There are 3 stored owner reports matching the visibility & wipers leading-label group for the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 3 of 3 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The stated while his wife was driving during heavy rain conditions, the front driver’s side windshield wiper failed to operate. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The vehicle was pending to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
WHILE DRIVING OUR VEHICLE DOWN THE FREEWAY OUR SUNROOF UNEXPECTEDLY EXPLODED OUTWARDS. THE GLASS IS CLEARLY FORCED FROM THE INSIDE OUT. VW DEALERSHIP AND VW GLASS EXPERT CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS NO SIGN OF OUTSIDE INTRUSION THAT WOULD OF CAUSED THE GLASS TO BREAK. FORTUNATELY, THAT MORNING WE CLOSED THE SCREEN THAT COVERS THE PANORAMIC SUNROOF. ONE OF OUR CHILDREN WAS IN THE BACKSEAT AND HAD THE COVER NOT BEEN CLOSED THEN THEY WOULD OF BEEN COVERED IN GLASS. VW HAS DENIED OUR CLAIM FOR A LEMON BUYBACK. WHILE VW HAS REPAIRED THE SUNROOF, WE FEEL THAT THIS REPRESENTS A STRUCTURAL DEFECT AND THAT IT IS UNSAFE TO CONTINUE TO CARRY OUR FAMILY AROUND IN A VEHICLE THAT CAN SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY EXPLODE A VERY LARGE GLASS WINDOW DOWN UPON OUR FAMILY. UNFORTUNATELY AT THIS TIME WE DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO NOT USE THIS VEHICLE AS IT IS THE PRIMARY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 70MPH WITH NO OTHER CARS NEARBY WHEN I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION/GUNSHOT SOUND AND THEN THE GLASS FROM SUNROOF RAINED DOWN ALL OVER ME. LUCKILY, I ONLY SUSTAINED MINOR ABRASIONS TO MY NECK/BACK FROM THE GLASS. WHEN I LOOKED UP, MOST OF THE GLASS FROM THE FRONT PART OF MY PANORAMIC SUNROOF WAS GONE. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO CLAIMED THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN A ROCK, HOWEVER, NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE NEARBY AND I WAS NOWHERE NEAR AN OVERPASS. THEY RECOMMEND FILING AN INSURANCE CLAIM, WHICH I DID, AND USAA COVERED IT.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.