Complaint volume
148 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
2024 Volkswagen Atlas Complaints
148 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas, grouped by component category.
148 Total complaints
6 Crash reports
2 Fire reports
6 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 service brakes, unknown or other, engine. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 6 crash reports, 2 fire reports, 6 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 6 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 9,587 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to service brakes, unknown or other, 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 2024 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.
2024 Volkswagen Atlas
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas complaints?
6 Crash
2 Fire
6 Injury
0 Fatality
2 Towed
4 Medical attention
What are the most common 2024 Volkswagen Atlas complaint categories?
SERVICE BRAKES 21
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 13
ENGINE 11
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10
POWER TRAIN 9
AIR BAGS 7
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 5
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 4
STRUCTURE 4
VISIBILITY/WIPER 4
148 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | SEATS | during a low speed parking lot stop the 2nd row bench came unlatched, the seat bottom dropped and slid forward. my [XXX] son who was in his forward facing car seat slammed into the back of the driver seat. then the bench seat was jammed in this position, he was smashed and stuck between his car seat and the driver seat, the bench seat would not move, it was stuck and my child was trapped, screaming and bleeding from his face. i had to use the driver power seat functions to move it forward to get my child un trapped. once out we tended to his medical needs as he was bleeding from his face and screaming. the seat is still stuck in this forward/dropped position and will not move. the seat latch release handle has no resistance and will not do anything. his car seat was still smashed against the driver seat and i was unable to get it out from the side, i had to lift it out through the sunroof to get it out! we took him to local urgent care, he has a laceration on his eye, bruising, swelling and is very emotionally upset as are we. i do have a dash cam and have the footage of the seat slamming forward. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No Injuries: 1 Medical attention | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The car does not downshift into second gear from third, the downshift occurs when triggered by the first gear. This can result in starting acceleration initiating below 1000 rpm around 5 MPH in gear 3 to get back up to speed. This can be best observed during stop and go traffic where the car does not reach mark to trigger downshift to first gear. This creates unpredictability and potentially hazardous situations. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Within a year of owning my vehicle, I began to notice a SEVERE shudder on braking when descending from 7000 foot elevation (Mammoth Lakes, CA) to a 4400 foot elevation (Bishop, CA) on [XXX] of [XXX} upon braking. I have driven this route approximately 25 times in the past 1.5 years. Normally, I would set the adaptive cruise control to 73-75 mph on this downhill grade to control speed, and let the adaptive cruise control do the work of controlling speed, while keeping my own foot off the break. However, if I did need to slow further due to traffic, I would experience a SEVERE shudder upon manual braking- see attached screenshot of a video taken at night. I brought this incident up to VW (See mechanic video) in 1/2025, and they blamed the problem on overheating of the front rotor (see technician video link below). Upon return trips to Mammoth, I now realize that this overheating was caused by the adaptive cruise control itself attempting to control auto speed. Now, in order to make this LESS dangerous, I have to let the car get up to 80 mph and then pulse the breaks- because if I let the adaptive cruise control do the work as designed, it creates an unsafe driving condition BECAUSE OF A FAULTY DESIGN by VW- if heat is an issue, better dissipation is needed, or a temperature sensor is needed. VW's solution was for me to spend $700 to replace brakes and rotors due to a VW design flaw, despite my car being under warranty, and I cannot afford this currently. I think this issue MUST be recalled immediately before I (or someone else) who drives on long hilly grades has a fatal car accident due to a design flaw in the VW Atlas Adaptive Cruise Control. VW Technician report found here: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | POWER TRAIN | At about 8,200 miles I got the low oil warning light. I had to add a quart of oil and get it to the dealership. The dealership confirmed there was an issue with 6 cam bridge bolts and clean the engine of all the leaked oil. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | POWER TRAIN | I was driving about 50-55 miles per hours. I had been driving for about 45 minutes when I heard a loud pop in the rear portion of the vehicle. Warning lights came on the dash at this time. The message said to "apply the park brake because of roll potential" and some other messages that I cannot remember. The vehicle stopped moving/pulling (the engine was still running) and the vehicle put itself in Neutral. The wheels locked up. A bystander tried to push it out of the lane of traffic, but it would not move, and the tow truck had to drag it on the flat bed. The dealership (Checkered Flag Volkswagen - Virginia Beach, Virginia) said there was a fault for the shifter mechanism. They replaced it. Safety - I was instantly stuck in the middle of traffic and could not even coast off to the shoulder to get out of the lane of traffic. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | ENGINE | When driving, the vehicle will lose all acceleration and come to a stop. If you try to move the vehicle it will stall out. There are no warning signs or faults. However, if you let the vehicle sit for a few hours, it will run again as normal. This happened to us twice while on a road tirp. Once on the trip to the destination and the other to the trip home. VW Road side assistance was a joke, and did not help get us off of the highway as we were stuck with my [XXX], [XXX], [XXX], and wife. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I have had this vehicle 6 months and am already replacing the windshield a second time. This time something very small hit windshield but first time it happened overnight and nothing had hit it - it was just a thin crack that grew and grew. First windshield break was in February 2025 and the second July 2025. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | SEAT BELTS | Seatbelt buckle unbuckles randomly while driving. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While going through an automated car wash, I experienced a critical malfunction at the end of the belt. When it came time to shift my vehicle from Neutral into Drive, the car would not respond. Every time I attempted to shift into Drive, the emergency brake would automatically engage, preventing the vehicle from moving forward. As a result, I was stuck at the end of the car wash belt. The car behind me, unable to stop due to the forward momentum of the belt, was pushed into my vehicle. Their vehicle sustained damage from hitting my trailer hitch, although my car did not appear to be physically damaged. This incident created a clear safety hazard, not only putting me at risk but also directly causing a rear-end collision. I believe the failure was related to either the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system or the shifting mechanism. However, I am not a mechanic, and this is my best assessment. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This malfunction created an immediate safety risk by leaving my car immobilized in a narrow, automated space, with another vehicle in motion behind me. The inability to shift into Drive and the automatic engagement of the emergency brake contributed to the collision. The issue has not yet been reproduced or confirmed, but the Volkswagen dealership has been contacted and is scheduled to perform diagnostics next week. The other vehicle involved in the collision was inspected by Longmont Auto Body & Glass, who provided a repair estimate of $1,495.39. My own vehicle has not yet been physically inspected by the manufacturer. Warning Signs or Symptoms Prior to Failure: During the car wash, proximity alarms were sounding, indicating that I was close to or might hit an object (likely the wash brushes), but I received no specific dashboard warning messages related to the shifting or emergency brake system before the failure occurred. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | I’ve owned the vehicle for less than 60 days. The vehicle currently has 2000 miles however, the vehicle has placed us in danger due to the inability to charge the battery. The lack of battery voltage also makes the AC inoperable on 100 degree temps. During an attempted repair it was noticed the fuse box has melted. Technicians are uncertain the cause of this Issue. They are uncertain if it’s an electrical issue or due to the alternator. They’ve had the car for over a week with no clear definitive plan and no communication. The car doesn’t reliability start and the possibility of fire is clear based on components that are melting. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | On 5/24/25 I made another complaint with my car issues complaint number 11662972 The VW Orlando South dealership replaced my transmission. I received my vehicle back on 06/05/25 and after a few hours once I did a u turn, the gears shifted by themselves again. I had to quickly pull over to safety. On the freeway going 70mph it also stalled out, again I had to quickly pull over to safety. The next morning, I informed the dealership the vehicle was having the same problems. I dropped the car off again to VW Orlando South on 6/09 and the dealership still does not know what is wrong with the car | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving or while the vehicle was parked, there was a distorted image on the screen. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V334000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the recall repair failed to fix the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 18,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 18,000 |
| Jun 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Radio shut off while passing a gas station which becomes a hassle while traveling and can be dangerous | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Automatic Braking engaged with no other traffic in area, also dash display flashes as if electrical problem exists. Info screen also turns to distorted pixels also indicating electrical issues. VW dealer rep acknowledges there is an issue with the info screen and was expected to be fixed by January 2025(did not happen). I do not feel the vehicle is safe with the electronic braking issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I was driving down the highway and heard what sounded like a gunshot. I looked up and my entire sunroof was shattered. There was no impact and nothing fell on my roof. The glass soon fell mostly down all over my husband and myself. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | My gears shift randomly while driving and every time I do a U turn. My air conditioning goes out for an hour randomly then comes back on Side mirror signals do not tell you when a car is next to you or passing you as they should | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER | Fuel sending unit not reading properly. Cannot tell when I need to refuel. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,BACK OVER PREVENTION | Front assist constantly goes off, parking sensors faulty, damaged by general driving. Lane departure warning light | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES | My brakes have been grinding and squeaking for months. I bought my car new in Feb 2024. Dealship has stated it’s “normal” | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | SOS emergency call button doesn't work. Even though button is show green and technical people at dealership said there are no problems. I actually pressed the button and it said the call can't be made. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES | Metal to metal grinding sounds | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES | When the Atlas is cold, there is a weird screeching/grinding sound coming from the drivers side front when I press the brakes while in motion. Car has 12 miles on it. Brought it into the dealer and they say that it’s a known issue with the OEM brakes, but as it “does not cause a safety concern” it’s not covered under warranty. Dealer said that he could replace brakes with non OEM and the problem would go away. Dealer says that it is from “initial brake build-up” but that it is not likely to go away without replacing the brakes. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while at a stop sign and attempting to make a left turn, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed; however, approximately five seconds later, the vehicle responded as intended. The contact stated that the transmission had shifted into neutral and then first gear after several minutes. The contact stated that a dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 3,997. | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,997 |
| Mar 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES | The brakes sound horrible when they are cold. They grind and vibrate until they are warmed up and the car only has 8K miles on it. We are being forced to pay to have the brake pads replaced with ceramic brake pads from the semi-metallic factory ones. We have only had the car 2 weeks. They said VW would cover 70% of the cost, but with the number of complaints, this should be covered completely. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2024 Atlas SEL model does not have illuminated controls on the information system below the display. while trying to adjust settings at night it is possible to hit other vehicle functions and potentially get unwanted results that could result in destractions and unsafe driving such as accidentally deactivating the drive assist and driving mode buttons below. VW fixed the issue in 2025 but should issue a consumer convenience recall to fix this issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |