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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2021 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that an unknown exhaust warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the fuel injection system to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000. Vehicle has been repaired. | Crash: No Fire: No | 9,000 |
| Dec 2021 | AIR BAGS,ENGINE | Airbag light illuminated on this vehicle yesterday, however, it’s not currently listed in campaign 21V892, but I believe it could also possibly be affected by the airbag control module issue. This vehicle also shuts down when stopped, and at times will not automatically restart when the drivers foot is removed from the brake. This has almost caused driver to be rear-ended multiple times, when the traffic signal turns green, yet the vehicle engine will not restart. The only way to restart is to press the brake again, put transmission/gear shifter into park, and restart vehicle, then put vehicle back into Drive. This is not only a hassle, but is dangerous, as other drivers expect that when the light turns green, this vehicle should then be driven forward, but at times, the engine failing to restart causes an unsafe driving condition. The adaptive cruise control also doesn’t perform as expected and has completely failed to engage over the summer of 2021. When ACC malfunctions, cruise control isn’t able to be used at all. I’ve taken this vehicle in for inspection of the ACC issue, but the service Dept was unable to find a cause. They updated vehicle software and I have not experienced the ACC issue since. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Within seconds of starting the vehicle, error codes started appearing on the dashboard and beeping noise stating to park the car and not drive. The back window will roll down on its on and the parking break will engage if it wasn’t engaged already. I would turn off the car and it would go away But after a few minutes the car would start beeping and all kinds of lights and error code started appearing again. After getting this error message and the constant beeping, the emergency brake turns on and the window from behind driver's door lowers like 5 inches from top. At this point, I cannot lower window and I cannot turn off emergency brake. The code started appearing about a week prior to December 8 which was the final straw. It got to a point that while driving, if I took the foot of the gas pedal, the emergency break will engage automatically as I was going 10-15 miles per hr. Everytime I slowed down and was coming to a stop the car will engage the emergency break. I had to turn off the car and back on in order to keep going. This almost caused me to be hit multiple times until I was able to get to a safe location and away from the main road. I’ve read many others complaint similar and I think this should be a recall. It is a safety hazard when the emergency break engages once you slow down and foot is off the break. This particular car was fixed on Nov.5 for a recall related to coupling rods. I was told that the issue now is called a “driver front door harness” fault which the wires think I’m opening the door while driving so it engages the emergency break. Vehicle is currently at dealership and has been since Dec. 8 with no estimated time of repair due to waiting on parts.vehicle has been in my possession since Jan. 9, 2021. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2021 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Horn doesn’t work consistently and have to be pressed in certain areas. Bottom area of horn area works at times. Someone was backing up close to my car and I pressed the horn with my thumb and nothing happened after several presses. This has happened on more than one occasion. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2021 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | When on level ground, head lights aim towards the ground at about 10-15 yards from vehicle. When this happens you can’t see the upcoming road or side of the road. It appears as if you’re doing too fast and over running the head lights. In the attached picture, there’s light from another source but on a dark road you can imagine how difficult it is to see. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | Today, December 1, 2021 my Atlas completely shut off while driving twice. This has happened 2 times prior on separate occasions, bringing the total times to 4 to date. Today it happened first in the morning while I was exiting the school parking lot and attempting to enter the main road of traffic. It completely stopped, turned off, and asked me to put in park before I could turn the engine back on. It then happened again while driving in a parking lot. It completely shut off and would not move. In all of these instances I felt in danger and at risk of causing or being involved in a car accident due to this sudden engine failure. All 4 times have been within the past few weeks, but today was the worst in that it was twice in the same day. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | Door Sensor causing car to throw various codes. Windows rolling down by themselves, parking brake engaging by itself. VW knows about the problem and should be a recall. Parts is on back order with time frame. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2021 | AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Driving at freeway speeds between Elko Nevada and Salt Lake City Utah car completely lost power shut off had to coast To a stop and restart the engine after several semi’s and vehicles passed us honking their horns | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2021 | ENGINE | While driving, the car shutoff completely. It is from the Auto on/off, this has happened several times and all times while driving. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2021 | ENGINE | On three occasions while driving 5-10MPH in traffic our Atlas has shut off without warning. A message then appears on the digital display that reads “Please turn on engine manually.” The only way to do this is to come to a complete stop and put the vehicle in park before starting the engine which by the time the engine starts, other cars have to steer to avoid our Atlas stopped in a lane of traffic. The first time it happened we thought it was a fluke but then two additional times within the first three months of owning the vehicle is not a coincidence. The vehicle was inspected by the dealership with no red flags. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2021 | ENGINE | I was driving back to work after taking my son to school I was sitting at a light and the engine completely shut off. The auto start/stop system on the vehicle was active. The dash said to Please start engine manually. I put the car in park, turned on my hazards because it was morning traffic, took my foot off the brake, put it back on the brake, pressed the start button and the vehicle didn’t start. I pressed the start button again the engine half way started then turned off (I did this twice). On the fourth time it started up and I was able to proceed to work. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2021 | ENGINE | I was on my way home from work in the Atlas and while sitting at a red light in college football game day traffic (I live and work near the campus) the auto start/stop system was deactivated but the whole engine shutting off. The dashboard said “Please Start Engine Manually” I put the vehicle in park then pressed start. It would not start. So I had to open the vehicle door (in the midst of traffic and cars honking because the light changed) close the door, put my foot on the brake and press start. It did not start. So I repeated the same thing and it started. At that point I had to gas it because cars were going around me because my car stopped and wouldn’t start. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2021 | LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Lane Assist erratic performance. 1)On October 21st, 2021, while leaving a parking slot (cars parked on both sides of the affected vehicle) the “Lane Assist” warning and the Instrument Panel “Lane Assist” light came up (i.e., LANE with a CAR on the lower side of the Instrument Panel). This occurred while moving less than 5 mph. The parking brake activated stopping the car and the lane assist was disabled (i.e., turned off). 2)On October 25th, 2021, while turning on the vehicle, a “Malfunction” was briefly displayed on the Instrument Panel. There were no cars or objects on either side of the vehicle. Immediately after, a warning symbol and a yellow Lane with a Car symbol was displayed. The Lane Assist was disabled. The warning signs were cleared after the car was turned off and back on, but the Lane Assist remained disabled (i.e., turned off). | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | My 2021 Atlas turned itself off while I was going down the road at 70 MPH. I had over 1/2 tank of gas. I was able to get to the side of the road, put the car in park, and restart. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2021 | ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3200 miles on vehicle and ECP light came on. Heavy smell of gasoline and vehicle went into limp mode. Gas was pouring out the bottom of the hot engine and dripping onto the ground below. Opened the engine hood and there was lots of smoke or steam. Seriously concerning for a fire. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2021 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | After starting the car, saw a start-stop assist error, but car seemed to start up normally. The car was slow to accelerate. Then a strong smell of gasoline followed by the EPC and check engine light. Pulled the car over and turned it off. Very strong smell of gasoline. Then noticed the gasoline leaking under the car. My safety was definitely put at risk as fuel leaks around ignition sources can cause fires. Luckily this time I was alone in the car. Had the vehicle towed to the dealership. Was told the issue was the fuel injector and happened at the factory. Manufacturer is aware of the issue. Dealership has replaced the fuel injector. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2021 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | This is the second time I've had the same issue with the fuel injectors. This time I was driving with my two children in the car when I started the car the start-stop assist error came on again and I smelled gasoline. The EPC and check engine lights then came on. I immediately pulled over and got the kids out of the car and away from the car as the gasoline smell was very strong. I checked under the car and it was again leaking gasoline. This is obviously a very big safety risk. There is a large risk of fire from the fuel leaking around an ignition source as well as the fumes and headaches me and my children suffered due to the gasoline fume exposure in an enclosed space. I again called a tow truck and they towed it to the dealership. I called and they said it was indeed the fuel injectors again and they will do a more thorough check this time. I will elevate the issue with VW. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2021 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I have been having issues with my 2021 Atlas SE R-line Technology since the day after I purchased it. I assumed since it was a brand new car that it would have an adjustment period & I wanted to love it, but I have become afraid to drive it. Several times, the vehicle has slammed to a stop while another vehicle is making a U-turn in front of me, or simply driving next to me, but not close enough that the automatic braking should be engaged. I was almost rear-ended by the vehicle behind me each time as I went from driving to a complete stop. In June, the vehicle came to a hard stop for no reason while backing into my garage and no vehicles or objects were in the way. The dealer told me a door sensor was to blame, but the problem still exists today. The vehicle also freezes at times when put it into drive or reverse. It will eventually jerk forward or backwards after some time, but its very unpredictable. This has even caused my right side mirror to scrape the side of my garage, almost breaking it off when its unexpectedly jerked backwards twice. I informed the dealership, Volkswagon of Clear Lake of my experiences and each time, I am told that they are unable to re-create the issue and there are no reported problems during their inspections, with the exception of door sensor repair. I have no idea how to recreate an issue or help them to do so. I traded in a perfectly good 2014 sedan in hopes of getting more space for my family, but all I've gotten is a headache! I even asked the dealership why the window sticker shows I should have power folding mirrors, but mine don't fold, but I'm told that's something I should've addressed when I purchased the car. My anxiety level goes up every time I drive this vehicle and after reading the VW Owners forums, I'm not alone. The same issues I've experienced, and more, have been reported by so many others, yet we are ignored. Please help us before more people are hurt while driving this dangerous vehicle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2021 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Random Front Assist activations occurred while driving: 1) First activation occurred while beginning to move forward going around 10 mph. Front Assists warning sound and display (i.e. red CAR) came up and performed a sudden stop(brake). Car on front was about three cars length and moving forward. After car stopped Front Assist activation disappeared from the screen. 2) Second activation occurred while driving around 45mph. No cars directly on front but on the right lane. Front Assists warning sound and display (ie red CAR) came up. Car continue forward and Front Assist activation disappeared from the screen. 3) Third activation occurred while driving with no cars in the vicinity or any obstacle (~25mph). Front Assists warning sound and display (ie red CAR) came up. Car continue forward and Front Assist activation disappeared from the screen. The first two occurrences happened a day apart. The car was taken to a VW dealer but nothing was found (9/15/2021). there were no log in the computer of any front assists event. The third occurrence happened a day after the car was returned from the VW shop(9/16/2021). All occurrences happened within 1 week including today's event. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | ENGINE | Driving onto the highway from the on ramp the vehicle shut off and lost control of the vehicle. Would not right away. This occured 4 times in the last 3 months. First, 3x. i thought it was me clicking or touching something on the car, thought now i know it was not me the 4th time. im sacred | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | EQUIPMENT | We have had a 2021 Atlas Premiun R Line for about 2 months and we have had issues with the audio system output loading (radio won't play mostly, can't speak or hear calls, nav won't load) but everything shows up on the screen. When this happens I have been holding the power button in for 10 seconds or so and it will fix the problem but today it wouldn't work and I had no radio or couldn't talk or hear calls. Has anyone else experienced this? If so what's the fix? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2021 | SEATS | We have a 2021.5 Volkswagen Atlas with captain’s chairs in the 2nd row. Our 4 year old was riding in a forward-facing car seat installed with lower anchors + tether strap in the 2nd row driver’s side and a friend’s 8 year old was riding in the 3rd row driver’s side in a backless booster. I was in the front passenger seat and my husband was driving. While my husband was braking, the 8 year old lifted up on the 3rd row access lever, located on the upper left side of the 2nd row driver’s side captain’s chair. The 2nd row captain’s chair lifted up, slid forward, and SLAMMED my 4 year old son into the driver’s seat. The 8 year old immediately panicked, which caused me to turn around. My 4 year old was not making any noise - almost certainly because his nose and mouth were pressed tightly into the back of the driver’s seat, preventing him from making a sound. While in the front passenger seat, I tried to push the captain’s chair back into place - but it was way too heavy. Luckily, we were on a road where my husband was able to quickly pull over and jump out to put the captain’s chair back into place. As soon as my husband started to move the captain’s chair away from the driver’s seat, my 4 year old started screaming. After this incident, our 4 year old showed us that while buckled into his forward-facing car seat in the 3rd row of the Atlas he was able to use his foot to lift up on the 3rd row access lever, causing the captain's chair to slam into the back of the front seat exactly as happened when the 8 year old lifted the lever during our trip. | Crash: No Fire: No Injuries: 1 | Unknown |
| Jun 2021 | STRUCTURE | The plastic trim on the doors failed and became lodged between the seam of the fender and the front doors. The adhesive on the trim/badges failed and allowed it to partly peel off the door. I became trapped in the vehicle and was unable to open either door because pieces were jammed in the doors range of motion. I had to physically slam my body against the door from the inside of the car to break the jammed piece and open the door. My safety was at risk as I was not able to get out of my car and it was urgent. I would not have been able to get out of my car in the case of an accident or if my car became submerged in water such as a flood. I frequently transport my 70 year old father to medical appointments and I was unable to open the door to get him out of the car due to this issue. I reported this problem in April when I first noticed the trim badges coming loose, but VW failed to fix it properly. They took a metal putty knife and attempted to bend the fender and trim back into place in the parking lot. They did not take this issue seriously and pushed off repairs for months until I finally had this event and demanded they make this car safe. This car would not have passed the State Inspection and should have never left the dealers lot. I had another mechanic assess my car and he confirmed that this was extremely unsafe and the delay in repair could have been catastrophic. I have several pictures from April until present that show how severe the defect is on my car. There are several other reports of this problem in the VW forums where the badges on the doors have become jammed in the fender seam and prevented range of motion of the front doors. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2021 | ENGINE | This is the second Volkswagen Atlas we have purchased after the first had the exact same code P2047 Evap system issues. This Atlas is brand new and it only took 3,000 miles for it to start having system issues. During driving with cruise control enabled the vehicle kicked itself out of cruise control and deactivated the ACC cruise control along with regular cruise and disabled the remote start with a check engine light. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2021 | STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The sunroof exploded while driving with no external object impacts. The retracted roof exploded sounded like a gunshot. I was driving about 75mph on Hwy 70 from Colorado to Utah. There were no vehicles around us. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |