! Absolutely unsafe vehicle & VW was not helpful or cooperative. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | My wife was driving our 5 day old Atlas along the interstate with cruise control set at 65mph. She was traveling up an incline that had a slight turn to the right along the interstate. There was not a car within 500+ yards of her car. All of a sudden she started hearing beeps and the car abruptly slammed on the brakes causing the Atlas to shift all of its weight to front and causing the rear tires to lift off of the ground. The front driver side portion of the car then skidded across the asphalt and into the safety rail. The airbags NEVER deployed although the entire front was destroyed. My wife has had trauma from this accident and VW never offered a single thing for any kind of help. The car was brand new for $44,000 and took on $27,000 worth of damage so it was not enough to be a total loss. We have the automatic braking de-activated because we are terrified of it. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES,BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | We have 2021 Atlas purchased Nov. 2020 the AEB and parking collision sensors and system engage at random times while driving. The most recent incident was while parking the car 3/13/22 there were no cars in the parking lot and while turning into the lot and parking spot the AEB engaged and stopped the car completely this is not only unnecessary but while having kids in the car I was left to look around and be like what just happened. Finally parking the car the car was not near the curb on the front nor the side. This happens while driving and I would hate for it to happen on a freeway in rush hour traffic. Because of this feature defaulting like it has for the past months I know take surface streets on the way home from work. When taking the vehicle to the dealership they are dumbfounded have ran test and state there is nothing they can do- They are aware of the issue but its one of those things that "you had to be there" to experience what I am talking about. When i run the Car Net app - there are no recalls or updates or known issues with my vehicle. Yes the car is available for inspection. I would say in the past year this has happened 7-10 times. This feature is great when you need it or when it is supposed to work but at times when it is not needed puts our safety at risk. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES | Check engine came on. As the vehicle came to slow speed (under 5mph) the parking brake automatically engages causing the vehicle to come to an abrupt stop causing a dangerous situation. Car is currently at dealer for over a month. VW is unable to get part to fix problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While traveling at approximately 45 mph, my vehicle suddenly stopped with no reason. My window on the driver side and left rear passenger window rolled down approximately 2-4 inches, my windows locked, driver side door kept locking and unlocking. My emergency brake suddenly engaged and multiple warning lights came on. I had to turn my car off for it to start responding normal again. It happened first 1/3/22 and again 1/26/22. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Car randomly shuts engine off completely when start/stop is activated and at a stop. I’ve had to put the car from gear into park and restart the car due to this issue. I consistently get fault warnings for the electronic parking brake and driver side control panel in which the drivers side and passenger window randomly roll down. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | While driving at highway speeds at random the vehicle would brake on its own engage the parking brake and roll windows down. We tried to have the vehicle looked at Boise Volkswagen and they refused to schedule and inspect the vehicle. We even advised the dealer of an open safety campaign/recall and they also still refused to service the vehicle. Unfortunately next closest dealership is 157 miles away from our home. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Parking break engages while driving. Windows roll down door contact light flashes | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | My 2021 Atlas was braking or randomly turn off while I was slowing down at lights. The brakes were make a "gurgling" sound. I brought to service dept and was told they did not know what it was because they could not recreate it. The engine light went on 11/29/21 and I dropped at service. I was told it was the door harness. The service dept confirmed this.They actually told me I could drive but it might randomly stop-I didn't want to risk that because I didn't think it was safe.. I waited 3 months without my car for the part. I was not given a loaner or rental. I got my car back on 3/1. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The entire electrical system went haywire. Driver aids malfunctioned, windows up/down, the parking brake engaged while driving. Dealer and VW claim it is an issue with the wiring harness. They have no parts to repair the car and there are a dozen more with the same issue at the dealer. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,WHEELS | I purchased a brand new 2021 VW Atlas Cross Sport . In January I started experiencing major electrical sensor failures including automatically opening the windows, engaging the electronic parking brake when in motion, power steering sensor warning, engine warning and epc warning. VW has told me this is a wiring harness failure and they have over 6000 cars with this problem and can not give me a date as to when the parts will be available. I can not drive the car any distance for fear it will break down as I have had to have it towed once already. VW of America has provided no resolution for time to fix this brand new car. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES | While driving the vehicle the parking brake engaged by itself causing the car to come to a sudden stop while driving on a main road. This proceeded to happen two more times while I tried to get off main road. before the parking brake couldn’t be shut off any longer and car had to be towed. I was told by dealer this is due to an issue with the door module telling the car the door opened causing the parking brake to engage. This is a known issue with the dealers and a huge safety issue yet there is no recall. An addition, the car had stalled approximately 10x at traffic lights during the first 2 months I had it while the automatic stop and start system is activated. I keep that off to avoid the issue from happening. I have spoken to several other Volkswagon owners that say it is a common problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The driver side door contact switch is faulty. It is throwing the emergency braking system on stopped or in park. There is no ETA for repair at this time. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | My car check engine light came on, the car stated beeping loudly, the automatic breaking system slammed the breaks on for no reason repeatedly and the windows were going up and down by themselves. The only way to get the car to stop all of this was to turn it off put it in park and restart it at which point it would move forward a little bit before the brakes would slam on again and the beeping and windows would repeat. I had two children in the car and it was very unsafe as the car kept stopping itself suddenly in city traffic. There was nothing wrong with the car before this all started. I took the car strait to the dealer where I was told they do not have the part to fix it (door harness) and they have no loaners to offer. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | My wife, 4-year-old and 3-year-old were driving down a 3 lane NYS Highway at approximately 20mph when my abovementioned vehicle came to an immediate stop due to the fact that the parking brake automatically engaged. Error messages popped up on my informational display stating driver door contact fault as well a parking brake error. My vehicle was brought to the dealership, and it was determined that the cause is a faulty wiring harness from engine compartment to the driver’s door. This could have been worse if my wife was traveling at a higher rate of speed or if there were cars behind here when this happened. Fortunately, enough that was not the case in this situtation. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | When I was driving anytime I started to slow down the emergency brake would activate and apply the emergency brake to stop the car. The back window also went down. The check engine light and warning message came on saying there was an error with the auto start stop feature. The dealership advised that the driver door wiring harness was needing replaced and they have been seeing this in the 2021 atlas. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | According to my local dealership, the microchip in the driver door is malfunctioning. My car incorrectly detects that the driver door is open and puts the parking brake on while the car is running or in drive. Alerts like, “error: driver door contact switch” pop up. “Cruise control not available” has also popped up.These alerts did not begin to pop up until the parking brake started being triggered on February 9th when the car was 4.5 months old with 5,000 miles. The driver side window as well as the window behind it will also roll down at times when this happens. To get my car to release the parking brake, I have to turn the car off and open and close the driver door. On average, I have to repeat this process 5 times before the car will detect that the door is closed and disengage the parking brake. My car has incorrectly alerted me that the driver door was open while I was driving down the highway. According to the dealership, the part that needs to be fixed is on backorder nationwide and I won’t be able to get my car fixed until July. They are also out of loaners because so many people are having this issue. My safety as well as the safety of others in cars around me is at risk as the car will put the parking brake on thinking that the driver side door is open. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE | Upon starting vehicle, dash screen indicated that there was an issue with the Driver Door Contact Switch, and back driver's window lowered automatically. This automatically triggers the emergency brake to engage. If you disengage the emergency brake, the vehicle beeps, acting like a door is open, even with all doors closed. There were other incidents where this did not happen until driving on the road, in which the vehicle would engage the emergency brake as it was stopping. The brake would have to be manually disengaged in order to keep driving down the street. This may have been a safety hazard to others around if the vehicle all of a sudden turned on the emergency brake. This problem is not new to the local Volkswagen dealer, where my vehicle has been for the last month. Eight other vehicles are there with the same issue. They said that a door harness replacement is needed, but this part is backordered for the foreseeable future. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The car started giving multiple warnings and the check engine light went on. When these warnings started, it would force the windows to go down and put the emergency brake on. It is a huge safety concern because when this issue worsens, it will throw the emergency brake on any time the car begins to slow down - so if a driver is actively driving the car and slowing for traffic - it will suddenly have an emergency brake trying to bring the car to a stop. The issue (Driver Door Contact Switch Error) has been confirmed by dealership. Car has been in the shop for 2 months waiting for a replacement part but in the meantime the dealer has multiple Atlas's waiting to be fixed for the same issue and the problem is all over the internet. It is unsafe to have these cars on the road. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | Alerts of door being open, back windows then go down and parking break engages out of nowhere. The Check engine light comes on and there is a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark. Driver Door Contact Switch”, “Attention: Engine is Running”, “Fault Electronic Parking Brake”, and the Emergency Brake automatically engaging. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | Due to a malfunctioning driver door wire harness, multiple errors occur, including a electric parking brake issue. This causes the vehicles parking brake to engage while in coming to a stop but still in motion. This does cause the vehicles abruptly come to a stop. Additionally the wire harness malfunction has caused an issue with the driver side door locking function and driver side windows. Often times the driver side door does not lock when in drive and in motion, as well as trying to lock using the key fob and in park. The driver side windows randomly lower 3-4 inches, when driving as well. I am especially concerned with the parking brake, there have been a few occasions where I have almost been hit from the rear due to the abrupt stop. I have taken the car in to the dealership and have been told the part is not available and they have multiple vehicles waiting over two months for the part. Here is a link with others that have the same issue. https://www.vwatlasforum.com/threads/error-driver-door-contact-switch.6359/ | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |