⌘K
Home›Volkswagen›Atlas›2018
Volkswagen · Compact SUV

2018 Volkswagen Atlas

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
3 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
35 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls4 critical16
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA462
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA24 mpg
2027202620252024202320222021202020192018
Active NHTSA advisory: do not drive. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Atlas, is EPA-rated at 24 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 16 recall campaigns for this model year, 4 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 462 complaints, most often about the electrical system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
AtlasGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo222624$2,600
AtlasGasFWD3.6L 6-cyl182520$3,100
Atlas 4motionGasAWD3.6L 6-cyl172319$3,300

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39468, 38723, 38729.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

Compare coverage →

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

Recalls (16)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Air Bags

69FB
143,053 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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.RiskA deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 23V215000reported Mar 29, 2023Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
○minor

Equipment

09D9
3,648 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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."RiskWithout the reduced GVWR label, the vehicle could be overloaded, leading to a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 22V086000reported Feb 16, 2022Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
!critical

Unknown Or Other

01F1
46 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Touareg GP, Tiguan, Golf A6, E-Golf GP, CCF, 2016-2017 Passat GP, 2018-2019 Golf R GP, and 2018 Atlas vehicles. These internal-use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.RiskVehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.FixVolkswagen will repurchase the vehicles. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01F1.
NHTSA campaign 21V321000reported May 5, 2021Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Tires

44R1
2,535 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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.RiskOver 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.FixVolkswagen 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.
NHTSA campaign 21V142000reported Mar 5, 2021Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Unknown Or Other

01E9
23 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Golf R and Atlas, 2017 Golf Alltrack and E-Golf and 2016-2018 Passat vehicles. These internal use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.RiskVehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.FixVolkswagen will notify owners and will repurchase the vehicles. The recall began October 6, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01E9.
NHTSA campaign 20V561000reported Sep 16, 2020Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Air Bags

69AL
7 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Atlas vehicles. The vehicles may be equipped with an incorrectly manufactured air bag sensor, which can delay or disable air bag deployment when necessary.RiskIn the event of a crash necessitating frontal air bag deployment, a delayed or disabled airbag deployment can increase the risk of injury.FixVolkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag crash sensor, free of charge. The recall began February 21, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69AL.
NHTSA campaign 20V057000reported Jan 31, 2020Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Exterior Lighting

94L9
662,185 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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."RiskWithout the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.FixVolkswagen 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.
NHTSA campaign 19V389000reported May 22, 2019Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Suspension

42J2/42J3
6,322 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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.RiskIf a coil spring fractures while driving, it may damage a rear tire causing a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.FixVolkswagen 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.
NHTSA campaign 18V904000reported Dec 19, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Electrical System

90L3 / 90L4
73,549 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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."RiskIf 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.FixVolkswagen 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.
NHTSA campaign 18V824000reported Nov 26, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Air Bags

87F9
9,685 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. During production, the air conditioning system drain tube may have been twisted, causing water to drain into the air bag control module.RiskThe wet air bag control module may result in an unintentional deployment of the air bags, increasing the risk of injury or crash.FixVolkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air conditioning drain tube, and if it is twisted, the drain tube and air bag control module will be replaced, free of charge. Some of the affected vehicles have had their drain tube previously replaced but did not receive a new air bag control module; the airbag control module will be replaced in these vehicles. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbe
NHTSA campaign 18V537000reported Aug 20, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

46H6
8,416 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and 2017-2018 Volkswagen Passat vehicles. The brake caliper bracket mounting bolts on these vehicles may not have been tightened sufficiently.RiskThe loose brake bracket bolts can allow the caliper to move, reducing braking ability or causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.FixVolkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake caliper bracket bolt tightness, replacing and re-torque the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Additionally brake caliper fasteners, bleeder valve, and brake hose bolts will be checked and torqued to the correct specification, if necessary, free of charge. For Passat vehicles, dealers will also inspect the parking brake cable for proper connection, free of charge. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact Volksw
NHTSA campaign 18V536000reported Aug 15, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Seat Belts

69X1
54,729 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswaen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. The owner's manuals provided with the affected vehicles do not inform the customers about the child restraint size limitation/restrictions for the second row center seating position. As a result, the center and adjacent outboard seat belt buckles on the second row can become damaged it a child seat base is installed that is wider than 12.6 inches.RiskA damaged seat belt buckle can release unexpectedly, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.FixVolkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the center and left outboard seat belt buckles, and replace them if necessary, free of charge. Volkswagen will also provide an owner's manual supplement addressing child safety and child restraints. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69X1.
NHTSA campaign 18V380000reported Jun 7, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Air Bags

69W8 69W9
821 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan vehicles. In the event of a crash, the passenger frontal air bag may tear or not properly unfold during deployment.RiskIf the air bag were to tear or unfold incorrectly during deployment, it can increase the risk of injury.FixVolkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began July 19, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69W8, and 69W9.
NHTSA campaign 18V375000reported Jun 6, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
!critical

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

47N8, 47N9, 47N6
Do not drive10,225 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, Passat, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen and GTI and Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have insufficient coating, potentially reducing the brake performance.RiskA reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.FixVolkswagen and Audi will notify their owners. Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes. Volkswagen dealers will bleed the front and rear brake calipers. Note: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the brake system has been checked. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 47N8, 47N9, and 47N6.
NHTSA campaign 18V369000reported Jun 1, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
!critical

Fuel System, Gasoline

20AW
278 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. The fuel tank on these vehicles may leak fuel due to a manufacturing error. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."RiskA fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.FixVolkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began June 22, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AW. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 17V-766.
NHTSA campaign 18V284000reported May 2, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
!critical

Fuel System, Gasoline

20AQ
58 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Atlas vehicles. The fuel tank may have been manufactured with insufficient wall thickness, potentially resulting in the tank leaking fuel. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."RiskA fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.FixVolkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began December 10, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AQ.
NHTSA campaign 17V766000reported Nov 29, 2017Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

NHTSA defect investigations

Forward Collision Avoidance — Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking closed

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 292 reports that may relate to the alleged defect in MY 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles.Volkswagen stated that some customers possibly had an inadequate understanding of Front Assist and its limitat

Opened Sep 28, 2023 · closed Dec 18, 2024 · action PE23017

Fuel System, Gasoline — Fuel Injector Leak closed

On March 29, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE21-008 to investigate instances of fuel injectors leaking in the engine compartment in model year (MY) 2018 through 2020 Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs. These vehicles are equipped with either a 3.6 or 2.0 liter engine. The subject investigation concerns vehicles equipped with 3.6L engines. Prior to opening the investigation, ODI also observed that warranty data for the fuel system from TREAD reporting was an outlier for the MY 2018 Atlas.The allegation involved fuel injectors leaking fuel near engine compartment components that operate at high temperatures. Consumers allege a fuel leak, fuel odor, and/or an

Opened Mar 29, 2021 · closed Oct 3, 2022 · action PE21008

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
462complaints filed

8 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 18 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2017: 3 · 2018: 74 · 2019: 93 · 2020: 28 · 2021: 34 · 2022: 30 · 2023: 81 · 2024: 65 · 2025: 31 · 2026: 23

Most-cited components

Electrical System111
Air Bags100
Engine97
Service Brakes74
Unspecified72
Forward Collision Avoidance36

What owners describe

“Emergency brakes occurred without anyone or anything in front of the car. Braking malfunction warning also came on.”Mar 17, 2022 · Service Brakes · NHTSA owner report
“Random and sudden braking of the Volkswagen Atlas, with the forward anti-collision signal lit on, whereas there was absolutely no cars ahead of the Atlas. It happened twice already, first on an highway driving at 60 miles/hr and a second time in a city at about 30 miles/hr. Fortunately, there was no crash. Our Volkswag…”Feb 27, 2022 · Forward Collision Avoidance · NHTSA owner report
“I tried to merge to the left lane on the highway I-55 S (Chicago, IL), but the steering wheel was out of control and cannot be operated functionally all of sudden, which hit on the right side curb. There was no ice or water on the road. The weather is clear.”Jan 26, 2022 · Steering · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆14%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆16%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other Atlas model years

A

2027 Volkswagen Atlas

0 recalls · 0 complaints

B

2026 Volkswagen Atlas

2 recalls · 8 complaints

D

2025 Volkswagen Atlas

5 recalls · 63 complaints

F

2024 Volkswagen Atlas

8 recalls · 259 complaints

F

2023 Volkswagen Atlas

6 recalls · 148 complaints

F

2022 Volkswagen Atlas

7 recalls · 249 complaints

F

2021 Volkswagen Atlas

17 recalls · 631 complaints

F

2020 Volkswagen Atlas

11 recalls · 132 complaints

F

2019 Volkswagen Atlas

11 recalls · 473 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

JSON for this page · API