371 of the
2,991 complaints filed about the Volkswagen Atlas
are about the engine —
12% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2018.
The engine stalls randomly while in motion. When this happens, an error gets presented on the dashboard asking the driver to restart it manually. This has occurred when driving forward and backing up. This car was purchased at CarMax and serviced through the extended warranty. However, a few weeks later the problem started happening again.
NHTSA complaint #11758724 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My vehicle is having a catalytic converter problem. I see that there was a recall on my exact make model and year but my vehicle is not on the list. This part is failing long before it should. There is a 0420 code.
NHTSA complaint #11757846 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have had several malfunctions in the past year with my brand new 2025 atlas. It started 6 months into my lease when it threw 7 different lights while driving down the street. I stopped at a light and put the car in park. After that it would not go back in drive. I had to get pushed out of the road with all my kids in the car. And have it towed to the dealership. They stated it just needed an update. After that everything started failing. The sunroof motor had to be replaced. The inside dome lights had to be replaced. The window motor had to be replaced. The infotainment system has repeatedly failed, been replaced and still fails. It has been a total nightmare
NHTSA complaint #11757649 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On multiple occasions at startup, vehicle made unusual sounds then either stalled shortly after starting or simply wouldn’t start. Vehicle has also stalled multiple times at red lights and stop signs. On these occasions nearly the entire dashboard lit up simultaneously with warning lights across many unrelated systems (“Christmas tree” effect), not a single isolated fault, often while on interstate at 70mph. Recurring, not one-time. 1.ELECTRICAL/ABS: Aug 2025, right front ABS wheel speed sensor replaced after dash lights loss + reported dying after startup; dealer couldn’t duplicate stalling. As of Aug 2026, scan shows left front ABS sensor faulting (open/short to ground, implausible signal) plus parking brake module fault referencing wheel speed sensor implausibility. Dealer also flagged left rear ABS sensor as Critical. Numerous low-voltage faults present across modules simultaneously (supply voltage too low, data bus implausible, control module input power low), matching dashboard cascade events. Battery replaced May 2024 after failing load test. 2.ENGINE: Dec 2024, cylinder 6 injector replaced (complete goodwill, dealer+VW corporate) for CEL/air-fuel imbalance. CEL returned next month for same fault; escalated to full cylinder head replacement ($6,054.95). 3.STEERING: Dealer inspection Aug 2026 flagged steering rack and pinion as Critical ($2,093.19), req. 4-wheel alignment. Confirmed with NHTSA/VW this vehicle is NOT subject to steering knuckle recall 21V026000/40Q7 — separate, non-recall defect. Requesting NHTSA review this combined pattern of stalling/no-start, cascading electrical faults, and critical steering failure.
NHTSA complaint #11756916 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine, exhaust system malfunction, and master warning lights were illuminated. The messages "Engine Control Malfunction" and "Transmission Overheated" were displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,227.
NHTSA complaint #11756192 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine, exhaust system malfunction, and master warning lights were illuminated. The messages "Engine Control Malfunction" and "Transmission Overheated" were displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,227.
NHTSA complaint #11756192 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
i was exiting HWY 45 at highway speed. the car began to stutter, i lost control of the propulsion of the vehicle, the breaks did not seem to work, the EPC light came on after rolling to a stop. i had to put the car in park and upon turning the car off and back on the cars EPC light went off and i was able to drive it home. it now sits in my driveway and has not been moved since.
NHTSA complaint #11755826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2023 Volkswagen Atlas R-Line. While driving (moving) on a congested road the vehicle signaled "Please start engine manually" the gas pedal became unresponsive. Power steering, radio, A/C, all still worked, but I had to come to a complete stop to restart engine. The same thing has happened multiple times now with the last one being in the middle of the road trying to complete a U-turn. This is incredibly dangerous for not only my family but others on the road not expecting a vehicle to stall. This has been identified by multiple other owners on-line. There is no warning or change in operation of the vehicle prior to the message coming up. This could lead to a crash, or worse a fatality.
NHTSA complaint #11755094 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas suddenly lost all power and acceleration while driving at approximately 45 mph with a child passenger. There were no warning lights, messages, or abnormal symptoms prior to the failure. Pressing the accelerator pedal, including flooring it, produced no response, and the vehicle continued to decelerate. I was able to coast into a nearby neighborhood and pull off the road safely. Had this occurred on a highway, it could have resulted in a serious accident. After stopping, the engine would not restart and only made a clicking sound. The check engine light illuminated at that point. The vehicle has been undrivable since. The dealership initially attributed the issue to the tires. After further diagnosis, they determined a complete engine replacement is required. The vehicle is still under warranty with roughly 44,000 miles. The engine component is at the dealership and available for inspection. The problem has been confirmed by the authorized dealership. Volkswagen corporate and the dealership have been difficult to deal with regarding this warranty claim. No prior warnings or symptoms were present before the sudden failure.
NHTSA complaint #11752042 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This car has increasingly started stalling out as I come to a stop in traffic at lower speeds. There is no consistent pattern behind when it will occur. At times, I feel my car's engine start to shudder like it's going to stall, but it is not immediately followed by stalling. I have taken it to a dealer last month because it stalled at least three times in a month. They replaced the battery because they couldn't find cause, and this past Sunday, the car stalled as I pulled into a parking spot and shut off. Each time, I have my auto engine off disengaged. It is NOT the engine turning off at a red light and re-engaging when I take my foot off the brake. The car will turn off and not throw any error codes, making it impossible for techs to determine the problem. The dash will tell me to "Please start engine manually" and it has started up each time.
NHTSA complaint #11751841 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
4 times now when the vehicle, 2 times while the vehicle is moving forward and 2 times while the vehicle was moving in reverse the engine has completely shut off and the car stopped moving. The dash said the engine was off and the vehicle needed to be shifted to park and the engine turned back on. During this time the vehicle also lost power steering and brakes. I’ve taken it to the dealership multiple times and they could not diagnose the issue or duplicate it and tell me I need to pick the vehicle up and to just bring it back again.
NHTSA complaint #11751507 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2021 Volkswagen Atlas, VIN [XXX], approximately 116,000 miles. Vehicle developed a cylinder failure requiring full cylinder replacement. Following replacement, compression remains abnormally low, specifically on cylinders #4 and #6 (approximately 90 PSI). Mechanic diagnosed significant carbon buildup on the piston rings as the cause of the persistent low compression, and confirmed this diagnosis via a wet compression test, in which compression increased when oil was introduced directly into the affected cylinders — indicating worn/compromised piston ring sealing rather than a valve or head gasket issue. Check engine light continues to trigger intermittently. This appears consistent with a known EA888 2.0T piston ring/carbon buildup defect currently the subject of active class action litigation (XXX) against Volkswagen Group of America. Vehicle has also experienced a separate prior failure of the high- and low-pressure fuel pumps and control module (repaired XXX at 77,921 miles, Volkswagen of North Nashville). Concerned about ongoing engine performance and reliability, and potential for further damage if underlying cause is not fully resolved. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11751327 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The water pump failed catastrophically at 63,100 miles, forcing a complete road-side breakdown and damaging the radiator. This is a known manufacturing defect affecting the 3.6L VR6 composite plastic pumps. Due to the failure of the pump, the radiator tank became hot causing a hole to form in the radiator and needing to be replaced. I still own this car and you may inspect it if needed. My safety was at risk as well as others safely was put at risk because this caused car to over heat leaving me broken down on the side of the road. My mechanic at specialized auto repair confirmed and reported this issue to me and they provided the repair. It was not inspected by police, or insurance because it was a break down, not an accident and that's not coved by insurance. I knew that the car was overheating because waring system showed it to be overheating. It was actually more than over heating because of the water pump failure, the radiator melted causing car to dump all the coolant/water creating an over heating emergency. The warning system first appeared at the same time as the pump failure and the car had already overheated due to radiator hole when the waring system alerted me to the car overheating.
NHTSA complaint #11750721 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
driving on highway XXX -vehicle check engine light came on and started flashing, car started to shake. pulled off at closest rest area, shut it off and and called roadside assistance as i did not feel safe driving it. towed to dealership/[XXX]. awaiting inspection by dealer. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11749239 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while having a routine oil change at a local dealer, the dealer informed the contact that the cylinder head gasket was rusted. The dealer provided a 60 percent discount, and the vehicle was repaired. Six weeks later, while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle suddenly stalled, but the contact was able to avoid a crash. All of the warning lights illuminated. A mobile mechanic initially checked the battery and later determined that the fuel pump control module had failed. No further information was available. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The manufacturer had not been contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
NHTSA complaint #11748465 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
It's been about one month since engine light has lit up on the dashboard and stays on now. The first incident occurred about a week ago, as I was driving, I was slowing down to go into a roundabout, the vehicle begin to jerk and pull back, a red triangle exclamation mark light started going off warning me to safely park my vehicle as it had overheated. I assumed it was low on coolant so I topped it off to see if that would fix the issue. Then two days later after the first incident it occurred again. I came to a stop at a set of stoplights and when it was time to go, as I was accelerating I felt it starting to jerk again and again, I started getting a bunch of red warning lights to safely park my vehicle as it had overheated again and a message popped up on the dashboard about the speed. I can't quite remember the wording. I can't say for certain that I've figured out what is happening but I think that it may have something to do with the Auto Start/Stop function. Seems like when it comes to a stop, it turns off and when i'm going to start driving again it's triggering something. I've been disabling it now when I drive my vehicle and these incidents haven't occurred anymore.
NHTSA complaint #11748338 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving on a busy road and my car turned off. I had to turn on my hazards and hope no one hit me at 60 mph. I got an EPC error on the dashboard and when diagnosed it was a failure with the Fuel Pump Control Module. This is massively unsafe for myself and my family. I cannot drive a car that can randomly turn off. According to online forums this is a very common VW issue and needs to be looked into
NHTSA complaint #11747217 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.