FaultScore

Worst years for a Volkswagen Atlas

Owners have filed 2,991 complaints about the Volkswagen Atlas with NHTSA across model years 2018 to 2026. More of them are about the electrical system than anything else.

Avoid

2018 Volkswagen Atlas

670 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly electrical system.

Cleanest on record

2026 Volkswagen Atlas

10 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Volkswagen Atlas year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2026 A 10 0 0 Engine & Cooling
2025 B 75 3 0 5,550 Electrical System
2024 C 262 12 3 16,663 Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
2023 C 187 6 0 33,000 Engine & Cooling
2022 C 281 8 5 36,000 Engine & Cooling
2021 D 746 13 1 12,000 Electrical System
2020 A 51 0 0 78,000 Electrical System
2019 D 709 13 0 8,730 Airbags
2018 D 670 13 0 16,850 Electrical System

What breaks on a Volkswagen Atlas

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Electrical System 472 15.8%

Worst in 2021

Worst in 2019

Engine & Cooling 371 12.4%

Worst in 2018

Airbags 370 12.4%

Worst in 2019

Brakes 359 12.0%

Worst in 2021

Worst in 2021

Worst in 2021

Lights 115 3.8%

Worst in 2021

Worst in 2019

Steering 87 2.9%

Worst in 2019

Worst in 2019

Seats 44 1.5%

Worst in 2018

Worst in 2021

Worst in 2024

Exactly what failed on a Volkswagen Atlas

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Automatic Emergency Braking 164 41.3%
Warnings 68 17.1%
Adaptive Cruise Control 55 13.9%
Body 41 10.3%
Warnings 21 5.3%
Assist 14 3.5%
Blind Spot Detection 11 2.8%
Warning 10 2.5%
Rearview System Braking 10 2.5%
Dynamic Brake Support/Brake Assist 3 0.8%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Volkswagen Atlas, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Nov 2017 peak 196 Aug 2026

Volkswagen Atlas problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Volkswagen Atlas

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.