— Volkswagen Atlas automatic emergency braking complaints have caused U.S. safety regulators to upgrade an investigation that was opened in September 2023.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened the investigation into what VW calls the Autonomous Emergency Braking Front Assist feature that should help prevent collisions in 2018-2019 VW Atlas SUVs.
The Volkswagen automatic emergency braking system should automatically apply the brakes if there is something in the path of the Atlas but the driver fails to take action. But drivers complain how the systems cause the SUVs to suddenly decelerate without any forward objects in the road.
During the investigation, NHTSA learned about 226 reports about inadvertent automatic emergency braking activations in 2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. But VW says some customers may not have properly understood how the Front Assist systems function and their limitations.
Many 2019 Atlas owners complained how VW dealers couldn't replicate the problem, and some drivers said dealerships told them the automatic braking is normal for the Front Assist feature.
According to NHTSA, the evidence shows the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas seems to be the problem child regarding sudden automatic emergency braking activations.
Safety regulators reviewed 187 reports from 2019 Atlas owners and discovered four reports alleging incidents that caused injuries, and one report involved a crash.
NHTSA has dropped the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas from the automatic emergency braking investigation and upgraded the probe into 2019 VW Atlas SUVs.
CarComplaints.com will update our website with results of the investigation.
Volkswagen recently settled a class action lawsuit filed about the Front Assist automatic emergency braking systems installed in numerous models.