2019 Volkswagen Atlas automatic emergency braking problems
96 of the 480 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas name the automatic emergency braking (NHTSA’s “Forward Collision Avoidance” heading — forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, including phantom braking). Filed under the same heading: 2 NHTSA investigations. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the automatic emergency braking
Source: NHTSA complaint database3 of the 96 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2019: 1 · 2020: 8 · 2021: 7 · 2022: 36 · 2023: 24 · 2024: 8 · 2025: 10 · 2026: 2
Half of the 16 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the automatic emergency braking problem between 6,000 and 20,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
480 complaints in all about the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas, 2 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Forward Collision Avoidance” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Volkswagen Atlas automatic emergency braking problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the automatic emergency braking. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
My car often will apply automatic braking system when no one or thing is in front of me. Luckily I have not been rear ended yet but it is very startling. Going down steep hills the emergency brake will turn on automatically. Happened the first week I owned the car and I had no idea what was going on.
Hello, I am the current owner of a 2019 VW Atlas with less than 13500 miles. In September 25, the Front-Assist Technology alert icon turned on the dashboard all of a sudden without any cause to my knowledge.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving approximately 30-35 mph, the vehicle inadvertently stalled but remained in motion. The warning message "There Is Someone in Front of You" appeared on the instrument panel.
The front assist system keeps stopping my car at random times. I had told Volkswagen where I bought the car about it and they did nothing. I assuming because they have seen it for themselves. It happened on the highway, on a bridge and going up a hill.
The vehicle will sound the collision warning sound for no reason when no other vehicles are around. When slowly coming up to a red light with one car in front, after coming to a complete stop the vehicle beeped once and engaged the brakes. The second time this happened the vehicle was driving slowly in a school parking lot.
What is on file about the automatic emergency braking
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsNHTSA investigations
- EA24004 Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Brakingopened Dec 18, 2024 · open
- 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 …
- PE23017 Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Brakingopened Sep 28, 2023 · closed Dec 18, 2024
- 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 p…
Other systems with a record on the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas
Source: the same files- airbag problems 141 complaints
- electrical problems 75 complaints
- engine problems 60 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre automatic emergency braking problems common on the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 96 owner complaints naming the automatic emergency braking on this model year (20% of everything owners filed about it), and 2 NHTSA investigations are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the automatic emergency braking on the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 12 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do automatic emergency braking problems show up on the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 15,000 miles; half of them between 6,000 and 20,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Forward Collision Avoidance" heading cover?
Forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, including phantom braking. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.