2018 Volkswagen Atlas: raw data

Every record we hold for this vehicle, as plain tables, with nothing added. The consumer page shows the same records with the maintenance schedule, price ranges and nearby shops around them.

vehicle2018 / volkswagen / atlas
known issues7 clusters (reviewed 2026-08-13)
complaints461 on file (2017-11-18 → 2026-08-24)
recalls17
investigations2
fars14 occupant deaths, crash years 2010-2024 (legacy-code)
indexedyes
licenseCC BY 4.0 (derived)

Known Issues clusters all years →

Brake booster faulty warning with reduced brakingSERVICE BRAKES13 complaints2023-05 → 2026-01atlas-2018-brake-booster-faulty-warning
  • 11529571 I would be driving under 30mph and would get a warning on my dashboard that would say "Brake Booster Faulty", in addition the "Brake" light would illuminate and my brakes would become spongy and harder to engage
  • 11540480 While driving, the car suddenly slowed to nearly stopping and a "Brake Boost Faulty" red warning light displayed on the dashboard. I was not breaking at the time. The brake pedal felt soft and the car would not regain acceleration
  • 11659675 I’ve had the “Brake Booster Faulty” error come on at least once a year. It’s very scary as the car just locks up
Water pump failure with coolant loss and overheatingENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING12 complaints2023-02 → 2026-07atlas-2018-water-pump-coolant-loss
  • 11737402 The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, "low coolant" and "overheating" messages and the check engine warning light illuminated. On the first two occasions, the low coolant message appeared
  • 11750721 The water pump failed catastrophically at 63,100 miles, forcing a complete road-side breakdown and damaging the radiator. This is a known manufacturing defect affecting the 3.6L VR6 composite plastic pumps
  • 11606347 Replaced a failed water pump at 78,831 miles on 11/03/2022 and that replacement part failed again at 98,022 miles on 12/26/2023
LED low beam headlight failureEXTERIOR LIGHTING9 complaints2024-04 → 2026-04atlas-2018-led-low-beam-headlight-failure
  • 11608861 Both low beam lights (left then right) failed within the same month. These are LED headlights. I have to drive with the high beam lights on all the time. Since these are LED headlights, there is no way to replace them (no bulbs)
  • 11706755 Both low beam headlights went out within two weeks of each other and the vehicle just hit 100,000 miles. Dealership states that replacing the entire headlight assembly is the only fix and will cost $3,000
  • 11731267 Both my low beam headlamps went out WHILE DRIVING. This is a major safety concern. It is also not an easy or inexpensive fix. The entire assembly must be replaced and not just a bulb
Passenger airbag occupant detection fault, recall pendingAIR BAGS79 complaints2023-04 → 2026-04atlas-2018-passenger-airbag-pods-fault
  • 11566868 Around May 2023, I received a passenger airbag safety recall for my Volkswagen Atlas. The letter states that the Passenger Occupancy Detection System (PODS) is faulty and that in the event of an accident, the passenger airbag would likely not work
  • 11573544 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
  • 11542887 Our airbag warning light, comes on and off. This happens sporadically whether the passenger seat is occupied or not
Automatic emergency braking activating without obstructionFORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE11 complaints2023-01 → 2026-07atlas-2018-aeb-without-obstruction
  • 11638964 Midway through the intersection (at about 10 mph) the vehicles emergency braking system engaged for no reason slamming her to an immediate stop. There were no obstructions in front or to either side of the vehicle. There was another car behind her that almost rear-ended her
  • 11580540 Automatic Emergency Breaking initiated on its own, slamming the car breaks as I was turning left out of a parking lot onto a busy 4 lane street. This stopped the car as we were crossing the first lane of traffic
  • 11510748 First time-Driving on road at 45 mph when my car started flashing red for a forward collision and my cars automatic emergency brake stopped me immediately with nothing in front of me on a clear road
Engine shutdown while driving at low speedENGINE23 complaints2022-11 → 2026-07atlas-2018-engine-shutdown-while-driving
  • 11590768 In June and early July of 2023 the vehicle’s engine shut off while driving at least 4 times. Shut off occurred while driving at low speeds while in a parking lot, coming out of an intersection, and when approaching a stop sign
  • 11612217 Engine stops occasionally while driving and the car is moving. This has occurred even with Start/Stop turned off and while the vehicle is moving on the road. This has occurred several times over the past year
  • 11644452 I was driving on the highway with my family in stop and go traffic when my car turned off on its own while still in Drive. The car has an "Auto On/Off" feature that we had disabled so it should not have, for any reason, done this
Loss of engine power with EPC warning lightPOWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE8 complaints2023-11 → 2025-07atlas-2018-epc-power-loss
  • 11646925 THE EPC LIGHT WILL COME ON AT ANYTIME. MEANING WHILE DRIVING ON A STREET HIGHWAY OR FREEWAY. WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE VEICHLE WILL LOSE POWER AND START TO SHAKE
  • 11581868 EPC light came on and shut the car down at highway speeds. Car was incapacitated. Had car taken to dealer and was told the computer indicated a problem with the fuel injection wiring harness
  • 11673854 while operating the vehicle felt a jerk and then the check engine, oil, and EPC warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle decelerated and lost power on the highway, we were able to coast to the nearest parking lot

NHTSA complaints (summary) all years →

countearliest_datelatest_datecrash_flaggedfire_flaggedtop_components
4612017-11-182026-08-2480ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:110; AIR BAGS:100; ENGINE:97; SERVICE BRAKES:75; UNKNOWN OR OTHER:72

Recalls all years →

campaign_numberreport_received_datecomponentsummaryconsequenceremedy
18V53600015/08/2018SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPERVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and 2017-2018 Volkswagen Passat vehicles. The brake caliper bracket mounting bolts on these vehicles may not have been tightened sufficiently.The loose brake bracket bolts can allow the caliper to move, reducing braking ability or causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake caliper bracket bolt tightness, replacing and re-torque the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Additionally brake caliper fasteners, bleeder valve, and brake hose bolts will be checked and torqued to the correct specification, if necessary, free of charge. For Passat vehicles, dealers will also inspect the parking brake cable for proper connection, free of charge. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 46H6.
20V05700031/01/2020AIR BAGSVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Atlas vehicles. The vehicles may be equipped with an incorrectly manufactured air bag sensor, which can delay or disable air bag deployment when necessary.In the event of a crash necessitating frontal air bag deployment, a delayed or disabled airbag deployment can increase the risk of injury.Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag crash sensor, free of charge. The recall began February 21, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69AL.
18V90400019/12/2018SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGSVolkswagen 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.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.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.
18V37500006/06/2018AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULEVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan vehicles. In the event of a crash, the passenger frontal air bag may tear or not properly unfold during deployment.If the air bag were to tear or unfold incorrectly during deployment, it can increase the risk of injury.Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began July 19, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69W8, and 69W9.
18V36900001/06/2018SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPERVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, Passat, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen and GTI and Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have insufficient coating, potentially reducing the brake performance.A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners. Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes. Volkswagen dealers will bleed the front and rear brake calipers. Note: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the brake system has been checked. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 47N8, 47N9, and 47N6.
19V38900022/05/2019EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTSVolkswagen 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."Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.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.
18V28400002/05/2018FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLYVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. The fuel tank on these vehicles may leak fuel due to a manufacturing error. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began June 22, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AW. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 17V-766.
18V82400026/11/2018ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANELVolkswagen 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."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.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.
21V14200005/03/2021TIRES:SIDEWALLVolkswagen 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.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.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.
20V56100016/09/2020UNKNOWN OR OTHERVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Golf R and Atlas, 2017 Golf Alltrack and E-Golf and 2016-2018 Passat vehicles. These internal use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.Volkswagen will notify owners and will repurchase the vehicles. The recall began October 6, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01E9.
21V32100005/05/2021UNKNOWN OR OTHERVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Touareg GP, Tiguan, Golf A6, E-Golf GP, CCF, 2016-2017 Passat GP, 2018-2019 Golf R GP, and 2018 Atlas vehicles. These internal-use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.Volkswagen will repurchase the vehicles. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01F1.
18V38000007/06/2018SEAT BELTS: REAR/OTHER:BUCKLE ASSEMBLYVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswaen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. The owner's manuals provided with the affected vehicles do not inform the customers about the child restraint size limitation/restrictions for the second row center seating position. As a result, the center and adjacent outboard seat belt buckles on the second row can become damaged it a child seat base is installed that is wider than 12.6 inches.A damaged seat belt buckle can release unexpectedly, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the center and left outboard seat belt buckles, and replace them if necessary, free of charge. Volkswagen will also provide an owner's manual supplement addressing child safety and child restraints. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69X1.
18V53700020/08/2018AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULEVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. During production, the air conditioning system drain tube may have been twisted, causing water to drain into the air bag control module.The wet air bag control module may result in an unintentional deployment of the air bags, increasing the risk of injury or crash.Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air conditioning drain tube, and if it is twisted, the drain tube and air bag control module will be replaced, free of charge. Some of the affected vehicles have had their drain tube previously replaced but did not receive a new air bag control module; the airbag control module will be replaced in these vehicles. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 87F9.
17V76600029/11/2017FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGEVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Atlas vehicles. The fuel tank may have been manufactured with insufficient wall thickness, potentially resulting in the tank leaking fuel. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began December 10, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AQ.
22V08600016/02/2022EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELSVolkswagen 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."Without the reduced GVWR label, the vehicle could be overloaded, leading to a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.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.
23V21500029/03/2023AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGERVolkswagen 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.A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.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.
26V59000011/09/2026STEERINGVolkswagen 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.A broken steering rack housing can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.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.

Investigations all years →

action_numberstatussubjectcomponentsopenedclosedrecall_campaignsummary
PE21008closedFuel Injector LeakFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS2021-03-292022-10-03·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 compartme
PE23017closedInadvertent Automatic Emergency BrakingFORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING2023-09-282024-12-18·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

FARS occupant deaths all years →

crash_yearsoccupant_deathsmatch_typevpic_recovered
2010-202414legacy-code0

FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road.

Cite this

Derived data is CC BY 4.0. Link back to the page you used. Text and BibTeX below.

Wrench.Pro (2026). 2018 Volkswagen Atlas vehicle data [dataset]. https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2018/volkswagen/atlas
@misc{wrenchpro_2018_volkswagen_atlas_2026,
  author = {Wrench.Pro},
  title = {Wrench.Pro vehicle data: 2018 Volkswagen Atlas},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2018/volkswagen/atlas}},
  note = {Derived from NHTSA public records. CC BY 4.0.}
}

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