90 of the
779 complaints filed about the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport
are about the braking system —
12% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2021.
When I am driving the vehicle the brakes are always squeaking. When I took it to the dealership they stated that there was nothing wrong with the brakes. When I Google this this seems to be a common issue with the Volkswagen Atlas. But one thing also just the other day when I stopped on the brakes it felt like someone was slamming behind me.
NHTSA complaint #11751936 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the brakes made abnormally loud squeaking and grinding sounds. The failure persisted, and the vehicle hesitated while responding with the brake pedal depressed while driving, causing the braking distance to be extended. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the issue was normal vehicle operation. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 29,918.
NHTSA complaint #11746157 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Over course of ownership, I have taken 2021 Atlas Cross Sport in for routine service, to include grinding brakes during normal driving conditions. The brakes will squeak when first beginning the drive for the day. The brake issue becomes more pronounced when braking from various speeds such as 65MPH to a gradual stop. There is a loud and progressively grinding noise during this time. The dealership was made aware of this within a week’s time and they specifically looked into this matter and advised once again, “normal.”
NHTSA complaint #11733702 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
A loud squeaky noise come from the brakes. When I took it to Volkswagen. They said there’s an issue with the brakes that was installed by the manufacturer however, they will not fix it because there is no recall. They said that the brakes that’s the factory installed has something has copper in it and that’s causing the issue. I have another friend with the same make and model of the car and suffering from the same issue. My concern is it just a loud noise or is it a safety issue because of the brakes?
NHTSA complaint #11709724 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The brakes are loud, grinding, and sounds like water sloshing around. Upon research, VW knows this issues since their 22 model and has yet to address it but rather keeps using bad material brakes. The braking results in shaking when breaking especially in the colder months. This is not safe and on a brand new car, should not be happening. The dealerships acknowledged that this is a known issue with VW
NHTSA complaint #11707163 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Pulled out of driveway onto major road. Brake fluid alert showed up on dash. Brakes completely stopped working. Was able to roll the car to a stop. Called tow truck which delivered car to mechanic. Mechanic confirmed that there were no brakes and advised that the brake master cylinder leaked into the brake booster which caused the brake booster to be damaged. Mechanic needed to remove and replace the the brake master cylinder and the vacuum brake booster.
NHTSA complaint #11698953 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There’s a chemical smell entering the cabin of my vehicle from the engine ever since my car was serviced at the dealership. I’ve had headaches burning, watering eyes, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, eye twitching, and generally unwell. My daughter has had a cough and they refused to acknowledge any issue. They changed the filter and clean the vents and they’re saying nothing‘s wrong. There’s been multiple – alert since I bought the vehicle in April with them being the lane assist, throwing code all the time while I’m driving in any conditions the front assist as well and the brakes needing some plug that was missing from it and now a light sensor is not working as well and the dealership isn’t being any help. I escalated it to a corporate and they’re saying there’s nothing they can do. I’ve been without my car for a week as it’s been in the shop and I have had a rental and since then I haven’t experienced any symptoms and now they’re wanting to give me the car back because they can’t find anything wrong, but I fear for mine and my kids, health and safety to be in that vehicle
NHTSA complaint #11698976 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On Sep 25 2025 my wife parked car in parking lot to check phone messages. The car was in park. When she finished she placed the car in drive. It began to accelerated rapidly even after the brakes were applied and struck a tree. Her foot was not on the accelerator. The car then rolled over onto the driver side door. A police officer in a nearby building saw the crash and said the car was probably at 30mph when it hit the tree. He and two other officers got my wife out of the car. After the car was towed away we contacted VW customer care and asked that the car be examined. The said when the car was returned to drivable condition they would examine it. Hartford insurance totaled the car and said they were not responsible to examine the care and referred us back to VW. Again VW will not go the a salvage yard to examine the car. The car had intermittent electronic signal issues and a previous recall on doors needed to be redone because originally the wrong part was installed. I did experience a previous incident months before where I felt the car accelerated quicker than I expected from a stop with slight pressure on the pedal but it was only momentary.
NHTSA complaint #11696774 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Front brakes make scratching sound, dealer alleged brakes and rotor are fine after inspection. Steering wheel shakes at times when braking down hill. Cabin too noisy, air and sauna enter cabin by driver side door. Reported issue to dealer, they alleges the seal may need to be replaced; but not covered by warranty.
NHTSA complaint #11690466 — 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 contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, there was an abnormal metal on metal grinding sound coming from the brakes. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure while slowing for traffic or while coming to a stop. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first but over time became more frequent. Additionally, the "Emergency Stop" warning light illuminated, and the vehicle came to a complete stop. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had then taken the vehicle to an authorized dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 18,285.
NHTSA complaint #11682475 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I own a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport with approximately 34,000 miles, purchased as a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle. The brakes make an extremely loud, metal-on-metal screeching noise when driving slowly, reversing or driving on hills. The sound is harsh and high-pitched, resembling worn-out or defective brake pads or rotors. I brought the issue to a VW dealership, and they confirmed the noise but claimed it is “normal” and offered no repair. The sound is consistent and worsens on incline. This issue raises serious safety concerns, including potential brake system wear/failure or lack of effective stopping power in certain conditions. After researching, I discovered many other VW Atlas and Cross Sport owners are reporting the same problem across model years 2020–2023. Some have resorted to replacing OEM brake parts with aftermarket components to resolve the issue. I believe this may be a design or materials defect affecting a large number of vehicles. I am requesting NHTSA to investigate this issue for potential safety implications and consider whether a recall or technical service bulletin is necessary.
NHTSA complaint #11679171 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
1. Brake system grinding noise - every time the brakes are applied the front brakes makes a terrible grinding noise, I notice that the vehicle does not break properly. This problem clears can cause a dangerous situation to my family or others. Vehicle been inspected by VW Flagship Bayamon and they respond that is a normal situation cause by humidity. 2. Fault electrical problem the AutoStart won't work properly Manual works only 25% of the time, this cause a lot of waste and spending on gas, was inspected by the dealer and response was that there's only false codes in the PCM memory. 3. Keyless AutoStart won't work as advertised, if you start the vehicle remotely shut down immediately, doors closed, battery in good state, keyless battery was changed 3 times with the same results, dealer also state that there's only falses codes related to this issue caused by vehicle been park for long time. This is a security aspect to start your car to be ready when you park in dangerous areas. 4. During the sale of the vehicle salesperson cannot open the hood because hood get stuck with the windshield cowl plastic, he explained that there's no problem that i can get to the service department to repaired without cost, since i buy the vehicle i cannot open the hood to verify the engine. They give me all kind of excuses that part been order but never receive a call back this is dangerous cause in case of fire because of previous problems i cannot open the hood .
NHTSA complaint #11657205 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving and coming to a stop or slowing down the cars engine will shut off. This is extremely dangerous when in traffic and you have to come to a complete stop and put it in park to manually restart the car. The dealer cannot seem to reproduce the issue but the same day I picked it up from having it looked at it died on me twice in the same day. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone other than the dealership as far as I know as we are the second owner. There was no warning when this started happening. It gives no warning when it will or will not die. However, a week after it started the check engine light came on and that’s when I took it into the dealership. They were able to replace the sensor but did not find a reason for the car to spontaneously die.
NHTSA complaint #11645383 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There is a metallic rattle in the driver's side b-pillar (similar to the issue in the 2018 Tiguan LWB). Every component in the pillar has been replaced and the rattle persists. The first time I complained about it to the dealership the car only had 1,500 miles on it. 3 years and several months of the car sitting in the shop they have not been able to fix it nor have they bothered working with VW of America to find a solution. I'm guessing it is structural. The brakes are also very concerning and I have mentioned it many times over the last few years. It is not the normal VW squeal -- it is a grinding that causes the car to shake. I was told by my local VW that "Apparently you've never driven high performance vehicles before--that's normal". Uh, no it is not normal. Often times when shifting into drive from park (even on flat ground) the shifter is hard to move and then makes an awful clunking noise. Coolant disappears. And, indicator light does not come on. I was refilling the wiper fluid reservoir and noticed the coolant reservoir was almost empty, however, no light has come on. I've had to top off the coolant at least every couple months.
NHTSA complaint #11633740 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Multiple occasions the start/stop malfunction has turned on. The brakes grind and screech horribly and I’ll get breaking malfunction warning. It has been checked by vw and they state that the brakes are fine and they’ve had several come in with same issue but there’s no recall that has been issued. They stated it is the material that was used to manufacture brake parts that cause this problem. It worries me one day they will give out. Also the error drive system has come on and it feels I lose power. I stop car and sometimes that helps as I restart. They tell me the antifreeze needs to be topped off. I’ve already had to refill in less than 3 months which I find crazy with antifreeze. No other car I’ve owned have I had to refill this so much. So several issues have occurred with this vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11632579 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The info center becomes unreadable therefore, if you use the back up camera, you cannot see clearly the objects behind your car. Volkswagen does not have a fix on this. They just recommend for now doing a hard reset on the info center. This is a concern of mine because it is a safety hazard when I try to use reverse I have to rely on mirrors and otherwise I have blind spots that I cannot see whereas when using the backup camera, I have full visibility of what’s behind my vehicle. Secondly, the brakes make an unusual noise. Volkswagen claims it’s dust however I have audio recording of the squealing noise and as fact, the brakes sometimes engage in a rough way to where it almost seems like they are trying to grip the disc. This is extremely concerning as Ithe brakes make an unusual noise. Volkswagen claims it’s dust however I have audio recording of the squealing noise and as fact, the brakes sometimes engage in a rough way to where it almost seems like they are trying to grip the disc. This is extremely concerning as I have lost confidence in driving my vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11628739 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact stated that after pressing the engine Start/Stop button to start the vehicle in the driveway, she exited the vehicle and sat in the front passenger's seat. After 4-5 minutes, the vehicle inadvertently rolled backward while the transmission was in park (P). No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle rolled over her daughter's left knee before stopping at the end of the driveway. Additionally, the "Error: Drive System. Please Service Vehicle" message was previously displayed while driving, and the parking brake was inoperable. The police arrived on the scene and filed a report. The contact's daughter received medical treatment at the hospital for knee pain and tire scratches on her right knee and feet. The dealer was made aware of the failure and scheduled an upcoming appointment for diagnosis. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 21,350.
NHTSA complaint #11620983 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Dear National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, I am writing to express my frustration with the ongoing issues with my Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. Despite repeated repair efforts, the situation has become unsustainable. As a one-car household, visiting the dealership multiple times a month is both financially and personally stressful. While the service department has been excellent in trying to address the problems, the recurring issues are straining my relationship with the dealership. I need a reliable vehicle, especially given the $19,000 down payment we cannot afford to lose. We chose the SE model for ethical reasons (no leather), but it has been problematic, and we are now open to other solutions. Here is a list of issues we’ve encountered over the last 10 months: Atlas Number 1 (2 months): Loose exhaust shield Auto Start/Stop feature not functioning Start button unresponsive Rear windows would not close Infotainment system freezing Dashboard speaker grill falling off Rattle in rear door Atlas Number 2 (7 months): Front bumper damaged; required body shop repair Driver's window scratched and replaced Front parking sensors failed Windows malfunction and don’t auto close Infotainment system freezing; display going black Console cover broke twice Headlights repeatedly replaced, failing calibration Backup camera feed going black; needed replacement Headlight control module needed replacement Rattle in front door Dashboard speaker grill falling off Persistent front-end shake at highway speeds (tires rebalanced twice) Steering-responsive headlights fail to return to center, requiring a vehicle restart Recent repairs haven’t resolved these issues. The headlights still fail to center, the infotainment system continues to go black, and the backup camera still malfunctions. A software update is expected in January, but I need a solution in the meantime. Please help us resolve this situation—it's financially and practically unsustainable.
NHTSA complaint #11617392 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.