Auto Recall Watch
U.S. public vehicle records

2021 Volkswagen ATLAS problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

473 owner complaints analyzed

17 distinct recall campaigns

15,075 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2021 model year. Data updated: . 36 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 145 of 473 complaints (30.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior13929.4%
Electrical and battery issues5611.8%
Engine operation388.0%
Fuel system concerns204.2%
Steering behavior153.2%
Transmission and shifting61.3%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Electrical System
145
Service Brakes
93
Engine
84
Unknown Or Other
77
Exterior Lighting
66
Air Bags
65
Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking
52
Fuel/Propulsion System
41
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Electrical System145
Service Brakes93
Engine84
Unknown Or Other77
Exterior Lighting66
Air Bags65
Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking52
Fuel/Propulsion System41

Electrical System: 145; Service Brakes: 93; Engine: 84; Unknown Or Other: 77; Exterior Lighting: 66; Air Bags: 65; Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking: 52; Fuel/Propulsion System: 41

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
25
25,000 to 49,999
5
50,000 to 74,999
5
75,000 to 99,999
1
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,00025
25,000 to 49,9995
50,000 to 74,9995
75,000 to 99,9991
100,000 to 149,9990
150,000 and above0

Under 25,000: 25; 25,000 to 49,999: 5; 50,000 to 74,999: 5; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (25). 437 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2020
5
2021
31
2022
132
2023
43
2024
89
2025
83
2026
90
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20205
202131
2022132
202343
202489
202583
202690

2020: 5; 2021: 31; 2022: 132; 2023: 43; 2024: 89; 2025: 83; 2026: 90

Pattern summary

Electrical System leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 139 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 56 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 38 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 11423061 · 2021-07-01 (July 1, 2021)

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,…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11423061 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11433246 · 2021-09-16 (September 16, 2021)

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 continu…

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Owner report 11448603 · 2022-01-24 (January 24, 2022)

Due to faulty driver side wiring harness the computer system on the vehicle will engage the automatic parking break while driving. In addition windows open randomly and vehicle displays a variety of warnings on the dash indicating that the engine is running and that the door sensor is malfunctioning. When the parking break engages the vehicle jolts to a stop unexpectedly creating a dangerous situation for the vehicle, especially when moving through an intersection. The problem has been confirmed by the dealership where it is waiting on a new…

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Owner report 11448985 · 2022-01-26 (January 26, 2022)

After 3 months of owning this brand new car, the parking system started to act up. My parking sensors would beep for no reason, windows would roll down and my parking brake would come on when I was driving. I took the car to the dealership and they did an electrical update. Two months later the same issue happened again, as well as my engine light came on because my coolant was low. Again I took it to the dealership where I was told a door harness sensor needed to be replaced and my head gasket needed to be replaced as well. My car has been in …

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Owner report 11455904 · 2022-03-09 (March 9, 2022)

While driving the vehicle the parking brake engaged by itself causing the car to come to a sudden stop while driving on a main road. This proceeded to happen two more times while I tried to get off main road. before the parking brake couldn’t be shut off any longer and car had to be towed. I was told by dealer this is due to an issue with the door module telling the car the door opened causing the parking brake to engage. This is a known issue with the dealers and a huge safety issue yet there is no recall. An addition, the car had stalled app…

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Owner report 11457658 · 2022-03-21 (March 21, 2022)

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 vehi…

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Owner report 11434576 · 2021-09-27 (September 27, 2021)

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 happene…

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Owner report 11434579 · 2021-09-27 (September 27, 2021)

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 …

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Owner report 11453750 · 2022-02-24 (February 24, 2022)

The EPC light came on and caused the vehicle to stop working, steering, brakes, sped, were affected immediately as I was on the interstate.car was basically limping. I dropped car off at dealer and they said it was misfiring due to bags gas. Car has 8000 miles and was only 9 months old. Repairs cost over $2000 and they said it was not covered under warranty as the fuel injector was damaged after what they said is bad gas. It is a know issue the fuel injectors are bad with the VW atlas. The government needs to stop VW from selling vehicle…

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Owner report 11456099 · 2022-03-10 (March 10, 2022)

I purchased a brand new 2021 VW Atlas Cross Sport . In January I started experiencing major electrical sensor failures including automatically opening the windows, engaging the electronic parking brake when in motion, power steering sensor warning, engine warning and epc warning. VW has told me this is a wiring harness failure and they have over 6000 cars with this problem and can not give me a date as to when the parts will be available. I can not drive the car any distance for fear it will break down as I have had to have it towed once al…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11456099 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11443653 · 2021-12-13 (December 13, 2021)

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 shifte…

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Owner report 11565487 · 2024-01-14 (January 14, 2024)

I was driving my 2021 Volkswagen Atlas on a Friday evening that has under 55,000 miles and it stopped on me while I was driving. I have NEVER had any problems with this vehicle. This was a HUGE safety issue, as my vehicle stopped at a light while in motion at an intersection and it would not go forward. I attempted to turn my vehicle off and back on, then put the vehicle into park, drive, and reverse and it would not go into any gear and made this loud noise. I had to place my foot on the brakes so the vehicle would not roll until the tow compa…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11565487 at NHTSA ↗

Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.

Data completeness

473 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-09-30.

7.6%Usable mileage36 / 473 records
100.0%Valid incident date473 / 473 records
100.0%Valid filing date473 / 473 records
100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates473 / 473 records

Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.

Problems by model year

Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.

Component complaint heatmap
Component201820192020202120222023202420252026
Electrical System
11023.7%
ODI 11051858 · 140 mi

THE IGNITION SWITCH, IF PRESSED, WILL TURN OFF THE ENGINE WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION. THE IGNITION SWITCH IS NEXT TO THE SHIFT GEAR AND MAY BE ACCIDENTALLY PRESSED, CAUSING THE CAR TO STOP WHILE IN MOTION. THIS IS A SAFETY RISK WHICH MAY CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH.

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7415.4%
ODI 11190934

MY BATTERY DIED WHILE DRIVING AND I HAD NO CONTROL OF BRAKES OR WHEEL

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1140.7%
ODI 11448453

In the beginning of Novemeber 2021 with 7680 miles an alarm stating Error: Driver door contact switch Fault: Electronic parking brake Attention: Engine is running. Error: Start Stop The check engine light/EPC lights were on. Windows do not open or open about an inch by themselves. This issue occurs most times when starting the vehicle. VW was made aware and checked the vehicle stating the driver side door harness needs to be replaced but there is shipping delays. Over the next few months when operating the vehicle under speeds of approxi…

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14530.7%
ODI 11373444 · 5,000 mi

ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29TH, I STARTED MY CAR AFTER IT HAD BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE FOR SEVERAL DAYS IN THE RAIN. AFTER BACKING MY CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND THEN PROPELLING FORWARD, WATER (EASILY 1.5-2 CUPS) CAME OUT OF THE REAR VIEW MIRROR ONTO THE PANELING BELOW. THE WATER CAME OUT OF THE BUTTONS AS THEY WERE PUSHED ON THE PANEL. IN ADDITION, THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND, YOU COULD SEE THE CONDENSATION IN THE BUTTONS. AS A RESULT, THE AC/HEAT PANELING DID NOT WORK CORRECTLY FOR SEVERAL DAYS. WHEN I WOULD TURN ON THE CAR, THE PANEL WOULD LIGHT UP AND…

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4323.5%
ODI 11451077

At first the Infotainment system touchscreen would not turn on at first start of the day but would turn on after a few minutes. Then, after a week, it stopped turning on altogether. Wireless phone charging and Advanced Road Sign Recognition system is not working as well.

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3224.1%
ODI 11495117

While driving down the road at about 50 mph, the vehicle engine shut off. The vehicle lost all power to the engine, dash board, and steering. The vehicle was unable to be moved as it could not be shifted into neutral so as to push it out of the roadway. After approximately 30 minutes, the vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle then drove for about 1 mile before it lost all power again. This incident created a grave risk, as the vehicle stopped in the lane of traffic, without any warning, and was unable to be moved. The vehicle is approximat…

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4325.3%
ODI 11584098

I am reaching out to you with urgent news regarding a concerning situation involving Volkswagen and a dangerous malfunction in their vehicles. After purchasing a brand-new Volkswagen Atlas from Ken Garff in Gilbert AZ, I have encountered persistent malfunctions in the vehicle's technology, particularly the Apple CarPlay feature and the integrated navigation system. These malfunctions have not only posed a significant safety risk while driving but have also severely diminished the usability and value of the vehicle. Even more alarming is Volks…

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1734.7%
ODI 11637040

Ever since the 2nd day I owned the car which I purchased on [XXX], the interior lighting, sunroof button and roadside assistance button operate themselves when it's colder then 40 degrees outside, the lights blink, the sunroof button doesn't work and the roadside assistance gets called repeatedly. All this is very distracting while driving, especially in the evening time. I have video recorded it and also opened a ticket with volkswagon and also have shown the issue in person to the service manager Ian and antwerpan volkswagon in pasadena, md.…

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333.3%
ODI 11745701

Infotainment system has been rebooting and disabling the cars ADAS momentarily. Most recently, this resulted in the car turning itself off while making a turn. Happened a second time while pulling into the dealership on the same day.

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Air Bags
9921.3%
ODI 11060744 · 580 mi

SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED ON PASSENGER SIDE TIRES HIT CUBS...NO DIRECT DAMAGE WHAT SO EVER TO CAR JUST RIMS. AN ONCOMING CAR WAS COMING TOO CLOSE TO ME. :30 SECONDS LATER (RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY GATED COMMUNITY), EVERY SINGLE AIR BAG DEPLOYED EXCEPT FRONT AND PASSENGER AIR BAGS. THE CAR IS MOTION :30 AFTER INTERACTION WITH CURB WHEN THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. IT WAS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD IN FRESNO 93711 (FIR STREET)

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13929.0%
ODI 11191049 · 2,585 mi

AIR BAG ERROR LIGHT SHOWED UP WHEN I TURNED ON MY CAR, UNDER 3,000 MILES ON CAR CAR WAS DRIVEN THE NIGHT BEFORE AND DRIVER REPORTED AIR BAG ERROR LIGHT FLASHING AND THEN REMAINED STEADY ON.

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725.9%
ODI 11406626

MY 2020 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE SHOP. WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN APRIL 2020 WITH GREAT HOPES...WE'VE BEEN LOYAL VW CUSTOMERS AND HAVE OWNED 2 OTHER VW VEHICLES PRIOR. ISSUES BEGAN MID-AUG 2020, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON AND WE BEGAN HEARING A RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL AND BEGAN SMELLING A BURNT ODOR COMING FROM THE ENGINE. AT THIS TIME, THE VW SHOP DID THE FOLLOWING: THE ELECTRO-MECHANICAL STEERING WAS REPLACED AND THE ACF VALVE WAS REMOVED & REPLACED. ISSUE PERSISTED. …

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6513.7%
ODI 11372372 · 800 mi

I BOUGHT MY VEHICLE AROUND THREE WEEKS AGO. IT IS A BRAND NEW 2021 VW ATLAS. TWO DAYS AGO THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH INDICATING THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM/ISSUE WITH THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG. MY HUSBAND NOTICED THE ISSUE FIRST AND SAID THAT IT OCCURRED WHEN HE STARTED THE CAR INITIALLY. THE LIGHT SEEMS TO STAY ON WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION.

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3016.4%
ODI 11463493

On Thursday, April 14th, the airbag warning light illuminated while displaying an "AirBag Error" message. The vehicle was dropped off at the dealership the same day. The information below is from the Volkswagen dealership in Tulsa, OK “Performed Guided Fault Finding diagnosis, DTC B100B: Driver's Thorax Airbag Igniter, -N199-, Resistance Too High. Performed procedure as per TSB #2066699 (revised May 3, 2022). Removed driver's seat backrest and inspected driver's seat wiring harness connector T3ax for damage, poor connection, pin terminals p…

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2216.5%
ODI 11509631

The Airbag warning light turns on/off at random times while operating vehicle. Sometimes the light remains on until the vehicle is restarted. During the events, only the driver was in the vehicle and nothing was on top of the passenger seats. There is also a pop-up Airbag message that displays on the dashboard panel and stays on for several seconds, when the Airbag warning light turns on.

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84.7%
ODI 11607630

The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V464000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

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00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Engine
9921.3%
ODI 11058104 · 3,246 mi

EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. USED 1AND 1/2 QUARTS OF OIL AT 3250 MILES(WHICH WAS ADDED BY THE DEALER SERVICE DEPT. TODAY 1/2/18) WAS BOUGHT AS A NEW VEHICLE 9/17 WITH ONLY 12 MILES ON ODOMETER.(12/25/17) FIRST THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT LIT, THEY SAID IT WAS THE GAS CAP.ONE WEEK LATER THE CHECK OIL LEVEL ALARM LIT . THEY CHECKED IT SAID NO EXTERNAL LEAKS, THEY ADDED THE 1 1/2 QUART OIL , SAID TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE LEVEL. I AM SCARED TO TAKE THIS CAR ON ANY TRIPS WITH THIS CAR. ALSO THE COOLANT LEVEL WAS AT THE MINIMUM LEVEL, THE SERVICE OPEN THE …

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6012.5%
ODI 11190934

MY BATTERY DIED WHILE DRIVING AND I HAD NO CONTROL OF BRAKES OR WHEEL

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311.1%
ODI 11456876

Drivers side door harness is problem- driver door fault, electric parking brake fault, start stop fault, car would automatically engage parking brake This is such a huge problem with Volkswagen that the car has been in shop six weeks waiting on part because of back order due to demand

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8417.8%
ODI 11419168

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.

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5027.3%
ODI 11468919

The vehicles parking brake came on and the car shut off by itself in the middle of the road.

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3526.3%
ODI 11495117

While driving down the road at about 50 mph, the vehicle engine shut off. The vehicle lost all power to the engine, dash board, and steering. The vehicle was unable to be moved as it could not be shifted into neutral so as to push it out of the roadway. After approximately 30 minutes, the vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle then drove for about 1 mile before it lost all power again. This incident created a grave risk, as the vehicle stopped in the lane of traffic, without any warning, and was unable to be moved. The vehicle is approximat…

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2816.5%
ODI 11556549

Engine failure. Can not start. Lost all the fuel with in an 1 hr after filling the tank.

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714.3%
ODI 11711633

I was driving on the road and my car just turned off. The car turned off mid drive. When I tried to turn the car on again, the engine revved and within a few seconds the car turned off again. The dash showed an error message "Error: Drive system. Please service vehicle." When the tow truck came, the tow truck driver said he has seen this issue before with VW Atlas cars. He tried to turn the car on again, and the same thing happened. When this happened, I felt extremely unsafe because the car just stopped in the middle of the street and I was u…

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444.4%
ODI 11735799

oil leak at intake pipe to turbo joint. this is a well known problem with this engine.

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Service Brakes
7415.9%
ODI 11055999 · 1,025 mi

I CAME TO A FULL STOP AS I WAS ABOUT TO EXIT A DRIVEWAY. SINCE THERE WERE NO VEHICLES APPROACHING FROM EITHER DIRECTION AND THERE WERE NO OBSTACLES IN FRONT OF ME, I STATED TO PULL OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY WHEN THE AUTONOMOUS EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM SUDDENLY AND ABRUPTLY STOPPED MY VEHICLE WITH NO JUSTIFICATION. THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM FAILURE CAN RESULT IN INJURY.

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7615.8%
ODI 11190934

MY BATTERY DIED WHILE DRIVING AND I HAD NO CONTROL OF BRAKES OR WHEEL

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414.8%
ODI 11448453

In the beginning of Novemeber 2021 with 7680 miles an alarm stating Error: Driver door contact switch Fault: Electronic parking brake Attention: Engine is running. Error: Start Stop The check engine light/EPC lights were on. Windows do not open or open about an inch by themselves. This issue occurs most times when starting the vehicle. VW was made aware and checked the vehicle stating the driver side door harness needs to be replaced but there is shipping delays. Over the next few months when operating the vehicle under speeds of approxi…

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9319.7%
ODI 11442273

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.

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4625.1%
ODI 11456760

The parking brake was engaged automatically while driving. The car came to a sudden stop creating a hazard with traffic. There were no warning lamps or bells. At this point the vehicle has not yet been inspected by the dealer.

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1511.3%
ODI 11515593

Purchased brand new 2023 Atlas Premium R line. First few weeks noticed exposed wires above pedals under steering wheel area, A/C not blowing cold air and touchscreen glitches. Took back to dealer March 2-18. They put a panel over exposed wires factory forgot. They also said they could not find anything wrong with AC or touchscreen. It was working fine, then few days later same problems followed by total power loss/ car completely shut off and locked up when accelerating at a traffic light. Then about week later car abruptly came to a complete s…

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3621.2%
ODI 11627755

Brakes grind and vibrate and have for the past 7,000 miles, dealer continues to say this is normal for Volkswagen, this problem has been reported numerous times to VW and doing an internet search I am not the only one with this problem. Numerous other individuals with these vehicles also have this issue. The other issue is the transfer case continues to leak, this has been replaced once already, and now less than 4,000 miles later it is leaking again. VW continues to say everything is normal and it is normal to feel the vibration and grinding …

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510.2%
ODI 11684583

The autonomous braking activates out of no where while driving. Violently hard and nothing around. A message appears on the dash board saying it can not sense hands on steering wheel. Also while backing up it will activate and no one is near the car or it even activates in an empty parking lot. The car jolted so hard when this happens and everyone went flying forward. No ..the dealer has had the car for 8 days and says they can not replicate the problem. He asked me for permission to drive it to Land O Lakes and I said no the car is very dang…

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00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Unknown Or Other
7215.5%
ODI 11076875

THE HEATING SYSTEM IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY WHEN THE REMOTE STARTER IS USED, AND THERE IS NO IMMEDIATE SOLUTION TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. THE HEATING SYSTEM DISPERSES COLD AIR INSTEAD OF HEATING THE CABIN AND DEFROSTING THE WINDOWS/WINDSHIELDS. THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE GETTING THE CAR IN NOVEMBER 2017. V TOLD ME THIS IS A KNOWN NATIONAL ISSUE AND NO IMMEDIATE SOLUTION. I'M CONCERNED THAT ALL VW CUSTOMERS WHO PURCHASED A IN ATLAS WITH A REMOTE STARTER, ARE NOT GETTING THE SERVICE THE PAID OR ARE PAYING FOR. NICE ADDITION PROSPECTIVE BUY…

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6012.5%
ODI 11163963

DEFECT IN AIR CONDITIONING UNIT. ALSO, INCORRECTLY CODED DATA CONTAINER WHICH FAILS TO PROVIDE AUDIBLE WARNING WHEN THE DRIVER OPENS THE DOOR WHICH INCREASES RISK OF VEHICLE THEFT.

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518.5%
ODI 11436096

Hi please tell me if you can help me or help me find someone who can help me A friend imported from the USA to Romania a car VW Atlas chassis series . In order to register in Romania at the local Vehicle Department, the officer must see a chassis / VIN number carved on steel and compare this number with the VIN number on the windshield dashboard and in the documents. I found only two stickers with VIN: 1) on the doorstep from the driver. 2) another sticker in the area of the spare tire. I didn't find the stamped VIN. In Romania, it is NOT po…

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7716.3%
ODI 11350629 · 150 mi

ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONS AND IS RENDERED USELESS WHEN VEHICLE IS STARTED UTILIZING REMOTE START. VEHICLE MUST BE STOPPED TURNED OFF AND STARTED WITH PUSH BUTTON IN ORDER TO CLEAR THE MALFUNCTION AND USE CRUISE CONTROL. VOLKSWAGEN USA TECHNICIANS TOLD DEALER TECHNICIAN THAT THERE IS NO FIX FOR THE ISSUE.

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2513.7%
ODI 11449496

The infotainment center of the vehicle does not start/work upon start of the car. I get a notification on the dashboard that audio is not available. The whole infotainment center not working on startup means I cannot view the picture/video feed from the rear camera. I tried activating the park assist feature to activate the camera but it did not work because the infotainment center was inoperable. I purchased the car one week ago and have had this issue on starting up the car everyday this past week. It takes anywhere from 2-10 minutes before t…

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2317.3%
ODI 11500335

I was driving on the highway when suddenly the sunroof shattered, sending broken glass all inside the vehicle right above the passenger seats. Nothing hit the window as there were no cars around us, in broad daylight, with clear skies. It is unknown what caused this other than a manufacturing defect.

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2917.1%
ODI 11578809

The backup camera stopped working on March 19. Because the car is less than a year old, we thought it was a minor glitch and would go away on its own. On March 20, the backup camera was still not working. On March 21, with the backup camera still not working, we contacted the dealership to schedule an appointment to diagnose and fix it but the next available appointment isn't until June (three months from now). This is just a diagnosis appointment, not an appointment to fix the issue, and they said depending on the diagnoses we'd have to book a…

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1224.5%
ODI 11637040

Ever since the 2nd day I owned the car which I purchased on [XXX], the interior lighting, sunroof button and roadside assistance button operate themselves when it's colder then 40 degrees outside, the lights blink, the sunroof button doesn't work and the roadside assistance gets called repeatedly. All this is very distracting while driving, especially in the evening time. I have video recorded it and also opened a ticket with volkswagon and also have shown the issue in person to the service manager Ian and antwerpan volkswagon in pasadena, md.…

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222.2%
ODI 11739130

Had new vehicle for 1 week and it broke down in a parking lot and would not start on 5/10/26. It was towed and dealership, found it to be a faulty feel injector system that was replaced. Picked it up from the dealership on 5/13/26 and I lost the ability to accelerate while on the interstate. It was towed back to the dealership who had to reach out to V. W headquarters to determine the problem. It was discovered that the electronic control module needed to be replaced. That unit is on back order and I still do not have my vehicle.

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Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking
194.1%
ODI 11102848

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS. WITHIN WEEKS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS A FAILURE WITH THE STRUT MOUNTED SYSTEM. FURTHERMORE, AN ABNORMAL RATTLING NOISE WAS HEARD ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT ASSIST WITH AUTONOMOUS EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM ENGAGED SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SEIZE WHILE IN MOTION WITH NO OTHER VEHICLE NEARBY. THE DEALER (DANBURY VOLKSWAGEN, 29 SUGAR HOLLOW RD, DANBURY, CT 06810, [phone removed]) HAD THE VEHICLE FOR OVER TWO MONTHS …

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5411.3%
ODI 11373804 · 11,700 mi

CAR HAS STOPPED ABRUPTLY IN TRAFFIC ON TWO OCCASION IN WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INNOCUOUS CIRCUMSTANCES. FIRST WAS TRAVELING IN A STRAIGHT LINE ON A SLIGHT DECLINE AND NO HAZARDS, SLOW MOVING MODERATE TRAFFIC (ABOUT 25 - 30 MPH), WHERE THE CAR WAS COASTING (DRIVE NEITHER ACCELERATING OR BRAKING) IN PERFECT WEATHER. SECOND WAS MAKING A TURN AT A GREEN LEFT TURN SIGNAL, PROBABLY AT SPEED OF 15 MPH; AGAIN PERFECT WEATHER. DEALER RESPONSE WAS TO INDICATE THE SYSTEM WAS SENSITIVE AND OFFERED TO DEACTIVATE IT. SECOND RESPONSE WAS TO "RECALIBRATE…

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414.8%
ODI 11457473

Driver door harness malfunction causing many errors to display on dash. It also causes emergency brake to engage before coming to a complete stop basically slamming on the brake. Doors will randomly try to lock while driving even though they are locked and back windows will roll down. The driver window and door controls will not work to roll up/down window or unlock/lock doors. This all started in August 2021 with just the windows rolling down. Then weeks passed and a little more started happening. Then the brakes happened. It was a random occu…

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5211.0%
ODI 11394353 · 50 mi

MY WIFE'S 2021 ATLAS CRUISE CONTROL HAS NOT WORKED SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN JULY 2020. WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE VIA REMOTE START (APP OR REMOTE) IT DISABLES THE ENTIRE FRONT END COLLISION SYSTEM AND THE CRUISE DOES NOT WORK. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP OVER 3 WEEKS IN TOTAL NOW WITH NO FIX IN SIGHT. WE ARE NOW BEING TOLD THAT WE WAIT 6 WEEKS TO SEE IF WE QUALIFY FOR THEIR LEMON LAW STANDARDS. NO LOANER WAS OFFERED.

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126.6%
ODI 11461519

Two separate instances. The first: emergency break engaged for no reason while in driveway at a low speed. It jolted the car back and I had to put car in Park and then drive again. If this happened while anywhere else, it could cause an accident by being rear ended or a tail spin. Second incident: driving on interstate the forward collision warning symbol came on in red in addition to a red exclamation point. We were driving around 65mph with cars around us. The warning came on seemingly out of nowhere and then was gone several minutes later. …

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53.8%
ODI 11510761

Shortly after leaving the dealership, and while driving on the highway, I was cut off by another vehicle and the front assist / collision avoidance did not turn. I immediately reported the issue to the dealership, and the next day the representative came over, reviewed all the settings, and confirmed that it was properly configured. Nonetheless, it still did not work. Moreover, the alert has only occurred sporadically and under odd circumstances, such as an empty intersection (but not always, even though I drive by the same intersection very…

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158.8%
ODI 11575105

Driving on a straight road in the rain approximately 45-50 mph with no other cars in front. Automatic braking system went on 3 times within 200 yards. Very scary- could have been rear-ended or hydroplaned.

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36.1%
ODI 11684583

The autonomous braking activates out of no where while driving. Violently hard and nothing around. A message appears on the dash board saying it can not sense hands on steering wheel. Also while backing up it will activate and no one is near the car or it even activates in an empty parking lot. The car jolted so hard when this happens and everyone went flying forward. No ..the dealer has had the car for 8 days and says they can not replicate the problem. He asked me for permission to drive it to Land O Lakes and I said no the car is very dang…

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00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Fuel/Propulsion System
326.9%
ODI 11105212 · 1,462 mi

ENGINE TURNS OFF WHILE RUNNING. DISPLAY SAYS TO TURN ON ENGINE MANUALLY. THE PROBLEM IS THAT IF YOU ARE IN A HIGHWAY YOU HAVE TO STOP AN PUSH THE BRAKE AND THEN THE START BUTTON. IT HAPPENED IN ACITY STREET. THIS IS THE FIFTH TIME IT GOES TO THE DEALER TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.

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326.7%
ODI 11218819 · 1,650 mi

2019 VW VOLKSWAGEN SEL-P WITH 1600 MILES. STARTED THE CAR TO COME HOME FROM THE PARK 2 MILES AWAY FROM HOME AND HALFWAY HOME THE CAR STARTED CUTTING OUT, HAD VERY LIMITED POWER, EPC LIGHT CAME ON FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY THE ENGINE LIGHT AND A FUEL SMELL. BY THE TIME I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY THE FUEL SMELL WAS VERY STRONG. SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTED IT WHILE SOMEONE WAS LOOKING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. IT WAS IMMEDIATELY SEEN THAT A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS DUMPING FROM THE FUEL RAIL/INJECTOR AREA AT THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE. RAW GAS WAS…

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27.4%
ODI 11660065

Hello. I have a 2020 Vw Atlas V6 SE R-Line. The truck shots off when idleling, on speeds of 5 mph to 10 mph and even on the highway. This is a serious problem and extremely dangerous to my family and myself as well as other owners that have the same issue wile driving on highways. It can easily cause a serious accident. This has happened multiple times and I even took it to the dealership to get it diagnosed and repair. They replaced the vapor charcoal canister and the issue was gone for about a year and it came right back. This does not brin…

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418.7%
ODI 11434576

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 happene…

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137.1%
ODI 11612446

Fuel, gas tank , start-stop, ignition faulty filter and fuel tank collapsing on itself. Diagnosed at dealership. Car stalled in road, at intersections and inability to start , almost rear-ended , and side collision at traffic lights. (With Children in car) break won't compress to start vehicle. They say they know of problem but don't have parts on hand to fix . And no recall cause they can't determine which ones got faulty parts so seen at dealership. Key fob battery was replaced and epc light came on. Immediately stalled in traffic. Wednesday…

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1712.8%
ODI 11531448

I'm emailing due to issues with my 2023 Cross Sport I purchased. It's a dire situation, as I had issues with my 2021 Cross Sport and VW ended up repurchasing the vehicle from me due a number of safety concerns. During my search for a new vehicle, I could not find anything that I liked so I ended up contacting Hawk VW in Joliet, IL to ask about the new 2023 Cross Sport and asked if they were aware of any issues and they said no. I purchased a 2023 Cross Sport on September 28, 2022 in hopes that I would have a more pleasant experience. This is a …

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52.9%
ODI 11589690

I was driving approximately 72 - 74 mph on an expressway and approaching traffic ahead of me. To move around this traffic, I switched lanes and attempted to accelerate. Immediately upon pressing the accelerator, the vehicle began to sputter, jerk, and decelerate, and the engine revved at what sounded like a very high rate of RPMs. The vehicle continued to sputter and jerk as it decelerated to a speed of approximately 55 – 58 mph. Once the vehicle reached that speed range, I was able to maintain my velocity; however, the vehicle continued t…

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00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

111.1%
ODI 11739130

Had new vehicle for 1 week and it broke down in a parking lot and would not start on 5/10/26. It was towed and dealership, found it to be a faulty feel injector system that was replaced. Picked it up from the dealership on 5/13/26 and I lost the ability to accelerate while on the interstate. It was towed back to the dealership who had to reach out to V. W headquarters to determine the problem. It was discovered that the electronic control module needed to be replaced. That unit is on back order and I still do not have my vehicle.

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Exterior Lighting
143.0%
ODI 11155453 · 18,475 mi

MY VEHICLE BATTERY DIED AFTER REFUELING. AND I HAD TO CALL FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FOR A JUMP. VEHICLE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM SHOWED 2 MESSAGES: 1) 12 VOLT BATTERY LOW AND RECHARGE WHILE DRIVING 2) ERROR START/STOP SYSTEM

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20.4%
ODI 11445567

This is a safety issue where this can be dangerous for drivers like myself and their families life, and others life at risk. This reporting is to prevent and avert future accidents. Headlights brightness in 2019-2020 Atlas Se with Tec is very poor. Due to dull brightness (Low Beam) night driving is very exhaustive and need to very extreme alert state. This causes strain eyes and causes fatigue during long drive. Lights are so dull when an oncoming very old cars with halogens lights passes by, led lights in Atlas fades away from road. Usual…

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00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

6614.0%
ODI 11442585

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.

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137.1%
ODI 11648509

Steering gear failed twice i have the first one make my car shake so bad and second it makes horrible noise every time i moved the steering wheel . Both front head light led failed for the day running light. Car has misfiring problems with spark plugs and injectors making driving unpredictable and engine start shaking out of nowhere and epc (electronic power control )light comes on

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139.8%
ODI 11516541

Car was returned from VW dealer Friday for door harness replacement. Saturday night around 930pm we were driving on the toll road when the car starts malfunctioning at 75mph. Various warnings flashed and beeped. My husband was trying to keep control and merge over to slower lanes so we could pull over to safety. During this time the speedometer showed we were going zero which we clearly were not, windows started rolling down then the vehicles screens and outside lighting went black. This is at night while trying to get over 3 lanes of traffic s…

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95.3%
ODI 11598413

Multiple times the interior lights will not turn on or the turn on by themselves and flash even after turning the car off and on again. Brought it to the dealership with the complaint a few times, and dealer told me nothing they could do even with the video of it happening. When this is not working, the emergency call and other features do not work either.

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24.1%
ODI 11637040

Ever since the 2nd day I owned the car which I purchased on [XXX], the interior lighting, sunroof button and roadside assistance button operate themselves when it's colder then 40 degrees outside, the lights blink, the sunroof button doesn't work and the roadside assistance gets called repeatedly. All this is very distracting while driving, especially in the evening time. I have video recorded it and also opened a ticket with volkswagon and also have shown the issue in person to the service manager Ian and antwerpan volkswagon in pasadena, md.…

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111.1%
ODI 11745701

Infotainment system has been rebooting and disabling the cars ADAS momentarily. Most recently, this resulted in the car turning itself off while making a turn. Happened a second time while pulling into the dealership on the same day.

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Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.

Failure mileage by component

Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.

Component failure mileage distribution
ComponentMileage range (25th–75th percentile)MedianUsable recordsExamples
Electrical System10,502–20,500 mi15,000 mi8
ODI 11373444 · 5,000 mi

ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29TH, I STARTED MY CAR AFTER IT HAD BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE FOR SEVERAL DAYS IN THE RAIN. AFTER BACKING MY CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND THEN PROPELLING FORWARD, WATER (EASILY 1.5-2 CUPS) CAME OUT OF THE REAR VIEW MIRROR ONTO THE PANELING BELOW. THE WATER CAME OUT OF THE BUTTONS AS THEY WERE PUSHED ON THE PANEL. IN ADDITION, THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND, YOU COULD SEE THE CONDENSATION IN THE BUTTONS. AS A RESULT, THE AC/HEAT PANELING DID NOT WORK CORRECTLY FOR SEVERAL DAYS. WHEN I WOULD TURN ON THE CAR, THE PANEL WOULD LIGHT UP AND…

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ODI 11457136 · 12,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH on the highway, the brakes applied without the brake pedal being depressed. The contact was able to pull over and made it home safely. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and it was diagnosed as the wiring harness needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 12,000.

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ODI 11457300 · 6,009 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that when starting the vehicle with the auto start first then after getting into the vehicle, there was a 12 volt battery in which was not charging, as well as, advising the contact to stop driving the vehicle warning displayed. The vehicle's start and stop failed to function. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the alternator had failed and the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The contact found that their vehicle's failure related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21…

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Service Brakes8,300–19,923 mi10,600 mi6
ODI 11457136 · 12,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH on the highway, the brakes applied without the brake pedal being depressed. The contact was able to pull over and made it home safely. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and it was diagnosed as the wiring harness needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 12,000.

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ODI 11458733 · 9,200 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the door latch light and the air bag warning light illuminated. Later while driving approximately 30 MPH, the door contact sensor illuminated. Additionally, the rear and front driver’s side windows rolled down independently. The failure persisted. The contact stated that the Emergency Automatic Braking system activated inadvertently and slowed the vehicle while driving. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was not diagnosed but not repaired. Th…

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ODI 11459093 · 8,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes erroneously engaged nearly causing a crash. Additionally, the door locks would randomly unlatch and the driver’s side window would erroneously roll down. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 8,000.

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EngineToo few reports for a range15,000 mi3 (sparse)
ODI 11457322 · 15,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH and decelerating, the vehicle stopped abruptly. The driver's side rear window independently rolled down and the parking brake inadvertently engaged. The contact was able to pull over and drive to her residence. Additionally, the alarm was beeping. The check engine and battery warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that a message was displayed that the engine was still running. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was di…

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ODI 11463391 · 15,150 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V152000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing electrical issues. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the warning messages "Automatic Start/Stop Is Not Available", " Lane Assist Is Not Currently Available”, “Faulty Electronic parking Brake" "Door Is Ajar Fault" and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the…

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ODI 11471504 · 1,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving approximately 2 MPH, the rear windows inadvertently rolled down independently. The contact also stated the vehicle stalled. The contact shifted to park(P) and restarted the vehicle. The contact also stated the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and while driving. The vehicle was shifted to park(P) and restarted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who determined failures with three recalls on the Volkswagen Atlas for l…

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Unknown Or OtherToo few reports for a range415 mi2 (sparse)
ODI 11350629 · 150 mi

ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONS AND IS RENDERED USELESS WHEN VEHICLE IS STARTED UTILIZING REMOTE START. VEHICLE MUST BE STOPPED TURNED OFF AND STARTED WITH PUSH BUTTON IN ORDER TO CLEAR THE MALFUNCTION AND USE CRUISE CONTROL. VOLKSWAGEN USA TECHNICIANS TOLD DEALER TECHNICIAN THAT THERE IS NO FIX FOR THE ISSUE.

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ODI 11383452 · 680 mi

MY WIFE HAD JUST GOTTEN ONTO INTERSTATE AND TIRE LIGHT COMES ON. WAS TRYING TO GET TO NEXT EXIT TO CHECK BUT HEARD A POPPING NOISE AND THEN CAR STARTED SWERVING. GOT TO SIDE OF ROAD AND ALL THE TIRE WAS GONE FROM RIGHT REAR EXCEPT RIM BEAD AREA AND ABOUT 1 INCH OF SIDEWALL. NEW CAR WITH 680 MILES USING PIRELLI SCORPION ZERO 265/45 R21 104T TIRES THAT WERE FACTORY INSTALLED. AFTER TOW REPAIR REPLACE WITH SPARE TIRE I LOCATED ALL THE TREAD TIRE AGAINST MEDIAN WALL ON HIGHWAY WHERE IT HAD STOPPED. EXCEPT FOR HAVING SEPARATED FROM RIM BEAD OF…

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Air Bags15,613–50,404 mi19,500 mi10
ODI 11372372 · 800 mi

I BOUGHT MY VEHICLE AROUND THREE WEEKS AGO. IT IS A BRAND NEW 2021 VW ATLAS. TWO DAYS AGO THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH INDICATING THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM/ISSUE WITH THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG. MY HUSBAND NOTICED THE ISSUE FIRST AND SAID THAT IT OCCURRED WHEN HE STARTED THE CAR INITIALLY. THE LIGHT SEEMS TO STAY ON WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION.

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ODI 11460463 · 17,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while placing a child in the driver’s side rear seat of the vehicle the doors locked independently. The contact stated that the key fob and manual key was inoperable while attempting to unlock the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was notified of a wiring harness failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V152000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being ava…

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ODI 11463391 · 15,150 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V152000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing electrical issues. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the warning messages "Automatic Start/Stop Is Not Available", " Lane Assist Is Not Currently Available”, “Faulty Electronic parking Brake" "Door Is Ajar Fault" and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the…

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Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency BrakingToo few reports for a range11,300 mi3 (sparse)
ODI 11394353 · 50 mi

MY WIFE'S 2021 ATLAS CRUISE CONTROL HAS NOT WORKED SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN JULY 2020. WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE VIA REMOTE START (APP OR REMOTE) IT DISABLES THE ENTIRE FRONT END COLLISION SYSTEM AND THE CRUISE DOES NOT WORK. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP OVER 3 WEEKS IN TOTAL NOW WITH NO FIX IN SIGHT. WE ARE NOW BEING TOLD THAT WE WAIT 6 WEEKS TO SEE IF WE QUALIFY FOR THEIR LEMON LAW STANDARDS. NO LOANER WAS OFFERED.

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ODI 11459688 · 20,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a wiring harness failure. The dealer informed the contact that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

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ODI 11517619 · 11,300 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the Forward Collision Avoidance system erroneously activated causing the vehicle to suddenly stop in the middle of the road. The contact indicated that during the failure, no other vehicles or objects were nearby to cause the system to be activated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. After retrieving the vehicle, the failure occurred a second time. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The v…

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Complaint and recall timeline

Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.

21 reports2024-102026-09

Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.

Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
Monthly complaint and recall timeline
MonthComplaintsCampaigns announcedExamples
2024-1010None
ODI 11617740

Right daytime running light went out around 60k miles.

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ODI 11619630

Tire: Continental CrossContact LX Sport 255/50 R20 105T Incident Description: While traveling about 65mph, in the center lane of I-40, under clear weather conditions, the vehicle, a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas SEL Premium, experienced a sudden and catastrophic failure of the left rear tire. No object or pothole was hit in the road. The failure was characterized by a loud noise, an immediate deceleration of the vehicle, and significant vibrations. No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to the failure. Actions Taken: The vehicle was saf…

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ODI 11620076

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V464000(Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. An unknown local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

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2024-116None
ODI 11624700

The vapor canister (charcoal canister) and related parts have failed on 3 different occasions over the past 1.5-2 years. This caused the car to stall while operating without any warning from the vehicle. The cars has to be put into park and the engine restarted before it can be operational again. The dealer has inspected and replace parts of the system each time it has happened, and has explained that this is a known problem for the vehicle. No final solution has come from VW corporate to solve the problem, so they have been instructed to k…

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ODI 11624784 · 58,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving approximately 2 MPH, the "Air Bag Error" message was displayed on the instrument panel. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. A dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact researched online and was made aware of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V464000 (Air Bags); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was appr…

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ODI 11625155

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.

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2024-126None
ODI 11628197

This is regarding the passenger side airbag/sensor that needs recall in my 2021 VW Atlas. Is there still no planned fix for this? If so, why not? We are getting close to 6 months from the first notice and it is inconvenient to not have passengers be able to ride safely.

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ODI 11629367

Display screen goes blank and restarts after a few seconds

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ODI 11630027

My daytime running light is inoperative and no longer works. This one small LED strip on the passenger side light requires a $2,300 full headlight replacement, which is unreasonable for any consumer given the scope of the issue. My vehicle is only four years old, and several other customers are experiencing this same issue.

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2025-012None
ODI 11637953

Vehicle stopped in the middle of a busy road after backing out of lot while changing from reverse to drive. It was a very dangerous situation as cars were swerving out of the way to avoid collision. No warning indicators, sounds or lights before nor after incident. Vehicle was inoperable and pushed into an auto shop. They concluded catastrophic engine failure due to lack of compression in cylinders with no observable cause. Had vehicle towed to authorized VW dealer which produced same findings. All services including oil changes were done in ac…

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ODI 11638937

Several times while driving the Atlas, the cars engine turn off unexpectedly while in drive. This has also happened while the car was in propulsion. Essentially, the engine kicks off thinking it is in idle. Clearly there is a “start/stop” button issue.

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2025-026None
ODI 11640180

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.

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ODI 11640792

For steering: There is a grinding noise that happens each time I turn my wheel when turning into a parking spot or making a non wide turn. It happens every single time that I do it. For Automatic Emergency Braking: It turns on while I am in the middle of driving constantly.

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ODI 11640816

when I start my car, the infotainment center does not turn on, which means that I lose not just the luxury features that come along with it, but also the safety features, like the back-up camera and road sign recognition. Issues started in January 2025 as intermittent and are now an everyday, even multi-day occurrence. I suspect that it's due to the cold weather, as it didn't start happening until the temps got colder (snowy part of USA).. This is a safety issue, and makes me pretty concerned. I've tried to work with my local dealer, however th…

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2025-0312None
ODI 11646511

Car displaying an error air bag message. Other 2021 VW Atlases are showing as recalled for sensor mat and wiring harness but my VIN is not showing.

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ODI 11646917 · 50,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud explosion before shards of glass fell from the moon roof onto the rear center seat. There was no impact to the moonroof to have caused the moon roof glass to explode. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. The VIN was unavailable.

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ODI 11646962

Manufacturer still does not have a remedy for open recall that was announced June 2024. Since this regards passenger detection and air bag deployment in the event of an accident, 9 months and still no remedy is unacceptable

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2025-0417None
ODI 11652354

Vehicle idles and dies, dashboard error shows manual restart necessary. This happens at red lights, in carpool, on the interstate if traffic has slowed, potentially a huge hazard for being rear ended. You have to put the car in park and manually restart the vehicle. VW is inspecting today but has not been able to recreate the issue. VW forum online has many car owners with the same issue and concerns. Check engine light and auto start/stop errors are almost continuous now. Check engine light came on/off about 4 months ago and would clear a…

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ODI 11652529

Engine shut down 4 times in one day. I'd have to put it in park, in the middle of the road, and restart the engine. It seemed to happen at very low speeds. engine light came on. Took it to a local mechanic who noted the error had to do with a sensor in the grill that allows airflow into the radiator - the sensor was blocked based on the code, but it was not. The thought was perhaps something had been blocking the sensor but whatever was blocking the sensor had naturally fallen off since the mechanic found nothing actually blocking the sensor…

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ODI 11652629

DLR lights on passenger side failed at 62k miles. Common problem with VW atlas lights.

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2025-052None
ODI 11658200

We were pulled over yesterday for having a headlight out, but it ended up not being a headlight, it was the LED runner light on the passenger-side headlight assembly. Our vehicle is only at 68,214 miles. The Volkswagen dealership quoted me about $1,800.00 to have it replaced, which I thought was exorbitant. In doing research on this issue, most 2021 Atlas have the identical issue, the LED runner lights going out at the 50k - 70k mile mark. Currently it is impossible to even find stock of new headlight assemblies because of the number of vehicle…

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ODI 11660706

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.

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2025-066None
ODI 11664662

I had placed my personal items - purse, keys, phone, etc. in my unlocked vehicle in a safe location behind my condo building. I was running across to mail something and come right back. When I returned a short time later, the car had locked itself with my items inside. I found out after googling this later, that multiple people have had this issue -- when their key fobs have gotten low on battery, the fob will lock itself inside the vehicle. I had no way to summon roadside assistance, and so I had to break a window to gain entry to the vehicle.…

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ODI 11665048

Received message that daytime side light was out in my 2021 VW Atlas. Went to the dealership and they said that it will cost $3,152.23 for entire headlight assembly to be replaced because bulb cannot be changed as it is LED. I did research on the issue in Reddit and there are many many 2021 VW Atlases with the same issue! They have also opened up complaints in NHTSA. It is cost prohibitive to fix a light on this car and a major safety issue.

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ODI 11665585

Whenever I slow down at a light or go low speed in a parking lot my vehicle cuts off. This can cause a accident and the dealership said if there is not fault code there is no fix. It cuts off and say start the vehicle manually.

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2025-0710None
ODI 11670651

While I am driving, when I come to a stop or slow down to almost a stop my engine will periodically shut off where I need to put the car in park and turn the car off and then back on. This has happened multiple times but is especially dangerous when I am in stop/go traffic on a major highway and it happens. The check engine light does come on but the mechanics just turn the engine signal off and say there is nothing wrong. After a couple hundred miles the check engine light returns and the problem continues to persist.

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ODI 11670669

The daytime running lights went out at 45,500 miles. Called dealership and I am one week out of warranty. The cost to fix one is $2000 and requires complete new assembly and reprogram cruise control. Absolutely ridiculous for a daytime running light that burned out. Should be able to replace or offer assistance from VW.

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ODI 11671185

Daytime running headlights went out

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2025-085None
ODI 11680524

Daytime Running Lights went out after 50K miles (warranty is out at this point). To fix this issue VW is requiring to change the whole light fixture, which costs more the $1,000. This is an outrageous expense to fix a single LED strip to support DRLs, and forces drivers to go without lights to avoid paying for it. This issue is VERY common on this model, with multiple online sources/forums with the same experience.

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ODI 11680574

LED lights on headlight are gone out! Parking lights malfunctioning! Inspected by car shop and interfering with passing state inspection!

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ODI 11680725

Vehicle often stalls at stops, been doing a lot of research and a lot of people have the same issue all over forums with the VW atlas across all years, its a safety issue that needs to be addressed. most of the forums and VW techs say its the vapor canister going bad but with a newer car we shouldn't have to get it replaced every 10k miles. you don't want your car stalling at a intersection with traffic with your kids and family in the car, its dangerous and VW needs to fix this issue

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2025-098None
ODI 11684373

The daytime running light strip in the headlight fails. Identical failure to the Honda Accord - which had a recall/warranty extension issued.

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ODI 11684713

Passenger side LED daytime running light is out at 67,000 and is going to cost over $2k to get replaced. LED lights should not be going out that quickly. I have also found LOTS of the same complaints online for the same year, make and model.

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ODI 11687716

Drivers side DRL LED complete failure at 62000 miles. Known issue all over the internet. I bought the extended warranty. I called to check coverage and they told me absolutely not covered even though I have the platinum level extended warranty. Only fix is remove bumper and replace headlight assembly, then dealership has to supposedly reprogram the new headlight and the cruise control or they won’t work if you tried to replace the assembly at home to save money. VW obviously knows of this issue and to my knowledge has done nothing to help custo…

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2025-104None
ODI 11692658

Windshield repeatedly cracks with no visible sign of impact. A quick Reddit search shows lots of other people having the same issue

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ODI 11693396

On 3/19/2024 while pulling into my driveway towards my parking garage my car suddenly stalled wiht loss of power and wouldn't accelerate into the garage. The warning lights came on for EPC light. I looked for the code online and to my surprise I found Atlas has been plagued with several of such issues . Please see below link https://www.vwatlasforum.com/threads/2021-atlas-fuel-injector-problem.6209/ There are cases where engines have been replaced and all this just after the warranty expires. IN my case a similart thing happened. The engine …

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ODI 11694932

Dual Daytime running light (DRL) LED headlights failures. The LED DRL strips integrated into the headlight assembly stopped functioning within 3 years of ownership (60,000 and 75,000) miles.. The failure requires replacing the entire headlight assembly, which can cost over $2,000 per unit, as the LED strip is not separately serviceable. DRLs are critical for vehicle visibility during daylight, reducing the risk of head-on and front-corner collisions by making the vehicle more conspicuous to other drivers. There is absolutely no reason these…

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2025-115None
ODI 11698325

When the weather is warm and the vehicle get washed or experience heavy rain fall and vehicle is exposed there is a strong mildew Oder coming threw ventilation. Definitely a air quality problem.

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ODI 11699356

My daylight running headlights are out, went out before 40k miles. They said they would have to replace the whole assembly for over 1000 each. I have read many people’s complaints with the same issue. How can a car company not provide safe headlights that last more than 40k miles. I cannot afford to fix it and with all these atlas on the road with people in the same financial situation it is dangerous. They should have to replace these assemblies through recall before someone gets killed.

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ODI 11699959

The seat belt receptacle on the rear passenger side seat has failed. The vehicle is barely 4 years old. The dealership offered to replace it at a cost of $808.00. There was no warning that it would fail, it simply quit working. There has not been any foreign substance spilled on the receptacle. There were no injuries, but the seat belt is a critical safety feature and should last longer than 4 years from new.

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2025-126None
ODI 11702170

Upon a low speed curb strike, predominantly striking the rear driver tire and partially the front driver tire, during a slide under 30mph, the curtain airbags deployed in the vehicle. Reading about this online, it appears others driving this type of vehicle have had similar reports of low speed tire strikes and airbags deploying. The airbags were more of a risk than the curb strike itself. With children in approved car seats in the rear, this was of course incredibly frightening. It appears VW is aware of the low sensitivity of their sensors th…

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ODI 11702202

Hood release latch is broken, no tension in the lever in the cabin. I'm unable to access the engine compartment. Car would not start this morning, and I'm unable to access the engine to jump start.

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ODI 11704243

The Bevel Box was broken due to a defect CV axle. The axle pushed out of the bevel box and separated at the cab joint.

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2026-0110None
ODI 11709214

The emergency SOS/ Emergency call function has failed. It appeared yesterday, so I began looking into the issue online. This issue is absolutely endemic and is occurring across multiple late model Volkswagen vehicles. Volkswagen is aware of this issue (per their guidance to VW mechanics which can be found using search tools), but they do not appear to be addressing it unless amd until customers bring their cars into their respective dealerships.

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ODI 11709844

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.

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ODI 11710182

The headlight on my vehicle failed, and when I took it to the dealer, I was told this is a known and ongoing issue that they deal with constantly. Despite being aware of this widespread failure, Volkswagen continues to install the same defective headlight assemblies. These are not simple bulb replacements, the entire headlight assembly must be replaced at a cost of approximately $1,900 per side, not including labor. This cost is completely unreasonable for most vehicle owners. As a result, many people will be forced to drive with non-functionin…

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2026-023None
ODI 11715841

SOS light is on and my VW will not connect to my VW app. The call module has failed. Yes, I paid to get a diagnostic test and it was confirmed that it failed. if I get into and accident i will not be able to receive help. All of my friends have the same issue with VW. Some have paid to have it fixed some have not. i was driving and the SOS went off. when I pushed it to call and see what happened they stated that something with the satellite triggered it and I had to take it into the dealer ship now to have it fixed.

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ODI 11718437

Daytime running light on passenger side has failed. Repair is complex and estimated at a minimum of $1200 for a part that should last for the lifetime of the car. Numerous other reports of this issue for 2021 VW Atlas model year.

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ODI 11720958

Snapped good latch cable

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2026-039None
ODI 11722015

Circuit Malfunction- Faulty wiring causing ABS, and EPC damage and defects.

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ODI 11722813

hood latch broke. and cannot open hood

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ODI 11724247

ON DIFFERENT OCCASION THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR HINGE WILL LOCK AND NOT ALLOW THE DOOR TO CLOSE COMPLETELY. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING AND THE DOOR WILL OPEN AND I HAVE TO HOLD IT "CLOSED" WHILE DRIVING. CURRENTLY MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN WHEN I UNLOCK THE DOORS I HAVE TO CLIMB THROUGH THE PASSENGERS SIDE OR THE BACK SEAT IN ORDER TO OPEN MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS- MY DOOR NOT CLOSING ALL THE WAY. IT IS A HAZARD WHEN DRIVING AND SUDDENLY MY VEHICLE DOES A DRASTIC STOP ASKING I PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK BECA…

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2026-047None
ODI 11730380

Emergency Call (SOS) system failure / internal battery defect. This is apparently a known issue on the VW Atlas (and other VW/Audi models with Car-Net/SOS systems). Owners regularly report SOS/Emergency Call errors associated with the backup battery or the telematics module. Some dealers even acknowledge it as a “known issue” with those systems. This isn’t rare, especially in the 3–5 year window of the vehicle's age. The backup battery itself is cheap (roughly $50–$100 in most cases); however, the labor is not, because it typically require…

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ODI 11730606

The integrated LED Daytime Running Light (DRL) strip within the passenger-side headlight assembly failed prematurely at 79,136 miles and remains available for inspection on the vehicle. This failure directly compromises road safety by reducing the vehicle's visibility to oncoming traffic during dawn, dusk, and inclement weather, increasing the risk of a head-on or intersection collision. While I have not yet obtained a formal dealership estimate, this is a known non-serviceable component that typically requires a full headlight assembly replace…

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ODI 11731263

Evaporative Emission Control (EVAP) system traps harmful fuel vapors from the gas tank, storing them in a charcoal canister before burning them in the engine

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2026-0521None
ODI 11735047

The hood release latch cable snapped, which makes it impossible to open the hood for an emergency or maintenance. The cable is a poor design that is prone to breaking, and from looking online is an extremely common occurrence for the Atlas. It also costs $500-$800 to repair for each occurrence and the vehicle is a safety concern until repaired due to the risk of not being able to open the hood in the event of an emergency.

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ODI 11735490

The hood latch cable snapped preventing the hood from being opened in the event of an engine fire. The dealer stated this is a common issue with this make and model vehicle.

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ODI 11735726

This vehicle is equipped with LED Daytime Running Lights. These are designed to be long-life, however, as has been noted multiple times in this forum, half of the passenger-side DRL on my vehicle has stopped functioning. The repair cost for this item is in excess of $2,000 as the front bumper needs to be removed and the entire headlight assembly replaced. Most drivers will choose to defer replacement, thereby negating the safety value that the DRLs are intended to provide.

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2026-069None
ODI 11743338

Vehicle safety components bypassed

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ODI 11743559

Hood release cable either lost tension, broke, or came loose from the clamp in the junction box and cannot open the hood. I was stopped on the side of the road, unable to open the hood. I and my family were put in excessive danger on the side of the road as I could not correct the issue without waiting for a tow truck because I could not open the hood. Dealer, as well as multiple shops in my area have confirmed this is a consistent issue with the VW Atals. There was no warning or I would have replaced it when it was under warranty. My…

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ODI 11743863

Hood latch release cable snapped and I can no longer open hood.

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2026-079None
ODI 11749727

When it is hot out and car is idiling car cuts off. When reverse car stalls. Auto stop/start is off and car request to be restarted manually.

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ODI 11749850

The hood latch just randomly disconnected and all over forms and post and videos on YouTube. It sounds like it’s a very common issue with the Atlas.

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ODI 11750992

DRLs went out after the vehicle being on lly a few years old.

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2026-0813None
ODI 11755380

Passenger side headlight failed prematurely resulting in only one of the headlights functioning

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ODI 11755775

Hood latch release cable broke after using under normal circumstances.

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ODI 11756819

LED DRL headlight stopped working on the passenger side at 90k miles

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2026-09 (partial)9None
ODI 11762010

Passenger side DRL has failed - requires replacement of entire headlamp assembly

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ODI 11762375

My 2021 Volkswagen Atlas at 58,000 miles the passenger side daytime running light stopped working. This is a replacement that can only be completed with an entire headlight assembly replaced the cost of a headlight assembly is between $1800- $2500 which is an astronomical amount to replace just the LED daytime running light.

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ODI 11762777

Vehicle lost total control on the freeway I lost control crashed off the freeway into a ditch no airbags deployed the whole frame was total loss the entire atlas lost control No airbags as I went into a ditch hit a freeway sign and I’m still suffering nerve damage and chronic back pain

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Emerging complaint spikes

Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.

This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.

Recent filing spikes
MonthReportsPrevious monthly averageLeading componentExamples
2026-05216.3Exterior Lighting
ODI 11735047

The hood release latch cable snapped, which makes it impossible to open the hood for an emergency or maintenance. The cable is a poor design that is prone to breaking, and from looking online is an extremely common occurrence for the Atlas. It also costs $500-$800 to repair for each occurrence and the vehicle is a safety concern until repaired due to the risk of not being able to open the hood in the event of an emergency.

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ODI 11735490

The hood latch cable snapped preventing the hood from being opened in the event of an engine fire. The dealer stated this is a common issue with this make and model vehicle.

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ODI 11735726

This vehicle is equipped with LED Daytime Running Lights. These are designed to be long-life, however, as has been noted multiple times in this forum, half of the passenger-side DRL on my vehicle has stopped functioning. The repair cost for this item is in excess of $2,000 as the front bumper needs to be removed and the entire headlight assembly replaced. Most drivers will choose to defer replacement, thereby negating the safety value that the DRLs are intended to provide.

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Equal-age model-year comparison

Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.

Age 0Age 1Age 2109 reports

2022: 109 complaints · 2023: 95 complaints

Equal observation windows
Model yearThrough age 0Through age 1Through age 2
20223060109
2023286895
Date coverage across each selected cohort
Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
YearIncident dates usedFiling date fallbacksExcluded dates
202218003
202313102

Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.

Components reported together

Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.

Component co-occurrence matrix
ComponentElectrical SystemService BrakesEngineUnknown Or OtherExterior LightingAir BagsForward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency BrakingFuel/Propulsion System
Electrical System—
51
ODI 11442273

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.

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ODI 11445277

Check engine light came on, windows were going down 1/8 of the way on their own, parking brake goes on automatically while engine is on while driving and pressing on brake, cannot utilize any controls on driver door. Dealer checked and it is the door harness that is on backorder. I was told 41 customers ahead of me waiting for same part in Northeast USA. Car is not safe to drive due to parking brake automatically engaging. VW of America notified and my case was escalated and I have initiated the PA Lemon Law Arbitration process. Issues first a…

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ODI 11447177

Purchased the car in April 2021. After 230 miles of driving remote start stopped working. VW service center diagnosed faulty soldering on fuel pump and replaced it. In December 2021 both passenger side windows started opening on their own while in park and driving. Shortly started getting error message from proximity sensors, adaptive cruise control and finally brakes with service engine message. Brought to VW service center and got diagnosed with faulty door harness. Service technician informed me that they had 20+ cars with similar issue and …

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27
ODI 11442319

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…

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ODI 11448985

After 3 months of owning this brand new car, the parking system started to act up. My parking sensors would beep for no reason, windows would roll down and my parking brake would come on when I was driving. I took the car to the dealership and they did an electrical update. Two months later the same issue happened again, as well as my engine light came on because my coolant was low. Again I took it to the dealership where I was told a door harness sensor needed to be replaced and my head gasket needed to be replaced as well. My car has been in …

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ODI 11453898

Alerts of door being open, back windows then go down and parking break engages out of nowhere. The Check engine light comes on and there is a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark. Driver Door Contact Switch”, “Attention: Engine is Running”, “Fault Electronic Parking Brake”, and the Emergency Brake automatically engaging.

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16
ODI 11438198

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.

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ODI 11443499

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 lik…

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ODI 11449235

The below are known issues dating back to at least 2020 Atlas models, but this first appeared in our vehicle mid-November 2021; we purchased the car new June 2021. The driver door contact switch has failed. There are annoyances - the widows randomly roll down, lots of dinging, warning lights, etc. - but the safety issue is that the emergency brake will come on sometimes when you brake. We have a child and cannot risk suddenly being stopped on a highway. Because of this, the car is undriveable. VW estimates the part will be available in 2023,…

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7
ODI 11494076

We have an open case with Volkswagen, but the remedy part is on back order, in the meantime we have to use this unsafe car. The dealership where car was purchased from is not providing a loaner/rental despite being told by our Volkswagen care team specialist that he is obligated to. The car emergency brake comes on at every stop(I’m shook at every stop, knots in my stomach every single stop I make, stop sign, trying to park, red lights), driver side front and back windows open spontaneously, non stop beeping(anxiety inducing) when car is parked…

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ODI 11554117

LED daytime running lights went out a few weeks ago at the same time, then yesterday both headlights went out at the same time as well. There have been no damages or wrecks in my vehicle and I am the only owner. There are no warning lights and according to the MyVW app, everything is fine. I cannot see well while driving at night anymore and this will cost me $2,000 to replace at only 60,000 miles.

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ODI 11631854

My passenger side LED daytime running light failed. We just crossed over 50k miles. This is a 1300 part. After reading online it seems this is a major issue with these vehicles and around this mileage. This appears to be something that needs to be investigated and the manufacturer should have to cover under recall. It’s likely not a coincidence there are this many people reporting the same issue on the same vehicle models/years.

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13
ODI 11457231

Could automatically brake at slow speeds, windows would go up and down basically the car would go crazy.

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ODI 11457389

Airbags Light on , associated with faulty wire harness. Car at dealer waiting for part. Back ordered for 5 months: told unsafe to drive. Dealer said airbag delay after collision

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ODI 11457965

Problem started initially with random safety alarms and lights going off. Then alerts that door was open, or Advanced Driver Assistance Systems were not available. Then windows would roll down, for no reason. This happened within the first 2,000 miles of driving. Then on February 19, 2021 after multiple alarms going off, the car initiated the emergency brake while I was driving in a parking lot. My car stopped on it's own, suddenly. Luckily there was no one behind me. There are 7,500 miles on the car when the emergency brake incident occurre…

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31
ODI 11444633

The vehicle indicated the door sensor was not working. This cause all warning lights on my dashboard to come on. Additionally, the car would beep notifying me that the engine was running as if the door had been opened. The car would then apply the emergency brake anytime I would begin to slow down causing me to almost get into an accident.

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ODI 11445277

Check engine light came on, windows were going down 1/8 of the way on their own, parking brake goes on automatically while engine is on while driving and pressing on brake, cannot utilize any controls on driver door. Dealer checked and it is the door harness that is on backorder. I was told 41 customers ahead of me waiting for same part in Northeast USA. Car is not safe to drive due to parking brake automatically engaging. VW of America notified and my case was escalated and I have initiated the PA Lemon Law Arbitration process. Issues first a…

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ODI 11449492

While i am driving my car start acting crazy first the windows go down following for some mesenges in the screen, Error: driver door contact switch Error: start/stop Fault:electronic parking brake The electric brake is activated wile i am driving that was the mos scare thing happened to my family and me.

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10
ODI 11505486

Engine cuts off at slow speeds or at a stop. Engine failure requires placing vehicle in park and restarting. This occurs at least once per day. Display notes that vehicle requires manual restart. Took to dealer and they advised nothing was wrong.

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ODI 11571766

Car shuts off randomly when slowing down. Changed out the charcoal canister and purge valve and it is still doing it

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ODI 11573820

Vehicle stalled and shut off 5 times while driving in past month. Took it to VW Dealership. They said low voltage on battery could make the stop/start feature not able to restart car. They also stated fuel injector #3 error was showing on diagnostic machine. After replacing battery, spark plugs, and gasket ($2300), dealership says that fuel injector error still showing and would cost $1400 to replace. They said it is recommended and my car shutting off is fixed with battery replacement. 24 hours after picking up from dealership, car shut off AG…

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Service Brakes
51
ODI 11442273

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.

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ODI 11445277

Check engine light came on, windows were going down 1/8 of the way on their own, parking brake goes on automatically while engine is on while driving and pressing on brake, cannot utilize any controls on driver door. Dealer checked and it is the door harness that is on backorder. I was told 41 customers ahead of me waiting for same part in Northeast USA. Car is not safe to drive due to parking brake automatically engaging. VW of America notified and my case was escalated and I have initiated the PA Lemon Law Arbitration process. Issues first a…

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ODI 11447177

Purchased the car in April 2021. After 230 miles of driving remote start stopped working. VW service center diagnosed faulty soldering on fuel pump and replaced it. In December 2021 both passenger side windows started opening on their own while in park and driving. Shortly started getting error message from proximity sensors, adaptive cruise control and finally brakes with service engine message. Brought to VW service center and got diagnosed with faulty door harness. Service technician informed me that they had 20+ cars with similar issue and …

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—
5
ODI 11453898

Alerts of door being open, back windows then go down and parking break engages out of nowhere. The Check engine light comes on and there is a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark. Driver Door Contact Switch”, “Attention: Engine is Running”, “Fault Electronic Parking Brake”, and the Emergency Brake automatically engaging.

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ODI 11455549

The driver side door contact switch is faulty. It is throwing the emergency braking system on stopped or in park. There is no ETA for repair at this time.

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ODI 11456965

While driving at highway speeds at random the vehicle would brake on its own engage the parking brake and roll windows down. We tried to have the vehicle looked at Boise Volkswagen and they refused to schedule and inspect the vehicle. We even advised the dealer of an open safety campaign/recall and they also still refused to service the vehicle. Unfortunately next closest dealership is 157 miles away from our home.

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8
ODI 11449235

The below are known issues dating back to at least 2020 Atlas models, but this first appeared in our vehicle mid-November 2021; we purchased the car new June 2021. The driver door contact switch has failed. There are annoyances - the widows randomly roll down, lots of dinging, warning lights, etc. - but the safety issue is that the emergency brake will come on sometimes when you brake. We have a child and cannot risk suddenly being stopped on a highway. Because of this, the car is undriveable. VW estimates the part will be available in 2023,…

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ODI 11452157

There were multiple incidents where the windows would roll down and the error came on state "Driver Side Contact Error", once where the driver side door would not open, I had to crawl out the passenger side, and multiple times when the parking brake would not disengage. All of these issues have been said to be the drivers side harness kit, no rhyme or reason and lights and errors would go off after each incident. The main safety concern caused be this is when i was driving down a hill coming to a red light, i was reducing speed but was not sto…

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ODI 11457078

Hello, I'm writing to share a safety concern regarding the 2021 VW Atlas. In January 2022, I was driving with my small children in the vehicle. The alarm went off for no reason when I first entered the car. Next, my passenger side windows went down on their own and would not go back up. All sorts of alarms/light went off in my car. Next, it started to throw my vehicle into emergency brake while driving. VERY DANGEROUS! This should be a safety recall. The vehicle has been in the shop for 2 months, waiting on a part.

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0
7
ODI 11456927

My wife was driving our 5 day old Atlas along the interstate with cruise control set at 65mph. She was traveling up an incline that had a slight turn to the right along the interstate. There was not a car within 500+ yards of her car. All of a sudden she started hearing beeps and the car abruptly slammed on the brakes causing the Atlas to shift all of its weight to front and causing the rear tires to lift off of the ground. The front driver side portion of the car then skidded across the asphalt and into the safety rail. The airbags NEVER deplo…

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ODI 11457167

My airbag light randomly went on a few days after my 10k miles inspection at the Platinum VW dealership in Hicksville, NY. I brought it in and was told there is a safety issue due to a faulty sensor in the passenger side door which can both cause the airbag not to deploy (or to randomly deploy) and can also cause the parking break to automatically engage while the car is in motion. While the VW dealership was totally not transparent about this, the rental agency told me that i was there were more than 15 customers before me with the same issu…

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ODI 11457231

Could automatically brake at slow speeds, windows would go up and down basically the car would go crazy.

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27
ODI 11445277

Check engine light came on, windows were going down 1/8 of the way on their own, parking brake goes on automatically while engine is on while driving and pressing on brake, cannot utilize any controls on driver door. Dealer checked and it is the door harness that is on backorder. I was told 41 customers ahead of me waiting for same part in Northeast USA. Car is not safe to drive due to parking brake automatically engaging. VW of America notified and my case was escalated and I have initiated the PA Lemon Law Arbitration process. Issues first a…

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ODI 11449492

While i am driving my car start acting crazy first the windows go down following for some mesenges in the screen, Error: driver door contact switch Error: start/stop Fault:electronic parking brake The electric brake is activated wile i am driving that was the mos scare thing happened to my family and me.

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ODI 11451379

Emergency Brake engages while driving. It has happened multiple times at speeds of 25-70mph. When this happened the warning lights and beeping would start, saying "Fault Electronic Brake", Error: Driver Door Contact Switch”, "Warning, engine is running" windows in the back would also automatically start rolling down and up. It has nearly caused us to get into two high speed accidents with our children in the car with us. Vehicle is currently at dealership along with others with the same problem, has been there for over 3 weeks as they attempt …

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1
ODI 11621632

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…

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Engine
27
ODI 11442319

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…

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ODI 11448985

After 3 months of owning this brand new car, the parking system started to act up. My parking sensors would beep for no reason, windows would roll down and my parking brake would come on when I was driving. I took the car to the dealership and they did an electrical update. Two months later the same issue happened again, as well as my engine light came on because my coolant was low. Again I took it to the dealership where I was told a door harness sensor needed to be replaced and my head gasket needed to be replaced as well. My car has been in …

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ODI 11453898

Alerts of door being open, back windows then go down and parking break engages out of nowhere. The Check engine light comes on and there is a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark. Driver Door Contact Switch”, “Attention: Engine is Running”, “Fault Electronic Parking Brake”, and the Emergency Brake automatically engaging.

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5
ODI 11453898

Alerts of door being open, back windows then go down and parking break engages out of nowhere. The Check engine light comes on and there is a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark. Driver Door Contact Switch”, “Attention: Engine is Running”, “Fault Electronic Parking Brake”, and the Emergency Brake automatically engaging.

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ODI 11455549

The driver side door contact switch is faulty. It is throwing the emergency braking system on stopped or in park. There is no ETA for repair at this time.

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ODI 11456965

While driving at highway speeds at random the vehicle would brake on its own engage the parking brake and roll windows down. We tried to have the vehicle looked at Boise Volkswagen and they refused to schedule and inspect the vehicle. We even advised the dealer of an open safety campaign/recall and they also still refused to service the vehicle. Unfortunately next closest dealership is 157 miles away from our home.

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—
9
ODI 11518475

Got Error: Start-Stop

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ODI 11539930

1. STEERING MAKING NOISE DURING TURN/REVERVSE/ FORWARD/PARKING ETC.. DEALERS TRIEDD TO FIX IT BUT NOT SUCESS. 2. ERROR: START / STOP ENGINE AT CERTAIN SITUATION AND STALLING WHILE DRIVING. INCIDENT ON VARIOUS DATE

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ODI 11572498

2021 volkswagon Atlas, needed new oil pan after few months due to major oil leak. had to pay out of pocket for rental 1 week. Wipers came flying off on driver's side hitting side window scratching car. Dealership said nothing wrong (my dad tightened bolts they were loose) heater in back started making horrible noise, said nothing was wrong. Needed new breaks, rotors numerous times. When backing up makes horrible noise, to this day. 10/7/23 driving down road at 28 mph my car stalled out. Did this numerous times w/in 3 weeks, brought to dealershi…

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0
2
ODI 11443653

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 shifte…

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ODI 11463391 · 15,150 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V152000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing electrical issues. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the warning messages "Automatic Start/Stop Is Not Available", " Lane Assist Is Not Currently Available”, “Faulty Electronic parking Brake" "Door Is Ajar Fault" and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the…

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2
ODI 11455549

The driver side door contact switch is faulty. It is throwing the emergency braking system on stopped or in park. There is no ETA for repair at this time.

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ODI 11457668

While driving on March 12, 2022, multiple alarms beeping and warning indicators appeared on the dashboard and the emergency brake suddenly engaged immediately halting the car to a complete stop. This happened multiple times during a short drive. On March 16, 2022, while this vehicle was parked with the engine running, more warning indicators appeared. The first was " Fault: Electronic parking brake" and the second was "Caustion: Engine is running". Right after that, two windows partially rolled down on their own. About 5 minutes later, a…

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25
ODI 11437045

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.

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ODI 11505486

Engine cuts off at slow speeds or at a stop. Engine failure requires placing vehicle in park and restarting. This occurs at least once per day. Display notes that vehicle requires manual restart. Took to dealer and they advised nothing was wrong.

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ODI 11541340

When coming to a stop, the car RMP's fluctuate up and down, jerk/jolt, and stall while still in drive. The only way to restart the vehicle is to put it into park and then hit start. Sometimes, vehicle status indicates a start/stop error, but no check engine light would come on. I have a huge safety concern about this because the vehicle is in motion when it stalls, and the only way to restart is to put it in park. This causes the flow of traffic to stop abruptly, increasing the outcome of an accident.

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Unknown Or Other
16
ODI 11438198

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.

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ODI 11443499

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 lik…

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ODI 11449235

The below are known issues dating back to at least 2020 Atlas models, but this first appeared in our vehicle mid-November 2021; we purchased the car new June 2021. The driver door contact switch has failed. There are annoyances - the widows randomly roll down, lots of dinging, warning lights, etc. - but the safety issue is that the emergency brake will come on sometimes when you brake. We have a child and cannot risk suddenly being stopped on a highway. Because of this, the car is undriveable. VW estimates the part will be available in 2023,…

Look up ODI 11449235 at NHTSA ↗

8
ODI 11449235

The below are known issues dating back to at least 2020 Atlas models, but this first appeared in our vehicle mid-November 2021; we purchased the car new June 2021. The driver door contact switch has failed. There are annoyances - the widows randomly roll down, lots of dinging, warning lights, etc. - but the safety issue is that the emergency brake will come on sometimes when you brake. We have a child and cannot risk suddenly being stopped on a highway. Because of this, the car is undriveable. VW estimates the part will be available in 2023,…

Look up ODI 11449235 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 11452157

There were multiple incidents where the windows would roll down and the error came on state "Driver Side Contact Error", once where the driver side door would not open, I had to crawl out the passenger side, and multiple times when the parking brake would not disengage. All of these issues have been said to be the drivers side harness kit, no rhyme or reason and lights and errors would go off after each incident. The main safety concern caused be this is when i was driving down a hill coming to a red light, i was reducing speed but was not sto…

Look up ODI 11452157 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 11457078

Hello, I'm writing to share a safety concern regarding the 2021 VW Atlas. In January 2022, I was driving with my small children in the vehicle. The alarm went off for no reason when I first entered the car. Next, my passenger side windows went down on their own and would not go back up. All sorts of alarms/light went off in my car. Next, it started to throw my vehicle into emergency brake while driving. VERY DANGEROUS! This should be a safety recall. The vehicle has been in the shop for 2 months, waiting on a part.

Look up ODI 11457078 at NHTSA ↗

9
ODI 11518475

Got Error: Start-Stop

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ODI 11539930

1. STEERING MAKING NOISE DURING TURN/REVERVSE/ FORWARD/PARKING ETC.. DEALERS TRIEDD TO FIX IT BUT NOT SUCESS. 2. ERROR: START / STOP ENGINE AT CERTAIN SITUATION AND STALLING WHILE DRIVING. INCIDENT ON VARIOUS DATE

Look up ODI 11539930 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 11572498

2021 volkswagon Atlas, needed new oil pan after few months due to major oil leak. had to pay out of pocket for rental 1 week. Wipers came flying off on driver's side hitting side window scratching car. Dealership said nothing wrong (my dad tightened bolts they were loose) heater in back started making horrible noise, said nothing was wrong. Needed new breaks, rotors numerous times. When backing up makes horrible noise, to this day. 10/7/23 driving down road at 28 mph my car stalled out. Did this numerous times w/in 3 weeks, brought to dealershi…

Look up ODI 11572498 at NHTSA ↗

—0
2
ODI 11441770

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

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ODI 11458315

The recall on my car says - Safety Risk: In the event of a side crash, when the side airbag deployment may be necessary, the side airbag may deploy later than designed. This may lead to an increased injury to vehicle occupants. VW should, but refuses to buy this car back from me. It is unsafe to drive and/or put our children in the car in this condition.

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2
ODI 11457196

Drivers side wire harness. All sorts of alarms going off, windows going up and down on their own, parking break engaging on its own while driving!!! Absolutely unsafe vehicle & VW was not helpful or cooperative.

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ODI 11457499

Our car starting firing many warning every time we would drive it including breaking without us telling it to. We took it in twice for it to be fixed, the first didn't work and the second they replaced a door chasey and I hope it works long term. Very scary to be driving with 2 little kids in the back and a possessed car. Super dangerous.

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2
ODI 11608781

The vehicle would turn off randomly when stopped at a Stop sign or traffic light. It the had to be put in park and restarted. The dealership Kelly VW in Danvers, MA diagnosed the problem and this is what the invoice said. "cel is on code p0461 is active. performed tsb hooked up battery charger and updated ecm per tsb" Si, in my opinion this is at the least a potentially serious safety issue that should have warranted a recall and/or something that would be covered under the 80,000 mile or 8 year Federal Emissions Warranty

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ODI 11732216

Anytime I come to a stop at a stop sign or a red light, my car just shuts off. Today driving on I 95, my car completely shut down on me. I have been told that it has something to do with my fuel pump or fuel line.

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Exterior Lighting
7
ODI 11494076

We have an open case with Volkswagen, but the remedy part is on back order, in the meantime we have to use this unsafe car. The dealership where car was purchased from is not providing a loaner/rental despite being told by our Volkswagen care team specialist that he is obligated to. The car emergency brake comes on at every stop(I’m shook at every stop, knots in my stomach every single stop I make, stop sign, trying to park, red lights), driver side front and back windows open spontaneously, non stop beeping(anxiety inducing) when car is parked…

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ODI 11554117

LED daytime running lights went out a few weeks ago at the same time, then yesterday both headlights went out at the same time as well. There have been no damages or wrecks in my vehicle and I am the only owner. There are no warning lights and according to the MyVW app, everything is fine. I cannot see well while driving at night anymore and this will cost me $2,000 to replace at only 60,000 miles.

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ODI 11631854

My passenger side LED daytime running light failed. We just crossed over 50k miles. This is a 1300 part. After reading online it seems this is a major issue with these vehicles and around this mileage. This appears to be something that needs to be investigated and the manufacturer should have to cover under recall. It’s likely not a coincidence there are this many people reporting the same issue on the same vehicle models/years.

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000—0
1
ODI 11494076

We have an open case with Volkswagen, but the remedy part is on back order, in the meantime we have to use this unsafe car. The dealership where car was purchased from is not providing a loaner/rental despite being told by our Volkswagen care team specialist that he is obligated to. The car emergency brake comes on at every stop(I’m shook at every stop, knots in my stomach every single stop I make, stop sign, trying to park, red lights), driver side front and back windows open spontaneously, non stop beeping(anxiety inducing) when car is parked…

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0
Air Bags
13
ODI 11457231

Could automatically brake at slow speeds, windows would go up and down basically the car would go crazy.

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ODI 11457389

Airbags Light on , associated with faulty wire harness. Car at dealer waiting for part. Back ordered for 5 months: told unsafe to drive. Dealer said airbag delay after collision

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ODI 11457965

Problem started initially with random safety alarms and lights going off. Then alerts that door was open, or Advanced Driver Assistance Systems were not available. Then windows would roll down, for no reason. This happened within the first 2,000 miles of driving. Then on February 19, 2021 after multiple alarms going off, the car initiated the emergency brake while I was driving in a parking lot. My car stopped on it's own, suddenly. Luckily there was no one behind me. There are 7,500 miles on the car when the emergency brake incident occurre…

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7
ODI 11456927

My wife was driving our 5 day old Atlas along the interstate with cruise control set at 65mph. She was traveling up an incline that had a slight turn to the right along the interstate. There was not a car within 500+ yards of her car. All of a sudden she started hearing beeps and the car abruptly slammed on the brakes causing the Atlas to shift all of its weight to front and causing the rear tires to lift off of the ground. The front driver side portion of the car then skidded across the asphalt and into the safety rail. The airbags NEVER deplo…

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ODI 11457167

My airbag light randomly went on a few days after my 10k miles inspection at the Platinum VW dealership in Hicksville, NY. I brought it in and was told there is a safety issue due to a faulty sensor in the passenger side door which can both cause the airbag not to deploy (or to randomly deploy) and can also cause the parking break to automatically engage while the car is in motion. While the VW dealership was totally not transparent about this, the rental agency told me that i was there were more than 15 customers before me with the same issu…

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ODI 11457231

Could automatically brake at slow speeds, windows would go up and down basically the car would go crazy.

Look up ODI 11457231 at NHTSA ↗

2
ODI 11443653

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 shifte…

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ODI 11463391 · 15,150 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V152000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing electrical issues. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the warning messages "Automatic Start/Stop Is Not Available", " Lane Assist Is Not Currently Available”, “Faulty Electronic parking Brake" "Door Is Ajar Fault" and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the…

Look up ODI 11463391 at NHTSA ↗

2
ODI 11441770

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

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ODI 11458315

The recall on my car says - Safety Risk: In the event of a side crash, when the side airbag deployment may be necessary, the side airbag may deploy later than designed. This may lead to an increased injury to vehicle occupants. VW should, but refuses to buy this car back from me. It is unsafe to drive and/or put our children in the car in this condition.

Look up ODI 11458315 at NHTSA ↗

0—
5
ODI 11456927

My wife was driving our 5 day old Atlas along the interstate with cruise control set at 65mph. She was traveling up an incline that had a slight turn to the right along the interstate. There was not a car within 500+ yards of her car. All of a sudden she started hearing beeps and the car abruptly slammed on the brakes causing the Atlas to shift all of its weight to front and causing the rear tires to lift off of the ground. The front driver side portion of the car then skidded across the asphalt and into the safety rail. The airbags NEVER deplo…

Look up ODI 11456927 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 11457167

My airbag light randomly went on a few days after my 10k miles inspection at the Platinum VW dealership in Hicksville, NY. I brought it in and was told there is a safety issue due to a faulty sensor in the passenger side door which can both cause the airbag not to deploy (or to randomly deploy) and can also cause the parking break to automatically engage while the car is in motion. While the VW dealership was totally not transparent about this, the rental agency told me that i was there were more than 15 customers before me with the same issu…

Look up ODI 11457167 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 11458686

While my wife was driving home from work, all lights on the dashboard illuminated and the airbag warning symbol came on as well as both front windows opened on their own. Upon arrival at home as she pulled into the drive the emergency brake momentarily activated. Luckily the brake activated once she had pulled out of the main traffic or she may have been hit from behind. She called Bud Brown, our local VW dealer and was advised it was a known issue with the wiring on a door harness. She was advised that this part is not available and may not be…

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0
Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking
31
ODI 11444633

The vehicle indicated the door sensor was not working. This cause all warning lights on my dashboard to come on. Additionally, the car would beep notifying me that the engine was running as if the door had been opened. The car would then apply the emergency brake anytime I would begin to slow down causing me to almost get into an accident.

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ODI 11445277

Check engine light came on, windows were going down 1/8 of the way on their own, parking brake goes on automatically while engine is on while driving and pressing on brake, cannot utilize any controls on driver door. Dealer checked and it is the door harness that is on backorder. I was told 41 customers ahead of me waiting for same part in Northeast USA. Car is not safe to drive due to parking brake automatically engaging. VW of America notified and my case was escalated and I have initiated the PA Lemon Law Arbitration process. Issues first a…

Look up ODI 11445277 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 11449492

While i am driving my car start acting crazy first the windows go down following for some mesenges in the screen, Error: driver door contact switch Error: start/stop Fault:electronic parking brake The electric brake is activated wile i am driving that was the mos scare thing happened to my family and me.

Look up ODI 11449492 at NHTSA ↗

27
ODI 11445277

Check engine light came on, windows were going down 1/8 of the way on their own, parking brake goes on automatically while engine is on while driving and pressing on brake, cannot utilize any controls on driver door. Dealer checked and it is the door harness that is on backorder. I was told 41 customers ahead of me waiting for same part in Northeast USA. Car is not safe to drive due to parking brake automatically engaging. VW of America notified and my case was escalated and I have initiated the PA Lemon Law Arbitration process. Issues first a…

Look up ODI 11445277 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 11449492

While i am driving my car start acting crazy first the windows go down following for some mesenges in the screen, Error: driver door contact switch Error: start/stop Fault:electronic parking brake The electric brake is activated wile i am driving that was the mos scare thing happened to my family and me.

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ODI 11451379

Emergency Brake engages while driving. It has happened multiple times at speeds of 25-70mph. When this happened the warning lights and beeping would start, saying "Fault Electronic Brake", Error: Driver Door Contact Switch”, "Warning, engine is running" windows in the back would also automatically start rolling down and up. It has nearly caused us to get into two high speed accidents with our children in the car with us. Vehicle is currently at dealership along with others with the same problem, has been there for over 3 weeks as they attempt …

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2
ODI 11455549

The driver side door contact switch is faulty. It is throwing the emergency braking system on stopped or in park. There is no ETA for repair at this time.

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ODI 11457668

While driving on March 12, 2022, multiple alarms beeping and warning indicators appeared on the dashboard and the emergency brake suddenly engaged immediately halting the car to a complete stop. This happened multiple times during a short drive. On March 16, 2022, while this vehicle was parked with the engine running, more warning indicators appeared. The first was " Fault: Electronic parking brake" and the second was "Caustion: Engine is running". Right after that, two windows partially rolled down on their own. About 5 minutes later, a…

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2
ODI 11457196

Drivers side wire harness. All sorts of alarms going off, windows going up and down on their own, parking break engaging on its own while driving!!! Absolutely unsafe vehicle & VW was not helpful or cooperative.

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ODI 11457499

Our car starting firing many warning every time we would drive it including breaking without us telling it to. We took it in twice for it to be fixed, the first didn't work and the second they replaced a door chasey and I hope it works long term. Very scary to be driving with 2 little kids in the back and a possessed car. Super dangerous.

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1
ODI 11494076

We have an open case with Volkswagen, but the remedy part is on back order, in the meantime we have to use this unsafe car. The dealership where car was purchased from is not providing a loaner/rental despite being told by our Volkswagen care team specialist that he is obligated to. The car emergency brake comes on at every stop(I’m shook at every stop, knots in my stomach every single stop I make, stop sign, trying to park, red lights), driver side front and back windows open spontaneously, non stop beeping(anxiety inducing) when car is parked…

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5
ODI 11456927

My wife was driving our 5 day old Atlas along the interstate with cruise control set at 65mph. She was traveling up an incline that had a slight turn to the right along the interstate. There was not a car within 500+ yards of her car. All of a sudden she started hearing beeps and the car abruptly slammed on the brakes causing the Atlas to shift all of its weight to front and causing the rear tires to lift off of the ground. The front driver side portion of the car then skidded across the asphalt and into the safety rail. The airbags NEVER deplo…

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ODI 11457167

My airbag light randomly went on a few days after my 10k miles inspection at the Platinum VW dealership in Hicksville, NY. I brought it in and was told there is a safety issue due to a faulty sensor in the passenger side door which can both cause the airbag not to deploy (or to randomly deploy) and can also cause the parking break to automatically engage while the car is in motion. While the VW dealership was totally not transparent about this, the rental agency told me that i was there were more than 15 customers before me with the same issu…

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ODI 11458686

While my wife was driving home from work, all lights on the dashboard illuminated and the airbag warning symbol came on as well as both front windows opened on their own. Upon arrival at home as she pulled into the drive the emergency brake momentarily activated. Luckily the brake activated once she had pulled out of the main traffic or she may have been hit from behind. She called Bud Brown, our local VW dealer and was advised it was a known issue with the wiring on a door harness. She was advised that this part is not available and may not be…

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1
ODI 11605970

On [XXX] my 2021 Volkswagen Atlas cut off on [XXX] at the red light and I was almost rear ended multiple times until a kind gentleman moved my car out of the intersection. It has been parked in my driveway since because the battery won't hold a charge. I had the battery tested but the machine read that something is draining the battery even without keys being in the car ignition switch. The windows goes up and down by themselves without the power being engaged. The car is surging and all of these things are included on a recall list for Volksw…

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Fuel/Propulsion System
10
ODI 11505486

Engine cuts off at slow speeds or at a stop. Engine failure requires placing vehicle in park and restarting. This occurs at least once per day. Display notes that vehicle requires manual restart. Took to dealer and they advised nothing was wrong.

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ODI 11571766

Car shuts off randomly when slowing down. Changed out the charcoal canister and purge valve and it is still doing it

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ODI 11573820

Vehicle stalled and shut off 5 times while driving in past month. Took it to VW Dealership. They said low voltage on battery could make the stop/start feature not able to restart car. They also stated fuel injector #3 error was showing on diagnostic machine. After replacing battery, spark plugs, and gasket ($2300), dealership says that fuel injector error still showing and would cost $1400 to replace. They said it is recommended and my car shutting off is fixed with battery replacement. 24 hours after picking up from dealership, car shut off AG…

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1
ODI 11621632

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…

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25
ODI 11437045

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.

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ODI 11505486

Engine cuts off at slow speeds or at a stop. Engine failure requires placing vehicle in park and restarting. This occurs at least once per day. Display notes that vehicle requires manual restart. Took to dealer and they advised nothing was wrong.

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ODI 11541340

When coming to a stop, the car RMP's fluctuate up and down, jerk/jolt, and stall while still in drive. The only way to restart the vehicle is to put it into park and then hit start. Sometimes, vehicle status indicates a start/stop error, but no check engine light would come on. I have a huge safety concern about this because the vehicle is in motion when it stalls, and the only way to restart is to put it in park. This causes the flow of traffic to stop abruptly, increasing the outcome of an accident.

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2
ODI 11608781

The vehicle would turn off randomly when stopped at a Stop sign or traffic light. It the had to be put in park and restarted. The dealership Kelly VW in Danvers, MA diagnosed the problem and this is what the invoice said. "cel is on code p0461 is active. performed tsb hooked up battery charger and updated ecm per tsb" Si, in my opinion this is at the least a potentially serious safety issue that should have warranted a recall and/or something that would be covered under the 80,000 mile or 8 year Federal Emissions Warranty

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ODI 11732216

Anytime I come to a stop at a stop sign or a red light, my car just shuts off. Today driving on I 95, my car completely shut down on me. I have been told that it has something to do with my fuel pump or fuel line.

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00
1
ODI 11605970

On [XXX] my 2021 Volkswagen Atlas cut off on [XXX] at the red light and I was almost rear ended multiple times until a kind gentleman moved my car out of the intersection. It has been parked in my driveway since because the battery won't hold a charge. I had the battery tested but the machine read that something is draining the battery even without keys being in the car ignition switch. The windows goes up and down by themselves without the power being engaged. The car is surging and all of these things are included on a recall list for Volksw…

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Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.

Recurring narrative patterns

Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.

7 patterns with matching reports.

Warning lights and dashboard alerts

73 mentions · 15.4% of complaints

Median mileage: 20,000 mi (15 usable records).

ODI 11419168

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.

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ODI 11434576

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 happene…

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ODI 11434579

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 …

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Matching rule\b(warning light\w*|check engine|dashboard warning\w*|malfunction indicator)\b

Stalling or loss of power

43 mentions · 9.1% of complaints

Median mileage: 24,500 mi (2 usable records).

ODI 11439136

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 …

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ODI 11441770

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

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ODI 11448507

On January 8, 2022 I was driving on a main road about 30 to 35 mph when the vehicle suddenly shook violently and the engine shut off. There was loud beeping and the computer system lit up saying Error: Engine at the same time the emergency brake was activated. There was also a message about a Door Error. Luckily there were no cars around me at the time. I put the car in park and started it again. I was fairly close to home but this happened 3 more times, one time when I was pulling out on a road and traffic was coming toward me. I finally…

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Matching rule\b(stall\w*|loss of power|lost power|engine shut\w* off)\b

Brake response concerns

10 mentions · 2.1% of complaints

Median mileage: 21,000 mi (4 usable records).

ODI 11453080

The driver door contact switch and door harness is faulty, which triggers several errors while driving. The lane keep assist and departure warning does not work when this is happening. Additionally, when braking, the car has several alarms that chime repeatedly, including low coolant, driver door contact switch, electronic parking brake failure, hill start assist, and dynamic cornering lights. The car beeps nonstop while the brakes are applied and the car is at a complete stop. The parking brake also engages when the brakes are applied, making …

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ODI 11457136 · 12,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH on the highway, the brakes applied without the brake pedal being depressed. The contact was able to pull over and made it home safely. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and it was diagnosed as the wiring harness needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 12,000.

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ODI 11459688 · 20,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a wiring harness failure. The dealer informed the contact that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

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Matching rule\b(brake fail\w*|brakes fail\w*|brake pedal|braking distance|unintended braking|phantom braking)\b

Battery drain and no-start mentions

8 mentions · 1.7% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 11439136

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 …

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ODI 11460613

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 int…

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ODI 11512994

I was sitting at a stop light and the car just SHUT OFF and would not re-start. It was very dangerous. The start/ stop system was enabled as it always is - since it defaults to this feature when you start the vehicle. The electronics starting glitching when the car shut off. This is not the 1st time the car would not start, it has happened 3x over the course of 3 weeks. When we try to jump start the vehicle it has taken up to 30 minutes to sit on charge to get the car to turn over. We have had the battery tested and charged at VW all test…

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Matching rule\b(parasitic drain|battery drain\w*|dead battery|won.t start|would not start|no.start)\b

Hard or delayed shifting

7 mentions · 1.5% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 11433623

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 …

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ODI 11452328

At random times during driving the fault electronic parking brake with turn on and abruptly stop the vehicle making it jerk forward. It will trigger the windows to roll down, and errors will pop up stating lane assist is unavailable with beeping noise. This puts my family at risk because I was completely scared when the parking brake automatically came on while exiting the highway and an 18-wheeler truck was behind me with my daughter in the car. I had to completely turn my vehicle off and back on to keep going. When I took my car in on Februar…

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ODI 11461028

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…

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Matching rule\b(hard shift\w*|rough shift\w*|delay\w* shift\w*|shift\w* hard|jerk\w*|lurch\w*)\b

Fuel smell or leak mentions

3 mentions · 0.6% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 11434576

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 happene…

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ODI 11434579

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 …

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ODI 11712875

On January 16, 2026, the 2021 Atlas had a severe gas leak and a large pool of gas was observed underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the VW dealership in Bradenton, FL. The dealership stated they needed to take the car apart as it was suspected the fuel injectors were leaking. After disassembly, the technician stated the #3 fuel injector had a severe leak and there was so much gas, he couldn't be certain if fuel injectors #1 and #5 may also have issues but recommended replacing all 3 fuel injectors and the fuel rail. The repair cost …

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Matching rule\b(fuel leak\w*|gas leak\w*|gas(?:oline)? smell|smell\w* (?:of )?(?:fuel|gas))\b

Steering assistance concerns

3 mentions · 0.6% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 11456099

I purchased a brand new 2021 VW Atlas Cross Sport . In January I started experiencing major electrical sensor failures including automatically opening the windows, engaging the electronic parking brake when in motion, power steering sensor warning, engine warning and epc warning. VW has told me this is a wiring harness failure and they have over 6000 cars with this problem and can not give me a date as to when the parts will be available. I can not drive the car any distance for fear it will break down as I have had to have it towed once al…

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ODI 11652929

After starting vehicle the steering wheel locked up. It would allow you to drive forward and reverse but would not allow the steering wheel to turn. Prior to failure my wife and I noticed sometimes while driving down the interstate or highway it was difficult to turn steering wheel. Although random it was concerning checked power steering fluid and belts all looked good. Yesterday had to have vehicle towed due to faulty steering wheel.

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ODI 11654600

Upon starting the car All of the above warning lights came on the dashboard and did not function. Power steering,l and all adas did not function. Took to dealer and sensor was replaced.

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Matching rule\b(power steer\w*|steering assist\w*|steering lock\w*|steering wheel lock\w*)\b