2019 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS. WHILE DRIVING UP AN INCLINED ROAD AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM BEEPED WHILE ERRONEOUSLY SENSING SOMETHING WAS AHEAD OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE, THE BACK-UP CAMERA DID NOT IMMEDIATELY DISPLAY THE PERSON WALKING BEHIND THE VEHICLE. THE PERSON WAS NOT DISPLAYED ON THE CAMERA UNTIL THEY WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCREEN. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WAS NOT DETERMINED. NORM REEVES VOLKSWAGEN (20 AUTO CENTER DR, IRVIN, CA) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 800.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A ROAD GOING 35 MPH AND SUDDENLY THE AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM ENGAGED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SLAM ON ITS BRAKES ALMOST COMPLETELY STOPPING. THERE WAS NO ADVANCE WARNING THAT THIS WAS GOING TO OCCUR (E.G. SOUND OR DASHBOARD ALERT). FURTHER THERE WERE NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME, NO PEDESTRIANS, OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE FRONT COLLISION AUTOMATIC BRAKING TO ENGAGE. THANKFULLY THERE WAS NO VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ME OR THEY WOULD HAVE SURELY CRASHED INTO ME.

VEHICLE AUTO LOCKS WITH RFID KEYS IN THE CAR WHICH LOCKED CHILD IN THE CAR. DRIVER ENTERED VEHICLE USING RFID KEY FOB (USING TOUCH SENSOR ON DOOR), PLACED 1.5 YEAR OLD CHILD IN THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE 2D ROW SEAT INTO AN APPROVED 5PT CAR SEAT AND SHUT THE DOOR. DRIVER PLACED PURSE WITH KEY FOB INTO PASSENGER SEAT AND SHUT THE DOOR. WALKED AROUND TO PLACE OLDER CHILD INTO DRIVER SIDE 2D ROW SEAT THE DOOR WAS LOCKED AND COULD NOT BE OPENED. ALL DOORS WERE LOCKED DUE TO A 45 SECOND TIMEOUT FEATURE. THE KEYS AND CHILD WERE LOCKED INTO THE CAR REQUIRING FIRST RESPONDERS TO BREAK THE DRIVER'S WINDOW TO UNLOCK THE CAR FROM THE INSIDE. THE ALARM SOUNDED UPON BREAKING THE GLASS, AND WHEN THE UNLOCK BUTTON ON THE DRIVER DOOR WAS PRESSED, THE DOORS UNLOCKED AND THE KEY FOB WAS RETRIEVED TO SILENCE THE ALARM. THE CHILD WAS IN THE VEHICLE FOR OVER 20 MINUTES IN A CA DESERT. THIS OCCURRED ON AN AIR FORCE BASE, WHERE FIRST RESPONDERS LOGGED AND REPORTED THE INCIDENT.

AUTOMATIC COLLISION BRAKING SYSTEM ENGAGES IN SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED BRAKING WHEN THERE IS NO OBSTACLE (OR CARS) NEAR VEHICLE. AUTOMATIC BRAKES HAVE STOPPED CAR TO A HALT WITHOUT WARNING WHEN DRIVING ON OR TURNING ON SLIGHT SLOPE CITY STREET THAT LEVELS OUT TO THE ROAD. THE SUDDEN BRAKING HAS ALMOST CAUSED COLLISIONS AS VEHICLE STOPS FOR NO REASON WITHOUT WARNING IN MIDDLE OF STREET/TRAFFIC. VERY CONCERNED AS NO WAY TO TURN OFF SYSTEM AND AFRAID TO DRIVE VEHICLE FOR FEAR IT WILL STOP AUTOMATICALLY FOR NO REASON IN HEAVIER TRAFFIC OR ON BRIDGE WHERE ANGLE OF ROAD/BRIDGE MAY SLOPE. THE SUDDEN BRAKING HAS OCCURRED TWICE THIS WEEK AT LOCATION I HAVE TO DRIVE TO EVERY DAY AND CANNOT BYPASS.

AUTO BRAKING SYSTEM CAUSES CAR TO BRAKE WHEN EXITING A DRIVEWAY. ALERTS TO THE ROAD AS AN OBSTACLE WHEN GOING DOWN AN INCLINE. THE SYSTEM READS ROAD AS AN OBSTACLE, LIKE A PERSON OR CAR. BRAKING SYSTEM CAUSES CAR TO BRAKE LEAVING DRIVEWAYS. CAR COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP, ENGINE CUTS OFF WITH CAR IN TRAFFIC - ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THIS IS THE BRAKE MANUEVERING SYSTEM - READS ROAD AS A HAZARD CAUSING THE CAR TO AUTOMATICALLY APPLY THE BRAKES. BRAKES ARE APPLIED SUDDENLY AND THE FORCE IS AS IF I AM BEING HIT AT A HIGH SPEED FROM BEHIND. THAT IS WHAT I THOUGHT HAPPENED. TAKES 15-20 SECONDS TO RESTART THE CAR, DURING WHICH TIME I 'M IN TRAFFIC OR HALF IN TRAFFIC AND HALF IN THE DRIVEWAY SUBJECT TO GREAT BODILY HARM FROM OTHER CARS THOSE THAT DO NOT EXPECT ME TO BE STOPPED THERE OR FROM CARS BEHIND ME THIS PLACES ME, MY FAMILY, PASSENGERS AND OTHER DRIVERS AT GREAT RISK OF HARM. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES AND AT NUMEROUS DIFFERENT SPEEDS. EACH TIME I HAVE BEEN LUCKY TO HAVE AVOIDED BEING HIT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS HOW THE CAR IS DESIGNED AND THAT THERE IS NO FIX FOR THIS EXCEPT TO TURN OFF THE SYSTEM WHICH ALSO TURNS OFF THE SYSTEM SHOULD A HAZARD APPEAR BEFORE MY VEHICLE. I WAS REQUIRED TO TURN OFF THE SYSTEM MYSELF BECAUSE VW HAS STATED IT IS A LIABILITY FOR THEM TO TURN IT OFF. THE DATE LISTED IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED BUT IT HAS HAPPENED CLOSE TO A DOZEN TIMES. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN TWICE ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO AS THE SYSTEM IS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. VW HAS TOLD ME THAT THE SYSTEM CANNOT DIFFERENTIATE AND TO ENSURE THE BRAKING DOES NOT GO ON (ALTHOUGH IT WILL STILL BEEP AND ALERT) I MUST EXIT ALL DRIVEWAYS NO FASTER THAN 3 MPH. WHEN EXITING INTO HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS, SUCH AS WHERE I LIVE THIS WILL PLACE ME AT GRAVE DANGER.

THIS IS A CONSISTENT ISSUE AND I'M WORRIED POWERTRAIN DAMAGE IS OCCURRING. WHEN ACCELERATING FROM STOPPED OR AT LOW SPEED THERE IS A VERY LOUD SCREENING / GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM THE POWERTRAIN / TRANSMISSION - POSSIBLY THE TORQUE CONVERTER. IT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY AND IS IS VERY NOTICEABLE, USUALLY WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTS TO ACCELERATE OR INCREASES ACCELERATION AT LOW SPEED THEN IT USUALLY GOES AWAY. I DESCRIBED THE TO TWO VW DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENTS AND BOTH SAID "THEY HADN'T HEARD OF THAT ONE." I WAS IN FOR OTHER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE SOUND, HOWEVER IT SCREECHED WHEN LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP! THE VW ATLAS FORUMS HAVE MANY POSTS ON THIS ISSUE. AND LOTS OF FOLKS LIKE MYSELF ARE NOT GETTING ANY INFORMATION AND ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY. I DID NOT GET ANY MEANINGFUL HELP FROM VW OR THEIR DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENTS. I AM ALSO WORRIED THIS IS CAUSING ISSUES OR DAMAGE AND IS NOT BEING ACKNOWLEDGED OR ADDRESSED BY VW AND THEIR AUTHORIZED SERVICE FACILITIES.

VEHICLE HAS A FAULTY FRONT FACING CAMERA THAT HAS OR HAD A DATA ISSUE THAT CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO IMMEDIATELY STOP WITHOUT WARNING AND THE PARKING BRAKE TO ENGAGE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TOM WOOD VOLKSWAGEN WHERE THEY CONFIRMED THE ISSUE, AND SAID IT HAD HAPPENED SOME PLACE ELSE AS WELL. THIS WILL EASILY CAUSE REAR IMPACT CRASHES BECAUSE THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY STOPS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT WARNING.

FROM THE PARKING LOT OF A LARGE SHOPPING CENTER WE TRIED TO TURN ONTO THE MAIN ROAD. WE PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL AND STARTED TO ACCELERATE, WENT A FEW FEET AND THEN THE CAR SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES ITSELF WHEN WE WERE ABOUT HALFWAY INTO THE LANE. WE THEN HAD TO PRESS ON THE ACCELERATOR A FEW TIMES AND IT FINALLY KICKED IN AND STARTED MOVING AGAIN. THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS COMING IN THAT LLANE AS WE WERE STOPPED HALFWAY IN IT. THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED THE NEXT DAY AND THEN IT ALSO HAPPENED TWO TIMES IN REVERSE BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY.

ON THE TENTH DAY OF OWNING OUR BRAND NEW VEHICLE, WE WERE DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY 74 AT 70 MILES PER HOUR. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THIS VEHICLE HAS DRIVEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR. THE WEATHER WAS SUNNY AND IN THE LOW 90S. ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION SOUND AND THE FRONT PANEL OF OUR PANORAMIC SUNROOF HAD EXPLODED. THE SHADE WAS OPEN AND THE TEMPERED GLASS FELL ON OUR ENTIRE FAMILY INCLUDING TWO CHILDREN AGED 7 AND 4. THERE WAS NO IMPACT FROM AN OUTSIDE OBJECT. THE INITIAL PICTURE SHOWS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE FROM INSIDE THE CAR IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS OCCURRED. WE CLOSED THE SUNSHADE TO STOP GLASS FROM FALLING INTO THE VEHICLE UNTIL WE COULD GET TO A SAFE SPOT. THE TWO PICTURES FROM OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE ARE AFTER THE SUNSHADE WAS CLOSED. THE FINAL PICTURE SHOWS GLASS INSIDE THE VEHICLE NEXT TO MY SON'S FEET.

1) RADAR AUTO-BRAKE: WHEN PARALLEL PARKING AND BACKING ( GOING IN REVERSE ) PARALLEL TO THE CURB, AT MAYBE 2 MPH AND 10 INCHES FROM CURB, I GOT YELLOW STOP, STOP !!!!!!! MESSAGE FOLLOWED BY SENSATION OF HITTING AN OBJECT AND BEING THROWN INTO THE SEAT. ONLY THERE WAS NO OBJECT. RAN OUT OF A CAR, NOTHING AND NOBODY THERE, AT LEAST FOR 50 YARDS. AN AUTO-BRAKE ENGAGED. THAT IS REALLY BROKEN. INTERFERENCE CAUSED IT TO DO THAT ? OVERHEATED COMPUTER IN 90 DEGREE SUN ? 2) TRANSMISSION LOGIC: UNRELATED TO ABOVE, WHEN GOING IN SLOW TRAFFIC 2-10 MPH, PRESSING GAS SHIFTS TRANSMISSION INTO HIGHER GEAR INSTEAD OF LOWER, RESULTING IN HIT-LIKE ENGAGEMENT AND ACTUAL INABILITY TO REV THE ENGINE AND ACCELERATE. SLOW AND DEEP PEDAL MOVEMENT DOES DOWNSHIFT AND ACCELERATE BUT TOO MUCH. ALL CARS ARE LIKE THAT AND I TEST DROVE SEVERAL. 3) TRANSMISSION LOGIC: RELATED TO (2) ABOVE, PARADOXICALLY IN SPORT DRIVING MODE, WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE AND MERGE HIGHWAY FROM 10 MPH, TRANSMISSION SHIFTED UP SEVERAL GEARS, NOT ALLOWING TO REV THE ENGINE, AND RESULTED IN RPM DECAY /POWER LOSS -- VERY SCARY. THAT LAUNCH WAS TIMELY ABORTED, AND DRIVER LATER MERGED THE ROAD IN MANUAL "TIPTRONIC" MODE. 4) IMPROPER GAS PEDAL CALIBRATION: COMPARED TO OTHER GERMAN, JAPANESE AND AMERICAN CARS, VW ATLAS HAS ABNORMAL AND UNSAFE GAS PEDAL CALIBRATION. FROM A STOP, ONLY LIGHTLY FEATHERING THE PEDAL RESULTS IN CIVILIZED CONTROLLED MOTION. NORMAL GAS PEDAL PRESSURE RESULTS IN A CAR ROCKETING FORWARD UNCONTROLLABLY. VW HAS TO TALK TO SOME OTHER MANUFACTURERS AND GET THEIR GAS CALIBRATION CONSISTENT WITH OTHER CARS, SO IT CAN BE DRIVEN STEADY AND SAFELY AT SLOW SPEEDS WHEN NECESSARY.