10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
615 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport brakes problems

brakes problem

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2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #26

Aug 012022

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

After having the car for less than a year the brakes started grinding metal on metal as well as an extremely loud screeching sound. I-€™ve taken it to a brake center and the dealership and there is nothing anyone can do as the brakes still show they are not ready to be replaced. Volkswagen is aware of the issue specifically with new Atlas models and will not do anything about it.

- El Paso, TX, USA

problem #25

Mar 012021

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
Brakes are extremely loud and not as good as they should be for such a behemoth of an suv. Leads to a lot of uncertainty especially in wet weather. Any attempt to rectify this issue at the dealer leads to me being without a vehicle for HOURA for them to simply state no issue produced. (Also sound of advice of slamming on my breaks in drive and revers to get rid of the screech) which doesn-€™t help unfortunately I gave in and tried it. The TPS system in the ACS is DANGEROUS. Multiple flat tires with not one sign of lost air or change in pressure. Once even on the freeway with my partner and toddler in the car. Reverse camera and screen black outs, infotainment system is frustrating and not dependable.

- Burbank, CA, USA

problem #24

May 012021

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
1) Brakes grinding and squealing 2) Known defects in the 2021 brakes could reduce potential stopping distance for affected vehicles. 3) Dealer replaced brakes at 10,000 miles with exact same part and now we are currently experience the same problems at 23,000 but now dealer says there are unable to replace because the issue will remain due to there not being a fixed replacement. Dealer also recommend contacting the manufacture customer care. There response acknowledge the issue but there was nothing they could do due to there not being a replacment part. 4) Yes, both by dealer and third party mechanics who also explained there are currently no after market brakes that could replace the defective brakes and they would have to replace with the same part. 5) No warning just constant grinding and noise

- Scottsdale, AZ, USA

problem #23

Aug 252022

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Windows open on their own. Emergency Brake engages at low speed, left me in the middle of oncoming traffic as I was about to slowly turn. At times continuously has the alarm bell own. Has Keyless entry, however often times Car Alarm goes off. Eliminating AC lights very dim hard to see. Radio screen sometimes is just blacked out.

- Plantation, FL, USA

problem #22

Dec 142021

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
This is a well known issue but their has now been several incidents where my forward braking should have activated and did not and now stela-€™s on 4 different occasions 2 of which were on the highway where the emergency brake was triggered and i have lost control of the vehicle, yet in completely empty parking lots now two separate times i have been able to catch on video that it told me i was within 12 inches of something and there is nothing. I-€™ve had this issue starting 10/21 and happened as recently as 8/7 and it-€™s almost gotten me killed, never, one the known recall for airbags not being deployed during two pretty significant accidents. PLEASE HELP ME AS VW IS AWARE OF THIS AND WILL DO NOTHING IM IN A 50,000$ death trap. Pre knowing it was my car ( former finance director at quirk vw ) They told my body shop to not let me drive the car as my car is effected by this deadly issue, then after the fact reaching out myself i was not only denied service but threatened by the gym and vw executive is acting like it is not a big deal, this is horrible and after 1 yr ago 5 months having been given a coupon for 20% off any morphine due to not buying back a vehicle that should have been bought back and the cpa, told me they do that to bribe people so they do not / HAVE 100S OF UPLOADS ON MY LAPTOP WONT LET ME LOAD FROM THIS IPAD

- Hanson, MA, USA

problem #21

May 022022

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
While driving on numerous occasions, the emergency brake has engaged making my Atlas stop short. My Atlas has been back to the dealership twice. Most recently (yesterday), they drove my car 2 miles and told me the car has no issues. My concern is that if my brake engages and someone hits me, someone can get hurt or killed. The dealership, service, and corporate refuses to acknowledge the safety concern and will not issue me a loaner until this is fixed. Before the brake engages, the car will make noises as if I'm about to hit something even though there is nothing around me. I believe this is due to the harness recall.

- Colonia, NJ, USA

problem #20

Apr 302022

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Received an error message about driver door contact fail as I was driving down the highway. Next thing I knew my car was rolling down the back window and emergency braking. I was doing 65 down a highway. I had no control over my car. My passengers were freaking out. I was finally able to turn it off and back on and regain control. This is unsafe. I could-€™ve wrecked and been seriously injured today.

- Altavista, VA, USA

problem #19

Apr 112022

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
VW atlas R line sle multiples stops in the midle of the traffic the automatic brakes on, 3 windows roll down, alarms on beeping and iluminating

- Homestead, FL, USA

problem #18

Apr 072022

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
Stop/start error, park brake engages, constant warning signal beeping, windows roll down, can not drive car at all without it constantly applying the park brake

- Craig, CO, USA

problem #17

Mar 312022

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
Started with the driver door sensor not unlocking. Happened once before, errors and lights came on. Next day everything was fine. Yesterday, the driver door sensor would not unlock. All other doors unlocked, so I unlocked the driver door from the inside. Error messages started showing up such as, "Error: Start/Stop, " "Attention: The engine is running, " which i happened to get pictures of. The check engine light and the triangle with exclamation light came on. A door error message and brake message showed up as well. The windows will not go down. When I come to a complete stop at a red light or stop it puts the Park Brake on immediately.

- Irving, TX, USA

problem #16

Mar 272022

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The vehicle on numerous occasions has had a series of electronic warning illuminate on the dash board. The windows both driver and rear passanger go down on their own, hill assit failuer displays, adaptive collision system failure, electronic parking prake failure, auto start failure, start stop failure all alternate with error messages. The vehicle has also applied the parking prake on its own while approaching either a stop sign or red light on numerous occasions.

- Holbrook, NY, USA

problem #15

Jan 012022

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
Faulty door harness per VW service department in Valdosta, GA. This has caused over several near missed rear end collisions as the car will automatically activate the emergency brake while driving. Multiple error messages pop up. Windows roll down automatically. Vehicle has been sitting at dealership for 30+ days and dealership will not provide loaner vehicle, rental or hold payments with VW Credit. This has affected my way of life tremendously as I now have no vehicle to get to work and no vehicle to take my kids to school in. Dealership said I could still drive the vehicle, completely disregarding the fact that a car had to completely run off the road to prevent from hitting me after my emergency brake randomly activated while I had my kids in the back. So here-€™s to making payments for my car to sit at the dealer with no help, no eta on repair, NOTHING!

- Live Oak, FL, USA

problem #14

Mar 272022

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
driving at low speed in parking lot, alarms sounded, engine and hazard lights came on and then driver's side windows rolled down partially. a few seconds later, the emergency brake automatically engaged, stopping the vehicle. i was able to disengage the emergency brake and continue driving, but dashboard lights remained on. very scary.

- Harrisburg, PA, USA

problem #13

Nov 242021

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
car came to an abrupt stop

- Blue Ridge Summit, PA, USA

problem #12

Jan 042022

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
While sitting in a drive thru the car completely turned off while in drive as I was waiting to move up in line. Then when I went to start the car the next day, the dashboard lit up and all of the windows started going up and down out of now where. After speaking with a service rep about the issue I was informed that it was a door harness issue which is a huge safety risk because it is tied to the electrical components of the vehicle. My vehicle stayed in the shop a little over 2 months and then the issue was repaired. After completing an update, I keep getting a message to reset my trip each time I start the car and then I received a warning that my front assist is not available. When I read more into this I found that the car can brake unexpectedly thinking that a collision is going to take place when it is not, therefore causing a driving risk. This warning came on 3 separate occasions. My car was just purchased in December 2021 and I am concerned about all of the issues that I am experiencing so early on. Two weeks after purchasing my car it was in the shop starting January 7th until March 12th, this was to repair the door harness, then a week later I am receiving the sensor notification. My sensor notification has come on 3/19, 3/22 and 3/23. I am concerned about the overall safety and reliability on this vehicle. My car was in the shop for over 2 months and now I have a new issue.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #11

Jan 042022

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
My car would activate the emergency brakes for no reason. A safety risk for myself, my family and anyone on the road near me. I was late to work several times as the parking brake would become stuck and not allow me to drive. The car would shake and the engine light would come on causing me to think my car would leave me stranded. The windows would roll down and get stuck and go up and down. My brakes and rotors were warped and would squeak and make a terrible grinding noise. Everyday was new problem that would come and go until it because constant and all at the same time, sometimes. I was in fear for my safety and that Of my son, mom family. The dealership was informed and i was assured that it was not an emergency mechanical issue. I could drop it off if I liked but there were no loaners available. Since I needed a loaner to get to and from work, I was placed on a waiting list and called when one was available. That was 10 days later. I kept looking at my car net app vehicle health report for my car that states my car had the issues aforementioned and I should schedule an appointment to get it checked but did not advise to stop driving the vehicle, which is an option. That gave me some type of reassurance but I realized that was not correct. I did not feel safe driving but I couldn-€™t miss work and get fired or afford to a rental myself and my car note. I dropped of my vehicle on Jan 31 2022. The advisor knew exactly what the issue was and the part it needed. Advised me the part was on backorder and 2-3 weeks for part to arrive. That turned into over 45 days with no estimated time of when it would be made and shipped. I learned through the internet searches i did that VW has a manufacturing plant in Ukraine where the part is produced. Ukraine is at war so the part is not going to be ready anytime soon. I was grateful for the loaner and rental provided but none suited my needs for the transportation of my mom who uses a wheelchair.

- Hialeah, FL, USA

problem #10

Nov 032021

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
My car-€™s door harness defect was a terrible safety issue!! I was merging onto a major 3-lane highway in New Jersey with my 3 children in the car, when my vehicle suddenly shut off, and the emergency brake came on! I could have easily been seriously rear-ended with my family in the backseat. A huge accident would have been the result. This frightening experience plays over in my mind every time I drive my car. It has given me nightmares ever since; I presently have no confidence in this vehicle, & rightly so. In addition to the emergency brake going on, the car windows rolled down on their own, and the dashboard system was beeping incessantly & flashing about 10 different error codes, one after the other. This same scenario happened 4 more times before I could reach my own home. Then, I had to drive my vehicle to the VW dealership the next day to drop it off for repair, and the scary situation happened 3 more times on the way. Unacceptable. I was without my vehicle for 2.5 months because the part was on extended backorder. I am told that even though the door harness was replaced, the defect could happen again, because the part has not been fully redesigned. Therefore, I am driving in fear, every time I get into my car!

- Park Ridge, NJ, USA

problem #9

Feb 112022

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
I have a 2012 VW Atlas Cross sport with 6400 miles on it. For the last month and a half my driver side door doesn't work, there are four different warning lights on and every time i brake it starts beeping and the parking brake is automatically activated, leaving both driver and passenger windows will come down by themselves. If has become impossible to drive and the dealership is least bothered and said to go to VW US since it's their car. I had to drive holding my door once to the dealership as it was not closing.

- Melville, NY, USA

problem #8

Jan 242022

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
Car started engaging emergency brake while driving. Started off in park and progressed. Windows would roll down and lights would come on. Took in to VW. They said door harness needs replaced. No ETA for part. They said they had a temporary fix that they did but It did not even make it out of the parking lot of service without the ebrake engaging again. Refused to drive it home and was given a loaner a few days later. Loaner tiguan did same thing within an hour of leaving the dealership. I returned it immediately and showed them the video of the issue. Filed a corporate compliant at this time and they said we were not eligible for buyback because it was not fixed but they have no estimate or fix to make things right. VW gave us the run around. Lied about contacting us. Avoided all calls and emails. They are crooks and know the car is bad and are hiding issues. We eneded up trading car in taking a major loss!! They said there was nothing they could do for us. They are endangering so many lives by allowing these cars on the road and primarily putting the financial burden on the customer. Either wait and hope the harness comes in which they have no idea when or get it replaced and hope it works and ebrake never engages. I am in a group of atlas owners who are all going through the same thing. Worst part is they had my car listed the next day for sale passing this issue onto some poor unsuspecting person. These cars are dangerous and VW needs to be held accountable for what they are doing and fix this issues or reimburse people properly for THEIR poorly made dangerous car.

- Bluffton, SC, USA

problem #7

Feb 142022

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
on 2/2/22 Brought vehicle to nearest dealership.Upon inspection they ordered a HARNESS;TECH CHECKED AND FOUND LOST COMMUNICATION WITH DOOR CONTROL MODULE DRIVER SIDE DOOR MODULE FAULTY PART ON ORDER. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request keeping in mind underivable safety issues. on 2/02/2022 to start with, drove into dealership because of windows on drivers side opening, dash board lights all lit up.on 2/14/2022 while driving on highway and thru streets emergency brake would go on and give a hard brake stop. lights on and beeping. to get vehicle moving we had to turn off car, get out while on highway open and close doors to try to reset only for it to happen over and over while in traffic on the highway and then in city streets.The vehicle has been parked in my driveway since 2/14/22

- Staten Island, NY, USA

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