2025 Volkswagen ATLAS

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Average

Quick Summary

The 2025 Volkswagen ATLAS has 61 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.8x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (21% of all complaints), specifically: ever since the 2nd day i owned the car which i purchased on [xxx], the interior lighting, sunroof button and roadside assistance button operate themselves when it's colder then 40 degrees outside, the lights blink, the sunroof button doesn't work and the roadside assistance gets called repeatedly. .

3 crash reports

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.8x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ELECTRICAL

13 complaints

21%

• Ever since the 2nd day I owned the car which I purchased on [XXX], the interior lighting, sunroof button and roadside assistance button operate themselves when it's colder then 40 degrees outside, the lights blink, the sunroof button doesn't work and the roadside assistance gets called repeatedly.
• Was operating vehicle when all of a sudden it stop in the middle of the highway. Engine turned iff. Was able to crank back up but vehicle would not shift into drive, reverse or any motion gear. Vehicle stopped in the morgue of an active roadway which created an absolute critical safety issue due to
• While on road, waiting to turn left across oncoming traffic, numerous dashboard lights went off, warning messages for TCM and ESC systems and car would not move forward with pressing on accelerator. As if the car was in neutral.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“Ever since the 2nd day I owned the car which I purchased on [XXX], the interior lighting, sunroof button and roadside assistance button operate themselves when it's colder then 40 degrees outside, the lights blink, the sunroof button doesn't work and the roadside assistance gets called repeatedly. ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS

11 complaints

18%

• When driving on a road with lane markings after the vehicle has been sitting in direct sunlight for about an hour the Lane Keep Assist system will fail due to over temperature warning in the windshield camera module. The dashboard will display the message “Lane Assist is currently not available. Ple
• When driving on a road with lane markings after the vehicle has been sitting in direct sunlight for about an hour the Lane Keep Assist system will fail due to over temperature warning in the windshield camera module. The dashboard will display the message “Lane Assist is currently not available. Ple
• The autonomous braking activates out of no where while driving. Violently hard and nothing around. A message appears on the dash board saying it can not sense hands on steering wheel. Also while backing up it will activate and no one is near the car or it even activates in an empty parking lot. Th

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“When driving on a road with lane markings after the vehicle has been sitting in direct sunlight for about an hour the Lane Keep Assist system will fail due to over temperature warning in the windshield camera module. The dashboard will display the message “Lane Assist is currently not available. Ple”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

9 complaints

15%

• Was operating vehicle when all of a sudden it stop in the middle of the highway. Engine turned iff. Was able to crank back up but vehicle would not shift into drive, reverse or any motion gear. Vehicle stopped in the morgue of an active roadway which created an absolute critical safety issue due to
• While on road, waiting to turn left across oncoming traffic, numerous dashboard lights went off, warning messages for TCM and ESC systems and car would not move forward with pressing on accelerator. As if the car was in neutral.
• This problem was noticed shortly after vehicle was purchased and it could potentially be dangerous; although there has been no accidents yet. After waiting at a light or waiting to make a turn when clear, there is an unusually long or slow response to acceleration. Acceleration pedal would be presse

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“Was operating vehicle when all of a sudden it stop in the middle of the highway. Engine turned iff. Was able to crank back up but vehicle would not shift into drive, reverse or any motion gear. Vehicle stopped in the morgue of an active roadway which created an absolute critical safety issue due to ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

7 complaints

11%

• Ever since the 2nd day I owned the car which I purchased on [XXX], the interior lighting, sunroof button and roadside assistance button operate themselves when it's colder then 40 degrees outside, the lights blink, the sunroof button doesn't work and the roadside assistance gets called repeatedly.
• What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The panoramic sunroof shattered with no outside influence. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The interior fabric cover was retracted at the time and the glass shattered on my
• 2025 atlas- brand new with 6000 miles on it. Yesterday afternoon the screen shut off and turned back on several times and then shut off for good. My radio doesn’t work, I can’t control my AC, the sensors don’t work, etc. Literally nothing works other than the gas and brake pedals. I called the deale

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

5 complaints

• I was driving on the road and my car just turned off. The car turned off mid drive. When I tried to turn the car on again, the engine revved and within a few seconds the car turned off again. The dash showed an error message "Error: Drive system. Please service vehicle." When the tow truck came, the
• VEHICLE TURNED ON AND QUICKLY SHUT OFF. VEHICLE HEALTH REPORT SENT A WARNING OF THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION AND POWERTRAIN NEEDING TO BE SERVICED IMMEDIATELY.
• Wednesday (02/18/2026), while driving to work, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the road at a red light. It would not move at all. I had to call roadside assistance, and the vehicle was ultimately towed. Being stranded in the middle of an intersection with traffic approaching at speed was not on

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“I was driving on the road and my car just turned off. The car turned off mid drive. When I tried to turn the car on again, the engine revved and within a few seconds the car turned off again. The dash showed an error message "Error: Drive system. Please service vehicle." When the tow truck came, the”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 61 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ELECTRICAL: Ever since the 2nd day I owned the car which I purchased on [XXX], the interior lighting, sunroof button and roadside assistance button operate themselves when it's colder then 40 degrees outside, the lights blink, the sunroof button doesn't work and the roadside assistance gets called repeatedly.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS: When driving on a road with lane markings after the vehicle has been sitting in direct sunlight for about an hour the Lane Keep Assist system will fail due to over temperature warning in the windshield camera module. The dashboard will display the message “Lane Assist is currently not available. Ple
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: Was operating vehicle when all of a sudden it stop in the middle of the highway. Engine turned iff. Was able to crank back up but vehicle would not shift into drive, reverse or any motion gear. Vehicle stopped in the morgue of an active roadway which created an absolute critical safety issue due to
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: Ever since the 2nd day I owned the car which I purchased on [XXX], the interior lighting, sunroof button and roadside assistance button operate themselves when it's colder then 40 degrees outside, the lights blink, the sunroof button doesn't work and the roadside assistance gets called repeatedly.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)