This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
After the vehicle has sat for a couple of hours, when I get in to drive and come to a complete stop, there-??s a gurgling/swooshing water sound coming from the front brakes. I confirmed my pads and rotors are fine, but the functionality of the brakes appear to act up when the noise happens. I-??ve seen this reported on numerous forums and this is a huge safety issue. The dealership says there-??s nothing they can do and the brakes are operating as they should, but this noise is not normal.
I have had issue after issue with this car ever since I got it. Within the first year of my lease, my car was at the dealership for 4 to 5 months. Most of it in one long stint. The vehicle was consistently having problems. All the while, I-??m paying for a car I wasn-??t even able to drive for a huge chunk of year 1. One time, the car completely shut down and stopped in the middle of the freeway with my three young children in the car with me. The brakes on this car have been an issue since I bought it as well. Not only have the brakes squeaked the entire time I-??ve owned the car, VW has since come out and said that the brakes are defective but they-??re unwilling to offer any solution. There have been factory issues with this vehicle many many times that have caused real safety issues. Rarely did Volkswagon actually offer any sort of fix or realistic timeline for when I can expect things to be addressed. Even in some cases, they just completely ignored me as if I-??m just a number and not an actual customer Who drives his children in this car. This was my third Volkswagen. I have always sang the praises of VW. But this experience has quite literally made me never want to buy another Volkswagon product again. I have about nine payments remaining on my lease and I am anxious to move on to a better safer vehicle with a brand that does right by the consumer. Volkswagon told me that even with all of what I-??ve been through with Volkswagon, which is on the record by the way in the form of repair orders, as well as cost to customer service, I did not qualify for a buyback on my vehicle. Nor would they let me just return my lease. The dealership has basically said that their hands are tied. And corporate has repeatedly done nothing, and turned me away. I asked that you guys step in not only for me in particular, but for all the other Volkswagon owners who are unhappy. And there are many. Especially those who drive the same make, and model is me, the atlas. Thank you.
Brakes had to be replaced at only 19,500 miles and now the car has 38,000 miles and they sound horrible again. The entire time I-??ve had this car the brakes have made squealing and grinding noises. The VW dealer couldn-??t access VW brakes last year due to shortage so put after market rotors on my car without my permission. I had a loaner and they called and told me my car was -??ready-?? out of the blue. Horrible experiences. Will never buy a VW again.
Steering wheel vibrates when going 55mph and over. Tired have been balanced and aligned I bought new tires and rims and got them balanced and aligned as well spent a lot of money and it-??s still an issue. Vehicle pulls to the left, even with an alignment done. Taken to multiple shops they -??can-??t find the issue-??.. my brakes grind, squeak, but again they said they are perfectly fine. My touchscreen turns off randomly for days won-??t turn on nothing works on it and because of that I can-??t put it in ECO mode, use navigation, or any other features and because VW couldn-??t replicate the same issue they can-??t fix it despite my many videos I showed them. I have only had the car since Feb 26,2024 and put more money into this than I-??d like.
I hear a loud grinding, metal-on-metal noise when braking or while driving. I also notice vibrations or pulsation in the pedal or steering wheel. Whenever the car sits for a period of time, about 90% of the time, the car will produce a massively loud metal-on-metal grind that can be felt in the brake pedal and steering wheel for the first 3 or so stops from 30mph or higher. The dealership claims it's "normal, " which is unacceptable for a vehicle bought in 2021.
- Phoenix, AZ, USA
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yes when start the car and drive from 0-20 mph from the start you will hear a lound noise when applying the brake and now getting louder and louder everywhere you drive the vehicle. took it in the dealer 2-3 time and they are telling me is manufactures design. don't have this problem from day one I purchase the vehicle but now after 40k. miles start this problem specially brake, its scare me to drive the vehicle.. please, advise. Thank you..
Since purchasing the car new, my brakes squeal and make a grinding noise. They don-??t stop well and the noise doesn-??t stop until I drive the car for a while. This happens every time I drive my vehicle. I have taken it to VW service and they say that it is normal for those kinds of brakes.
The breaks are very loud- squeaky and grinding. Have had them checked several times and break pads are in good condition. Additionally after the car is idle for several hours, it-??ll be a loud gurgle when breaks are applied the first few -??stops-??. Additionally, when driving in cold weather the rear the stability assist light on the dash will engage. It will flash on and off so to be uncertain if the traction control is engaged on possible slippery roads
A few weeks after we purchased the vehicle from the dealership, the brakes started making loud metallic noises and grinding. The vehicle was taken to the dealership where they replaced the brakes and then the issue occurred again just a few weeks after that repair. We continue to take the car back to the dealership and they now just keep telling us that there are no issues. I called Volkswagen directly and they sided with the dealer. At this point I have a vehicle that keeps having the same persistent issue. I did my own research and found that there are several other Atlas owners that are encountering the same issue in 2021+ models. This is a known issue and Volkswagen refuses to do anything about it. I have 2 kids and have do not feel confident in my cars brakes when they are in there.
When the car is just started a horrible braking/grinding noise when trying to stop The brakes eventually stop grinding and starts making a screeching noise when coming to a stop It does feel safe at all Dealer states this is normal It is not normal for any car This happens daily
I leased my VW ATLAS in Feb. 2021. Since then the vehicle has been in for service many times because the brakes squeak, grind and gurgle. They even had to replace the whole front end braking system in spring of 2022. Even with the replacement, the brakes are yet again squeaking, grinding and gurgling. The service department at VW has acknowledged that this is a problem with many Atlases and does not seem to care and has told me that they just make that noise and that the brakes are functional and pose no safety risk. This I am weary of.
I have several issues. My main concern is when turning on an incline (hill or mountain), my vehicles rpm's rev up and I am unable to stop it for several seconds. Sometimes, it will clunk and the rpms will go back to normal after sever seconds but most times the vehicle just jerks and the rpms come back down. I drive through a street with a 4 way stop very often and the issue happens every time. Secondly, i am not sure if its my steering or my brakes but when i come to a stop there is a clicking noise at my pedal and it makes it a little tougher to stop the vehicle. I can be at a full stop and if i push my brake pedal down more, it will click multiple times. I have also noticed this jerk/click when i make a sharp left turns such as in a parking lot. My vehicle jerks a bit while it clicks and i am concerned something will brake while i am turning or stopping and my wheels wont stop.
Within a week of our purchase of a brand new atlas, we started hearing squeaking and grinding noises with the front brakes. I-??ve taken it into multiple dealerships for them to inspect and ensure the safety, and I-??ll have given me the same spiel, that the brakes are working just fine. The grinding noise is clearly beyond normal and I-??m concerned for my family safety.
The brakes make a deep grinding sound every 4000-8000 miles. A typical sound of failing brakes. When I took the vehicle into the dealership they let me know they have a defective brake pad system. When they changed the compound in 2019/2020 this has been an issue. The pads are showing in good acceptable range. However when driving the vehicle you do not know if it is safe or not unless you take the vehicle in to make sure l. Again every 4000-8000 miles. I do not see how they are able to sell you a car with a known issue and not disclose this. This should be covered or recalled. It absolutely is a safety issue when you cannot tell if your brakes are working properly! They are telling me they see 4-5 people a week with the same issue. How is this not being recalled!
We just purchased a certified pre-owned vehicle from the dealership. Since we've had the vehicle, it produces a loud squeaking sound when braking. We took it to a brake shop and were advised the rear brakes get so hot and are glazed over and need to replace the rotors. When I look online I see this is a common problem for this vehicle and that the manufacturer has done nothing to get it fixed.
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was confirmed that no cause of failure was found. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.
While driving in a city, the emergency parking brake would switch on everytime i slowed down or came to a stop. Multiple other warnings happened such as lane assistance unavailable. And one of my windows would roll down part way.
Once starting the vehicle, the light comes on the dashboard; the notification states that the start/stop function malfunctions, the emergency break malfunctions, other multiple errors come in effect. Once coming to a stop light and the brakes are engaged to slow down, the emergency brakes engage and the car locks up. Almost got into an accident 6x. Immediately made an appointment to fix the recall and request for a loaner or rental vehicle, ignored by the dealership with a message of -??will call-??. The door becomes inoperable; can only open and close. Does not unlock/lock or roll down the window. The back driver side window automatically opens about 4 inches without consent.
The front brake rotors on this VW model are faulty and unsafe from the factory and need to be recalled. They warp and squeal, and the issue seems to be starting at about 4 months. The brake rotors warp between 4-6 months and the front brakes start to vibrate when driving at 65 mph or more. The brake pads are fine, however the rotors need to be replaced. The rotors need to be inspected as they appear to be made out of inferior material/metal. The VW dealership refused to replace the rotors under warranty and I had to pay for the replacement. I contacted VW USA, but they were not helpful at all. [XXX] VW Bensenville, IL Based on my research through different VW online forums, there's a lot of people that were having the same issue. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The brakes make loud squealing and grinding noises and don-??t feel like they are properly functioning when attempting to stop. I rolled through a stop sign when they were grinding loudly last week because the brakes would not engage. I immediately scheduled to have it diganosed again. I have had it diagnosed by VW 3 times and also contacted VW corporate and they have all stated to me that it is a known issue with the brakes on VW atlas and have had 1000s of complaints and will do nothing to repair or resolve the situation. They said they know it is an issue and not correct and they will not be doing anything to correct the situation or make sure the vehicle is safe.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Abingdon, VA, USA