Power Train Problems of Volkswagen Atlas - part 2

The Atlas has been in the dealer on several occasions due to shifting and acceleration. On a couple occasions when starting the Atlas the rpm's will redline with nothing touching the pedal and wont stop until we shut off the car. On several occasions the throttle has little to no response when pushing the pedal (not safe when trying to merge or change lanes. ) almost once or twice a week the Atlas won't shift or will shift too soon. The infotainment screen has been replaced twice and needs another screen due to it not coming on or lines going through it. It has been to the dealer five times and nothing has been done to this Atlas about the throttle issue. The dealer is focused on the "infotainment screen" because it controls every part of the Atlas.

See all problems of the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas 🔎.

In may I brought the vehicle to the dealership because the vehicle was turning off at low speeds (exiting a parking lot) or switching from drive to reverse. This was in conjunction with the check engine light coming on. The dealership diagnosed it as a fuel sensor failure, which they told me was safe to drive, and they'd order the part. I went back the next week when the sensor had been received and the repair was made. Last week, the low fuel alert flashed when I knew the vehicle was not low on fuel. The alert was not stable for a few days (it turned on and then turned back off, and then on again), and the vehicle started to have the same issue of stopping at low speeds. I had it towed to the dealership because I was too worried to drive it. The dealership diagnosed it with a 'swollen and leaky gas tank'. They sent photos upon request and the gas tank appears to have a tear. It is not due to any accident or road debris. The vw dealership has recommended a complete gas tank replacement, and let me know the gas tanks are on back order and did not have a date it would be available. This is extremely dangerous situation because 1. It was leaking gas and 2. It was coming to a stop. I drive around children (my own and others) and I can't imagine if something had happened while I was in driving around a car of kids. I read on different sites (reddit and other car sites) and it seems the stopping problem with the Atlas is somewhat common, unfortunately. I am curious if it's due to a bad gas tank or if it is a separate malfunction with the vehicle. I called the Volkswagen care line and was told that they were sorry, but my vehicle was no longer under warranty, so they were unable to give me any information or guidance.

See all problems of the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas 🔎.

Engine nearly stalls at low speeds in either toward or reverse - such as in parking lots or when backing up a driveway. The car will also surge at moderate speeds (30-40 mph). Car hasn't actually stalled yet but feels like it's about to until I press on the brake. The problem occurs randomly and would be very difficult to reproduce. The transmission will also shift violently randomly during the 30 - 40 mph range.

Car stalls in reverse and random stalls driving at low speeds. They deemed carbon canister and n80 valve. Replaced twice and only at 41k miles.

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At approximately 8500 miles the car started randomly stalling, maybe once or twice a week. Now at 9600 miles it stalls every time we drive the car. This is not the start/stop system as we deactivate that when we get in the car. Typically, the car is warm, the ac is on, we have idled with the car in park then place the car in gear to drive and it dies. The dealer claims they cannot duplicate the problem. Also, the throttle is very non-linear. One time you push the throttle a little and the car takes off slamming you back in the seat. The next time you can push the throttle halfway down before the car responds then it just slowly accelerates. This problem has not been brought to the attention of the dealer yet but will upon the next appointment. This is very dangerous as other drivers are expecting you to move but you have to put the car in park and restart it. This could get someone killed.

The steering vibrates during all driving activities, including accelerating, braking, and turning. At certain speeds, the vibration extends to the entire vehicle, making it feel unstable. There were no warning lights or prior indicators before the issue first appeared in mid-2024. This steering malfunction poses a significant safety risk to me and others on the road. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by a dealer, but it has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

Currently there are 17500 miles on the vehicle and at times the extreme harsch downshift is back. The car will shake so strong that it seems that someone hit us in the back. No hills, smooth and flat streets, no potholes. Not sure what is going on.

My vehicle has stalled out before for no reason and the dealership is unable to help in diagnosing the issue without a fault code. This issue has been ongoing since I purchased my vehicle in 2021. Three years later as I was making a sharp left turn going very slow my car stalled out, engine light came on and I received a start/stop error along with a message stating to restart the engine manually. Again this has been happing since I purchased brand new from dealership. Every turn I make going uphill, my vehicle stutters and rpms revved up which is very unsafe and has me on constant alert. Now that an engine code appeared, I am out of warranty and dealership still refuses to help with the issue. Code fault I received from engine light is p0496.

Both backing up and at slow speeds, the engine stalls out and requires you to put it in park and restart the engine. We brought it into the vw dealership who provided a "fix" for a evap canister and charcoal filter 3qf201797a but the issue continues to occur.

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On [xxx], I was driving that vehicle on [xxx] in the vicinity of port charlotte and punta gorda, florida, with three persons inside when the vehicle experienced substantial vibration, a loud knocking noise and major loss of power while in the high speed lane. This occurred somewhere around 8:45 am. Traffic was heavy thereby increasing the risk of an accident resulting from the loss of power and vibration. I was able to keep the vehicle running and slowly make my way to a suitable place to safely park the car. When this occurred there were several warning lights that appeared. The vehicle has been serviced by a vw dealer in port charlotte, FL. Vw subsequently replaced the "longblock and turbocharger", reassembled the engine and transmission assembly and reinstalled that into the vehicle. They apparently had certain issues with the thermostat housing gasket after the engine was replaced. I am aware that there is an existing recall issued by vw (safety recall code 13i6). I further understand that recall covers 2,018 vehicles built before 5/12/23. My vehicle was built somewhere around [xxx] suggesting that the scope of this recall may have been grossly underestimated. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Since I purchased this vehicle for my wife, she has repeatedly called me in tears regarding the vehicle turning itself off in school parking lots, stop lights, stopping at stop signs, and in drive through lanes. The car will show error messages such as "start engine manually" or "auto start/stop failure. " this has nearly caused a number of accidents when the car is turned off in the middle of the street. The only option to get the car restarted is to put it into park, then turn the car off and back on again - which at a busy intersection can put you into a panic. I have taken the car to the dealer a few times and told each time that they find nothing wrong since there are no error codes at the time. I spoke with the dealer on 10/10/23 since it was in the shop in early October - I was told that they are experiencing this issue with numerous vw Atlas, it is a known issue, however there is no fix. I was told to reach out to vw north America. I spoke with nick from vw na today who told me that my best option is to try a different vw dealer. This has been an ongoing issue with the vehicle since we purchased, but it is happening more frequently - upwards of numerous times per week. There are no signs that the car is going to turn itself off with issue - it has done it even when the auto start/stop system is disabled (this needs to be manually disabled each time the car starts). My wife is at the point that she does not want to drive the vehicle anymore as she is afraid of the safety of the kids.

See all problems of the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas 🔎.

The first issue at 26k miles when the coolant light turned on. It was a broken head gasket which required the replacement of the full motor on the vehicle. After the motor was replaced, the vehicle had to be taken back to the dealership that completed the work on 3 different occasions for installation concerns including a loose bolt and low coolant levels. The second issue at 33k miles was the failure of the charcoal canister which ruined the fuel tank lining, resulting a replacement of the fuel tank. This issue caused the car to stall anytime it was idle (if I was in traffic and not able to accellerate or in a parking lot going slowly, it would stall requiring it to be put into park and restarted. This issue was a huge safety concern since my car would shut down in traffic. No indicator lights came on during this issue. Next, at 37k miles, I smelled terrible gas fumes each time the car idled. At one point, when blowing my nose, I had black soot residue, so I can't imagine what I was breathing or the risk of the vehicle catching fire with such strong fumes. I had to take the car in twice before they took me seriously. The car had broken o rings from the engine replacement. No indicator lights came on for this issue either. Last week, we received the car back after 33 days in the shop for another broken head gasket. Within a day of getting the car back, it misfired and the check engine light was on again. The car does not accellerate correctly which poses a safety risk when trying to pull out into moving traffic or cross oncoming traffic. Volkswagen corporate office is well aware of all the issues but declined the buy-back process because we don't fall under our state's lemon laws.

See all problems of the 2022 Volkswagen Atlas 🔎.

Grinding and squealing noise when accelerating from stop to go as it last for up to 5 seconds each time.

See all problems of the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas 🔎.

The transmission at low speeds, while accelerating makes a grinding noise.

Bad steering rack for 2019 Atlas vw. No recall announced but multiple vehicles having similar issues nationwide. Car has always had a small vibration in the steering and over time it has steadily gotten worst. I recently added new tires and an alignment. The problem is mechanical in nature and presents an extreme safety risk to the vehicle. The vehicle has been looked at multiple times in the past few years by a vw dealership. Nothing until recently has a problem been identified. Vw dealership even mentioned “this should not happen with a vehicle that is this new”.

My Volkswagen Atlas transmission appears to be making a grinding, screeching or squealing noise when accelerating at low speeds. Sounds to me like a bad torque converter but its not a normal noise. It also seems to not accelerate when this noise happens and if it stops when I pull into traffic I'll get hit. I took it to a dealer in NJ, said he has had others complain and that there is nothing they can do. My car is till under warranty, but they refuse to fix it. Its not safe!!!.

Car automatically brakes driving down road and all the dash lights come on.

Steering assist failure at low and highway speed. Lurching and speed fluctuating at low and highway speed. Adaptive cruise control failure at low and highest speed. Yes, it is reproducible.

I am reporting a recurring coolant system issue that raises safety concerns. My 2022 vw Atlas has triggered the coolant warning light several times since new. A dealership eventually replaced the head gasket under warranty, yet the warning returned again months later. At the most recent service visit, a pressure test showed no leak, and I was told the problem was likely "air bubbles" — the same explanation I received before the head gasket was replaced. Vw has issued TSB 19-22-01, advising dealers to blame repeated warnings on trapped air and to avoid replacing parts unless a leak is confirmed. This contradicts vw’s own official dashboard warning guidance, which instructs drivers to “stop! engine coolant level too low, engine coolant temperature too high, or engine coolant system malfunction” and “do not drive. ” this creates a conflict: vw tells customers a coolant warning is urgent and dangerous, while internally telling dealers to do nothing unless symptoms worsen. Meanwhile, owners are left driving vehicles that could overheat, stall, or fail without proper diagnosis. I request NHTSA investigate whether this approach allows vw to underreport or delay addressing a possible defect. I am concerned about the safety and reliability of this vehicle and the potential for this issue to affect other Atlas owners.

Since I've had this car in 2022, it continues to misfire and decelerate randomly. Car starts shaking violently and slows down while in traffic causing me to have to figure out a way to get to the side of the road and turn the car off for a while. Vehicle has been taken in various times about this issue since purchase with no resolution. I usually get an error: start/stop message, epc light and sometimes the check engine light will come on. The dealer states that they couldn't reproduce the problem but when I had an oil change and they had the car running it happened, I called a tech to look at it and he just cut the car off. He says if you cut it off and it starts again, you're good. Except I am not good, the car isn't reliable. Every time they fix something, something else breaks but nothing can be done about this issue. Happens randomly but sometimes more often. Multiple times a day.

I bought the car new 2 years ago and the issues began around 11k miles and have continued every several months to it is current 45k mileage. On 4 occasions my car has powered down while driving speeds approximately 60mph and began shaking with the epc and check engine light becoming illuminated. Of those occasions, 3 of which I was able to get the car to the side of the road and restart it to get to a servicer. 1 of those times I had to have to towed. On the fifth occasion the car began shaking and worsened with accelaration with both the check engine and epc light on. The dealer has only changed a coil to date. Other occasions they repaired recalls in hopes of stopping. Several times I have been told it was a misfire and they could not pinpoint the issue.

Military combat retired veteran, purchased cpo 2019 Atlas from vw dealer. Claim filed with vw customer care. Numerous issues with steering rack, and excessive vibrations at normal speeds. Vehicle has never sounded or handled like would be expected. First alignment and 4 wheel balance 1 month after purchase - 2 months later, steering rack replaced. 5 months and 5500 miles after rack replaced, brakes and tires worn 50% post-steering rack replacement. Dealer state 'steering rack retorqued', and ware on tires and brakes due to 'underinflation'. When asked what psi was on the tires, dealer did not take a readings. Tire ware does not indicate 'underinflation', or misalignment. Indicates issues with toe or camber - presumably from when steering rack was replaced. Dealer resolution was to replaced tires, brakes, and rotors at a cost of over $2000 - all of this without knowing exactly what is causing the excessive ware. . . Each time, dealer indicates that "underinflation" or "alignment" issue - of which tire tread ware does not align with cause. Dealer still 'unsure' of what has caused issues, but 'is confident that it is good now'. At this point, without knowing the 'why' something is happening, and with dealer unable to determine root cause of problems, do not feel safe with my family in this vehicle.

This vehicle will suddenly just stop driving, including highway speeds. There is no rhyme or reason why this happens. Volkswagen of America refuses to assist, along with Volkswagen of boise, idaho refuses to look at the vehicle. After several attempts to have them diagnose the vehicle they refuse as the service manager has “banned” us from coming there. The service manager and general manager are racist since we were from California. We now have a vehicle that does not operate due to a recall and cannot service at the local authorized dealership. The next closest dealership is approximately 160 miles away. Many of my neighbors from California has said the same issue, and sold their vehicles just because they could not service the vehicle at boise Volkswagen.

On four occasions, (at a stop light/intersection, in a car line, in a drive thru, and in a parking lot), the engine has shut off while driving. All four times, I have been in drive and the car will stall and a "start engine manually" message pops up. Each time, I had to completely stop, put the car in park, restart the engine, and put it back in drive. This has definitely put myself and the safety of others at risk because it has caused my car to stop while on the road, as well as other locations where there are moving vehicles. If my vehicle were to stall at a time when I am in the middle of traffic, the time it takes to react to put the vehicle back into park, then restart the engine, then put it back into drive could lead to an accident. I. Havw tried to call the vw dealership and left several messages to report these incidences, but they have not returned my calls. I have also tried to calw customer care, but I haven't been able to get through. The "start engine manually" alert only shows when the engine has cut off and the car stalls. No other indicator or warning lights are present.

Since the purchase of this vehicle in 2019 I have complained that it was not shifting gears properly and upon first acceleration the Atlas would feel jumpy or hesitate. When slowing down even at 5 or 10 mph the vehicle would stay in 3rd gear. In June 2020 I had it documented, vw tech tested vehicle and stated performing to manufacturer's specs. It stayed like this and I took to another dealer in April 2021, Nov 2021, & Dec 2021 & was told transmission fine, then it began making a loud noise at 60 mph, car would softly shake or vibrate & took back to dealer in Feb 2022 and it was found that the transmission was faulty. Big chunks of metal scrap were found in pan by dealer tech. Vw advised dealer to change out transmission & cooler for a new one. Vehicle was returned to me with new transmission & cooler. I have since noticed that it continues to jump or hesitate at first acceleration and I am afraid that I will continue to have the issue and my vehicle will no longer be under warranty in a few thousand miles. No warning lights or messages ever appeared so to them it was fine until the sound was undeniable and big chunks of metal were found. This is unsafe for anyone to drive around with a faulty transmission.

The vehicle has had issues with the torque converter, head, head gasket, electrical system, gas cap door, seat belt. Vw has not been able to fix the issues.

My 2018 Volkswagen Atlas has a defect that has impaired my ability to use the vehicle as intended. It is not only unsafe but I am in fear of driving freeways because I do not know when my car will cut off. Manufactures were fully aware of their defective products. I have read forums pertaining to the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas engine sputtering (causes and diagnosis). It states that the causes could be a bad fuel system, ignition system,maf sensor, or bad converter. I have owned my vehicle for over a year and a half. During this time my vehicle has repeatedly started sputtering, deccelerated and turned off. It has happened 3 times and I do not feel safe. Have taken to dealership only to be told nothing was wrong with car. On October 18, 2022 Volkswagen group of America recalled 74,067 SUV's due to engine failure that could result in stall, increasing risks of crash. Troublesome connecting rod bearings that potentially lead to oil leaks and fire. Volkswagen has recalled 2022-2023 Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas cross sport. This is a manufacturer's defect. The defect did not start in 2022-2023 models the problem occured in 2017 when the Volkswagen Atlas was launched as a one of the most innovative technical platforms in automotive industry. I understand that the federal law requires safety recalls repairs to be provided up to 15 years because safety recalls do not expire. Nhts I am requesting that safety recalls be performed on 2018 Volkswagen Atlas because the same problems exit. I am requesting that Volkswagen group of America stand behind their products, take ownership of the necessary repairs to keep consumers safe from harms way. I thought there was nothing more terrifying than being buried alive until I drove up and down the streets of san francisco in a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The fear of not knowing when your car will start sputtering and decelerating causing you to plunge to your death is the most terrifying experience that I have just indured in my life.

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle a squealing type noise was present when accelerating from a standing start. The contact indicated that the noise was present for approximately three seconds before dissipating away. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced an engine valve but the failure continued to occur. No further information was available. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 13,000.

The engine overheated, stalled out, unable to restart and smelled like gasoline and Volkswagen dealer says need new engine.

Car randomly puts transmission into emergency mode.

On several occasions, the vehicle has stalled completely while at red lights or stopped in traffic, both in the city and on major highways. (the date provided is the most recent, but the condition has happened since the purchase in August 2019). I've had to completely restart the car. This is dangerous because anxious drivers behind begin to move forward expecting that I should also, not to mention the horn honking and hand gestures that have occurred. I had a very near miss this past weekend in this exact scenario.

While exiting parking lots at low speeds, the braking system slammed on the brakes bringing my car to a complete stop. One exit had somewhat of a steep slope , the other one was almost flat. Thankfully no one was behind me or I could have easily been rear ended since nothing was around me and nothing else could have caused the brakes to slam on. Car is also very jerky while accelerating or braking. Jerks through the gears and then jerks while braking. This happens at low speeds, most prevalent in neighborhoods going over bumps or slowing for stop signs. Took my car in to get looked at, they preformed a "software update" and said it would most likely stop the jerking. When I was leaving, I was given a "vehicle emission recall-proof of correction-CA" form just in case the dmv asked me for this form. The "software" update seemed to somewhat fix the problem but not all the way. My car either drives super jerky or smooth, no in between. In my opinion, for a $40, 000 car, this is ridiculous. Haven't even made a payment on it and im not looking forward to it (unless it was actually driving correctly).

Car just stops when leaving a parking lot and my driveway , no other cars are in the area. Braking is jerky alert system goes crazy with no one around the car just stops. This happen to us a total of 7 times so far. I the first time I reported to the dealer was on June 8 the car had 500 miles. Went back to the dealer late June and they test drove the car with us. It didnt stop but the service manger did witness the sensitive alerts and stated that he would contact the field manager. No follow up from the dealer was received for three weeks . This dealer is not acting in good faith. Then he says that there is no updates to the collision warning system and told us to call customer care. I have a 43,000 car that I am afraid to drive.

Tl-the contact owns a 2019 vw Atlas 3. 6 sel premium awd. The contact stated that while accelerating at varoius speeds there an abnormal noise ( squealing) intermittently without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer timmons Subaru 3950 cherry Ave, long beach, CA 90807 (888) 496-9707 gearbox is faulty but no remedy are available for repairs. The vehicle was not repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,748.

When the vehicle comes to a stop and the auto start/stop activates, the vehicle will sometimes not auto restart and will display, "please manually restart the engine". In order to follow the prompts and start the vehicle again, you have to put the vehicle in park and push the ignition button. I was able to recreate this issue 100% of the time by coming to a stop, having the ignition auto stop and then removing my seat belt (like you often do in a drive-thru to get your wallet out of your back pocket). I've also found that even though the vehicle will display, "please manually restart" if you reconnect your seat belt and push the gas pedal, the car will take off in drive. I"ve had this happen unexpectedly on four different occasions now and some incidents have occurred in the street and occurred even when the seat belt was attached. This is a major safety issue that could result in a crash with serious injury or death. The vehicle has been to vw twice now over the issue and the dealer tries to claim that's how the vehicle is designed to operate. I showed them page 173 in the owner's manual which states that all three of the following conditions must be met for the vehicle not to auto restart: no pedal is depressed, the driver's seat belt is removed, and the driver's door is opened. The word all is in bold and capitalized in the owners manual. My vehicle is currently back at the dealership and I've also contacted vw corporate in reference to the issue. The loaner Atlas the dealer gave me performs in the same defective manner. I believe there's a computer programming issue and all Atlas' need recalled to correct the issue because they're not performing per the owner's manual; which could lead to serious injury or death. There is video of the issue and the dealer was able to recreate the problem as well even though they are fighting me to correct the issue.