general problems of the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas - part 1

Component failed: abs braking system / wiring harness. Safety risk: while driving at highway speeds with my service animal, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic abs failure. The brakes became unresponsive, and the dashboard displayed multiple critical safety warnings, nearly resulting in a collision. Confirmation: the failure was confirmed by schumacher vw (west palm beach) during a forensic inspection. They identified the cause as a corroded/damaged wiring harness—the exact defect visible in a diagnostic video from jim ellis vw one week prior. Warning symptoms: "front assist" and sensor warning lamps appeared on [xxx]. I paid jim ellis vw for a diagnostic; however, they failed to repair the visible defect and later falsely denied to the bbb that the diagnostic ever occurred. Summary: this vehicle (VIN: [xxx] ) has a documented safety defect that was identified by a technician but concealed by dealership management. This concealment led to a total loss of braking assist while the vehicle was in motion. The vehicle is currently available for inspection at schumacher vw. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The vehicle warning lights come on and off to make it seem like I am about to hit or to close to something when I am not moving at all. The vehicle putts and stalls while driving like it wants to cut off. It also does this when I am at a complete stop as well as if I am backing up warning lights on the dash appear than disappear sometimes as well.

1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the engine and the hvac systems. Specifically, a persistent "ghost misfire"—where the engine vibrates and shudders without triggering a dashboard warning light—and a total heater failure. The vehicle is currently held at the dealership; all service records (ro# 367641, 367891, 367980, 368179) are available. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the "ghost misfire" causes shaking and hesitation during acceleration, creating a risk of losing power or stalling in high-speed traffic. Because the vehicle's diagnostics do not trigger a warning light for this condition, the driver has no advance notice of a potential engine failure. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes. Dealership technicians confirmed the misfire on Feb 9 (ro# 367891) and found a defective spark plug gap (. 024” vs. . 036”). On Feb 25, the service consultant confirmed the "ghost misfire" remained active. The heater failure was confirmed via a 'heater support pump dry run' fault code (ro# 367641). 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? the vehicle has been inspected by dealership technicians. Formal complaints have also been filed with the California bureau of automotive repair and the California attorney general. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? symptoms began following a service on Jan 30. Feb 8: exhaust malfunction light (mil) appeared briefly with severe shaking. Feb 9–present: exhaust malfunction warning lights appeared briefly and then disappeared, but the engine vibration and "ghost misfire" symptoms remain active and undetected by the vehicle's onboard diagnostics. Feb total loss of heat occurred during a highway drive without a dashboard warning lamp.

I am reporting a critical safety failure of the abs wiring harness following service at jim ellis Volkswagen. I originally brought the vehicle in for a "front assist" safety light diagnostic. Immediately following the service, the abs wiring harness failed, disabling my braking safety systems. The dealership is currently withholding the diagnostic report and technician notes that would confirm the state of the wiring harness during their inspection. This failure has rendered the vehicle undriveable and creates a severe safety risk to the driver and public.

The radio keeps turning off and on and random stuff keeps popping up on the dash I have read that Atlas models from 2019 to 2023 have wiring harness issues why is there no recall for this and all research I have done with what is going on is leading up to a wiring harness issue.

With auto stop/start disengaged, vehicles stalls at slow speed (approaching a stop sign) or while idling at a stop light. Displays "start car manually" when this happens. Now error code displays "error stop-start" the stalling has happened 5 times this week.

Car will randomly stop when using the auto start/stop feature. It can do this at slow speeds or when slowing down. Huge risk.

While driving 25 mph with no traffic or people around the car came to an extreme sudden stop and without warning. The dashboard lit up red with warning lights and warning alarms sounded followed by complete shutdown of cars systems. No skidding or tire screach - just an instant forceful stop, as if engine cutoff and breaks forcefully seized simultaneously. We were able to restart car and immediately drove to dealership a couple miles away to report an extreme safety concern. Because there was no traffic or people around we feel it has something to do with a sensor and the automatic breaking system. The car was dropped at local dealership (lowcountry Volkswagen - mount pleasant SC) for inspection. This was a dramatic event and safety for driver and others was put at risk due to such a forceful stop. We have serious concerns driving vehicle. What would. Happen of system failed driving at higher speeds or if traffic was around? vehicle has been at dealership for 1 day and problem has not been duplicated. Vehicle has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, or insurance but can be made available. Dashboard lit up with red warning lights at time of incident. There were no warning lights or messages prior to incident.

There is a yellow triangle on my dash and when the dealer did the troubleshooting they indicated that there is a fault in the system with the transmission shifter and a part is needed to correct the issue. The vehicle is just beyond the warrantee period with 39,000 miles.

When coming to stop car will turn off at random. Car will still be in drive and alert comes up that says to restart the engine. Requires me to quickly put car in park and restart car in order to drive. This has happened numerous times for no apparent reason.

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.

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.

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).

Our instrument panel went completely black. It wouldn’t display any information and wouldn’t fix itself. We took it to the dealer and it was replaced on our dime for $2300.

Manufacturer says they don't have the part to fix the recall issue.

At red light the auto stop start won't turn the car back on. The battery drains in less than 5 minutes and needs a jump. Or sometimes it won't "auto start" and I have to move the selector to park and push the start button. This also happens when the engine is off, but the accessories are on. Just listening to the radio for 5 minutes seems to drain the battery and the car won't start and needs a jump. After a jump, the battery does charge back up when driven and holds its charge. I now try to remember to disable the auto stop start as this behavior is unacceptable. I recently had a new battery put in, and a new bcm and ecm, and this problem still happens. The car is at the dealer now.

The digital instrument cluster does not work, and the vehicle is not drivable due to safety features failing and an inability to know the vehicle's speed. The instrument cluster does not display speed, vehicle status, or safety information. The dealership cannot identify why this has happened. In addition, the car's electronics are failing, such as blinkers not working and the rear lights and safety features not working. The vehicle is not drivable, and the part is unavailable for an unknown period to fix the digital instrument cluster. Vw refuses to resolve the failure of their electronics and wants to charge us $1700 to fix their problem with their electronics. We cannot safely use the car for an unknown period and are harmed by its broken manufacturing process. Vw should fix this safety issue and warn other consumers about this safety issue. As I am sure you can appreciate, I rely on my car for transport, and apart from the inconvenience, this problem may also cause me to incur additional costs. I ask you to investigate this safety issue and ask vw fix the problem at their own cost.

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.

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.

Have been able to start vehicle without issues. Yesterday I attempted to start vehicle. Car lights came on , but unable to start. Car battery "appeared to be dead", a 12 volt battery low message appeared on the infotainment center screen, there was not a red battery light warning, once vehicle was jumped, was able to continue to drive home in stop and go traffic, the automatic car start and stop turned vehicle off , and I could not restart vehicle, left stranded on interstate during rush hour. Diagnostics indicated that the problem is the alternator regulator switch, battery checked out ok. Unable to use navigation system on vehicle. I have not taken vehicle in for repairs since this just happened.

Start/stop error lightafter already replaced by dealership brake booster faulty epc light comes on-off randomly.

While driving on the highway, a warning flashed on the dashboard- faulty brake booster. The pressure of the brake pedal was significantly diminished and was accompanied by a clicking sound. The red brake warning light illuminated. After 5 minutes, proper brake functioning was restored. Within a period of 20 minutes, the above sequence of events was repeated 3 times. After stopping and parking, the warning light went out. Upon start up later in the day, the same faulty brake booster warning sounded and the brakes again were spongy and choppy. The following day, when driving to the vw dealership, the same message flashed on the dash multiple times and brake functioning was impaired.

Abs and brake warning light come on dash making the break pedal click, causing the car to break abruptly or lock. Usually happens while at a complete stope or if driving below 30 to 20 miles an hour.

Vehicle emergency break activates, unable to release, or when teleased after multiple attempts the light continues flashing on the break button and warning alert on the dasboard. The first time it happened I arrived to destination and parked, when parked as I am waiting it activated when the door was opened. It has not been inspeacted yet, it fist started about 1 week ago. Its unpredictable when it will happen.

My vehicle has completely just shut down atleast five times since owing it. I have a special needs son who is in the vehicle with me all the time. The vehicle engine will shut down with no warning and not restart. Traffic behind me not aware that my vehicle has shut down after the light has turned green. It has shut down at various times in the middle of traffic. I’m fearful for myself and child that an accident is just a matter of time. I read complaints from others who state they have experienced the same problem. I’m concerned for the safety of others and me and my son. No warning is given before it just dies. I don’t feel safe in this vehicle. This vehicle needs to be fixed immediately. My vehicle has approximately 38,000 miles on it currently. This occurred either when I have stopped completely at a light, or when trying to start up the vehicle. Respectfully, vap.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? ? full electrical system failure. Yes, car is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? car became inoperable while driving, parking brake auto engaged and cannot be manually disengaged. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? the problem, believed to be caused by the wiring harness being soaked in water in the driver side door panel, occurred 3 weeks later after initial inspection. After sealing and a car wash to reproduce, the dealer was not able to get water to enter the area again. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? vehicle was only inspected by the dealer technicians. I called vw but they did not follow up. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? it appeared that all the warning lamps appears on during the failure. A day or so earlier, the cruise control would not activate, I suspect this was related.

Every display ecm warning light has come on. Yes, it is reproducible. All adas failed at once. Normal system such as brakes, steering, electrical & head unit display becomes random.

While driving( multiple scenarios ranging from 10 mph, 70 mph, 30 mph and even while car was parked) alarm would go off and message displaying “brake booster faulty” while also illuminating the “brake” light on dashboard. Brake pedal then becomes stiff and/or spongy, while not working properly. Once car is turned off and back on, “abs” light is also illuminated. Could not brake my car today with 2 children in backseat. Very dangerous.

On two occasions the auto start/stop system has engaged and turned off the engine at a stop light (performing correctly), but then failed to restart the vehicle. The vehicle did not provide any error message, it just did not try to restart and began rolling forward when the brakes were disengaged. The vehicle was then required to be placed in park and manually restarted. This presents a safety concern at a stop light as you could be rear ended if the car behind you is anticipating you to start driving.

Error airbag keeps coming on and dealership cant find issue and cant replicate problem but it happens every time we get in car and are driving. This is very dangerous if we get in a accident and airbags dont deploy. Also there has been some weird electrical issues with vehicle that cause lights to flicker and turn on and off inside car dash. Dealership cant figure it out due to not replicating issue. Last issue is with brakes. Something in the electrical system is causing brakes to fully engage slamming us into the dash board and windshield. Has happened 3 times since owing vehicle. Dealership again said they cant replicate issue. This is getting to be the worse car we have purchased. First time owning a Volkswagen and probably the last time.

Without warning the airbag error light has come on.

Problem first started in April 2022, start/stop malfunction, then the engine light would come on and car would decelerate until I pull over to the side of the road and turn off the engine. Once it restarted then it was okay. Brought it to the dealer and they fixed it. Got the car back and it was working fine. However we noticed that the car rpms would go up when pressing on the brake. Then in July into August while driving on the toll-roads at 65-70 mph, car engine would make straining noise then etc and engine light come on, then the car decelerate. We press on the gas pedal and it would not pick up speed. It drastically reduced speed from 70 mph to 55mph. We would have to move to the shoulder and turn car off. Wait then then start the car. The car would be fine for another 2 weeks, before doing same thing. Finally on 8/26/22 it did same thing reduced speed on toll-road, would not pick up speed, etc and engine light came on with radiator light. But then it also overheated. We drove it home at 15mph. Then had it towed to dealer to be fixed, the radiator light was still on. We are hoping that this time it will be fixed and not cause any more trouble. Dealer is working on fixing the problems.

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?.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the vehicle had a warning come up on the dashboard, the warning was as follows: “brake booster faulty”. The brakes then felt like abs was engaged (brake pedal pulsating) and the brakes fully engaged and took the car to a full and complete stop from 20 miles per hour. After turning the car off and back on the warning had gone away and we continued on. The warning then came on two additional times during the same trip and instead of stopping the car, the brakes would pulse and not work as well as should be expected. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? brakes did not work as expected and slammed themselves, had this occurred on the freeway that could have caused a pile up. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? no, but it has happened on multiple occasions and the dealer told us it was fixed previously. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? currently being inspected by the dealer. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? as noted the “brake booster faulty” error flashes on the dashboard when this problem occurs.

My 2019 Atlas is showing many of the same symptoms of the current Atlas recall, but it isn’t listed on the site. My airbag light is flashing, the adaptive cruise control states that it isn’t available, and many other electrical systems have been failing. The problem began today.