Owners have filed 27 complaints
about the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport with NHTSA between 2023 and 2026.
The largest single group is the engine & cooling.
Across this model's run it ranks 5 of 6 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 10
Against the median year of the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 57
11.1% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.
How 2023 compares with every other Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Engine & Cooling
622.2%
Airbags
518.5%
Other & Unspecified
414.8%
Brakes
311.1%
1 crashes, 0 fires
Electrical System
311.1%
Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
27.4%
2 crashes, 0 fires
Fuel & Propulsion
27.4%
Lights
13.7%
Median failure at 18,000 miles
Acceleration & Cruise Control
13.7%
NHTSA crash tests
The agency crash-tested this model year itself. These are its own
photographs and star ratings.
Frontal crash test
Side barrier crash test
Side pole crash test
Photographs taken by NHTSA during its own New Car Assessment Program crash
tests of this model year. Public domain.
Configuration
Overall
Front
Side
Rollover
2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport SUV AWD
15.1% risk
2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport SUV FWD
16.9% risk
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Mar 2023peak 6Jul 2026
Recalls on the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
United States — NHTSA
25V434000
SERVICE BRAKES
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport and 2023-2024 ID.4 vehicles. Certain bolts on the chassis, brake system and/or suspension (such as bolts for certain cross member, engine mount, control arm, subframe, rear brake carrier, etc.) of affected vehicles may not have been correctly tightened during the manufacturing process.
Risk: A loss of vehicle control increases the risk of a crash.
24V464000
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Atlas and 2020-2024 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may experience a fault in the wiring and deactivate the front passenger air bag when the seat is occupied.
Risk: A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
22V807000
SUSPENSION:CRITICAL FASTENERS
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Volkswagen Atlas FL and 2022-2023 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The driver-side rear trailing arm bolts may not have been tightened properly, allowing them to loosen and fall out.
Risk: Unsecured bolts may cause the trailing arm to fracture, resulting in a sudden loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.
22V753000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Audi Q5 Sportback, Q5, 2022-2023 Volkswagen Atlas FL, and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The engine connecting rod bearings may become damaged, which can result in engine failure.
Risk: A damaged engine can result in engine failure and a stall, increasing the risk of a crash. If the engine failure causes an oil leak, it can increase the risk of a fire.
22V718000
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2023 model year Atlas FL and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. Certain brake lines may leak at the threaded connections.
Risk: A brake fluid leak may increase the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
22V152000
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Atlas, 2020-2023 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021-2023 Atlas FL vehicles. The door wiring harness electrical contacts may corrode, disrupting the electrical connection and delaying the deployment of the driver or passenger front side air bag during a side impact crash.
Risk: A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 2025355291 units in Canada
Suspension
Issue: On certain vehicles, certain bolt(s) on the chassis, brake system and/or suspension may not have been tightened properly. As a result, the bolt(s) could loosen and cause a loss of control. Safety Risk: A loss of control could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Volkswagen will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the affected bolt(s) on the chassis, brake system and/or suspension.
Recall 202435435,749 units in Canada
Airbag
Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may malfunction. This could cause the airbag system to turn off the passenger-front airbag even when a passenger is seated. Note: This problem would cause an error message to display on the instrument panel and a warning chime to sound. The airbag indicator light would also display "passenger airbag off". Safety Risk: An airbag that is turned off could increase the risk of injury to a passenger in a crash. Corrective Actions: Volkswagen will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the PODS sensor mat and seat harness. Volkswagen advises that you shouldn't use the front passenger seat if a PODS error message displays on the instrument panel or if the airbag indicator light displays "passenger airbag off" with an occupant in the seat.
Recall 20225769,697 units in Canada
Engine
Issue: On certain vehicles, the connecting rod bearings may become damaged. If this happens, the engine could make abnormal noises and a warning light may turn on. If you continue to drive the vehicle with these symptoms, the engine could fail and/or an oil leak could occur. Safety Risk: An engine failure can cause a sudden loss of power, which could increase the risk of a crash. An oil leak could create the risk of a vehicle fire. Corrective actions: Volkswagen will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership for an engine inspection test. The engine will be replaced, if necessary.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Plantation, FLCrash
SERVICE BRAKES
Our VW Atlas Cross Sport 2023 was involved in an accident on August 3, 2025 where the Automatic Emergency Braking and Forward Collision Warning did not work. Firstly, we reported issues with our brakes several times and took the vehicle to Rick Case VW in Weston/Davie more than once to rectify this problem. However, the problem has never been fixed, and persisted up until the time of the accident. Secondly, the vehicle's navigation system stopped working during the week of July 28th, and this was reported to Rick Case VW on July 30th. Attempts to address the fact that the car's non-working features contributed to the accident remain unresolved with Rick Case VW (seller) and VW Corporate (manufacturer), as of September 17. We made several amicable and fair requests, up to and including: 1) giving us another/newer vehicle without any charges or fees whatsoever, or change to payment amount unless it is less, and/or 2) refunding all monies paid to date so we could find a new car on our own. To date, there has been very little communication from either party and no genuine care or effort to assist us with this case. The Rick Case Collision Center has been in possession of our vehicle for approximately 6 weeks to fix an array of damages. At this point, we do not feel the car is road-worthy or safe to drive and we have made this expressly clear in emails and voicemails to VW/Rick Case VW. The management of Rick Case VW has made no offer of a loaner nor have they acknowledged our request to exchange this vehicle. They are well aware that their faulty, non-functioning systems in our VW 2023 Atlas SE contributed to the accident in August. Their professionalism and respect for the customer would have gone a long way in resolving this in a timely and amicable manner. Now we may have no choice but to resort to taking this a step further, legally.
NHTSA complaint #11687902 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Plantation, FLCrash
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Our VW Atlas Cross Sport 2023 was involved in an accident on August 3, 2025 where the Automatic Emergency Braking and Forward Collision Warning did not work. Firstly, we reported issues with our brakes several times and took the vehicle to Rick Case VW in Weston/Davie more than once to rectify this problem. However, the problem has never been fixed, and persisted up until the time of the accident. Secondly, the vehicle's navigation system stopped working during the week of July 28th, and this was reported to Rick Case VW on July 30th. Attempts to address the fact that the car's non-working features contributed to the accident remain unresolved with Rick Case VW (seller) and VW Corporate (manufacturer), as of September 17. We made several amicable and fair requests, up to and including: 1) giving us another/newer vehicle without any charges or fees whatsoever, or change to payment amount unless it is less, and/or 2) refunding all monies paid to date so we could find a new car on our own. To date, there has been very little communication from either party and no genuine care or effort to assist us with this case. The Rick Case Collision Center has been in possession of our vehicle for approximately 6 weeks to fix an array of damages. At this point, we do not feel the car is road-worthy or safe to drive and we have made this expressly clear in emails and voicemails to VW/Rick Case VW. The management of Rick Case VW has made no offer of a loaner nor have they acknowledged our request to exchange this vehicle. They are well aware that their faulty, non-functioning systems in our VW 2023 Atlas SE contributed to the accident in August. Their professionalism and respect for the customer would have gone a long way in resolving this in a timely and amicable manner. Now we may have no choice but to resort to taking this a step further, legally.
NHTSA complaint #11687902 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Our VW Atlas Cross Sport 2023 was involved in an accident on August 3, 2025 where the Automatic Emergency Braking and Forward Collision Warning did not work. Firstly, we reported issues with our brakes several times and took the vehicle to Rick Case VW in Weston/Davie more than once to rectify this problem. However, the problem has never been fixed, and persisted up until the time of the accident. Secondly, the vehicle's navigation system stopped working during the week of July 28th, and this was reported to Rick Case VW on July 30th. Attempts to address the fact that the car's non-working features contributed to the accident remain unresolved with Rick Case VW (seller) and VW Corporate (manufacturer), as of September 17. We made several amicable and fair requests, up to and including: 1) giving us another/newer vehicle without any charges or fees whatsoever, or change to payment amount unless it is less, and/or 2) refunding all monies paid to date so we could find a new car on our own. To date, there has been very little communication from either party and no genuine care or effort to assist us with this case. The Rick Case Collision Center has been in possession of our vehicle for approximately 6 weeks to fix an array of damages. At this point, we do not feel the car is road-worthy or safe to drive and we have made this expressly clear in emails and voicemails to VW/Rick Case VW. The management of Rick Case VW has made no offer of a loaner nor have they acknowledged our request to exchange this vehicle. They are well aware that their faulty, non-functioning systems in our VW 2023 Atlas SE contributed to the accident in August. Their professionalism and respect for the customer would have gone a long way in resolving this in a timely and amicable manner. Now we may have no choice but to resort to taking this a step further, legally.
NHTSA complaint #11687902 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Belden, MS
ENGINE
After noticing an oil leak and blue smoke in my 23 VW atlas, I took it to my local dealership in Tupelo, MS. I realized there was an open recall for the PCV Valve / Oil separator under code 10LP. However, the bad PCV valve also caused the timing chain cover to go bad. The dealership called me back and said VW would not cover this issue. I then called VW to see if they would step in and provide some sort of Goodwill and they denied me. They would not transfer me to a supervisor or provide any written approval that they denied covering the new timing chain cover... the call was super unprofessional and the failing part was a corresponding issue to the page PCV valve. I would like any assistance on getting VW to make this right for myself or others. This sounds like a very common issue!
NHTSA complaint #11751639 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated that while seated inside the parked vehicle, the contact became aware of a reflection and exited the vehicle and discovered that the daytime running lights were inoperable. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the headlight assembly needed to be replaced. The headlight assembly was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 18,000.
NHTSA complaint #11751569 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Plantation, FLCrash
SERVICE BRAKES
Our VW Atlas Cross Sport 2023 was involved in an accident on August 3, 2025 where the Automatic Emergency Braking and Forward Collision Warning did not work. Firstly, we reported issues with our brakes several times and took the vehicle to Rick Case VW in Weston/Davie more than once to rectify this problem. However, the problem has never been fixed, and persisted up until the time of the accident. Secondly, the vehicle's navigation system stopped working during the week of July 28th, and this was reported to Rick Case VW on July 30th. Attempts to address the fact that the car's non-working features contributed to the accident remain unresolved with Rick Case VW (seller) and VW Corporate (manufacturer), as of September 17. We made several amicable and fair requests, up to and including: 1) giving us another/newer vehicle without any charges or fees whatsoever, or change to payment amount unless it is less, and/or 2) refunding all monies paid to date so we could find a new car on our own. To date, there has been very little communication from either party and no genuine care or effort to assist us with this case. The Rick Case Collision Center has been in possession of our vehicle for approximately 6 weeks to fix an array of damages. At this point, we do not feel the car is road-worthy or safe to drive and we have made this expressly clear in emails and voicemails to VW/Rick Case VW. The management of Rick Case VW has made no offer of a loaner nor have they acknowledged our request to exchange this vehicle. They are well aware that their faulty, non-functioning systems in our VW 2023 Atlas SE contributed to the accident in August. Their professionalism and respect for the customer would have gone a long way in resolving this in a timely and amicable manner. Now we may have no choice but to resort to taking this a step further, legally.
NHTSA complaint #11687902 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Plantation, FLCrash
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Our VW Atlas Cross Sport 2023 was involved in an accident on August 3, 2025 where the Automatic Emergency Braking and Forward Collision Warning did not work. Firstly, we reported issues with our brakes several times and took the vehicle to Rick Case VW in Weston/Davie more than once to rectify this problem. However, the problem has never been fixed, and persisted up until the time of the accident. Secondly, the vehicle's navigation system stopped working during the week of July 28th, and this was reported to Rick Case VW on July 30th. Attempts to address the fact that the car's non-working features contributed to the accident remain unresolved with Rick Case VW (seller) and VW Corporate (manufacturer), as of September 17. We made several amicable and fair requests, up to and including: 1) giving us another/newer vehicle without any charges or fees whatsoever, or change to payment amount unless it is less, and/or 2) refunding all monies paid to date so we could find a new car on our own. To date, there has been very little communication from either party and no genuine care or effort to assist us with this case. The Rick Case Collision Center has been in possession of our vehicle for approximately 6 weeks to fix an array of damages. At this point, we do not feel the car is road-worthy or safe to drive and we have made this expressly clear in emails and voicemails to VW/Rick Case VW. The management of Rick Case VW has made no offer of a loaner nor have they acknowledged our request to exchange this vehicle. They are well aware that their faulty, non-functioning systems in our VW 2023 Atlas SE contributed to the accident in August. Their professionalism and respect for the customer would have gone a long way in resolving this in a timely and amicable manner. Now we may have no choice but to resort to taking this a step further, legally.
NHTSA complaint #11687902 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Our VW Atlas Cross Sport 2023 was involved in an accident on August 3, 2025 where the Automatic Emergency Braking and Forward Collision Warning did not work. Firstly, we reported issues with our brakes several times and took the vehicle to Rick Case VW in Weston/Davie more than once to rectify this problem. However, the problem has never been fixed, and persisted up until the time of the accident. Secondly, the vehicle's navigation system stopped working during the week of July 28th, and this was reported to Rick Case VW on July 30th. Attempts to address the fact that the car's non-working features contributed to the accident remain unresolved with Rick Case VW (seller) and VW Corporate (manufacturer), as of September 17. We made several amicable and fair requests, up to and including: 1) giving us another/newer vehicle without any charges or fees whatsoever, or change to payment amount unless it is less, and/or 2) refunding all monies paid to date so we could find a new car on our own. To date, there has been very little communication from either party and no genuine care or effort to assist us with this case. The Rick Case Collision Center has been in possession of our vehicle for approximately 6 weeks to fix an array of damages. At this point, we do not feel the car is road-worthy or safe to drive and we have made this expressly clear in emails and voicemails to VW/Rick Case VW. The management of Rick Case VW has made no offer of a loaner nor have they acknowledged our request to exchange this vehicle. They are well aware that their faulty, non-functioning systems in our VW 2023 Atlas SE contributed to the accident in August. Their professionalism and respect for the customer would have gone a long way in resolving this in a timely and amicable manner. Now we may have no choice but to resort to taking this a step further, legally.
NHTSA complaint #11687902 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Glen Burnie, MD
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V464000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
NHTSA complaint #11640455 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mequon, WI
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V464000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
NHTSA complaint #11630996 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Anaheim, CA
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V464000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11614892 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rochester, NY
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V464000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11610983 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Grosse Pointe Shores, MI
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V464000 (Air Bags) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.
NHTSA complaint #11610041 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
North LAS Vegas, NV
ENGINE
MY CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. ALSO I HAVE HAD BRAKE ISSUES. GRINDING NOISE AND LOUD NOISE. THEY RELACED THE BRAKE PADS THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR BECAUSE MANUFACTUR PADS WOULD HAVE CAUSE THE SAME ISSUE. NOW MY CAR IS SHAKING WHILE I BRAKE. THEY SAID I NEED NEW ROTORS. WITH THE CAR SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING IS MY MAIN CONCERN. IT HAS SHUT OFF A TOTAL OF 8 TIME SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT. SHUT OFF RADOMLY ON STREET, PARKING LOTS AND FREEWAY GOING 65MPH. I HAVE MY GRAND CHILDREN IN MY CAR A LOT. SO THERFORE, THIS IS A HIGH RISK SAFETY CONCERN OF MINE.
NHTSA complaint #11590253 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
North LAS Vegas, NV
SERVICE BRAKES
MY CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. ALSO I HAVE HAD BRAKE ISSUES. GRINDING NOISE AND LOUD NOISE. THEY RELACED THE BRAKE PADS THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR BECAUSE MANUFACTUR PADS WOULD HAVE CAUSE THE SAME ISSUE. NOW MY CAR IS SHAKING WHILE I BRAKE. THEY SAID I NEED NEW ROTORS. WITH THE CAR SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING IS MY MAIN CONCERN. IT HAS SHUT OFF A TOTAL OF 8 TIME SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT. SHUT OFF RADOMLY ON STREET, PARKING LOTS AND FREEWAY GOING 65MPH. I HAVE MY GRAND CHILDREN IN MY CAR A LOT. SO THERFORE, THIS IS A HIGH RISK SAFETY CONCERN OF MINE.
NHTSA complaint #11590253 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Land O Lakes, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My car cuts off while driving. For instance, I was at a red light, in the left turning lane, and the light turned green. I pressed the gas and it started going and then just cut off. Luckily there was no car behind me. However, I was halfway in the intersection as cars were coming towards me. I had my 3 year old in the car. This is very dangerous. This is just one incident. When backing out of a parking spot, I will get half way out of the spot and it cuts off. I’ve taken it to the dealership, but they won’t help since they can’t duplicate it. I reached out to Volkswagon on Twitter and all they did was have me take it to the dealership again. I received the same, non-concerned, attitude. Nothing has been done. I bought this car brand new. Also, the screen cuts off randomly and has to restart.
NHTSA complaint #11573794 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Land O Lakes, FL
ENGINE
My car cuts off while driving. For instance, I was at a red light, in the left turning lane, and the light turned green. I pressed the gas and it started going and then just cut off. Luckily there was no car behind me. However, I was halfway in the intersection as cars were coming towards me. I had my 3 year old in the car. This is very dangerous. This is just one incident. When backing out of a parking spot, I will get half way out of the spot and it cuts off. I’ve taken it to the dealership, but they won’t help since they can’t duplicate it. I reached out to Volkswagon on Twitter and all they did was have me take it to the dealership again. I received the same, non-concerned, attitude. Nothing has been done. I bought this car brand new. Also, the screen cuts off randomly and has to restart.
NHTSA complaint #11573794 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Chicago, IL
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
When car came to a stop at a red light I put my foot on the gas once the light turned green. When I tried to proceed through the light my car was at a complete stall. I had to then place the car in park, power the car off and then power the car back on. The other car behind me almost ran into the back of my car due to the light was green. When I contacted the dealership the service department they told me it was normal and don’t worry about it. If it happens again then to bring the vehicle in.
NHTSA complaint #11573270 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Kingston, NH
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The vehicle simply shuts off with no warning or reason. I should NOT have to explain to anybody how this is a safety hazard to the driver and others around the vehicle. It shuts down while in a car wash and the vehicle is in Neutral. Thus, I have to brake, place the trans in Park then manually restart. The same happens at Stop Lights. All the time this is happening, the vehicle's "Auto On/Auto Off" mode has been manually disabled. VW KNOWS about this issue, although the dealerships like to play dumb, as it has been going on for several years now with still no solution in sight! Had I known about this issue before purchasing the vehicle I would never have purchased it! I would LOVE it if VW would buy back the vehicle and allow me to look for another SUV from an American car manufacturer.
NHTSA complaint #11572589 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Kingston, NH
ENGINE
The vehicle simply shuts off with no warning or reason. I should NOT have to explain to anybody how this is a safety hazard to the driver and others around the vehicle. It shuts down while in a car wash and the vehicle is in Neutral. Thus, I have to brake, place the trans in Park then manually restart. The same happens at Stop Lights. All the time this is happening, the vehicle's "Auto On/Auto Off" mode has been manually disabled. VW KNOWS about this issue, although the dealerships like to play dumb, as it has been going on for several years now with still no solution in sight! Had I known about this issue before purchasing the vehicle I would never have purchased it! I would LOVE it if VW would buy back the vehicle and allow me to look for another SUV from an American car manufacturer.
NHTSA complaint #11572589 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Kingston, NH
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The vehicle simply shuts off with no warning or reason. I should NOT have to explain to anybody how this is a safety hazard to the driver and others around the vehicle. It shuts down while in a car wash and the vehicle is in Neutral. Thus, I have to brake, place the trans in Park then manually restart. The same happens at Stop Lights. All the time this is happening, the vehicle's "Auto On/Auto Off" mode has been manually disabled. VW KNOWS about this issue, although the dealerships like to play dumb, as it has been going on for several years now with still no solution in sight! Had I known about this issue before purchasing the vehicle I would never have purchased it! I would LOVE it if VW would buy back the vehicle and allow me to look for another SUV from an American car manufacturer.
NHTSA complaint #11572589 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
New Canaan, CT
SERVICE BRAKES
UNKOWN Brakes on brand new vehicle are exhibiting behavior that is not normal for a car of this size and relatively young age (miles). Measurably loud brake noise based on manufactures choice of materials in components leave concern on overall safety of brake system based on generally considered (except by dealer / manufacturer of course) unexpected behavior of vehicle braking system.
NHTSA complaint #11563187 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Valdosta, GA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This vehicle when using the Navigation system will suddenly show the vehicle 50 to 100+ miles from its actual location, often in the middle of a field or just offroad! I returned to the dealer who installed the recommended "fix" from a technical service bulletin. The software fix did bring the locations closer when the system failed, and instead of 50 to 100+ miles off course, it shows 5 to 15 miles off course. I did a search online and found [XXX] and there are hundreds of complaints about this issue! I believe this to be a MAJOR safety issue, as you can find yourself suddenly what appears to be off course and in an unknown area. What ever is happening also screws up the maps on your iPhone as it apparently grabs the info from the vehicle and projects it on the CarPlay screen. I have multiple photos of the navigation system showing me off road when in the middle of the interstate! I tried to upload them here but they would not. I listed one date for the incident but this is ONGOING! Happens frequently and without warning. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11562174 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Santa Maria, CA
ENGINE
The components that failed or malfunctioned was the fuel pump & fuel system components. During the 1st incident, while driving at approx. 50 mph, I quickly lost acceleration, which caused me to slow down very quickly until I had no acceleration power - this took a matter of 10 seconds or less. After losing power, the smell of gas consumed the cabin, & the engine was unable to start, resulting in the vehicle having to be towed. This incident happened at 1,005 miles on a brand new car. I had only owned it about 2 1/2 weeks. This happened 2 more times over the course of the next several weeks, but this time on a busy California freeway. I again had to be towed twice. The 3rd incident had an incredibly strong smell of gasoline vapors that consumed the inside AND outside of the cabin. In total, the vehicle (at 3 months old) had been towed 3 times, had 5 fuel pump replacements; and replacement of the fuel rails, fuel injectors, intake manifold gasket, and more. The Carfax report does not show all repairs performed. My life as well as the lives of my husband & children were put at risk when we nearly stalled out on the CA freeway while beginning our family vacation. I believe the most dangerous part was the gasoline vapors that consumed the inside & immediate vicinity of the vehicle. The dealerships code reader confirmed the issues with the fuel pump. The vehicle was inspected by the dealership. The warning lights that illuminated during the incidents were the EPC & check engine light. They illuminated at the immediate onset of the vehicle losing acceleration. I would like to note that this vehicle was eventually repurchased from VW under lemon law. I had to ask for reconsideration after the first request was denied. However, VW eventually made a horrible situation right and we are relieved this vehicle is off our hands. I do feel like I have an obligation, however, to notify NHTSA of these incidents as it could have had a much more devastating outcome.
NHTSA complaint #11546921 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Santa Maria, CA
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The components that failed or malfunctioned was the fuel pump & fuel system components. During the 1st incident, while driving at approx. 50 mph, I quickly lost acceleration, which caused me to slow down very quickly until I had no acceleration power - this took a matter of 10 seconds or less. After losing power, the smell of gas consumed the cabin, & the engine was unable to start, resulting in the vehicle having to be towed. This incident happened at 1,005 miles on a brand new car. I had only owned it about 2 1/2 weeks. This happened 2 more times over the course of the next several weeks, but this time on a busy California freeway. I again had to be towed twice. The 3rd incident had an incredibly strong smell of gasoline vapors that consumed the inside AND outside of the cabin. In total, the vehicle (at 3 months old) had been towed 3 times, had 5 fuel pump replacements; and replacement of the fuel rails, fuel injectors, intake manifold gasket, and more. The Carfax report does not show all repairs performed. My life as well as the lives of my husband & children were put at risk when we nearly stalled out on the CA freeway while beginning our family vacation. I believe the most dangerous part was the gasoline vapors that consumed the inside & immediate vicinity of the vehicle. The dealerships code reader confirmed the issues with the fuel pump. The vehicle was inspected by the dealership. The warning lights that illuminated during the incidents were the EPC & check engine light. They illuminated at the immediate onset of the vehicle losing acceleration. I would like to note that this vehicle was eventually repurchased from VW under lemon law. I had to ask for reconsideration after the first request was denied. However, VW eventually made a horrible situation right and we are relieved this vehicle is off our hands. I do feel like I have an obligation, however, to notify NHTSA of these incidents as it could have had a much more devastating outcome.
NHTSA complaint #11546921 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lansdale, PA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The car will stop suddenly at a red light or when slowing in traffic without warning. I have to stop the car, put in park, and restart the engine often when the light turns green and I'm not moving The ACC eco-feature is typically off/disabled, so it isn't the issue. A few scary times being in traffic at a red light and then the car stops working. Not an engine problem. Earlier versions have had a recall, but not my year. May need to consider extending the recall and fix.
NHTSA complaint #11546246 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lansdale, PA
ENGINE
The car will stop suddenly at a red light or when slowing in traffic without warning. I have to stop the car, put in park, and restart the engine often when the light turns green and I'm not moving The ACC eco-feature is typically off/disabled, so it isn't the issue. A few scary times being in traffic at a red light and then the car stops working. Not an engine problem. Earlier versions have had a recall, but not my year. May need to consider extending the recall and fix.
NHTSA complaint #11546246 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Dickinson, TX
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving on the freeway, the panoramic sunroof exploded. This time, the vehicle has not been repaired and is available for inspection. The explosion could have been caused by the excessive heat. The sunroof cover was closed at the time, but if it was open, the glass from the sunroof exploding could have injured my daughter who was sitting in the back seat. The glass could have flown and injured other drivers as well. The vehicle has not been expected, but when this issue was researched online, it appears that it has happened on other Volkswagen vehicles, and the dealership service center acknowledged that this has happened to others before. The vehicle is scheduled to be repaired at the Volkswagen dealership. No warning lights or prior messages appeared prior to the sunroof exploding.
NHTSA complaint #11543181 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
