2019 Volkswagen Atlas: problems, recalls and reliability
11 recalls and 468 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is air bags (29% of complaints); the 2020 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 9 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Oct 2023
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 468 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“I was stopped at a drive thru window and as I reached out to get my food, the window rose up by itself. As I drove home over the next ten minutes, the locks locked and unlocked by themselves and the windows rolled down and up by themselves. Warning lights came on and then went off, including "Fault: Electronic parking brake," and "Error:Airbag." The dash screen went off for a few seconds and then came back on.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jul 2026
“The airbag error light in the vehicle came on. I took it to the dealership where the vehicle was purchased. They are charging $300.+ per hour to repair the issue. The vehicle has never been in an accident. The airbag has never been deployed.”Owner report · Air Bags · Jul 2026
“XXX as my husband, child and myself drove from [XXX] to [XXX] our SUNROOF exploded. We heard a loud boom noise sounded like a balloon exploded. My little one started crying looked around and the sunroof shattered into tiny pieces. I called VW Customer Care according to them the agent she said she didn't see a recall but had heard somewhere that it's common. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jun 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“The air conditioning drain tube clogged and leaked into the air bag control module and caused an entire electrical failure in my car with air bag sensors, braking, windows rolling down, doors locking and unlocking automatically while driving, etc as well as the carpet getting mold.”Owner report · Air Bags · Jun 2026
“The contact owns 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while his wife was driving 45 MPH, she heard a clunking noise coming from the rear vehicle. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear coil springs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired as the rear coil springs are being repaired as of today. The contact related to the failure NHTSA Campaign Number:18V904000 (SUSPENSION); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 89,000.”Owner report · Suspension · May 2026
“Both coil springs on vehicle failed under normal driving conditions. Less than 70k on the vehicle. We heard a weird noise while driving and saw one broken. When we brought in for repair, both were broken. VW has had recalls on similar aged vehicles but not ours. No warnings etc. Took picture of one but not the other because we didn't even know it was broken. Dealership said cars are just not made like they are used to.”Owner report · Suspension · May 2026
“2 fuel injectors have gone bad and 2 more are on their way out with 52,000 on the car. Just outside of the 6 year warranty.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Apr 2026
“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 the dash appear than disappear sometimes as well.”Owner report · Electrical System · Feb 2026
“I am reporting a critical safety failure of the ABS wiring harness following service at Jim Ellis Volkswagen. I originally brought the vehicle in for a "Front Assist" safety light diagnostic. Immediately following the service, the ABS wiring harness failed, disabling my braking safety systems. The dealership is currently withholding the diagnostic report and technician notes that would confirm the state of the wiring harness during their inspection. This failure has rendered the vehicle undriveable and creates a severe safety risk to the driver and public.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Jan 2026
“The radio keeps turning off and on and random stuff keeps popping up on the dash I have read that atlas models from 2019 to 2023 have wiring harness issues why Is there no recall for this and all research I have done with what is going on is leading up to a wiring harness issue”Owner report · Electrical System · Dec 2025
When filing, owners marked a crash in 7 of these complaints and injuries in 10 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 11 campaigns
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.
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.
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."
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.
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."
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2019 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Atlas by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas reliable?
NHTSA has 468 owner complaints and 11 recall campaigns on record for the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The most complained-about area is air bags (29% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2019 Volkswagen Atlas problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 12,000 miles or less.
Does the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas have open recalls?
11 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning air bags:side/window:curtain. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.