8.5

pretty bad
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
3,585 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.

2019 Volkswagen Atlas engine problems

engine problem

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2019 Volkswagen Atlas Owner Comments (Page 2 of 2)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #18

Apr 012021

Atlas

  • 11,500 miles

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

Purchased my car in may of 2019 in Jan/Feb while driving coolant light came on ' verified coolant was low once vehicle was able to cool down took it to the dealer they said it evaporated and there is nothing wrong fast forward to April of 2021 coolant light came on again while driving, vehicle had roughly 11,500 miles. Coolant was again low but the light came off by itself. Took it one dealer said it probably evaporated and they refilled it, taking it to another but they already indicated it is probably just evaporating. It is a closed system it is evaporating but where... tried to explain this to them they told me not to believe many other online forums and that my car is probably fine. Except it is not fine it is brand new car leaking coolant....

- Chandler, AZ, USA

problem #17

Jan 112021

Atlas

  • 8,860 miles
At 8,860 miles coolant level warning appeared while in motion on a city street. I believe we are experiencing a coolant leak issue. Recommended coolant was added to proper level and after 1,000 miles the level is noticeably low again. The vehicle should be pressure tested to find the leak and repair head gasket, water pump, or leaky hose.

- Plains, TX, USA

problem #16

Jan 152021

Atlas

  • miles
Coolant looses 8oz of fluid every 2 months, dealer says it "just evaporates" it only has 12017 miles on it. Just search all the forums to see all the complaints of the same issue.

- Milford, MI, USA

problem #15

Dec 052020

Atlas

  • 21,000 miles

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

Fuel injector cracked at 21K miles while on the highway. Fuel was spewing all over the engine and ground. There was a burning smell and loud winding noise as well. Also loss of power and acceleration. Had just enough power to get off of the highway. Was very worried. Possible fire risk.

- Boynton Beach, FL, USA

problem #14

Mar 122020

Atlas

  • 6,090 miles
The car randomly does not accelerate at low speeds when changing lanes in traffic, has a screeching noise upon acceleration that VW says is a normal loud noise because its too expensive to repair all the vehicles (that's the exact words from the VW mechanic). I have a video that shows the problem with exceleareation yet VW tells me they're nothing wrong with the car. The sway bars have been replaced two times in 6 months and the problem still isn't repaired. The auto collision randomly works.

- Sugar Land, TX, USA

problem #13

Aug 192020

Atlas

  • 23,000 miles
The vehicle shuts down while driving. It has happen 3 times. Auto start/stop is disengaged each time. One incident (6/19/20) while driving 50mph, had to coast into a parking lot & restart the engine. Another (8/19/20) when slowing down to go into our driveway. Took the car to the dealer after each of these incidents. They could not diagnose the issue. Dealer has contacted VW tech & engineering. We have started file with VW customer care. We were instructed by VW that the next time it happens, leave the car where it stops & to call customer care for a tow. We also have had an issue with one key not being recognized by the car on several occasions. Today, the instrument display & the radio shut down while idling at cvs (auto start/stop was off).

- New Lenox, IL, USA

problem #12

Aug 142019

Atlas 6-cyl

  • 350 miles

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

Grinding and squealing noise when accelerating from stop to go as it last for up to 5 seconds each time. Many Atlas's have this issue based on the forums and VW states that is normal for vehicle which is ridiculous to hear. This should be a recall as the concern is the torque converter.

- Buffalo, NY, USA

problem #11

Mar 162020

Atlas 6-cyl

  • 1,100 miles
Twice this vehicle has shut down while driving. In March while on an interstate going 70 mph. And one time excelling while leaving an exit ramp. I rolled off to side of road and put in park. Gave it a test and it then restarted.

- Wausau, WI, USA

problem #10

Mar 142020

Atlas

  • 2,000 miles
Have had my 2019 Volkswagen sel R line 4 motion for less than a month with only 2,000 miles on it. Was driving down the road not 20 minutes later on route 66 the coolant light came on telling us it was low and needed to be checked. We pulled over and the overflow tank was empty. We immediately call Volkswagen okc and the sales manager was in disbelief also. She told us to get it to them as soon as possible and they would take care of it. We added water to it and only water so we didn't jeopardize our warranty. Didn't make it 5 minutes when it said it was low again and over heating. We added more water as needed and got it back to dealership. The service department was closing so they gave us a loaner and told us we would hear from them first thing Monday. We didn't hear from them on Monday so I called them first thing Tuesday morning. At this time they informed me a rock or debris from road flew up and punctured a small hole in radiator and we would be responsible for the $1,500 in damage because road debris isn't covered by warranty. I was beside myself! we just bought a $40,000 car and now not even a month later they are telling me this wasn't their problem. Volkswagen Oklahoma city seemed so nice and eager to please when we were purchasing our vehicle and then this happened. I told them my worry was how this problem would not happen again, every time I pull out of drive way I have to worry about a rock causing $1,500 worth of damage"???" this doesn't seem right. I feel like it's a factory defect and needs to be fixed immediately. I did research online and found other testimonials about their Atlas having coolant problems.

- Harrah, OK, USA

problem #9

Jan 092020

Atlas

  • 9,748 miles
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while accelerating at various speeds there an abnormal sound from the engine. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to (timmons Subaru 3950 cherry ave, long beach, ca 90807 (888) 496-9707) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a failure with the gearbox. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,748.

- Diamond, CA, USA

problem #8

Nov 202019

Atlas

  • 1,000 miles

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

When the vehicle comes to a stop and the auto start/stop activates, the vehicle will sometimes not auto restart and will display, "please manually restart the engine". in order to follow the prompts and start the vehicle again, you have to put the vehicle in park and push the ignition button. I was able to recreate this issue 100% of the time by coming to a stop, having the ignition auto stop and then removing my seat belt (like you often do in a drive-thru to get your wallet out of your back pocket). I've also found that even though the vehicle will display, "please manually restart" if you reconnect your seat belt and push the gas pedal, the car will take off in drive. I"ve had this happen unexpectedly on four different occasions now and some incidents have occurred in the street and occurred even when the seat belt was attached. This is a major safety issue that could result in a crash with serious injury or death. The vehicle has been to VW twice now over the issue and the dealer tries to claim that's how the vehicle is designed to operate. I showed them page 173 in the owner's manual which states that all three of the following conditions must be met for the vehicle not to auto restart: No pedal is depressed, the driver's seat belt is removed, and the driver's door is opened. The word all is in bold and capitalized in the owners manual. My vehicle is currently back at the dealership and I've also contacted VW corporate in reference to the issue. The loaner Atlas the dealer gave me performs in the same defective manner. I believe there's a computer programming issue and all Atlas' need recalled to correct the issue because they're not performing per the owner's manual; which could lead to serious injury or death. There is video of the issue and the dealer was able to recreate the problem as well even though they are fighting me to correct the issue.

- Trenton, OH, USA

problem #7

Nov 112019

Atlas

  • miles
Coolant level is low. They said is a leak on it which is going inside the engine. This a major major issue for this brand and expensive car. My car had only 8400 miles on it. One year old. This is on unacceptable, for so much money I payed. And so much for 'german engineering' please investigate this not the first vehicle complaing look at the fb page VW Atlas complains.

- Westland, MI, USA

problem #6

Sep 122019

Atlas

  • 5,000 miles
Engine light came on. Strong gas smell inside car. Took to dealership. Has multiple gas leaks and dealership is replacing the gas tank and lines.

- Steamboat Springs, CO, USA

problem #5

Aug 012019

Atlas

  • 100 miles
The gas consumption is below what Volkswagen claims and advertises. Our car averages 14 mpg instead of 19 mpg. On user forums, other Atlas owners have complained about averaging 14 mpg. When we put the car in reverse, it starts to roll forward. The transmission jolts while driving. Since we got the car, the check engine light has been on for an evap leak. The dealership "fixed" it. However, several hours later, the check engine light came back on.

- Mountain View, CA, USA

problem #4

Aug 192019

Atlas

  • 4,200 miles
Engine light is on... interior smells like gas and gas gage is showing low level very fast.

- Steamboat Springs, CO, USA

problem #3

Aug 012019

Atlas

  • 150 miles
This is a consistent issue and I'm worried powertrain damage is occurring. When accelerating from stopped or at low speed there is a very loud screening / grinding sound coming from the powertrain / transmission - possibly the torque converter. It happens frequently and is is very noticeable, usually when the vehicle starts to accelerate or increases acceleration at low speed then it usually goes away. I described the to two VW dealership service departments and both said "they hadn't heard of that one." I was in for other service and was told they could not replicate the sound, however it screeched when leaving the dealership! the VW Atlas forums have many posts on this issue. And lots of folks like myself are not getting any information and are concerned about safety. I did not get any meaningful help from VW or their dealer service departments. I am also worried this is causing issues or damage and is not being acknowledged or addressed by VW and their authorized service facilities.

- Dillsburg, PA, USA

problem #2

Mar 282019

Atlas

  • 150 miles
Bought my Atlas on 3/24/19, a few days after I got the low coolant warning light while driving. Took it in to the dealer and they topped it off and said, "oh they come to the dealer sometimes a little low." Not sure why they don't check when prepping the car for delivery. On 4/3, light came on again while driving. Took it back to the dealer 4/4, no visible leak underneath or by the tank. A possible leak was found behind the engine near the firewall, I can see some pink pooling on something silver (engine or trans whatever it is). They determined that the coolant hose has failed and claim to have never seen that issue before. They ordered the wrong parts and couldn't fit. They are ordering more parts and it could be a few weeks before I get it back. I have also engaged VW of America. This should not happen on a new car yet alone the dealer take so long to fix it. The car has only 400 miles on it. Please investigate. Thanks.

- Renton, WA, USA

problem #1

Mar 212019

Atlas

  • miles
My battery died while driving and I had no control of brakes or wheel

- Milltown, NJ, USA

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