2018 Volkswagen Atlas problems and complaints

Owners have filed 461 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The most-reported areas: Electrical System (110), Air Bags (100), Engine (97).

Key takeaways

  • 461 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
  • 8 involve a crash, 0 a fire, 18 reported injuries.
  • Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
Complaints by component
ComponentComplaintsShare
Electrical System11024%
Air Bags10022%
Engine9721%
Service Brakes7516%
Unknown Or Other7216%
Fuel/Propulsion System327%
Forward Collision Avoidance317%
Steering245%
Seats174%
Power Train153%
Exterior Lighting143%
Seat Belts133%

One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.

NHTSA 5-Star crash ratings
VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
2018 Volkswagen Atlas SUV FWD5/55/55/54/5
2018 Volkswagen Atlas SUV AWD5/55/55/54/5

Latest complaints, as filed

Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.

Fuel/Propulsion System - filed 2026-08-24

Fuel line leak due to the angle the manufacturer line is coming out of the fuel tank. Rubbing on the line caused a wear on the line, gas leak and has to be repaired and rerouted by mechanic to keep this from happening again. Very unsafe condition due to fumes and risk of fire. No warning lights just a very strong fuel ...

Fuel/Propulsion System - filed 2026-08-19

Fuel gauge suddenly changes its reading, sometimes dropping to a zero level indication while driving! The readings frequently change up and down, so if the previous reading before a drop to completely empty is incorrect, this could be a serious safety risk to suddenly find out the tank is very near empty. Volkswagen ...

Tires - filed 2026-08-05

P255 / 50 R 20 Tire light stays on. Right front tire is low. I have to fill up all 4 tires. I just purchased this vehicle. Was I sold a lemon? My cold air doesn't work now either. I just made my 3rd payment on this Volkswagen Atlas SEL 2018 What all do I need to have inspected. The car dealership never inspected this...

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More for the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas

Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.