2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS Complaints

THE ENGINE OVERHEATED, STALLED OUT, UNABLE TO RESTART AND SMELLED LIKE GASOLINE AND VOLKSWAGEN DEALER SAYS NEED NEW ENGINE.

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, SPECIFICALLY WHEN ACCELERATING BUT AT A LOW SPEED (WHEN THE DOORS WOULD NORMALLY AUTO LOCK) THE LOCKS ATTEMPT TO 'UNLOCK' REPEATEDLY. THERE IS ALSO A LIGHT IN THE CARGO AREA THAT DOESN'T TURN ON CONSISTENTLY AND SOMETIMES FLICKERS WHEN THE CAR IS RUNNING, IN PARK, AND THE REAR GATE IS OPEN.

3 WEEKS AFTER WE BOUGHT A PRE-OWNED ATLAS FROM A VW DEALER, THE BATTERY DIED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. WE CHECKED-WE DID NOT LEAVE ANYTHING ON IN THE CAR. WE TRIED TO JUMP START IT FOR AN HOUR WITH NO LUCK, SO I GOOGLED IT. THE ATLAS HAS HAD MANY ISSUES WITH ITS BATTERY AND MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN STRANDED BECAUSE OF THIS. THE BATTERY THEY PUT IN THE VEHICLE IS NOT POWERFUL FOR THIS SUV, ESPECIALLY WITH THE AUTO-START/STOP FEATURE, WHICH PERMANENTLY DRAINS THE CELLS OF THE BATTERY SO IT CAN'T BE JUMPED. THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE BATTERY WITH A NEW, BETTER ONE. WE CALLED VW CORP BUT THEY WOULD NOT DO A THING! ISSUE IS, VW KNOWS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND HAS 'ACKNOWLEDGED' IT BY EXTENDING THE INITIAL BATTERY WARRANTY TO 3 YEARS FROM WHEN IT WAS FIRST INSTALLED. SO YOU HAVE TO BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE THE BATTERY DIE WITHIN THE FIRST 3 YEARS OF OWNING THE CAR OR ELSE YOU ARE LEFT TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT IS DEFECTIVE AND THEY KNOW ABOUT.WE WERE 3 MONTHS OUTSIDE OF THEIR EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT ONLY HAD THE CAR 3 WEEKS! THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE: YOUR BATTERY COULD SUDDENLY DIE WHEN YOU'RE AT THE LIGHT OF A BUSY INTERSECTION, IN THE DARK, YOUR KIDS IN THE CAR, ETC. AND YOU CAN'T EVEN TURN YOUR HAZARD LIGHTS ON TO WARN OTHER CARS THAT YOUR CAR IS DEAD. OR YOU COULD GET STRANDED IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH NO CELL RECEPTION, OR OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE IN A STORM OR BLIZZARD. WHAT'S WORSE IS VW USES THE AUTO-START/STOP AS A SELLING FEATURE AND THEY DO NOT WARN YOU OR DISCLOSE THIS BATTERY ISSUE EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW ABOUT IT! THEY SHOULD HONESTLY RECALL ALL ORIGINAL ATLAS BATTERIES AND PAY TO HAVE THEM REPLACED WITH BETTER ONES THAT CAN HOLD UP TO THE SUV AND THE AUTO-START/STOP FEATURE, WHICH YOU CAN'T TURN OFF PERMANENTLY, BY THE WAY. YOU'D HAVE TO TURN IT OFF MANUALLY EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU DRIVE IT. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS AND DO NOTHING.

TWO WEEKS AGO, OUR 2018 ATLAS DISPLAYED FAULTY STEERING LOCK. VEHICLE WAS DISABLED AND TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. AFTER $1,300 IN REPAIRS WITH NEW STEERING MODULE, THE VEHICLE DISPLAYS THIS AGAIN, AND WON'T MOVE. VEHICLE IS AT DEALERSHIP AGAIN AND IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE IF THIS HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING, THE VEHICLE WON'T STEER AND IS GOING INOPERABLE.

OUR ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS SEEM TO HAVE WEIRD MISHAPS. SOMETIMES OUR LIGHTS STAY ON EVEN IF WE CLOSE ALL DOORS AND LOCK THE CAR OUR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF OFTEN. SOMETIMES THE QUICK STARTER/ELECTRIC START WON'T WORK. THIS ALL HAPPENS RANDOMLY AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WILL BE ON WHEN WE START THE CAR OR WHILE WE'RE DRIVING.

THE SUNROOF IS LEAKING IN MY 2018 CPO VW ATLAS SEL. THIS IS THE 4TH WEEK SINCE DELIVERED. THE VEHICLE IS LEAKING WATER INTO THE CABIN, MY VISOR LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING ON THE DRIVER SIDE, THERE IS WATER LEAKING THROUGH THE HEADLINE AND A MOLDY ODOR IS BEGINNING TO PERMEATE THE VEHICLE. IT WAS NOTICED AFTER 1 TRIP AFTER BEING PARKED ALL NIGHT IN STEADY RAIN FALL.

THE BRAKE BOOSTER LIGHT APPEARED, THEN THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME SPONGY, PULSED AND THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN. THIS HAPPENED ON HIGHWAYS WITH LIGHT TRAFFIC WITH 4-5 CAR LENGTHS WITHIN THE SAME LANES MOVING 60 MPH AND DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT. THE MANUFACTURER SENT TECHNICIANS/ENGINEERS TO TROUBLESHOOT AND HELP RESULT. THESE OCCURRENCES THE WAS NOT VEHICLE GOING ON A ROAD THAT HAD AN INCLINE OR DECLINE. 1) THE WEATHER WAS DRY, SUNNY, WITH NO PRECIPITATION OF ANY KIND. 2) THE WEATHER WAS DRY, NIGHT, WITH NO PRECIPITATION OF ANY KIND.

THE BRAKE BOOSTER LIGHT APPEARED, THEN THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME SPONGY, PULSED AND THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN. ADDITIONALLY, THIS HAPPENED ON HIGHWAYS WITH LIGHT TRAFFIC WITH 4-5 CAR LENGTHS WITHIN THE SAME LANES MOVING 40 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE SERVICE SHOP FOR NEARLY A MONTH. THE MANUFACTURER SENT TECHNICIANS/ENGINEERS TO TROUBLESHOOT AND HELP RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT GOING ON A ROAD THAT HAD AN INCLINE OR DECLINE. THE WEATHER WAS DRY, CLOUDY, WITH NO PRECIPITATION OF ANY KIND.

THE BRAKE BOOSTER FAILURE LIGHT CAME. THE BRAKE BOOSTER LIGHT APPEARED, THEN THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME SPONGY, PULSED AND THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN. ADDITIONALLY, THIS HAPPENED ON HIGHWAYS WITH LIGHT TRAFFIC WITH 4-5 CAR LENGTHS WITHIN THE SAME LANES MOVING 60 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE SERVICE SHOP FOR NEARLY A MONTH. THE MANUFACTURER SENT TECHNICIANS/ENGINEERS TO TROUBLESHOOT AND HELP RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT GOING ON A ROAD THAT HAD AN INCLINE OR DECLINE. THE WEATHER WAS DRY, SUNNY, WITH NO PRECIPITATION OF ANY KIND.

MY 6-YEAR-OLD SON WAS IN THE MIDDLE LEFT SEAT, I PULLED THE CAR OUT OF GARAGE AND DROVE UP TO THE INTERSECTION NEXT TO MY HOME AND APPLIED GENTLE BREAK. HIS SEAT CAME ALL THE WAY IN THE FRONT AND HIS NOSE HIT THE DRIVER SEAT. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IT HAS HAPPENED THAT SEAT WAS NOT PROPERLY LOCKED. AFTER IT HAPPENED SECOND TIME, WE HAVE BEEN CAREFUL TO CHECK THE SEAT BEFORE WE START DRIVING. WE HEARD THE CLICK SOUND INDICATING THAT THE SEAT WAS PROPERLY LOCKED. IT'S BEEN A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE FOR THE YOUNG ONE. I'M ALSO ATTACHING THE PICTURE OF HIS BRUISED NOSE.