7.3

pretty bad
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
7,305 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #14

Apr 132026

Atlas

  • miles
Both my low beam headlamps went out WHILE DRIVING. This is a major safety concern. It is also not an easy or inexpensive fix. The entire assembly must be replaced and not just a bulb. It is a $3000 replacement cost. The LED lamp should NEVER go out. Isn't that why LED was put in these lights" Why did VW make a headlamp that must be completely replaced and why are they charging $1000 for each headlight"

- Eden Prairie, MN, USA

problem #13

Nov 012025

Atlas

  • miles
The passenger side low beam headlights failed at roughly 100k miles. The replacement part and labor quote from the dealership was roughly $1,500. I was able to find an OEM part online for $800 and install myself. Roughly 12,000 miles later the driver side low beam headlight has failed which will require a replacement as well.

- Dyer, AR, USA

problem #12

Nov 152023

Atlas

  • miles
Front parking lights do not remain on. Including lights under headlights and side marker lights. According to owners manual the parking lights should remain on while vehicle is off. The rear lights do remain on. The front lights turn themselves off after approximately 9 seconds. Condition started when lights were replaced by dealer with official OEM replacement units. Dealer has confirmed other examples of this year and model behave as described in the manual. Dealer has worked with VWoA engineers and have replaced multiple components (headlights, control modules, body control module) and attempted multiple software coding adjustments with no resolution found. Dealer is saying VWoA has no fix after having my vehicle since November 8th. I am concerned as I park my vehicle on roadsides while visiting job locations and now my vehicle has no illumination at the front while parked. Is there any definition of how long parking lights must illuminate?

- Knoxville, TN, USA

problem #11

Mar 012025

Atlas

  • miles
LED Low beam headlights failed while driving at night from a long distance trip. This presented a major safety issue for my family since we could not see the road. This is a common problem facing many VW Atlas owners with low milage too Also, VW will not cover the costs involved since each headlamp costs $1200 and is not covered under their highest tier warranty plan (Platinum Warranty) that we purchased. Now we have a family car that we can only drive during the daytime. California requires daytime running lights on rainy days too which also presents a visibility risk to my family. I recently received a warning from a traffic police officer because I worked late and had to use my bright lights to get home after the sun had set.

- Torrance, CA, USA

problem #10

Dec 232025

Atlas

  • miles
Both low beam headlights went out within two weeks of each other and the vehicle just hit 100,000 miles. Dealership states that replacing the entire headlight assembly is the only fix and will cost $3,000. So now both headlights (safety issue) are out and the vehicle cannot be driven safely. Other VW Atlas vehicles are having the same issue around 50-60K miles. There should be a recall on the head lamps for safety concerns and liability reasons.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #9

May 012025

Atlas

  • miles
Both headlamps in vehicle stopped working within a month of each other. Vehicle has less than 50,000 miles on it. Volkswagen claims lights should last longer than this. Online forums are riddled with this issue, and headlamp price is unreasonably high for a family vehicle ($700-1100 per headlamp). Headlamps are also backordered, making driving the vehicle unsafe at night and under certain weather conditions.

- Greensboro, NC, USA

problem #8

Feb 112025

Atlas

  • miles
The low beams went out and you have to replace the entire front lighting assembly.

- Clayton, NC, USA

problem #7

Dec 142024

Atlas

  • miles
Hello, this vehicle (2018 VW Atlas) does have defective headlights (headlight stopped working), High beam works fine but low beam doesn't. I did a thorough research and looks like this issue is very common on All VW Atlas, dealer is telling us that the whole assembly needs to be replaced since the design of this headlight does not have a bulb that can be replaced, the cost of each headlight is over $1,000 each and over $500 in labor and they are on backorder since a lot of people are having this issue. Please assist us on getting this resolved since it is a SAFETY Hazard, people cannot drive their cars without lights, VW should be able to do a recall on this bad design/quality headlights.

- Vallejo, CA, USA

problem #6

Jul 012024

Atlas

  • miles
Both low beam lights (left then right) failed within the same month. These are LED headlights. I have to drive with the high beam lights on all the time. Since these are LED headlights, there is no way to replace them (no bulbs). Unacceptable design.

- Alpharetta, GA, USA

problem #5

Apr 092024

Atlas

  • miles
Atlas has LED headlights - which should outlast the length of any car. First, the left low beam headlight failed. The following week the right low beam headlight failed. Took the car to VW. I was told that it would at least $5,000 to have operational headlights. I asked why LED headlights failed when they are designed to outlast any foreseeable length of any vehicle. VW refused to do any diagnostic work to determine if the cause of the LED failure was due to an electrical issue. (Reddit mentions a problem with electric switches that would cause LED failure.) The value of my Atlas is double the cost to repair the headlights. It would appear this is an electronic issue. The manufacturer has said they will not help because they do not replace headlights. When I asked about the electronic aspect of the LED lights, the VW representative acted like they had zero idea the LED lights were controlled by electric switches. I cannot be the only consumer out there driving an Atlas (only at night) because there is no value in investing $5k on headlights for a vehicle that is only worth $10k - and LED lights should outlast the vehicle.

- Hollywood, FL, USA

problem #4

Jan 172020

Atlas

  • 52,800 miles
While driving on at least 10-12 occasions as of today, 1/28/20, the error:airbag message has popped up on our screen behind steering wheel both with a passenger present and without. Then the light on the dashboard indicates that both airbags are turned off. Also, there appears to be an electrical issue with the drivers visor light. It will turn on when you move the mirror slightly but if you open the mirror all the way it blinks a few times then turns off.

- Grand Rapids, MI, USA

problem #3

Feb 192019

Atlas

  • 12,000 miles
The passenger side's headlight suddenly shattered while I was driving in the city, on a paved road. It's important to note that there were no other vehicle around or ahead of me when the incident happened.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #2

Dec 032018

Atlas

  • 19,000 miles
Left fog lights sporadically blink on and off for no specific reason. This happens during normal driving conditions, and while stopped at red lights.

- Baton Rouge, LA, USA

problem #1

Nov 302018

Atlas

  • 18,475 miles
My vehicle battery died after refueling. And I had to call for roadside assistance for a jump. Vehicle infotainment system showed 2 messages: 1) 12 volt battery low and recharge while driving 2) error start/stop system

- Detroit, MI, USA