10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 0 / 0
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 0 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 0 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.
volkswagen atlas 2024 brake noise with maneuver braking function currently not available light coming on after first couple stops. I have recording and everything and showed to vw dealership they said this is normal. I used to work on brakes this is not normal. It is so bad every looks at it and this is a new car. It happens ever morning. Cold wet or not just doesn't brake well from start of the day. They claim stuff builds on the disc and has to burn off but thats for new brakes and rotors only. During the noise the light comes one braking function is not available. What I see in the car is almost like a a slippage where the car kind of feels like it is on ice but your foot is all the way down. This has done that from day one. They said they cant fix it. I fear someone is going to get hurt soon, because it affects the stopping power.
- Suwanee, GA, USA
Strong steering-wheel shake and brake-pedal pulsation when braking from highway speeds. The condition appeared when driving at highway speeds while taking my family on a trip in the mountains and began shaking violently when braking, so much so we nearly had to pull off the road. The vehicle has never been tracked, towed heavy loads, or abused in any way. Issue was inspected and the service provider told me this is normal wear and tear from driving in the mountains. We have only had the car for over a year and has 12,344 miles currently. Service provider will not fix, stating it is not covered under warranty.
- Thornton , CO, USA
I have a horrible noise when breaking it sound like scratching and water behind the dashboard it-??s horrible noise. We are afraid to use it because we think that we can run into an accident because of the sound on the breaks. The vehicle is working normal it-??s just the sound that Is horrible. Nobody wants to take responsibility we took it to the dealership many times and they are blaming to the manufacture breaks company and that is an issue that they are aware of the existence because every month they run certification to theirs cars and they experience the same issue with their breaks form Volkswagen atlas 2024 and they are blaming it to the manufacture for the breaks they install to many of this suv. My advisor recommend me to change the break pads be he wouldn-??t take full responsibility that the noise can go away. He told me it-??s normal sound and the sound is going to keep coming back because the problem comes from the breaks. Nobody have make this into a recall and no agents want to file this as a recall. We pay 1,200 dollars every month in this lease and the sound keep happening we need some solutions as soon as possible this need to be file a a recall so they can stop installing this breaks to future cars and the problem can get bigger than what-??s already is.
- San Antonio, TX, USA
In low temperature conditions. Typically under 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the brakes will produce a high pitch grind/squeal noise. It-??s a very concerning voice. Dealership says it-??s normal, but there is no way it can be.
- Rio Rancho, NM, USA
The brakes are extremely squeaky and it terrible grinding sound whenever I braked. It sounds like water going back and forth under the car. I have taken it to the dealership multiple times. I requested a test drive of the vehicle. Their response is yes, vehicle was driven. its the same noises my coworkers have with their own atlas.
- West Orange, NJ, USA
The brakes are grinding, pads were checked at local shop and were noted to be 11mm and should not be grinding
- Minneola , FL, USA
The braking system and driver assist feature (-??Maneuver Braking Function-??) on my 2024 Volkswagen Atlas have repeatedly malfunctioned. The vehicle displays the warning message -??Maneuver Braking Function Currently Not Available, -?? accompanied by loud grinding and mechanical noises when braking. The issue began shortly after purchase and has persisted despite three separate service visits to Volkswagen of Wesley Chapel. During these visits, the dealership noted they are aware of an issue with the Atlas Brakes but they had not seen it occur with the error message coming up. Later, the service team claimed they replicated the issue and said it was caused by the car being left in -??transport mode-?? at delivery. I was told that removing transport mode fixed the problem, but the same symptoms and warnings reappeared on my drive home. At my third visit, I was told the car was never in transport mode and that this was a known issue with the VW Atlas that could not be repaired but that they were concerned with the error message. They said they removed the error message- but did not actually fix anything that could prompt the error message. Upon leaving the car is contuing to make the same sounds, grinding and produce the error message upon braking. The problem has been reproduced and acknowledged by the dealership but not corrected. The braking behavior remains inconsistent, and the grinding sensation suggests a mechanical fault. Because this affects the braking system and a safety assist feature, it poses a risk of reduced braking performance or delayed response time in traffic, putting occupants and others at risk. The vehicle remains available for inspection upon request
- Odessa, FL, USA
My 2024 Volkswagen Atlas SE began collecting visible moisture inside the rear tail light assembly less than 18 months after purchase. Over time, this led to intermittent lighting failure, sometimes the lights function, sometimes they don-??t. This is a safety concern, especially at night or in poor weather. After researching the issue, I found that this is a widely reported problem among VW Atlas owners and has even been referenced in VW-??s own Technical Service Bulletin 94-22-01, which is published in the NHTSA database. The bulletin calls this -??normal condensation, -?? but this is beyond that there is visible water pooling and electrical malfunction and I know of others who report the same thing. VW is down playing this to avoid the recall. Despite being under extended warranty, this is not covered because VW considers it cosmetic unless there-??s proven seal failure. The vehicle is available for inspection and has been evaluated by a certified VW service center. Volkswagen needs to address this as a design or sealing defect, especially when it affects vehicle safety systems like brake and signal lights.
- Hoyt, KS, USA
Brakes make a horrible squealing noise when lightly applied. IT gets worse when its colder and sometimes sounds like water rushing. Dealership said this is normal even though the car is only a year old. This is not normal
- Camino, CA, USA
Breaking is very harsh when the car is cold. Makes rough sounds and feels like having grinding rocks between breaking pads and disc. Sounds could also be described like being under water. Very unsafe to break. Breaks very rough and sudden. No pump action on the breaks when is performing like this. Dealership acknowledged the problem saying is a recurring situation but they say there are no safety issues with it and refuse to fix it or change the unit in 3 different occasions. They cleaned the breaks offering a temporary repair but this did not fixed anything.
- Marietta, GA, USA
Within a year of owning my vehicle, I began to notice a SEVERE shudder on braking when descending from 7000 foot elevation (Mammoth Lakes, CA) to a 4400 foot elevation (Bishop, CA) on [XXX] of [XXX} upon braking. I have driven this route approximately 25 times in the past 1.5 years. Normally, I would set the adaptive cruise control to 73-75 mph on this downhill grade to control speed, and let the adaptive cruise control do the work of controlling speed, while keeping my own foot off the break. However, if I did need to slow further due to traffic, I would experience a SEVERE shudder upon manual braking- see attached screenshot of a video taken at night. I brought this incident up to VW (See mechanic video) in 1/2025, and they blamed the problem on overheating of the front rotor (see technician video link below). Upon return trips to Mammoth, I now realize that this overheating was caused by the adaptive cruise control itself attempting to control auto speed. Now, in order to make this LESS dangerous, I have to let the car get up to 80 mph and then pulse the breaks- because if I let the adaptive cruise control do the work as designed, it creates an unsafe driving condition BECAUSE OF A FAULTY DESIGN by VW- if heat is an issue, better dissipation is needed, or a temperature sensor is needed. VW's solution was for me to spend $700 to replace brakes and rotors due to a VW design flaw, despite my car being under warranty, and I cannot afford this currently. I think this issue MUST be recalled immediately before I (or someone else) who drives on long hilly grades has a fatal car accident due to a design flaw in the VW Atlas Adaptive Cruise Control. VW Technician report found here: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Ladera Ranch, CA, USA
My brakes have been grinding and squeaking for months. I bought my car new in Feb 2024. Dealship has stated it-??s -??normal-??
- Modesto, CA, USA
Metal to metal grinding sounds
- Longview, TX, USA
When the Atlas is cold, there is a weird screeching/grinding sound coming from the drivers side front when I press the brakes while in motion. Car has 12 miles on it. Brought it into the dealer and they say that it-??s a known issue with the OEM brakes, but as it -??does not cause a safety concern-?? it-??s not covered under warranty. Dealer said that he could replace brakes with non OEM and the problem would go away. Dealer says that it is from -??initial brake build-up-?? but that it is not likely to go away without replacing the brakes.
- Melissa, TX, USA
The brakes sound horrible when they are cold. They grind and vibrate until they are warmed up and the car only has 8K miles on it. We are being forced to pay to have the brake pads replaced with ceramic brake pads from the semi-metallic factory ones. We have only had the car 2 weeks. They said VW would cover 70% of the cost, but with the number of complaints, this should be covered completely.
- Greenville, SC, USA
Grinding noise accompanied with vibration and pulsating feel in brake pedal. Fluid movement noises near driver footwell. Cavitation of hydraulic fluid in brake systems can result in corrosion and premature failure of components. Inconsistency in brake feel with pedal vibration has resulted in over and under braking. The problem has been substantiated 3 times by two independent dealers. No warning lights present.
- Charlotte, NC, USA
Extreme screech and scratching upon braking. Constant and well known by other VW owners.
- Collinsville, TX, USA
UNKNOWN Brakes make loud noise and sometimes slip. Feel very unsafe driving the vehicle.
- Mission Viejo, CA, USA
We purchased our vehicle in August 2024. We only have around 3,200 miles on it. When leaving a space (driveway, parking space, etc), even if only parked for a short time, the brakes have a noticeable screech which I have never had on a new vehicle. The dealership inspected and said there are no issues and they will not replace the pads. They blame the type of pads used by the manufacturer. I have never had this issue on new vehicles whether it is hot, cold, wet, dry, etc. My used vehicle recently had brake pads changed and there are no sounds.
- San Antonio, TX, USA
- Glendale, AZ, USA