2018 Volkswagen Atlas Electrical System Problems

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. So now both headlights (safety issue) are out and the vehicle cannot be driven safely. Other VW Atlas vehicles are having the same issue around 50-60K miles. There should be a recall on the head lamps for safety concerns and liability reasons.

While driving, the vehicle suddenly loses engine power and shuts off without warning. This has happened multiple times and creates a serious safety hazard because it happen in traffic multiple times . The problem appears to be related to the fuel pump control module and/or electrical wiring failure. Additionally, the power windows stopped functioning due to a failure in the driver door wiring harness, which is a known issue on this vehicle model year. The electrical malfunction and engine stall appear to be connected. This issue has been repaired because the dealership stated the warranty is expired, but this is a safety defect that can lead to a crash. There is also an open unrepaired recall on this vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection.

ECM light came on, while going 60+ on expressway. Car lost ability to accelerate and began to sputter. Unable to adjust speed and had to pull over to shoulder in fast moving traffic.

When the outdoor temperature gets low, below 20 degrees fahrenheit, the vehicle thinks the driver-side front door is open, when it is closed. Because of this, the vehicle does not want to allow itself to be driven and will put on the electric parking brake. Even if released, the parking brake will automatically re-engage any time the vehicle speed drops below a couple of miles-per-hour. In addition, other errors persist with the electrical system, including error messages regarding the hill descent control, parking assist, passenger side airbag detection, internal lighting, etc. Based upon research, it seems this issue is identical to a recall issued for the same make & model, but for the years 2019-2022.

Purchased Car with 17,000 miles on it. At 35,400 miles I had an electrical issue, cars was driving slow and jerking, sputtering while on the highway. the EMP ? light came on. I brought to the Clear Lake Volkswagen and they had to change our alot of the electronic system. I drove my car for about 9 months and my battery that was brand new died. There was a something with the electronic system. All along since I have owned the car, it would randomly stall when I would come to a stop. Never a big issue and just thought it was something with the stop/start. Last week while driving on the highway, 4-7 times when I would just take my foot off the gas the car would stall. I would have to pull off the the side of the highway, (NOT SAFE) put car in park and start it again. I again brought it to the dealership and they told me it is the Carbon gasket filter along with a clogged fuel line. I am hearing that has happened alot. I AM SELLING THIS CAR AS SOON AS I GET IT BACK. It has had engine issues since 6 months owning. NEVER BUYING VOLKSWAGON AGAIN.

Engine shuts down unexpectable at a stop sign/light and when driving in parking lots. A message on the dashboard comes on "Manually restart the vehicle" This has happen several times (at least 4 times) in the past few days

The door actuator on the front passenger side of the vehicle stopped working. Here is a list of my concerns as a result: Security: Inability to Lock/Unlock/Functionality: - The primary concern is the inability to securely lock or unlock the vehicle. It creates a significant security risk, putting myself and my belongings vulnerable. - The alarm system is integrated with the door lock system and when I open the faulty door after locking my car, the alarm does not sound. - Keyless entry systems often rely on door actuators. A faulty actuator can render remote keyless entry inoperable.  Safety Concerns: - If my child safety locks are electronically controlled, a faulty actuator can make it difficult to access the vehicle in an emergency. I have two young children, [XXX] Other concerns: A faulty door actuator can negatively impact the vehicle's resale value as it may require repair or replacement. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The power windows malfunctioning. When windows are pressed down the windows spontaneously go back up

The actuator door has failed, resulting in a constant and very loud clicking noise. I contacted both the dealer and manufacturer and they advised that this happens as no fault of my own. I am now unable to run the fan.

While driving my car made a loud beep sound and Faulty Brake Booster appeared on the dash and the BRAKE light came on and the brakes would not work properly. I was almost rear ended because of this.

The vehicle slammed on brakes, Electronic Stabilization Control light came on, transmission went into emergency mode, check engine light came on, and many other lights. I had to jerk the car to avoid the ditch since i was in a curve on a highway. Brakes continued to kick back and would not allow me to pull to side of road even in neutral. Battery message came on and said it was not charging. I was stuck in the lane and several people had to swerve or brake hard to miss me.

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. Typically the car can be re-started right away, although on a couple of times it was disabled (would not start) until multiple attempts over 5 minutes.

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. Was told this is a common recall for 2018 Atlas and Tiguan models but my vin was not included in the recall but could not give me a reason. Had to pay to have wiring harness replaced. Contacted Volkswagen and they refuse to acknowledge a safety issue with my vehicle even though there are open recalls on the wiring harness that shut my vehicle down while driving. My family could have been seriously injured or we could have caused a major accident because this car was somehow excluded from inclusion and notification of the recall

I am writing to express my concerns regarding the delay in the repair of a recall affecting my 2018 Volkswagen Atlas SEL. The recall (Manufacturer Recall Number 69FB, NHTSA Recall Number 23V215) was issued on March 29th, 2023, due to a fault in the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS), which may result in the passenger airbag being switched off erroneously. This poses an increased risk of injury to the front passenger in the event of a crash. Despite having attempted to schedule an appointment with my local Volkswagen dealership from which I bought this vehicle in August of 2023, I was informed that there was no remedy yet available, and to this day almost a full year later there is still no repair that has been made available within a reasonable timeframe. Any attempt to contact Volkswagen directly for any updates has produced no useful information, and their only solution at this time is to advise owners of affected vehicles not to have anyone ride in the front passenger seat. This delay in resolving the safety issue poses a significant risk to both myself and the other approximately 140,000 Volkswagen Atlas owners affected by this recall. As a responsible vehicle owner, I am deeply troubled by the apparent lack of urgency in addressing this matter. It is also very frustrating to not safely have full use of a vehicle that I have paid for, and continue to pay for. I urge the NHTSA to intervene and expedite the repair process to ensure the safety of all affected vehicles on the road. I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to a swift resolution.

I purchased this vehicle in August of last year (2023), where I was made aware that the vehicle had a recall, however there was no mention that there was no fix for the recall. Thinking that the recall fix was available I have been reaching out to the dealer to schedule an appointment to bring the car in, however I keep getting that there is still no fix and there is no timeframe on when it will become available.

I have a moonroof that leaks whenever it rains. It comes on the sides of the car and also in the middle near my rearview mirror which leaks on my electronics. I am at risk because it brings water into my car when I am driving. It can cause mold and mildew as well. I've taking this to my local VW dealership without any resolution. They just said its a well know issue. The attempted to 'clean' the drains but it still leaks.

My driver side visor bulb started going on and off then eventually quit working. I brought the vehicle to my purchasing dealer who changed the bulb which then blew the fuse and caused almost every light to turn on on the dash screen. Most of the lights were cleared but there is still a front assist light remaining on and volkswagen has said it needs to be recalibrated. the electrical wiring of the visor has a short and needs to be changed but it is clear it is related to other electrical systems.

The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that the Auto START/STOP feature failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated while pressing the START/STOP button, the vehicle failed to start immediately. The contact stated that the vehicle eventually started after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who retrieved several fault codes. The vehicle was also taken to the dealer where it was purchased, and the contact was informed that the START/STOP battery was likely the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

When starting up my vehicle the battery turns on but the engine will not start. My dash will light up with multiple warnings. These are the specific ones that warn me: Error: electronic stabilization control (ESC) Error: hill hold assist BRAKE - Brake booster faulty ERROR: Hill hold assist Front assist not available. ERROR: tire pressure monitoring system. Trans. in emerg. Mode. You can continue driving. FAULT: electronic parking brake. Eventually my car starts up, but this is after several attempts. Once I shut car off and go to start back up, it goes through the whole process again. My car was taken into Volkswagen dealership and they said it was my fuel pump, fuel filter & battery. They “fixed” that but by the time I drove my car home, the issue started back up again. My safety is 100% put at risk because not only does my car not start up right away but I can be driving my vehicle and it will slow me down on a main highway and make me brake and then I need to attempt to restart my car to get it started up again several times. I have children I drive around in this vehicle and it is not safe to drive. My car has been illuminating the check engine light and all the other ones for each error I stated above. The problem itself has not been identified. When I did research, the 2019-2020 VW Atlas’s were recalled for this same issue it seems. But mine wasn’t because it is a 2018.

I was driving the vehicle was in drive moving on the road and literally turned off. Completely disabled in the road. I purchased a new battery in September 2022, got the battery tested again and there’s no issue with it. Mechanics can’t find an issue. I had the engine stop feature off (the light is on when it’s off) and it turned itself off prior to the car shutting off completely. I was unable to restart and someone had to assist in Pushing my vehicle out of the road then jumpstart my car. Again I had everything thoroughly checked and there are no active issues.