10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
40 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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problem #20

Oct 172025

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
Infotainment screen reset multiple times while driving. Once parked, I turned the car off and back on again to see if that would fix the issue. The screen now won-??t turn on at all and multiple safety features are disabled.

- Cave Springs, AR, USA

problem #19

Apr 012024

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
I purchased my 2024 Atlas Cross Sport back in March of 2024. Within the first two weeks, the 5F module that controls the entire infotainment screen went out. They completely replaced the module. Since then, I have had it in the dealership several times due to the screen completely blacking out. We are unable to see any air conditioning controls(like defrost), backup camera, or vehicle information. We have went back and forth several times about whats causing it. First there was a "recall" that a software update was suposed to fix. We had in in and they applied the update. Less than a week later, the screen blacked out again. We took it back into the dealership. They had it for another week and said that they could not replicate the issue so nothing was wrong. They then started blaming our cellphones telling us that we cant have them plugged in or connected wirelessly. The following week we kept all of our devices disconnected and had the issue happen AGAIN. We took it back and after two more weeks of repairs they replaced the entire 5F module again. Less than 24 hours after picking it up we got an airbag error. We were able to take a picture and send it into the dealership. They informed us that its a known issue and to try driving it around with nothing in the front seat. So at this point we are unable to use half of the cars capabilities and apparently not allowed to have anything laying in the passenger seat because it causes an error bag error. So we are basically driving this vehicle around not knowing wether or not the airbags would deploy in an accident. We are beyond fed up with the excuses the dealership is giving us and feel completely unsafe driving the vehicle. I found where they recalled almost 300,000 atlas SUVs last year and apparently had a recall to fix the issue. Ours should have been fixed but we are just told to not put anything in the seat to prevent the error.

- Evansville, IN, USA

problem #18

Aug 062025

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
On the afternoon of Wednesday August 6th I was no less that 3-4 miles from my home when the car stopped in the middle lane of a very busy 3 lane highway and never started again. It was 90+ degrees outside and even hotter inside the vehicle with leather seats. I became extremely nervous and my small 10 pound puppy began to have anxiety and overheat. When I pulled away from my home the car was bucking and jerking. The car had just completed an OTA software download and installation a few hours earlier so I assumed it was the after affect of the software update. As I pulled onto the main road the car was still driving very roughly and when I cam to a red light the car started to shake back and forth very roughly and once the light turned green I was unable to accelerate. Error messages where coming up on the screen. I tried to start the car to move out of the middle lane but it would not start. A state trooper had pulled behind me and got out to assist. She noted she saw gray smoke coming from behind the vehicle as I was driving up to the light which prompted her to get behind me initially. She and I both worked to try to get the car into park but it would not shift gears. She noted fluid was running out of the car but we both assumed it was coolant or antifreeze. She radioed the local police to assist since we were in the middle lane of a dangerous highway and I contacted VW roadside assistance. The local police officer arrived on the scene and was able to assist with getting the manual parking brake on. When the tow truck arrived he asked if the car would go into Neutral we advised NO he then stated we were standing in gasoline and if we tried to start the vehicle the car could have exploded or the engine could have caught fire. If someone had rear ended or hit us there would have been a fire because the entire gas tank has leaked onto the ground that was the fluid the state trooper saw running from the back of the vehicle.

- Romeoville, IL, USA

problem #17

Aug 112025

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
See attached document for complaint.

- Coconut Creek, FL, USA

problem #16

Aug 042025

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
My new car is telling me I have a transmission problem. I got in my car to go to work and my car wouldn-??t go in drive or reverse. Then my back up camera doesn-??t work all the time and my screen gets blurry or complete black.

- Duenweg, MO, USA

problem #15

May 202024

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
1. Electrical- Ignition switch periodically does work. 2. Wheels/tires- All tires had to be replaced due to wear at just over 15,000. miles. Wear was on inside of all 4 tires equally. 3. Steering - drifts. Feels like little control over steering wheel! Happens periodically with highway speeds. 4. SUV jumps unexpectedly. 5. 4 recalls so far. Last software 7/17/2025- camera stays on reverse for at least a 5 miles then goes back. PRESTIAGE VW-Melbourne states they can't help me. No present recalls on complaints. HAS FAR AS HOW FAST I WAS GOING. IS HAD TO SAY..FROM 0-70 MILES PER

- Melbourne, FL, USA

problem #14

Jan 112025

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
1. Brake system grinding noise - every time the brakes are applied the front brakes makes a terrible grinding noise, I notice that the vehicle does not break properly. This problem clears can cause a dangerous situation to my family or others. Vehicle been inspected by VW Flagship Bayamon and they respond that is a normal situation cause by humidity. 2. Fault electrical problem the AutoStart won't work properly Manual works only 25% of the time, this cause a lot of waste and spending on gas, was inspected by the dealer and response was that there's only false codes in the PCM memory. 3. Keyless AutoStart won't work as advertised, if you start the vehicle remotely shut down immediately, doors closed, battery in good state, keyless battery was changed 3 times with the same results, dealer also state that there's only falses codes related to this issue caused by vehicle been park for long time. This is a security aspect to start your car to be ready when you park in dangerous areas. 4. During the sale of the vehicle salesperson cannot open the hood because hood get stuck with the windshield cowl plastic, he explained that there's no problem that i can get to the service department to repaired without cost, since i buy the vehicle i cannot open the hood to verify the engine. They give me all kind of excuses that part been order but never receive a call back this is dangerous cause in case of fire because of previous problems i cannot open the hood.

- RíO Grande, PR, USA

problem #13

Nov 012024

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
Keyless entry continuously fails. When using the door handles to unlock or lock the vehicle the vehicle behaves as if key fob is not present if the key fob is in our pants pocket or pocketbook. We have to physically take the key fob out of our pants/bag where we then can observe the "handshake" between vehicle and key fob take place in order to lock/unlock vehicle. Vehicle has been at the dealer multiple times (they had car for 60 days trying to resolve the issue). Batteries and key fob were replaced and reprogrammed, they replaced the start actuator which supports the key connections to the car and still not resolved. We consider this a significant safety issue because if we cannot get into our locked car in an unsafe situation or get into the car in an emergency there could be dire consequences. Note: Videos are available for confirmation of behavior.

- Westport, CT, USA

problem #12

Dec 272024

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
About 6 months after purchasing a new 2024 VW Atlas Cross Sport, I started smelling gasoline inside the vehicle. It was a very strong smell, like someone had poured it on the carpet. After a few days, I noticed the smell when walking up to the car, not just inside. At this time, an error message appeared on the dash saying the start-stop system was malfunctioning, as well as the ABS system. That day, I took a look underneath and spotted a leak; gasoline was dripping from the bottom of the car. So, I scheduled service at the dealership where I purchased the vehicle. After a week, I received a call saying a rodent had entered the engine bay and chewed through the engine harness and a fuel line, and that these damages were not covered under the warranty. I asked for pictures of the "chewing"; however, the images they provided were not conclusive, in my opinion. My insurance paid, and the repair was started, but when they went to fix it, they said they found extensive damage to the primary harness, secondary harness, and a bunch of other things. Insurance again approved; however, the dealership has said that these parts need 30-90 days to come in. I believe there to be a defect in manufacturing that allows rodents into the vehicle since I have parked vehicles, including VW and just about every other brand, in the same location for 30 years and have never had this issue. Also, when I pressed the service department at the dealership, they said they had other cars here for the same issue and that it was "not uncommon."

- Gretna, LA, USA

problem #11

Jan 182025

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
The display unit continuously reboots or shuts down. When it does this, warnings go off stating safety features are all disabled and not available. This is very dangerous and they dealership says there is no fix. The monitor/display reboots every continuously through the drive and no matter how many hard resets we do it continues. Throughout the reboot cycles no safety features are available per the car display. You can't use backup camera, no cruise control, no braking/collision avoidance, ... none of the features work. This has been going on since October 2024 and the dealership says they have known about this for over a year and still no fix.

- Cumming, GA, USA

problem #10

Dec 062024

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
Infotainment screen inconsistently displays static and will not display backup camera. Problem is intermittent.

- Kannapolis, NC, USA

problem #9

Dec 032024

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
The info center becomes unreadable therefore, if you use the back up camera, you cannot see clearly the objects behind your car. Volkswagen does not have a fix on this. They just recommend for now doing a hard reset on the info center. This is a concern of mine because it is a safety hazard when I try to use reverse I have to rely on mirrors and otherwise I have blind spots that I cannot see whereas when using the backup camera, I have full visibility of what-??s behind my vehicle. Secondly, the brakes make an unusual noise. Volkswagen claims it-??s dust however I have audio recording of the squealing noise and as fact, the brakes sometimes engage in a rough way to where it almost seems like they are trying to grip the disc. This is extremely concerning as Ithe brakes make an unusual noise. Volkswagen claims it-??s dust however I have audio recording of the squealing noise and as fact, the brakes sometimes engage in a rough way to where it almost seems like they are trying to grip the disc. This is extremely concerning as I have lost confidence in driving my vehicle.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #8

Nov 142024

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
Multiple error codes populated on my vehicle while driving to work. This occurred less than 3 months & less than 1500 miles since ownership. The car went into a reduced power/speed mode and advised for me to get service asap. I barely made it off the highway to my destination. Dealer said it was the fuel pump. If it was a faulty fuel pump - should I have been a part of the stop sale/recall? Engine/Transmission/PowerTrain- Error: Drive System. Please service vehicle. (Engine) Error: Start/Stop (Engine)

- Huntersville , NC, USA

problem #7

Feb 292024

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
CS screen is intermittently glitching and freezing resulting screen failure. This occurs at unexpected times before starting, while sitting, while driving, while sitting still, and while parking, This failure causes me to be unable to control air, radio, maps, backup camera, and music. The safety issues have occurred when backing, I nearly backed over a person because my backup camera was blacked out and they were in my blind spot, Two dealerships have seen film of the failures but not observed it in their shop. They are never able to get me in when the system is failing. The vehicle has been in shop at least 6 times for the failure. I have dealer service tickets and a a carfax report to document the attempted repairs. I also have photos and videos of failure. The dealership I bought it from, Fowler Volkswagon, and Oklahoma City Volkswagon have both tried to fix the problem. The dealership advised me that it could not be repaired. I submitted my problem to Volkswagon, Case # [XXX], they had me take to dealer again and it could not be fixed. Volkswagon said in their denial letter to help me, "but we are not able to assist in all cases". Yes Recall #91US. The screen was replaced but problem did not stop. I am still forced to a vehicle that is unsafe and a violation of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111. That nearly resulted in back over of a pedestrian on [XXX]. The first failure was in 2/2024. I bought the car on [XXX] from Fowler Volkswagon Norman, Oklahoma. The car had 19 miles on it. I have taken into the shop 6 times. I am [XXX], a student, and work as waitress to support myself. I bought a new car and make payments on it and it is defective and unsafe. I want my new car to function as it was designed and Volkswagon cannot fix it. They told me to go to the BBB or arbitration. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Edmond, OK, USA

problem #6

Oct 012024

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
When pushing the gas car will not accelerate then they-??ll be like a big -??clunk-?? like it-??s not into gear and then the car will slow slowly accelerate then it-??ll shoot off. Also my screen goes crazy like something electrical is happening.

- Brooklyn, MD, USA

problem #5

Jan 222024

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
Dear National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, I am writing to express my frustration with the ongoing issues with my Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. Despite repeated repair efforts, the situation has become unsustainable. As a one-car household, visiting the dealership multiple times a month is both financially and personally stressful. While the service department has been excellent in trying to address the problems, the recurring issues are straining my relationship with the dealership. I need a reliable vehicle, especially given the $19,000 down payment we cannot afford to lose. We chose the SE model for ethical reasons (no leather), but it has been problematic, and we are now open to other solutions. Here is a list of issues we-??ve encountered over the last 10 months: Atlas Number 1 (2 months): Loose exhaust shield Auto Start/Stop feature not functioning Start button unresponsive Rear windows would not close Infotainment system freezing Dashboard speaker grill falling off Rattle in rear door Atlas Number 2 (7 months): Front bumper damaged; required body shop repair Driver's window scratched and replaced Front parking sensors failed Windows malfunction and don-??t auto close Infotainment system freezing; display going black Console cover broke twice Headlights repeatedly replaced, failing calibration Backup camera feed going black; needed replacement Headlight control module needed replacement Rattle in front door Dashboard speaker grill falling off Persistent front-end shake at highway speeds (tires rebalanced twice) Steering-responsive headlights fail to return to center, requiring a vehicle restart Recent repairs haven-??t resolved these issues. The headlights still fail to center, the infotainment system continues to go black, and the backup camera still malfunctions. A software update is expected in January, but I need a solution in the meantime. Please help us resolve this situation-?"it's financially and practically unsustainable.

- West Hartford, CT, USA

problem #4

Jun 202024

Atlas Cross Sport

  • 800 miles
The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V464000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated there were audible chimes and alarms sounding during the failure. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 800. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Steilacoom, WA, USA

problem #3

Jan 262024

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
The VW Infotainment System is the main vehicle communication system. It includes the Navigation system, Vehicle Settings, Radio, and allows "hands-free" driving with cell phone connectivity via Bluetooth. Once the Radio module within the Infotainment system is turned ON.....it cannot be turned OFF. It does have Mute and Pause, however, any thing else that uses the audio immediately kicks the radio ON at various levels. For example, in heavy traffic where CONCENTRATION and DISTRACTION-FREE attention is needed, a text message to your phone or a Voice command from navigation will kick ON the Radio....non stop. When this happens, you must change out the Nav screen over to the Radio screen and pause or mute the radio to hear the voice commands and re-do the last instruction....while driving. I have had the VW Service Center at the dealership look at it several times...they cannot fix it. No one is able to turn the radio off. Only the ENTIRE Infotainment system (no hands-free The VW Customer Care says "you can turn the entire Infotainment system off" altogether and have NO functions/features available.

- Loysville, PA, USA

problem #2

Sep 262023

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
The engine failed flashing a warning sign of rpm max 4000 from day 1 of me having the car. It is available for inspection. During the multiple times this has happened the car will come to a hault while driving on busy expressways of at least 70 mph. The dealer has not found a solution to the problem after at least 4 attempts.

- Sauk Village, IL, USA

problem #1

Sep 092023

Atlas Cross Sport

  • miles
Bought this vehicle on9/9/23 with 20 miles on it. 45 minutes later while driving home from the dealership the vehicle lost power and slowed to a stop in the road. We barely made it off the bridge and were nearly rear ended as it was dark. The dealership diagnosed a bad ECM. The manufacturer also inspected. The vehicle jerked consistently and grew worse before it lost power. Multiple warnings flashed and the check engine remained on. Neither the manufacturer nor the dealer has rectified and says it is under review.

- Hermitage , MO, USA