The Used Car Index

2019 Volkswagen Atlas problems

NHTSA lists 480 complaints for the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas, 7 of them mention a crash and 0 mention a fire. 9 complaints mention an injury, with 10 injuries and 0 deaths reported.

Data build 2026-10-10.

NHTSA lists this vehicle as VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS.

At a glance

Complaints
480
With crash
7
With fire
0
With injury (complaints)
9
Injuries
10
Deaths
0
Recalls
12
Do not drive recalls
0
Park outside recalls
0
Recall potential units (maximum)
662,185
Investigations
3
Open investigations
1
Manufacturer communications
716

Complaints per 100k sold unavailable. No sales source is available for this record.

Where the complaints are

Top systems
SystemComplaintsShare of this vehicle's complaints
AIR BAGS14129.4%
SERVICE BRAKES7615.8%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM7515.6%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE7215.0%
ENGINE6012.5%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER6012.5%
STEERING387.9%
POWER TRAIN347.1%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM326.7%
SUSPENSION173.5%
Top subsystems
SystemSubsystemComplaints
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCEAUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING54
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCEWARNINGS25
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCEADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL12
STRUCTUREBODY7
BACK OVER PREVENTIONWARNINGS5
LANE DEPARTUREBLIND SPOT DETECTION3
LANE DEPARTUREASSIST2
SUSPENSIONFRONT2
VISIBILITYSUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY2
AIR BAGSSENSOR1

One complaint can name several systems, so shares can add to more than 100 percent.

Model-generated complaint tags

These labels are model-generated, not NHTSA data.

Failure modes
LabelCountShare of taggedMean confidence
restraint or airbag12025.0%0.89
loss of control11423.8%0.76
electrical electronic10922.7%0.76
mechanical failure6313.1%0.79
noise or comfort275.6%0.76
fluid or fuel leak214.4%0.86
unclear132.7%0.90
visibility or lighting81.7%0.76
structural or corrosion40.8%0.73
fire or overheating10.2%0.42
Severities
LabelCountShare of taggedMean confidence
moderate32768.1%0.85
low12826.7%0.69
high214.4%0.74
none30.6%0.71
critical10.2%0.78

Model: typesafe/jev-1.13-20260917; schema version: tag-v1. 480 tagged complaints of 480 complaints (100.0%).

Confidence is the model's own probability for the label it chose (0 to 1), not accuracy.

Model-generated labels on tagged complaints only. Model years 2013 and newer are tagged in full; 2012 in part (see tagged_share); earlier model years have no tags. NHTSA's own flags remain separate in the complaints block.

Recalls

See new recalls and investigations this week.

12 recalls. Showing the latest 10 of 12.

26V590000

Date: 2026-09-11. Systems: STEERING.

Defect: Volkswagen 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.

Consequence: A broken steering rack housing can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

23V671000

Date: 2023-10-04. Systems: AIR BAGS.

Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Atlas vehicles. The driver's side impact air bag may be missing a weld at the side air bag housing.

Consequence: The driver's side impact air bag could deploy improperly or detach in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's side impact air bag, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69FK.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

23V215000

Date: 2023-03-29. Systems: AIR BAGS.

Defect: Volkswagen 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.

Consequence: A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy: 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.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

22V815000

Date: 2022-10-31. Systems: TIRES.

Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan LWB, Golf Sportswagen A7, Golf Alltrack, Golf R GP, Audi Q3, Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas, Golf A7, Audi A3, 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021 Atlas FL vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system may not detect an air pressure loss in adequate time when deflating o (excerpt)

Consequence: An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash. (excerpt)

Remedy: Dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or AudiA s customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8. (excerpt)

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

22V152000

Date: 2022-03-28. Systems: AIR BAGS.

Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Atlas, 2020-2023 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021-2023 Atlas FL vehicles. The door wiring harness electrical contacts may corrode, disrupting the electrical connection and delaying the deployment of the driver or passenger front side air bag during a side impact crash.

Consequence: A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will secure and, as necessary, replace any the front door wiring harnesses showing a fault code, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97GF.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

22V086000

Date: 2022-02-16. Systems: EQUIPMENT.

Defect: Volkswagen 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 (excerpt)

Consequence: Without the reduced GVWR label, the vehicle could be overloaded, leading to a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash. (excerpt)

Remedy: 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. (excerpt)

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

21V142000

Date: 2021-03-05. Systems: TIRES.

Defect: Volkswagen 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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

19V614000

Date: 2019-08-21. Systems: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE.

Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Atlas vehicles. The suction jet in the fuel tank may have been welded in the incorrect position allowing fuel to leak. Additionally, the vehicle may stall due to uneven fuel distribution.

Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire. An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began August 30, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20BU.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

19V389000

Date: 2019-05-22. Systems: EXTERIOR LIGHTING.

Defect: Volkswagen 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."

Consequence: Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

19V218000

Date: 2019-03-20. Systems: AIR BAGS.

Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Atlas and 2020 Passat vehicles. An incorrect driver and/or front passenger side impact air bag may have been installed.

Consequence: In an event of a side impact crash, an incorrect side airbag may not deploy as intended, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Volkswagen has inspected and replaced the side air bags, free of charge. The recall was completed in April 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Y8.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

Investigations

3 investigations; 1 open.

EA24004

Opened: 2024-12-18. Closed: Not listed.

Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking

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.A The reports alleged that activation of the AEB system occurred while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward

Systems: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE.

Linked campaign numbers: None listed.

PE23017

Opened: 2023-09-28. Closed: 2024-12-18.

Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking

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 pa

Systems: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE.

Linked campaign numbers: None listed.

PE21008

Opened: 2021-03-29. Closed: 2022-10-03.

Fuel Injector Leak

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 inv

Systems: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE.

Linked campaign numbers: None listed.

Manufacturer communications

716 manufacturer communications.

Communications by system
SystemCount
EQUIPMENT276
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM153
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING114
ENGINE95
UNKNOWN OR OTHER56
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY34
STRUCTURE29
VISIBILITY24

11038146

Date: 2026-09-17. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ENGINE.

Suggested fuel additive

11038143

Date: 2026-09-09. Type: Other. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.

11038160

Date: 2026-09-04. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: AIR BAGS.

This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct airbag basic settings programming.

11036878

Date: 2026-08-27. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: SERVICE BRAKES.

Repair or Replace Information

11036874

Date: 2026-08-10. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: POWER TRAIN.

Replacement instruction

11036868

Date: 2026-08-06. Type: Other. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

Permission to change Daily Order upgraded to RED Order

11036870

Date: 2026-08-04. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

Differences between a leak and seepage

11035772

Date: 2026-07-15. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct the issue: DA 0019 - Hotfix 12-V battery test(s) a No battery diagnosis - Inconclusive test result.

11035762

Date: 2026-07-09. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ENGINE.

Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement

11035774

Date: 2026-07-06. Type: Warranty Program/Extension. Systems: ENGINE.

For applicable 2018-2022 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport 3.6L Settlement Class Vehicles (NA6 warranty key), the New Vehicle Limited Warranty will be extended to cover 80% of the replacement of the Water Pump or Water Pump Gasket by an authorized Volkswagen Dealer to 8.5 years or 85,000 miles, whichever

Notes on this record

  • Complaints from the API and bulk file are merged and deduplicated by ODI number; the API alone misses records.
  • System and subsystem counts are numbers of distinct complaints, recalls or communications that name them. One record can name several systems, so shares across systems can add to more than 100 percent; a single share never exceeds 100 percent.
  • Recalls are counted once per campaign, investigations once per action and manufacturer communications once per NHTSA id, even when NHTSA lists several model names for the same record.
  • A sales denominator is a calendar-year proxy, not the population of vehicles still in use. Rates are copied from verified pipeline output.

Other names NHTSA uses

None listed.

Matched NHTSA models

Matched labels and complaints
NHTSA model labelComplaints
ATLAS480

Same model, other years

All model years | All Volkswagen models

Other Volkswagen models, 2019

Sources

Get this record as JSON

The free rate-limited demo needs no key.

curl "https://api.theusedcarindex.com/v1/demo/vehicle_risk?make=Volkswagen&model=Atlas&year=2019"

Paid endpoint: https://api.theusedcarindex.com/v1/vehicle_risk. MCP endpoint: https://api.theusedcarindex.com/mcp.