general problems of the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas - part 1

Brake booster system failed, which results in spongy brake pedal with significant reduction in braking force. Problem has been seen by my entire family and me, a mechanic. Vehicle has not been inspected by manufacturer, insurance or police since the issue arose . Brake lamp illuminated and message on dash saying faulty brake booster. Both appeared a few weeks ago.

Front brakes squeal when the ceramic brake pads are engaged against the rotors. Gurgling and grinding noises behind the steering wheel and behind the brake pedal indicative of brake line issues. Brake lines not bled correctly, air in brake lines, or issues with the brake booster or pressure switch systems. Front brake issues occur the most in reverse during initial startup, when driving at a low speed, and during rainy or damp weather. Rear brakes give a loud squeal in reverse during initial startup.

Brakes make a grinding noise like they are grinding metal on metal, thinking maybe the car I had gotten needed a break change prior to me getting went ahead and changed the breaks- still metal and metal sound. The brake pedal will go all the way in as if there is no brakes. The car does not stop right away I have had a car in the shop twice already and both times they tell me they cannot determine on how to correct the issues.

Brakes with difficulty and makes noise time to time and braking is very uncomfortable. It seems like a struggle to break at each stop. Bought vehicle from dublin vm, mentioned this after 1 day of purchase. Service dept stated its normal so I had bigotires check brakes too n they said brakes look okay. I'm a mom w a child so our safety is a concern when driving this vehicle!.

I have had issue after issue with this car ever since I got it. Within the first year of my lease, my car was at the dealership for 4 to 5 months. Most of it in one long stint. The vehicle was consistently having problems. All the while, I’m paying for a car I wasn’t even able to drive for a huge chunk of year 1. One time, the car completely shut down and stopped in the middle of the freeway with my three young children in the car with me. The brakes on this car have been an issue since I bought it as well. Not only have the brakes squeaked the entire time I’ve owned the car, vw has since come out and said that the brakes are defective but they’re unwilling to offer any solution. There have been factory issues with this vehicle many many times that have caused real safety issues. Rarely did volkswagon actually offer any sort of fix or realistic timeline for when I can expect things to be addressed. Even in some cases, they just completely ignored me as if I’m just a number and not an actual customer who drives his children in this car. This was my third Volkswagen. I have always sang the praises of vw. But this experience has quite literally made me never want to buy another volkswagon product again. I have about nine payments remaining on my lease and I am anxious to move on to a better safer vehicle with a brand that does right by the consumer. Volkswagon told me that even with all of what I’ve been through with volkswagon, which is on the record by the way in the form of repair orders, as well as cost to customer service, I did not qualify for a buyback on my vehicle. Nor would they let me just return my lease. The dealership has basically said that their hands are tied. And corporate has repeatedly done nothing, and turned me away. I asked that you guys step in not only for me in particular, but for all the other volkswagon owners who are unhappy. And there are many. Especially those who drive the same make, and model is me, the Atlas. Thank you.

Brakes had to be replaced at only 19,500 miles and now the car has 38,000 miles and they sound horrible again. The entire time I’ve had this car the brakes have made squealing and grinding noises. The vw dealer couldn’t access vw brakes last year due to shortage so put after market rotors on my car without my permission. I had a loaner and they called and told me my car was “ready” out of the blue. Horrible experiences. Will never buy a vw again.

After the vehicle has sat for a couple of hours, when I get in to drive and come to a complete stop, there’s a gurgling/swooshing water sound coming from the front brakes. I confirmed my pads and rotors are fine, but the functionality of the brakes appear to act up when the noise happens. I’ve seen this reported on numerous forums and this is a huge safety issue. The dealership says there’s nothing they can do and the brakes are operating as they should, but this noise is not normal.

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal fluttered while depressed. Additionally, the contact heard a loud grinding sound while depressing the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

I was driving on surface streets at approximately 25mi/hr when the car suddenly breaked on its own all lights in the dash turned red and the car made an alarm sound. This lasted a few seconds but the cars behind me had to break in order not to rear end me. The sudden break felt like I got hit by another car.

Steering wheel vibrates when going 55mph and over. Tired have been balanced and aligned I bought new tires and rims and got them balanced and aligned as well spent a lot of money and it’s still an issue. Vehicle pulls to the left, even with an alignment done. Taken to multiple shops they “can’t find the issue” . . My brakes grind, squeak, but again they said they are perfectly fine. My touchscreen turns off randomly for days won’t turn on nothing works on it and because of that I can’t put it in eco mode , use navigation, or any other features and because vw couldn’t replicate the same issue they can’t fix it despite my many videos I showed them. I have only had the car since Feb 26,2024 and put more money into this than I’d like.

Yes when start the car and drive from 0-20 mph from the start you will hear a lound noise when applying the brake and now getting louder and louder everywhere you drive the vehicle. Took it in the dealer 2-3 time and they are telling me is manufactures design. Don't have this problem from day one I purchase the vehicle but now after 40k. Miles start this problem specially brake, its scare me to drive the vehicle. . Please, advise. Thank you. .

A few weeks after we purchased the vehicle from the dealership, the brakes started making loud metallic noises and grinding. The vehicle was taken to the dealership where they replaced the brakes and then the issue occurred again just a few weeks after that repair. We continue to take the car back to the dealership and they now just keep telling us that there are no issues. I called Volkswagen directly and they sided with the dealer. At this point I have a vehicle that keeps having the same persistent issue. I did my own research and found that there are several other Atlas owners that are encountering the same issue in 2021+ models. This is a known issue and Volkswagen refuses to do anything about it. I have 2 kids and have do not feel confident in my cars brakes when they are in there.

When the car is just started a horrible braking/grinding noise when trying to stop the brakes eventually stop grinding and starts making a screeching noise when coming to a stop it does feel safe at all dealer states this is normal it is not normal for any car this happens daily.

I leased my vw Atlas in Feb. 2021. Since then the vehicle has been in for service many times because the brakes squeak, grind and gurgle. They even had to replace the whole front end braking system in spring of 2022. Even with the replacement, the brakes are yet again squeaking, grinding and gurgling. The service department at vw has acknowledged that this is a problem with many Atlases and does not seem to care and has told me that they just make that noise and that the brakes are functional and pose no safety risk. This I am weary of.

The breaks are very loud- squeaky and grinding. Have had them checked several times and break pads are in good condition. Additionally after the car is idle for several hours, it’ll be a loud gurgle when breaks are applied the first few “stops”. Additionally, when driving in cold weather the rear the stability assist light on the dash will engage. It will flash on and off so to be uncertain if the traction control is engaged on possible slippery roads.

I have several issues. My main concern is when turning on an incline (hill or mountain), my vehicles rpm's rev up and I am unable to stop it for several seconds. Sometimes, it will clunk and the rpms will go back to normal after sever seconds but most times the vehicle just jerks and the rpms come back down. I drive through a street with a 4 way stop very often and the issue happens every time. Secondly, I am not sure if its my steering or my brakes but when I come to a stop there is a clicking noise at my pedal and it makes it a little tougher to stop the vehicle. I can be at a full stop and if I push my brake pedal down more, it will click multiple times. I have also noticed this jerk/click when I make a sharp left turns such as in a parking lot. My vehicle jerks a bit while it clicks and I am concerned something will brake while I am turning or stopping and my wheels wont stop.

Within a week of our purchase of a brand new Atlas, we started hearing squeaking and grinding noises with the front brakes. I’ve taken it into multiple dealerships for them to inspect and ensure the safety, and I’ll have given me the same spiel, that the brakes are working just fine. The grinding noise is clearly beyond normal and I’m concerned for my family safety.

The brakes make a deep grinding sound every 4000-8000 miles. A typical sound of failing brakes. When I took the vehicle into the dealership they let me know they have a defective brake pad system. When they changed the compound in 2019/2020 this has been an issue. The pads are showing in good acceptable range. However when driving the vehicle you do not know if it is safe or not unless you take the vehicle in to make sure l. Again every 4000-8000 miles. I do not see how they are able to sell you a car with a known issue and not disclose this. This should be covered or recalled. It absolutely is a safety issue when you cannot tell if your brakes are working properly! they are telling me they see 4-5 people a week with the same issue. How is this not being recalled!.

Due to a faulty door wiring harness (a vw recall) the car has multiple electrical issues. The car shuts itself down, loss of blinkers, speedometer, brake lights, parking brake engagement and all electrical functions, every alarm goes off in the car, windows roll up and down, doors will lock and unlock while driving. Which is terrifying/life threatening while driving 65 mph on a highway with kids. We have this on video. Most recently, it shut down and would not start again. The dealership has now attempted to fix this problem 5 times and cannot get the alarm lights to turn off so now the car is not even drivable. We have tried to work with vw for a buyback twice and started this process (16 months into owning the car) when the car was under full warranty. They continued to deem the car safe and fixed and the same issues would sporadically happen. After these two cases for vw to buyback the car and them rejecting it, we are now out of warranty and they will not work with us. We bought the car brand new.

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while approaching a stop light, the brakes failed upon depression of the brake pedal, and the vehicle rolled to a stop. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and the abs was replaced; however, the failure recurred soon after the repair. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was advised to file a claim with the manufacturer. The manufacturer denied the claim but offered her a buy back. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer unrepaired. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.

We just purchased a certified pre-owned vehicle from the dealership. Since we've had the vehicle, it produces a loud squeaking sound when braking. We took it to a brake shop and were advised the rear brakes get so hot and are glazed over and need to replace the rotors. When I look online I see this is a common problem for this vehicle and that the manufacturer has done nothing to get it fixed.

I hear a loud grinding, metal-on-metal noise when braking or while driving. I also notice vibrations or pulsation in the pedal or steering wheel. Whenever the car sits for a period of time, about 90% of the time, the car will produce a massively loud metal-on-metal grind that can be felt in the brake pedal and steering wheel for the first 3 or so stops from 30mph or higher. The dealership claims it's "normal," which is unacceptable for a vehicle bought in 2021.

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was confirmed that no cause of failure was found. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

While driving in a city, the emergency parking brake would switch on everytime I slowed down or came to a stop. Multiple other warnings happened such as lane assistance unavailable. And one of my windows would roll down part way.

Once starting the vehicle, the light comes on the dashboard; the notification states that the start/stop function malfunctions, the emergency break malfunctions, other multiple errors come in effect. Once coming to a stop light and the brakes are engaged to slow down, the emergency brakes engage and the car locks up. Almost got into an accident 6x. Immediately made an appointment to fix the recall and request for a loaner or rental vehicle, ignored by the dealership with a message of “will call”. The door becomes inoperable; can only open and close. Does not unlock/lock or roll down the window. The back driver side window automatically opens about 4 inches without consent.

The brakes make loud squealing and grinding noises and don’t feel like they are properly functioning when attempting to stop. I rolled through a stop sign when they were grinding loudly last week because the brakes would not engage. I immediately scheduled to have it diganosed again. I have had it diagnosed by vw 3 times and also contacted vw corporate and they have all stated to me that it is a known issue with the brakes on vw Atlas and have had 1000s of complaints and will do nothing to repair or resolve the situation. They said they know it is an issue and not correct and they will not be doing anything to correct the situation or make sure the vehicle is safe.

The contact leased a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that the vehicle was initially taken to the dealer due to the brake service warning light being illuminated and scheduled maintenance. The maintenance was performed; however, the mechanic could not determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 22,564.

Brakes are making loud squeaking and grinding noises when brake is applied at low speeds. It feels like the entire braking system is about to fall apart. Took the vehicle to the Volkswagen dealership and they said Volkswagen brakes are know to make noise. I told them at the dealership, online customer support chat, and phone customer support that this should not be happening on a brand new vehicle. They said there is nothing they can do about it. The sounds are very loud even with all the windows up, it's like an old car. I can hear the brakes squeak from a third floor building.

When I was pulling out of a parking lot my rear drivers side mirror went down by itself and then my parking brake came on - I received an error saying "error: driver door contact switch". I stopped my car and turned it off and then started it again and the error message went away. Four days later the same thing happened but I also received two more error messages "fault: electronic parking brake" and error: start/stop as well as the same error as before :error: driver door contact switch". I have my car scheduled to take it to the dealership tomorrow 8/4 at 8am and I am hoping this can be fixed as this is a big safety issue. . . . I have three children that are also in the car with me each day so it is imperative to have this rectified as safety is my top priority.

Vehicle’s electronic emergency brake system engaged while driving at low speed, below 15mph. Loud scraping sound repetitively heard from driver side tire.

While the vehicle is in motion, the warning buzzer keeps dinging saying the engine is running. The red flashing light (in the door) flashes. Keep getting the warning triangle for the door harness problem. Also keep getting error:start/stop. My parking park has also engaged a couple of times while in motion. This is dangerous and needs immediate attention. This happens every day.

Sometime in Dec 2021, I have started experiencing issues with the car where the driver side back window rolls down warning messages popup saying driver side door fault etc with the check engine light coming on. What is concerning is when the vehicle is going at slow speeds (<5mph), the electronic parking brake engages automatically making the vehicle come to a sudden stop with jerks. Weird thing is, the problem is present on some days and some days the vehicle is completely normal without any warnings, sounds etc. Took the vehicle in for an oil change and routine maintenance and was told this is a known issue and there is a recall on it, bit no fix available.

The remedy to my recall is not being performed within a reasonable time. I was in the road with my one year old and I was scared to get on the highway I was afraid someone would rear end us as the vehicle stops and turns on the check engine light and a warning light on my dash. I was driving and when I was coming to a stop the vehicle stops on it on and doesn’t give the person behind me enough time to break. I would honestly see if there is something that can been done as o don’t feel safe in my vehicle but I can’t afford to rent a car in the mean time it is my only transportation my son has a doctors appt @ 130 today and I’m afraid for his life and to drive there. I would really appreciate any help that you can offer.

Hello. I have approx 12000 miles on my vehicle. Vehicle last week gave numerous warning lights and would not start. After leaving it a few hours I was able to start it but the engine light was on and warning that abs was not active. Took it to the dealership who said there is a recall with no fix for a door wiring harness. Today, while driving the car, it came to a compete stop on the roadway and would not allow me to turn it back on. I drove the car back home and it would continuously stop and I would have to restart. I almost got into two accidents. There needs to be a more serious recall as someone is going to get hurt. Dealership says there is still no fix.

I was driving between 25-30 mph at dusk. Suddenly a loud red warning appeared on the dashboard, and the car came to a screeching halt. I did not touch the brakes - it happened all on its own. There was nothing in front of me, such as a collision. It was not raining. The only factor that changed, which might be completely coincidental, is that I was just going over top of a large metal plate on the street that is used to cover road construction. The plate was just like any other, and stuck up maybe an inch. By the brakes slamming on, I was hit by the car behind me, who was also going 25-30 mph. This caused my passenger to be thrashed around - luckily neither of us were hurt. The driver of the other vehicle was not hurt but his car's hood was badly damaged. He had two kids in the back seat. I see this article, but when discussing it with the dealer, they claimed to have no knowledge of the issue or recall, even though it says the issue has been happening since 2020. . Read more...