2021 Volkswagen Atlas headlight problems

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Daytime Running Lamps inoperable

NHTSA complaint #11764148 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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.

NHTSA complaint #11762375 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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

NHTSA complaint #11762010 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

LED DRL headlight on the passenger side failed at 35k miles. That little, single LED light cannot be replaced without replacing the entire headlight system, which costs almost $2k and requires removing the bumper! Negligent design that conveniently happens once the warranty expired, and despite the low miles of my vehicle. (these are supposed to last to 50k-70k)

NHTSA complaint #11760104 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Headlight LED DRLs went out on passenger side at only 60k miles. To fix, the whole headlight would need to be replaced which is >$1k. LED bulbs should last much longer and there are many other instances of the same problem from other owners across various forums. Seems like this is a VW issue and should warrant a recall.

NHTSA complaint #11758990 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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

NHTSA complaint #11756819 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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

NHTSA complaint #11755380 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Upon visual inspection of the car. Noticed driver’s side headlight outter light not working with no warning indicator. Have been pulled over since issue was first discovered by police. I believe it’s called daytime driving light part of the headlight.

NHTSA complaint #11753203 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Passenger side Daytime Running Light went out. The vehicle had under 60k miles. Seems like a common problem. For now will not replace because of high price tag and not necessary for safety inspection. The problem is that negates the safety feature on the car.

NHTSA complaint #11752529 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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

NHTSA complaint #11750992 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Both set of running lights on my Atlas have burned out and were replaced since purchased of car in 2021 and again both left and right running lights are no longer working. The first time the car was under warranty. The cost to fix the LED running lights are 1500.00 + per light! This is clearly a defect on VW‘s design and should be fixed and fall under a recall.

NHTSA complaint #11747355 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

passenger side day time running light went out right at 60,000. called dealer not covered under warranty on a 21 atlas even though i purchased a 4 year 80,000 mile warranty.. the extended warranty started the day i bought the car.

NHTSA complaint #11746013 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Daytime running lights have failed on both headlight assemblies. Both failed at just outside the warranty period. High and low beams work fine and the repair is $2000 for a headlight which is outrageous.

NHTSA complaint #11745383 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The right driver side daylight light is out, the SOS response system warning light is on, tire pressure loss detected light is but tires are fine and no loss in pressure, cruise control doesn’t always work and deactivates.

NHTSA complaint #11740726 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Front passenger-side daytime running light went out. Cannot be replaced individually. Must replace entire front lighting assembly at significant cost.

NHTSA complaint #11740364 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The DRLs went out at the same time. It's still not working so it's available for inspection. DRLs are obviously safety-relevant. No warning, no messages. Checking fault codes shows "module overheating".

NHTSA complaint #11739993 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Passenger side daytime running light has burned out. Driver side daytime running light is starting to burn out as well. Starting to read that this is a problem for this year make and model of vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11739873 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Driver's side daytime running lights have gone out already after fairly low mileage. Have since discovered this is a very common issue for this model and requires entire headlight assembly replacement, which is over $1,000. This prohibitive cost lessens the likelihood of replacement for many drivers and since it is not legally required it negates the added safety value of these lights.

NHTSA complaint #11739342 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The daylight running lights failed at the same time. This a closed system so VW wants 1000 per headlight unit.

NHTSA complaint #11738502 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION FOR THIS ISSUE WHICH IS THE DRL'S/DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS FOR THE VW 2021 (2021-2023 ACTUALLY) GIVE OUT/FAIL, AND THEY CANNOT BE FIXED WITHOUT REPLACING THE $1200 ENTIRE HEADLIGHT PART. CRAZY FOR A LIGHT THAT NEW TO GIVE OUT FOR SO MANY. I REFUSE TO PAY FOR THESE IT IS OBVIOUYSLY A DESIGN FLAW ON THEIR END. IN OUR CASE, BOTH DRL'S GAVE OUT. REGULAR NIGHT LIGHTS WORK BUT THOSE DO NOT WORK DAY OR NIGHT AS THEY SHOULD

NHTSA complaint #11737256 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Both LED headlight running day lights went out together.

NHTSA complaint #11736671 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

One of the headlights failed at 80,000 miles (the other headlight was replaced due to car accident years ago). Volkswagen Atlas models are consistently experiencing a failure of LED headlights prematurely when they should last 10-15 years. There is a class action lawsuit against Volkswagen to force them to recall and correct the issue as they have known and failed to correct this critical safety issue. It is unsafe to have these vehicles on the road with faulty headlights, for both the drivers and occupants as well as the other vehicles on the road with them. This particular vehicle has been inspected by a certified mechanic. The dealership would not return my calls in a timely manner and the vehicle needed to be inspected and fixed as quickly as possible as this is a safety issue. There have been no warning lights or messages from the vehicle or my VW app to notify me of this issue prior to failure or after.

NHTSA complaint #11736044 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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.

NHTSA complaint #11735726 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

LED passenger daytime light malfunctioned, and now LED driver's headlight has stopped working. Cost to replace each headlight was quoted by 3 dealerships at $3,000 EACH. Cannot afford to fix this major safety issue. LED lights should not be going out! It should not cost $3,000 to replace headlights! I will need to drive without lights!!

NHTSA complaint #11735007 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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 replacement costing upwards of $1,500 to $2,000. No warning lamps, messages, or symptoms like flickering occurred prior to the total failure. As this is a factory-installed safety component designed to last the life of the vehicle, its sudden failure suggests a widespread manufacturing defect in the LED circuitry. Out daughter used the car to go eat with a friend at a restaurant and noticed the light out when she unlocked the car.

NHTSA complaint #11730606 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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.

NHTSA complaint #11718437 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

LED Headlight and DRL burned out and bulbs cannot be replaced, the entire headlight assembly needs to be replaced costing upwards of $1500. Commonly known problem with VW Atlas, occurring right after the car falls out of manufacturer warranty. Dealership refuse to replace at their expense.

NHTSA complaint #11713898 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Passenger daytime running lights stop working. Vehicle has low mileage but beyond warranty due to years owned.

NHTSA complaint #11710633 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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-functioning headlights because they simply cannot afford such an expensive repair. This creates a serious and unnecessary safety risk for drivers, passengers, and everyone else on the road. Volkswagen is fully aware that these headlights fail prematurely and repeatedly, yet no corrective action has been taken to redesign the component, reduce the cost, or issue a recall. Continuing to sell vehicles with a known defective and safety-critical component is unacceptable. Headlights are not a luxury feature—they are a basic safety requirement. There needs to be an immediate recall or manufacturer-covered repair for these headlights. Owners should not be financially punished for a defect that Volkswagen already knows exists, especially when the failure directly compromises vehicle safety. The current situation puts the public at risk and demands prompt action.

NHTSA complaint #11710182 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The cars Headlight DRL burnt out and no way to replace them or turn of warning off without paying dealership $2K to replace whole light housing. See Reddit Post: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11701460 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.