2018 Volkswagen Atlas Suspension Problems

The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal noise and the rear of the vehicle jumped. The contact exited the vehicle and became aware that the rear coil spring had fractured. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V904000 (Suspension). The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE DROPPED 5" TO 6" AFTER DRIVING APPROX. 400MILES. THE DRIVER SIDE WHEEL WELL IS 1.5" FROM THE TIRE & THE PASSENGER SIDE IS 2" AWAY. THE WHEEL WELL HAS A "WARPED" WHEEL WELL. THE SPRINGS SEEMS TO BE LOCKED OR DROPPED. LOOKING AT THE ATLAS IN PROFILE THE REAR IS LOWER THAN THE FRONT. BEFORE THE TRIP I WAS ABLE TO WALK UNDER THE TAILGATE WHEN OPEN WITHOUT HITTING MY HEAD & NOW THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE IS LOW, I HAVE TO BEND OVER TO PREVENT HITTING MY HEAD. PLEASE NOTE, I AM NOT A TRAINED SERVICE TECH. I AM AN OWNER; I AM DOING A PROCESS OF ELIMINATION FOR WHY THE REAR IS LOWER. I SEARCHED GOOGLE & FOUND THAT IN FEBRUARY VOLKSWAGEN RECALLS 6,322 VEHICLES TO REPAIR FAULTY REAR SPRINGS. BUT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT LISTED ON THE RECALL. I AM OUT OF STATE FROM MY PURCHASED DEALER & THE LOCAL DEALER DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL LISTED AS "FAULTY REAR SPRINGS" FOR MY VIN. WE HAVE 20' BLACK RIMS / WHEELS ON THE VEHICLE. THE PHOTO SHOWS THE FACTORY INSTALLED TRAILER HITCH RECEIVER AT 13" & ACCORDING TO VW WEBSITE IT SHOULD 19". (FEB. 18, 2019 - VOLKSWAGEN HAS RECALLED 6,000 VEHICLES TO REPAIR POSSIBLE FAULTY REAR SPRINGS. ACCORDING TO THE AUTOMAKER, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A REAR COIL SPRING MIGHT SHATTER CAUSING HANDLING PROBLEMS AND THE POSSIBILITY FOR AN ACCIDENT.) *TR

AT ROUGHLY 5000 MILES 2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS SE 2.0T BEGAN HAVING A LOT OF NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION. NOISE HAPPENED MOSTLY AT LOWER SPEEDS AND WAS A RATTLE AS WELL AS A BOTTOMING OUT SOUND. VEHICLE WAS ALSO PULLING HARD TO THE RIGHT AND ALIGNMENT SEEMED TO BE OFF. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO VW DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. INITIAL REPORT WAS THAT THE FRONT BOOTS WERE LEAKING GREASE AND THOUGHT TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM, BOOTS WERE REPLACED AND TECHNICIANS STILL NOTED A SOUND COMING FROM THE SAME AREA. STEERING AND AXLE PARTS WERE OVERNIGHTED 4 TIMES, EACH PART NOT FIXING THE PROBLEM. VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP. AXLE AND ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO THE VEHICLE BEING PULLED OUT OF THE LANE OF TRAVEL AND CAUSE A WRECK. DEALERSHIP REPORTS THAT THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ALIGNMENT OF THE VEHICLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V904000 (SUSPENSION). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. VOLKSWAGEN OF ASHEVILLE (621 BREVARD RD, ASHEVILLE, NC 28806, (828) 232-4000) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.*PM CONSUMER STATES THAT DEALER INFORMED THEM THAT PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN AND SUSPENSION WAS REPLACED. *DL

PURCHASED THE ATLAS BRAND NEW. 2000 MILES IN STARTED TO HEAR LOUD RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR LIKE THE STRUTS WERE GOING BAD, TOOK TO DEALERSHIP THEY STATED MY DUST BOOT COVER WAS STUCK AND JUST NEEDED TO BE GREASED. 1000-2000 MORE MILES LATER SAME NOISE CAME BACK TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE NOISE IT IS ESPECIALLY LOUD WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. I MADE SHOP MANAGER RIDE WITH ME AND HE HEARD THE NOISE. HE REPLACED A STRUT MOUNT AND DUST COVER. 2500 MORE MILES LATER AND THE NOISE IS BACK. BOOT COVER IS STUCK AGAIN. DEALERSHIP FIXED IT AGAIN CAR IS BACK IN THE SHOP FOR THE NOISE AGAIN. PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO VW NO RESPONSE YET. THIS IS THE 4TH RENTAL CAR I HAVE HAD DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. ON THE THIRD GO AROUND THEY TOLD ME THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM AND I DIDN'T EVEN GET OUT OF THE PARKING LOT AND HEARD THE NOISE. TURNED RIGHT AROUND AND TOOK IT BACK. THEY GAVE MY RENTAL CAR BACK AND HAD MY CAR FOR A WEEK.

TAKATA RECALL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS. WITHIN WEEKS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS A FAILURE WITH THE STRUT MOUNTED SYSTEM. FURTHERMORE, AN ABNORMAL RATTLING NOISE WAS HEARD ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT ASSIST WITH AUTONOMOUS EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM ENGAGED SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SEIZE WHILE IN MOTION WITH NO OTHER VEHICLE NEARBY. THE DEALER (DANBURY VOLKSWAGEN, 29 SUGAR HOLLOW RD, DANBURY, CT 06810, (203) 744-5201) HAD THE VEHICLE FOR OVER TWO MONTHS FOR SERVICING. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD NOISE WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BAYSIDE VOLKSWAGEN (31 WATERMILL LANE, GREAT NECK NY, 11021, 516-348-2500) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SHOCKS WERE MADE WITH DEFECTIVE MATERIAL AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE SHOCKS WERE NOT REPLACED BECAUSE THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 180142985. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 800.