44 of the
2,991 complaints filed about the Volkswagen Atlas
are about the seats —
1% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2018.
Dealer sold flood damaged 2020 Atlas 98k miles as safe vehicle. Found severe rust corrosion on steering column that could break while driving causing loss of control crash death. Also found 7 areas of toxic mold inside causing allergic reaction and breathing problems. Mold in seats, carpet, AC system. Dealer refused to repair and forced trade for overpriced 2023 Explorer with high loan. Vehicle unsafe - life threatening defect hidden by dealer. Steering and body structure compromised by flood water. Have photos of corrosion and mold as evidence. Vehicle available for inspection. Injury: Allergic reaction - skin rash, breathing difficulty, cough from toxic mold exposure. Senior driver [XXX] old. No crash yet but steering corrosion could cause fatal crash. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11753639 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
As I was stopping at a stop light the back, passenger seat lock came unlocked causing my son to fall forward into the passenger seat back and be stuck until unlocking and returning the seat to the upright position
NHTSA complaint #11749424 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rear seat latch for the second row, which enables the seats to slide forward for passengers to enter the third row, does not latch correctly. Recent incident where child in car seat in the third row was thrown forward into the rear of the drivers seat (seatback) when the 2nd row seat latch mechanism suddenly released when applying light pressure to the brakes. Child was injured, suffered a laceration and bruising to his eye area.
NHTSA complaint #11739668 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Our 2021 VW Atlas was rear-ended while stopped at stop light. The other driver was going an estimated 45 MPH. At impact, the driver seat broke backwards hitting our 5 year old child in the face. The child was in a 5-point harness car seat and the only injuries resulting from the accident were to the face and head. We were taken to a children's hospital in an ambulance where the child stayed 5 nights with facial fractures, a broken nose, skull fracture, and CSF leak.
NHTSA complaint #11734251 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There issue with bad smell or chemicals that causes an health issues. I tried resolving on several issues it's always more money. To resolve,there several Dealship that appraiser now it's at the lowest with the same deal.. There bleeding& spitting. Once come vehicle for and day. I've been there several times.
NHTSA complaint #11728357 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle has middle row captains chairs. While slowing down for a stoplight, the captain chair behind the driver side lunged forward pinning my son’s head between his car seat and the back of my seat. Prior to the incident, there was no error indication (would pop up RED) telling me there was a bad latch when putting my son in his car seat. Is it available for inspection upon request? Yes, I still currently own the vehicle. My [XXX] old was not safe in his seat it flung forward he was stuck squished between two seats. I was unsafe as I was in a turn lane at a stoplight and got out of my vehicle to assist him. Thankfully, there were no cars behind me. The problem has not been resolved produced by me. But I am aware of other people this has happened to, my friend this happened (same make and model year as mine) and two random people on a group on Facebook. The vehicle was inspected by a dealership tech and after they sent pictures to VW they deemed it to not be returned to me until repair was done. My major concern now is that they replaced one of two captains chairs. They will not replace the parts on the second captain chair because it did not fail. My kids are traumatized over this and my older daughter does not trust the seat. So they are waiting for this to happen in the other seat before they will repair it. I can’t be naive to think the situation could be worse next time and my job as a parent is to keep them safe. These seats are not safe. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No, nothing. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11707986 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
during a low speed parking lot stop the 2nd row bench came unlatched, the seat bottom dropped and slid forward. my [XXX] son who was in his forward facing car seat slammed into the back of the driver seat. then the bench seat was jammed in this position, he was smashed and stuck between his car seat and the driver seat, the bench seat would not move, it was stuck and my child was trapped, screaming and bleeding from his face. i had to use the driver power seat functions to move it forward to get my child un trapped. once out we tended to his medical needs as he was bleeding from his face and screaming. the seat is still stuck in this forward/dropped position and will not move. the seat latch release handle has no resistance and will not do anything. his car seat was still smashed against the driver seat and i was unable to get it out from the side, i had to lift it out through the sunroof to get it out! we took him to local urgent care, he has a laceration on his eye, bruising, swelling and is very emotionally upset as are we. i do have a dash cam and have the footage of the seat slamming forward. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11684955 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The passenger air bag has a faulty sensor and the instrument cluster has an intermittent warning with audible chime. We are unable to use the vehicle for safe transportation and we are intermittently bombarded with the chime while driving. The dealership cannot repair until July 3 and does not offer any alternative transportation in the mean time or any loaner during repair. We have contacted VW Customer Care and they refuse to do anything about it. They have directed us to the dealership. We are unable to get around as a family currently due to this issue. There is an active recall for this issue.
NHTSA complaint #11665932 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Infotainment display graphics issue; most controls (including disabling seat heaters) are through this screen and camera is displayed on it. Unable to see display clearly and therefore interact with controls or view backup camera to look for obstacles. Search online for "2024 atlas screen glitch" and you'll see quite a few pictures that are similar.
NHTSA complaint #11627430 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have a moonroof that leaks whenever it rains. It comes on the sides of the car and also in the middle near my rearview mirror which leaks on my electronics. I am at risk because it brings water into my car when I am driving. It can cause mold and mildew as well. I've taking this to my local VW dealership without any resolution. They just said its a well know issue. The attempted to 'clean' the drains but it still leaks.
NHTSA complaint #11617675 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I contacted VW several times about the faulty airbag sensor/electrical system not working. Was told parts not available. If I’m to get into a crash with a passenger. They will be severally injured due to this part not being available. Recall #24V464 Action Code #69PZ
NHTSA complaint #11613097 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
From the first day of purchase of vehicle bought NEW. The second row was not installed correctly from manufacturer. I had taken to VW for maintenance to fix. VW of Clear Lake stated seat was fixed. Seat is still not fixed. Not correctly aligned and still making very load noise. I went back to VW. VW stated it’s too late for repairs. It hasn’t been a year until February 2025
NHTSA complaint #11613102 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Right now there is a recall for an incorrectly working airbag for my volkswagon and i have a lease that is up next month. They will not buy back my vehicle because of the recall and the fact that they have no fix. I have a family of 5 and need all 5 seats and now cannot drive my car with everyone without a giant safety risk. This is happening in concert with a faulty air conditioning unit in the vehicle that has been serviced more than 5 times in a 3 year period and is currently at the dealership to have the a/c unti fixed but now is not willing to negiotate because they know they cannot resell the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11601218 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag sensor warning light illuminated and the seat warming function failed. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the wiring in the seat was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.
NHTSA complaint #11591739 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The seat unlocked indicator does not activate showing that the seat is locked and safe to sit in. I informed the dealer in 2019 and filed a complaint when my child’s car seat was in an unlocked seat.
NHTSA complaint #11583650 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am experiencing issues related to the airbag sensor recall as the sensor does not know if someone is in the seat or not - it thinks someone is there when they aren't, and vice versa. This recall was announced in April of 2023, and since then, I have been unable to have any passengers ride in my front seat. Needless to say this is not only very inconvenient but also impacts my ability to trade in or sell this vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11573544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This car has an active recall on it since April, 2023 with no known remedy. In the meantime, I'm not supposed to have a passenger sit in the front seat. My lease is ending. I cannot buy the car from the dealer because they won't sell it with an open recall.
NHTSA complaint #11570330 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
1. The plastic piece attached to the outer section of the back passenger seats of the 2024 VW Atlas is designed where the seat belt gets easily tangled in the seat tract, allowing the seatbelt to get caught and rendering the seat inoperable. This component should be available for inspection upon request. 2. This design flaw poses a risk by potentially causing the seatbelt to get caught, rendering the seat inoperable. In the event of a crash or sudden stop, this issue could compromise the effectiveness of the seatbelt, jeopardizing the safety of the occupants. 3. I am unsure if any other VW customer have experienced this issue as the car is only two weeks old and I have encountered this issue and fear it will happen again with kids utilizing the backseats. In order for the seat to become functional again it required that it be removed by a technician and I was recommended to purchase seat belt covers. 4.Yes, I have taken the car to the dealership and they are going to engage their engineer for a potential solution to for this design issue. 5. No
NHTSA complaint #11562440 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
No use of the airbags in the front passenger seat in my atlas it makes it soo that my seven seater is really a 6 seater that doesn’t have a front passenger seat it’s unbelievable
NHTSA complaint #11561135 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.