Volkswagen / Atlas / 2024

2024 Volkswagen Atlas problems

Owners have filed 261 complaints about the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas with NHTSA. Electrical system accounts for 16.5% of them — narrowly the most common, ahead of forward collision avoidance at 13.8%.

Complaints261

Crashes12

Fires3

Injuries12

Deaths0

What owners report breaking

Electrical system 16.5% · 43

Forward collision avoidance 13.8% · 36

Service brakes 13.4% · 35

Unknown or other 10.3% · 27

Engine 10.0% · 26

Power train 7.3% · 19

Visibility/wiper 3.8% · 10

Lane departure 3.4% · 9

Severity

Of those complaints, 12 describe a crash, 3 describe a fire and 12 report an injury.

Reading the numbers

Across the 6 model years of the Volkswagen Atlas in this data, 2024 draws comparatively few complaints; 2021 is the outlier year.

Filings are rising — 257 in the last three years against 4 in the three before. For a vehicle this age that usually points to a wear-related failure owners are hitting now.

The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 16,663 miles.

In owners' own words

Customer states that when driving at freeway speeds 60 and up hearing a popping type noise sounds like popcorn popping in microwave can only hear when riding in the back seat caused by road tested and verified a popping noise coming from rear of interior near tail lights. Removed vents to find noise is coming from depressurization vents opening and shutting. Verified to like vehicle and found this is normal operation Electrical system

Car exploded. I was driving fine with ac running when all of a sudden gray smoke came out the hood of the car. I stoped in a side street. I turned off the car and the gray smoke became black. I took my phone and ran out. As I ran the car exploded like a bomb on the street and started throwing flames. Car is completely loss. Car has been to itâs maintainer and everything and nothing found. Electrical system

Volkswagen has a bad software patch that has impacted VW Atlas' nationwide. Infotainment systems including the front and rear safety cameras as well as car controls are not accessible because the infotainment system is completely off. This is impacting the entire nation and dealerships are unable to provide updates. This is a huge safety concern. People will get hurt because of this outage. Electrical system

Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Safety recalls

Checking NHTSA for open recalls…

Other Volkswagen Atlas years

2018 670 complaints · 16.6% electrical system 2019 709 complaints · 19.6% air bags 2021 744 complaints · 19.5% electrical system 2022 279 complaints · 17.6% engine 2023 181 complaints · 18.8% engine

Compare all 6 model years →