VehicleVerdict

2019 Volkswagen Atlas problems

Verdict · NHTSA data

One of the years to avoid

The 2019 Volkswagen Atlas carries two red flags at once: 695 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA — 2.9× the Atlas norm — and an open NHTSA defect investigation (subject: Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking). It is one of the Atlas years to avoid. Complainants reported 17 injuries in total across these filings.

No single system dominates the record — complaints spread across airbags (138), driver assistance (111), and brakes (79), which usually points to general build quality rather than one defect. In government crash testing it earned 5 of 5 NCAP stars overall.

695

NHTSA complaints

11

Recalls

3

Investigations · 1 open

13

Crash-involved

0

Fires reported

17

Injuries

0

Deaths

5

NCAP overall · of 5 stars

How does 2019 compare to other Atlas years?

Atlas NHTSA complaints by model year, 2019 highlighted724 complaints2018: 654 complaints2019: 695 complaints2020: 49 complaints2021: 724 complaints2022: 267 complaints2023: 163 complaints2024: 240 complaints2025: 63 complaints2026: 8 complaints
Atlas NHTSA complaints by model year, 2019 highlighted. Red bars are years to avoid.

See all Atlas years to avoid →

What are the most common 2019 Volkswagen Atlas problems?

ComponentComplaintsShare
Airbags13820%
Driver Assistance11116%
Brakes7911%
Electrical System7511%
Engine598%
Other598%
Steering355%
Transmission325%
Fuel System314%
Tires & Wheels152%
Suspension132%
Speed Control132%
Visibility & Wipers91%
Seat Belts91%
Body & Structure71%
Seats71%
Lighting20%
Latches & Locks10%

Does the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas have recalls?

11 NHTSA recall campaigns on file. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.

23V671000AirbagsOctober 4, 2023 · 2 units

Defect

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Atlas vehicles. The driver's side impact air bag may be missing a weld at the side air bag housing.

Consequence

The driver's side impact air bag could deploy improperly or detach in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the driver's side impact air bag, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69FK.

23V215000AirbagsMarch 29, 2023 · 143,053 units

Defect

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may experience a fault in the wiring and deactivate the front passenger air bag when the seat is occupied.

Consequence

A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the PODS sensor mat and wiring harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 22, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69FB.

22V815000Tires & WheelsOctober 31, 2022 · 296,044 units

Defect

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan LWB, Golf Sportswagen A7, Golf Alltrack, Golf R GP, Audi Q3, Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas, Golf A7, Audi A3, 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021 Atlas FL vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system may not detect an air pressure loss in adequate time when deflating occurs among all four tires simultaneously. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."

Consequence

An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi’s customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.

22V152000AirbagsMarch 28, 2022 · 222,892 units

Defect

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Atlas, 2020-2023 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021-2023 Atlas FL vehicles. The door wiring harness electrical contacts may corrode, disrupting the electrical connection and delaying the deployment of the driver or passenger front side air bag during a side impact crash.

Consequence

A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy

Dealers will secure and, as necessary, replace any the front door wiring harnesses showing a fault code, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97GF.

22V086000OtherFebruary 16, 2022 · 3,648 units

Defect

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles equipped with accessory side steps. The reduced Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) label, reflecting the additional weight of the side steps, was not installed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

Consequence

Without the reduced GVWR label, the vehicle could be overloaded, leading to a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will install the reduced GVWR label, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 31, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 09D9.

21V142000Tires & WheelsMarch 5, 2021 · 2,535 units

Defect

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Atlas vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.

Consequence

Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall, resulting in sudden air loss or belt edge separation which could lead to tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 24, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 44R1.

19V614000Fuel SystemAugust 21, 2019 · 6 units

Defect

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Atlas vehicles. The suction jet in the fuel tank may have been welded in the incorrect position allowing fuel to leak. Additionally, the vehicle may stall due to uneven fuel distribution.

Consequence

A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire. An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began August 30, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20BU.

19V389000LightingMay 22, 2019 · 662,185 units

Defect

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2020 Volkswagen Passat and 2018-2019 Atlas vehicles. The blocking cap disabling the adjustment of the headlight's horizontal aim may not have been installed. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Consequence

Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, block the headlight horizontal adjustment, free of charge. The recall began July 16, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94L9.

19V218000AirbagsMarch 20, 2019 · 3 units

Defect

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Atlas and 2020 Passat vehicles. An incorrect driver and/or front passenger side impact air bag may have been installed.

Consequence

In an event of a side impact crash, an incorrect side airbag may not deploy as intended, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy

Volkswagen has inspected and replaced the side air bags, free of charge. The recall was completed in April 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Y8.

18V904000SuspensionDecember 19, 2018 · 6,322 units

Defect

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas, 2015 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen, and 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles. The rear coil springs may prematurely fracture.

Consequence

If a coil spring fractures while driving, it may damage a rear tire causing a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will replace the rear axle coil springs, free of charge. The recall began January 31, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42J2/42J3.

18V824000Electrical SystemNovember 26, 2018 · 73,549 units

Defect

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan and 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles that do not have keyless entry. The instrument cluster may not provide an audible warning to let the driver know that the key is still in the ignition when the door is open. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."

Consequence

If the driver is not notified by an audible noise that the key is left in the ignition, it can increase the risk of vehicle theft or crash.

Remedy

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 90L3 and 90L4.

Open NHTSA investigations

EA24004

Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking

On September 28, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE23017) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Front Assist automatic emergency braking (AEB) system in model year (MY) 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles.  The reports alleged that activation of the AEB system occurred while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration. Volkswagen indicated that it is aware of a total of 226 reports that may relate to the alleged defect in MY 2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles.Volkswagen stated that some customers possibly had an inadequate understanding of Front Assist and its limitations.  However, many consumer complaints alleged that Volkswagen dealerships were unable to reproduce the condition or stated that Volkswagen dealerships informed the consumers that this braking is considered normal Front Assist operation. ODI's analysis shows that MY 2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles have the highest rate of unique incident reports alleging AEB inadvertent activation when compared to their Volkswagen peers. To date, ODI has received a total of 44 consumer complaints of inadvertent activation of Front Assist in MY 2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles.In total, ODI reviewed 187 unique (i.e., non-duplicative Vehicle Identification Numbers) reports that may relate to the alleged defect, which include four reports on injury incidents and one report involving a crash. PE23017 has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis to further assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety-related consequences of inadvertent AEB activations in MY 2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

Consumer complaints filed with NHTSA

Representative excerpts, cleaned of personal information. These are consumer statements, not verified defects.

“Windows roll down by themselves. Parking brake applies itself without warning. Multiple warning lights saying parking brake error, start stop error, hill assist error, window sensor code, and constant dinging. Hill assist will come on even when not on a hill jarring you at higher speeds. Airbags…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Airbags · June 30, 2021 · crash

“I was driving on the SB 55fwy in light stop and go traffic and had my ACC w/ traffic aware system engaged. My car was doing as it normally does, keeping a safe distance to the vehicle in front of me, automatically slowing, stopping and accelerating at a safe speed for the conditions. This feature I…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Driver Assistance · July 31, 2025 · crash

“On 5 Dec 20212, at approximately 1:30 while driving to the Fairfield Inn & Suites, 1707 69th Street, North Bergen, New Jersey 07047, we turned onto 69th street but missed the right turn to the hotel, so I went up the hill and made a U-turn back and the accelerator got stuck somehow and the brake…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Brakes · December 5, 2021 · crash

“Windows roll down by themselves. Parking brake applies itself without warning. Multiple warning lights saying parking brake error, start stop error, hill assist error, window sensor code, and constant dinging. Hill assist will come on even when not on a hill jarring you at higher speeds. Airbags…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Electrical System · June 30, 2021 · crash

“The vehicle warning lights come on and off to make it seem like I am about to hit or to close to something when I am not moving at all. The vehicle putts and stalls while driving like it wants to cut off. It also does this when I am at a complete stop as well as if I am backing up Warning lights on…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · February 2, 2026

2019 Volkswagen Atlas — common questions

Is the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas reliable?

NHTSA data argues against it: 695 complaints put the 2019 model at #2 of 9 Atlas years, and a defect investigation remains open. It is one of the Atlas years to avoid.

What are the most common 2019 Atlas problems?

According to NHTSA complaint data, the leading problem areas are airbags (138 complaints), driver assistance (111 complaints), brakes (79 complaints).

Does the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns affecting the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers; check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm the work was done.

Is the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas under NHTSA investigation?

Yes — an investigation remains open (Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking). An open ODI action means NHTSA is actively assessing a possible defect.

Which Volkswagen Atlas years should you avoid?

Based on complaint rates and open investigations, the Atlas years to avoid are 2021, 2019, 2018. The cleanest record among Atlas years belongs to 2026.

How safe is the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas?

In NHTSA's NCAP crash testing, the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas earned an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.