2022 Volkswagen Atlas Problems & Owner Complaints

Engine 48 1 fire

“Driving my car only a few minutes and it caught fire and blew up. Car was completely engulfed in flames. Son was barely able to get out before engine burst into flames.”
NHTSA complaint #11714592, 2026 · fire

“This car has increasingly started stalling out as I come to a stop in traffic at lower speeds. There is no consistent pattern behind when it will occur. At times, I feel my car's engine start to shudder like it's going to stall, but it is not immediately followed by stalling. I have taken it to a dealer last month because it stalled at least three times in a month. They replaced the battery because they couldn't find cause, and this past Sunday, the car stalled as I pulled into a parking spot and shut off. Each time, I have my auto engine off disengaged. It is NOT the engine turning off at a…”
NHTSA complaint #11751841, 2026

“Description of the Issue: I am filing a complaint regarding a premature coolant leak and failure of the engine water pump on my 2022 Volkswagen Atlas. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Volkswagen dealership for an unrelated safety recall service. During their multi-point inspection, the dealership technicians officially diagnosed a coolant leak coming directly from the water pump. At only 70,000 miles, this component should not be failing. This constitutes a major safety hazard. If left unrepaired, a water pump leak leads to sudden engine overheating, loss of power, and potential catastro…”
NHTSA complaint #11746821, 2026

Service Brakes 45 2 crash

“The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while at a stoplight with vehicles in the front and rear, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, lunged forward, and crashed into a Chevrolet pickup truck. The brake pedal was applied but failed to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were reported injuries, a police report, airbag deployment, or a fire. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who was unable to service the vehicle due to parts. The vehicle was towed to an auto body shop. Then towed back to the same local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis and r…”
NHTSA complaint #11679379, 2025 · crash

“My atlas forward collision system malfunctioned causing the automatic emergency braking to turn on when there was no one and nothing in front of me. I was then rear ended. Which ultimately totaled my vehicle. My car said airbag error as well. I called Volkswagen Perrysburg Ohio, to report the incident, was sent to the managers voicemail 7/16/2025. The manager never called me back.”
NHTSA complaint #11675853, 2025 · crash

“Brake system-Unresolved repair and inadequate investigation.”
NHTSA complaint #11704712, 2025

Electrical System 40 1 fire

“While driving, the steering wheel warning light briefly flashed on my dashboard and then disappeared. Later, it came back on and stayed illuminated. A few minutes after that, my car caught fire, which spread to my garage and caused significant damage to my house.”
NHTSA complaint #11626293, 2024 · fire

“While driving my 2022 Volkswagen Atlas, the infotainment system began malfunctioning. The audio stopped working intermittently, the touchscreen went black and displayed corrupted graphics, and the backup camera repeatedly cuts in and out or fails to display anything. Pressing the backup camera button can cause the infotainment system to shut down completely. I attempted to reset the system through a soft reset by pressing the power/volume button for 20+ seconds and when that didn't work I did a hard reset by disconnecting the battery for 15- 20 mins, but the issue persists. Because the camera…”
NHTSA complaint #11752976, 2026

“I am filing a complaint regarding a premature failure of a critical safety-related lighting component on my 2022 Volkswagen Atlas. The driver-side headlight daytime running light (DRL) has failed. After inspection by an authorized Volkswagen dealership (Momentum Volkswagen), I was informed that the DRL is not a serviceable component and that the entire headlight assembly must be replaced. This is concerning for several reasons: 1.The vehicle is a 2022 model year and has been properly maintained with no accidents or external damage. 2.The DRL is an integrated LED component that should reasona…”
NHTSA complaint #11719144, 2026

Air Bags 30 1 crash

“All the airbags in the car deployed from a minor impact; it is available for inspection.”
NHTSA complaint #11741017, 2026 · crash

“I started the car to cool off and stepped out of the car and the curtain airbags deployed on both sides of the vehicle.”
NHTSA complaint #11745516, 2026

“Ever since I bought this vehicle, it stalls randomly. Apparently this is a major issue with this car and complaints are all over the Internet by owners. I have a child and I am afraid to drive the car. I have bought the car to get fixed and it is still stalling. It appears that thousands of people have the same issue as some sort of canister needs to be replaced but even shortly after it is replaced, my vehicle stalls along with everyone else’s. Also, my info entertainment center has issues and my airbag has an error code right now. From what I am reading, this vehicle is a major hazard and is…”
NHTSA complaint #11739751, 2026

Unknown Or Other 22 1 fire

“Driving my car only a few minutes and it caught fire and blew up. Car was completely engulfed in flames. Son was barely able to get out before engine burst into flames.”
NHTSA complaint #11714592, 2026 · fire

“The hood release latch/cable is broken. It worked when we took it into the dealer for a blend door actuator repair and oil change. The dealer claims it is a “known issue” for this model vehicle but they can’t repair it at no cost, despite it working just fine when we dropped it off. If this is a known issue (which I’ve seen many complaints about it online) then VW should be repairing or replacing the defective parts, not forcing that expense onto consumers.”
NHTSA complaint #11747710, 2026

“Bought the car and it is constantly stalling on me at low rpm’s, and then won’t start again for 10 minutes. I don’t want to drive it because I never know when it’s going to happen. I’ve taken it to dealer twice and they tell me they do not know what is the problem.”
NHTSA complaint #11728865, 2026

Forward Collision Avoidance 18 1 crash

“My atlas forward collision system malfunctioned causing the automatic emergency braking to turn on when there was no one and nothing in front of me. I was then rear ended. Which ultimately totaled my vehicle. My car said airbag error as well. I called Volkswagen Perrysburg Ohio, to report the incident, was sent to the managers voicemail 7/16/2025. The manager never called me back.”
NHTSA complaint #11675853, 2025 · crash

“Frontal detection sensors randomly go off usually while sitting stationary at traffic lights or stop signs, when there are no cars around the vicinity of my vehicle. Screen displays false detections and alerts with annoying beeps making you think something is going to collide with you. Dealership says there's an internal TSB on this problem, but they don't know how to fix it.”
NHTSA complaint #11626910, 2024

“While operating the vehicle at about 50 to 60 mph the automatic emergency breaking system activated without warning and with no vehicles in front, and violently slammed on the breaks causing the vehicle to go into emergency stop in the middle of the highway. This then caused numerous vehicles following to take measures to avoid crashing into the rear of our vehicle. Numerous lights and warning lights started flashing on and off and parts of the screens went black and turned off and on. The car then kept the breaks locked down and we had to limp the car along the shoulder of the road to the dea…”
NHTSA complaint #11593643, 2024

Exterior Lighting 13

“Daytime running light went out and needs the whole assembly to be replaced which is $1400+ from the dealership. Vehicle is barley 4 years old”
NHTSA complaint #11749401, 2026

“The Daylight Driving Lights have failed 2X. Very expensive fix. Seems to be a common problem.”
NHTSA complaint #11749159, 2026

“Hello, I have a 2022 VW Atlas with 54,250 miles. I noticed today when I started up by car that the DRL (daytime running lights) was dimmed to the point where I didn't even notice it on. This seems to be an issue with Volkswagen Atlas's years 2021-2023. It is currently out and anyone can come look at it at anytime. This seems to be a larger issue, many people complaining about this online and the cost to replace / fix the issue is over $1500 with parts and labor. The design makes it so the entire headlight needs to be replaced. Without daytime running lights, I feel like I am not seen as e…”
NHTSA complaint #11746755, 2026

Fuel/Propulsion System 11 1 fire

“Driving my car only a few minutes and it caught fire and blew up. Car was completely engulfed in flames. Son was barely able to get out before engine burst into flames.”
NHTSA complaint #11714592, 2026 · fire

“On the week of 10/13/2025, I had an oil sensor alert appear after a recent oil change. I took the vehicle in on 10/30/2025 for a diagnostic check and was told the oil separator sensor was defective and needed to be replaced. After the service was completed, the total was $906.42 of which I paid $580.99 out of pocket post my extended warranty claim payment. I received a recall notice in November 2025 for Emissions Service Action 10LP - Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) Valve / Oil Separator. The same issue I just paid for in October 2025.I had an unsuccessful attempt dealing with Jim Ellis…”
NHTSA complaint #11722862, 2025

“My Volkswagen Atlas has a recurring check engine light and start/stop error light. The LD pump and valve have been replaced multiple times, but the issue persists. Volkswagen now says the problem is the carbon canister, which is covered by TSB VWP-23-04 (NHTSA ID MC-10235143-0001) extending warranty to 15 years/150,000 miles. The bigger concern is safety: the vehicle has stalled multiple times while driving, including once in an intersection where I completely lost steering and control until the car was towed. This creates a major safety hazard for myself and others on the road. Despite the TS…”
NHTSA complaint #11686222, 2025

Back Over Prevention 7

“My vehicle warning sensors continue to fail despite having them replaced and now their is an unrepairable recall that my cause my passenger airbag to not deploy during head on collision. I feel these are critical safety features are main reasons for purchasing my vehicle. I do not feel safe driving my vehicle with failing and/or potentially failing safety features. I was widowed 18 months ago. If my vehicle causes me to inadvertently harm my passenger due to a safety feature failure I will not be able to live with that. I am very disappointed in VW for the suggestion to turn off the warning fe…”
NHTSA complaint #11616498, 2024

“The collision alert system is activated when we brake and a terrible grinding noise occurs. It seems that the brake issues makes the collision system think the car is not being stopped by the brakes. The dealer refuses to do anything about the issues because there is no nhtsa recall. They claim the issue is humidity.”
NHTSA complaint #11572829, 2024

“My sensors continue to beep when there is no obstruction around the vehicle. At times, this will also cause the brakes to grind. When I take it in for inspection, they are unable to find any malfunction because this happens inconsistently. This puts myself and others at risk because it is very distracting to the driver. The vehicle has been inspected by the service dealer, but they have not been able to reproduce the problem. Other lights have also popped up randomly... the driver seat belt sign, when I did have my seat belt on and the EPC sign while I drove down my street.”
NHTSA complaint #11541560, 2023

Steering 6 1 fire

“While driving, the steering wheel warning light briefly flashed on my dashboard and then disappeared. Later, it came back on and stayed illuminated. A few minutes after that, my car caught fire, which spread to my garage and caused significant damage to my house.”
NHTSA complaint #11626293, 2024 · fire

“The vehicle has experienced multiple serious safety failures involving the steering, electrical system, and powertrain. Most recently, while driving, the steering wheel locked unexpectedly, causing a temporary loss of control. Multiple dashboard warning lights began flashing, and the EPC light turned on and off repeatedly. I had to bring the vehicle to a complete stop and restart the engine to regain control. The camshaft/camshaft position sensor and steering system appear to be malfunctioning, and the issues have recurred multiple times. The vehicle has been taken to a dealer for inspection…”
NHTSA complaint #11701497, 2025

“ENGINE RANDOMLY STOPS WHILE DRIVING, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, WARNING SAYS TO MANUALLY RESTART ENGINE. HAPPENS WITH AUTO START/STOP ON OR OFF. LASTEST INCIDENT, WHILE ENTERING AN INTERSECTION TURNING LEFT, ENGINE STOPPED, SAID TO MANUALLY RESTART, STEERING LOCKED UP SO COULD NOT STEER THE VEHICLE. THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT WAS VERY DANGEROUS PUT ME IN THE MIDDLE OF A LOT OF TRAFFIC, IN AN INTERSECTION. CAR IS BASICALLY UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT THIS POINT. HAD IT TOWED.”
NHTSA complaint #11679519, 2025

Seats 5 1 injury

“The vehicle has middle row captains chairs. While slowing down for a stoplight, the captain chair behind the driver side lunged forward pinning my son’s head between his car seat and the back of my seat. Prior to the incident, there was no error indication (would pop up RED) telling me there was a bad latch when putting my son in his car seat. Is it available for inspection upon request? Yes, I still currently own the vehicle. My [XXX] old was not safe in his seat it flung forward he was stuck squished between two seats. I was unsafe as I was in a turn lane at a stoplight and got out of m…”
NHTSA complaint #11707986, 2025 · 1 injury(ies)

“The passenger air bag has a faulty sensor and the instrument cluster has an intermittent warning with audible chime. We are unable to use the vehicle for safe transportation and we are intermittently bombarded with the chime while driving. The dealership cannot repair until July 3 and does not offer any alternative transportation in the mean time or any loaner during repair. We have contacted VW Customer Care and they refuse to do anything about it. They have directed us to the dealership. We are unable to get around as a family currently due to this issue. There is an active recall for this i…”
NHTSA complaint #11665932, 2025

“I contacted VW several times about the faulty airbag sensor/electrical system not working. Was told parts not available. If I’m to get into a crash with a passenger. They will be severally injured due to this part not being available. Recall #24V464 Action Code #69PZ”
NHTSA complaint #11613097, 2024

Parking Brake 3

“The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the emergency brake engaged without warning. All the warning lights were illuminated. The windows went up and down without application. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V152000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Volkswagen South Towne Service and Parts Department: 11000 Frontage Rd, South Jordan, UT 84095, where it was diagnosed that the driver door module had faile…”
NHTSA complaint #11738050, 2022

“The vehicles parking brake came on and the car shut off by itself in the middle of the road.”
NHTSA complaint #11468919, 2022

“Two separate instances. The first: emergency break engaged for no reason while in driveway at a low speed. It jolted the car back and I had to put car in Park and then drive again. If this happened while anywhere else, it could cause an accident by being rear ended or a tail spin. Second incident: driving on interstate the forward collision warning symbol came on in red in addition to a red exclamation point. We were driving around 65mph with cars around us. The warning came on seemingly out of nowhere and then was gone several minutes later. There was no reason for this to occur. These issue…”
NHTSA complaint #11461519, 2022

Power Train 3

“The first issue at 26k miles when the coolant light turned on. It was a broken head gasket which required the replacement of the full motor on the vehicle. After the motor was replaced, the vehicle had to be taken back to the dealership that completed the work on 3 different occasions for installation concerns including a loose bolt and low coolant levels. The second issue at 33k miles was the failure of the charcoal canister which ruined the fuel tank lining, resulting a replacement of the fuel tank. This issue caused the car to stall anytime it was idle (if I was in traffic and not able to…”
NHTSA complaint #11637408, 2023

“I am reporting a recurring coolant system issue that raises safety concerns. My 2022 VW Atlas has triggered the coolant warning light several times since new. A dealership eventually replaced the head gasket under warranty, yet the warning returned again months later. At the most recent service visit, a pressure test showed no leak, and I was told the problem was likely "air bubbles" — the same explanation I received before the head gasket was replaced. VW has issued TSB 19-22-01, advising dealers to blame repeated warnings on trapped air and to avoid replacing parts unless a leak is confirme…”
NHTSA complaint #11676446, 2022

“Since I've had this car in 2022, it continues to misfire and decelerate randomly. Car starts shaking violently and slows down while in traffic causing me to have to figure out a way to get to the side of the road and turn the car off for a while. Vehicle has been taken in various times about this issue since purchase with no resolution. I usually get an Error: Start/Stop message, EPC light and sometimes the check engine light will come on. The dealer states that they couldn't reproduce the problem but when I had an oil change and they had the car running it happened, I called a tech to loo…”
NHTSA complaint #11626096, 2022

Lane Departure 2

“Using adaptive cruise control with lane departure. Driving on a straight stretch of interstate with audio (music) at high level. Car suddenly braked and jerked wheel right risking a crash. Vehicle does not do well on straight stretches of road. Thinks driver is not steering, and will populate a msg on dash, followed by a red light and a signal tone. These aren't easily noticed when head is up and eyes on road with audio level high. VW should change this to remove braking and instead it deactivates cruise and/or wheel vibrate only.”
NHTSA complaint #11591013, 2024

“Using adaptive cruise control with lane departure. Driving on a straight stretch of interstate in rain with audio (music) at high level. Car suddenly braked risking a crash. Vehicle does not do well on straight stretches of road. Thinks driver is not steering, and will populate a msg on dash, followed by a red light and a signal tone. These aren't easily noticed when head is up and eyes on road with audio level high. VW should change this to remove braking and instead it deactivates cruise and/or wheel vibrate only.”
NHTSA complaint #11591018, 2024

Seat Belts 2 1 crash

“All the airbags in the car deployed from a minor impact; it is available for inspection.”
NHTSA complaint #11741017, 2026 · crash

“The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while the twelve-year-old child was seated in the second-row passenger side captain's seat, the seat belt locking mechanism malfunctioned and the seat belt was unable to be unlatched, causing the child to become trapped in the seat. The contact stated that scissors were used to cut the seat belt strap to free the child. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the seat belt assembly. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred with the replacement seat belt, and again the seat belt strap was cut to free the chil…”
NHTSA complaint #11615928, 2024

Structure 2 1 crash

“All the airbags in the car deployed from a minor impact; it is available for inspection.”
NHTSA complaint #11741017, 2026 · crash

“Frontal detection sensors randomly go off usually while sitting stationary at traffic lights or stop signs, when there are no cars around the vicinity of my vehicle. Screen displays false detections and alerts with annoying beeps making you think something is going to collide with you. Dealership says there's an internal TSB on this problem, but they don't know how to fix it.”
NHTSA complaint #11626910, 2024

Visibility/Wiper 2

“I am filing a complaint regarding a premature failure of a critical safety-related lighting component on my 2022 Volkswagen Atlas. The driver-side headlight daytime running light (DRL) has failed. After inspection by an authorized Volkswagen dealership (Momentum Volkswagen), I was informed that the DRL is not a serviceable component and that the entire headlight assembly must be replaced. This is concerning for several reasons: 1.The vehicle is a 2022 model year and has been properly maintained with no accidents or external damage. 2.The DRL is an integrated LED component that should reasona…”
NHTSA complaint #11719144, 2026

“windshield cracks very easily with very minimal impact. There are countless threads and reports of this chassis having this problem and unfortunately VW put many sensors into the windshield causing the replacement to require calibration to use the some of the safety features. Second time this has happened.”
NHTSA complaint #11712011, 2026

Child Seat 1 1 injury

“The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, and pressed the brakes when suddenly the second row passenger side captain seat erroneously moved forward. The [XXX] child seated in a high-back booster seat in the second row passenger seat was pushed forward into the rear of the front passenger seat. The child had become trapped between the two seats. While trapped between the seats, the child also experienced distress caused by the seatbelt. The contact was able to free the child from between the two seat,s and the seat was eventually corre…”
NHTSA complaint #11685050, 2025 · 1 injury(ies)

Engine And Engine Cooling 1

“The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while checking fluid levels in the engine compartment, the contact became aware that the coolant reservoir was low. The contact stated that there was no sign of a coolant leak, but coolant needed to be added to the reservoir weekly. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic, who determined that there was a coolant leak that was draining into a protective shield underneath the engine compartment. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not in…”
NHTSA complaint #11708399, 2025

Fuel System 1

“The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power, and the vehicle failed to start. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle restarted and the contact drove to a parking lot, and then the vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the fuel pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure m…”
NHTSA complaint #11685099, 2025

Vehicle Speed Control 1 1 crash

“The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while at a stoplight with vehicles in the front and rear, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, lunged forward, and crashed into a Chevrolet pickup truck. The brake pedal was applied but failed to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were reported injuries, a police report, airbag deployment, or a fire. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who was unable to service the vehicle due to parts. The vehicle was towed to an auto body shop. Then towed back to the same local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis and r…”
NHTSA complaint #11679379, 2025 · crash

Visibility 1

“The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving in snow, the windshield wipers stopped working as needed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road and manually tighten the windshield wipers bolts that were loose. The contact was able to continue driving but stated that the windshield wipers were not aligned and fractured around the areas of the windshield. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and was informed that no failure was found due to the windshield wipers not being meant to clean sno…”
NHTSA complaint #11464064, 2022