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2019 Volkswagen Atlas Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 482 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas, most often about the air bags (29% of complaints, typically around 30,500 miles). It is the most complained-about Atlas model year since 2000 and has 12 recalls.
Most common 2019 Volkswagen Atlas problems
Air bags
141 complaints · 29%Half of these problems showed up before 30,500 miles. Parts named most often: sensor, srs malfunction warning lamp/light.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact received notification of the NHTSA campaign number: 23v215000 (air bags) however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were…
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that on three separate occasions, the passengerâs side air bag malfunction warning light illuminated with an occupant seated in the passengerâs seat. The air bag sensor, the air bag, and the air bag module were each replaced on three separate occasions…
Brakes
79 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 6,000 miles. Parts named most often: conventional.
Car disengaged adaptive cruise control and emergency braked suddenly ("slammed on the brakes"), while dashboard lights flashed warnings of front end impact and disengagement of acc and all assistance systems. The car was traveling 68mph on a straight line, flat bridge over water. Other cars were to the side and rear…
Upon accelerating my 2019 vw Atlas down an empty street between 10 to 20 miles per hour the autonamous emergency brake sensor malfunctioned and the car suddenly came to a complete stop jolting US forward. It was so unexpected that my hands slipped off the steering wheel and landed on the dash board. The halt came with…
Driver assistance
77 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 13,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic emergency braking, warnings, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving approximately 30-35 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stalled but remained in motion. The warning message "there is someone in front of you" appeared on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle restarted on its own and she was…
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving down a driveway unto a street, the automatic post collision braking system activated independently and the vehicle stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was restarted and drove as designed. The contact stated…
Electrical
76 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 10,500 miles. Parts named most often: adas.
Car wouldn't start after being garage for two days. Nothing was left on in the car. The other thing I noticed was that the start stop function no longer works. When I first bought the car it worked all the time.
When going up or down a steep hill, and also 1 time pulling out of a parking lot my emergency brakes have engaged 5 times. No cars have been around (luckily) and I was not about to hit anything. My collision sensors also go off daily-the entire time I'm driving even while nothing is around. I can pull up to an empty…
Other or unspecified
61 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 2,500 miles.
The vehicle was traveling at 25mph and we were about to cross railroad tracks. Just before reaching the tracks, the front assist system engaged and the vehicle applied the breaks automatically and came to a sudden and full stop. There was no reason for the system to engage since the road and the tracks were empty and…
Forward collision avoidance false(unprompted) activation- conditions-4 lane road with center turn lane, weather dry, daylight, traffic moderate. Driving straight at 30 MPH steady speed with no cars ahead in close proximity the car detected an obstacle and entered autonomous braking almost to a complete stop. My wife…
Engine
60 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 5,500 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.
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…
Steering
39 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 7,000 miles.
There is a squeaking noise anytime you turn steering wheel. It happens at lower speed and when stopped. Just turn wheel left and right, by couple of degrees and you will hear it.
Vehicle would turn off while in drive. Originally happened when going in reverse up a hill, vehicle warning to put into park and manually restart. Happened 2 more times and was brought in for repair. Dealership was unable to duplicate the issue. It happened again and was brought back to the dealership. They contacted…
Fuel system
35 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 21,000 miles. Parts named most often: fuel injection system.
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.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the electronic power control and check engine warning lights were illuminated. In addition, there was a fuel odor in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the high-pressure fuel injector…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2019 Volkswagen Atlas recalls
Steering
Risk: A broken steering rack housing can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the right-side steering rack mounting bolt, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed november 10, 2026. Owners may contact volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 48lg and 48vt. Vehicle identification numbers (vins) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on september 16, 2026.
Full defect summary
Volkswagen group of america, inc. (volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 tiguan, 2018-2019 atlas, and 2019-2021 audi q3 vehicles. One of the bolts that attaches the steering rack to the subframe may corrode and break. If this happens, the steering rack housing can break.
Air bags: curtain
Risk: The driver's side impact air bag could deploy improperly or detach in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver's side impact air bag, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed october 19, 2023. Owners may contact volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69fk.
Full defect summary
Volkswagen group of america, inc. (volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 atlas vehicles. The driver's side impact air bag may be missing a weld at the side air bag housing.
Air bags: front passenger
Risk: A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the pods sensor mat and wiring harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on march 22, 2024. Owners may contact volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69fb.
Full defect summary
Volkswagen group of america, inc. (volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2021 atlas and 2020 atlas cross sport vehicles. The passenger occupant detection system (pods) may experience a fault in the wiring and deactivate the front passenger air bag when the seat is occupied.
Wheels and tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems
Risk: An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed november 18, 2022. Owners may contact volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or audiâs customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (audi) 45j7, and (vw) 45j6 and 45j8.
Full defect summary
Volkswagen group of america, inc. (volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 volkswagen tiguan lwb, golf sportswagen a7, golf alltrack, golf r gp, audi q3, audi a3 cabriolet, 2019-2020 jetta nf, jetta gli, golf gti, atlas, golf a7, audi a3, 2020-2021 atlas cross sport, and 2021 atlas fl vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system may not detect an air pressure loss in adequate time when deflating occurs among all four tires simultaneously. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 138, "tire pressure monitoring systems."
Air bags: side/window
Risk: A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will secure and, as necessary, replace any the front door wiring harnesses showing a fault code, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed june 20, 2022. Owners may contact volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97gf.
Full defect summary
Volkswagen group of america, inc. (volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019-2020 atlas, 2020-2023 atlas cross sport, and 2021-2023 atlas fl vehicles. The door wiring harness electrical contacts may corrode, disrupting the electrical connection and delaying the deployment of the driver or passenger front side air bag during a side impact crash.
Equipment: labels
Risk: Without the reduced gvwr label, the vehicle could be overloaded, leading to a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install the reduced gvwr label, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed march 31, 2022. Owners may contact volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 09d9.
Full defect summary
Volkswagen group of america, inc. (volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2021 atlas and 2020-2021 atlas cross sport vehicles equipped with accessory side steps. The reduced gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr) label, reflecting the additional weight of the side steps, was not installed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 110, "tire selection and rims."
Wheels and tires: sidewall
Risk: Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall, resulting in sudden air loss or belt edge separation which could lead to tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on march 24, 2021. Owners may contact volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 44r1.
Full defect summary
Volkswagen group of america, inc. (volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 atlas vehicles equipped with continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.
Fuel system: tank assembly
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire. An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began august 30, 2019. Owners may contact volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20bu.
Full defect summary
Volkswagen group of america, inc. (volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 atlas vehicles. The suction jet in the fuel tank may have been welded in the incorrect position allowing fuel to leak. Additionally, the vehicle may stall due to uneven fuel distribution.
Lights: headlights
Risk: Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, block the headlight horizontal adjustment, free of charge. The recall began july 16, 2019. Owners may contact volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94l9.
Full defect summary
Volkswagen group of america, inc. (volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2020 volkswagen passat and 2018-2019 atlas vehicles. The blocking cap disabling the adjustment of the headlight's horizontal aim may not have been installed. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Air bags: side/window
Risk: In an event of a side impact crash, an incorrect side airbag may not deploy as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Volkswagen has inspected and replaced the side air bags, free of charge. The recall was completed in april 2019. Owners may contact volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69y8.
Full defect summary
Volkswagen group of america, inc. (volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 atlas and 2020 passat vehicles. An incorrect driver and/or front passenger side impact air bag may have been installed.
Suspension: coil springs
Risk: If a coil spring fractures while driving, it may damage a rear tire causing a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will replace the rear axle coil springs, free of charge. The recall began january 31, 2019. Owners may contact volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42j2/42j3.
Full defect summary
Volkswagen group of america, inc. (volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 volkswagen atlas, 2015 volkswagen golf sportwagen, and 2019 volkswagen jetta vehicles. The rear coil springs may prematurely fracture.
Electrical: instrument cluster/panel
Risk: If the driver is not notified by an audible noise that the key is left in the ignition, it can increase the risk of vehicle theft or crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall began december 13, 2018. Owners may contact volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 90l3 and 90l4.
Full defect summary
Volkswagen group of america, inc. (volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 volkswagen atlas and tiguan and 2019 volkswagen jetta vehicles that do not have keyless entry. The instrument cluster may not provide an audible warning to let the driver know that the key is still in the ignition when the door is open. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 114, "theft protection."
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Inadvertent automatic emergency braking
Summary
On september 28, 2023, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation (pe23017) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the front assist automatic emergency braking (aeb) system in model year (my) 2018-2019 volkswagen atlas vehicles.â the reports alleged that activation of the aeb system occurred while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration. Volkswagen indicated that it is aware of a total of 226 reports that may relate to the alleged defect in my 2019 volkswagen atlas vehicles.volkswagen stated that some customers possibly had an inadequate understanding of front assist and its limitation
Inadvertent automatic emergency braking
Summary
On september 28, 2023, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation (pe23017) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the front assist automatic emergency braking (aeb) system in model year (my) 2018-2019 volkswagen atlas vehicles.the reports alleged that activation of the aeb system occurred while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration. Volkswagen indicated that it is aware of a total of 292 reports that may relate to the alleged defect in my 2018-2019 volkswagen atlas vehicles.volkswagen stated that some customers possibly had an inadequate understanding of front assist and its limitat
Fuel injector leak
Summary
On march 29, 2021, the office of defects investigations (odi) opened pe21-008 to investigate instances of fuel injectors leaking in the engine compartment in model year (my) 2018 through 2020 volkswagen atlas and atlas cross sport suvs. These vehicles are equipped with either a 3.6 or 2.0 liter engine. The subject investigation concerns vehicles equipped with 3.6l engines. Prior to opening the investigation, odi also observed that warranty data for the fuel system from tread reporting was an outlier for the my 2018 atlas.the allegation involved fuel injectors leaking fuel near engine compartment components that operate at high temperatures. Consumers allege a fuel leak, fuel odor, and/or an
Questions about the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas
- What are the most common problems with the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: air bags (141 complaints, typically around 30,500 miles); brakes (79 complaints, typically around 6,000 miles); driver assistance (77 complaints, typically around 13,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas have?
- 12 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from September 11, 2026 (steering). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2019 a bad year for the Volkswagen Atlas?
- It is the most complained-about Atlas model year since 2000, with 482 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.