2022 VW Atlas Problems

The 2022 VW Atlas is a mid-sized SUV that was named by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s 2022 TOP SAFETY PICK list. VW’s 2022 Atlas is a popular car for families, with VW stating that driver’s should “take a second, or third, look at its Show Stopper of an SUV”.  However, 2022 VW Atlas owners are reporting electrical problems and emergency brake problems that require multiple trips to the dealer for repairs. It appears the 2022 VW Atlas just stops going instead of being a show stopper.

Electrical Problems

VW claims the 2022 VW Atlas Cross Sport has superior top of the line electronics “with driver-focused media, touchscreen displays, and a variety of driver assistance features at your fingertips.”  However many 2022 VW Atlas owners are saying otherwise and reporting electrical problems with the touchscreen and infotainment systems. One Atlas owner states on NHTSA

“Parked vehicle overnight and found all windows to have rolled down on its own during the winter around February (once parked outside at 20 degrees F, second in garage 30 degrees F). Received a notification for system update after incident happened twice (we hang up our keys which is inaccessible to rolling windows down from remote). Minimal interior damage from exposure to cold temperatures, but no personal safety issues other than worrying of possible interior damage and theft. Infotainment no longer turns on instantly and has delayed touchscreen and sound. My VW has delay in connecting to CarPlay and volume does not work in some cases when raising or lowering volume while connected to phone. No warning or error messages prior to failure and occurred after system update. Have not yet notified or received notification with dealer of issue, but just received notification of recall issues on My VW after app update.

The 2022 VW Atlas electrical problems continue with more complaints online.  Check out this Atlas electrical defect on the NHTSA

“At first the Infotainment system touchscreen would not turn on at first start of the day but would turn on after a few minutes. Then, after a week, it stopped turning on altogether. Wireless phone charging and Advanced Road Sign Recognition system is not working as well.”

VW Atlas Brake Problems

VW says Atlas drivers can drive with “peace of mind”.  Nevertheless, as reported in our lemon law blog regarding the 2021 VW Atlas brake problems, drivers of the 2022 Atlas cars are experiencing the same brake defects.

The 2022 VW Atlas has a Forward Collision Avoidance Emergency Braking System. It uses sensors onboard to detect an imminent collision. In case of an emergency, the emergency braking system will automatically stop the car without the driver’s help. However, many Atlas drivers say the emergency braking system does not work correctly, causing many trips to VW dealers.

Read this Atlas brake complaint reported to the NHTSA

“Two separate instances. The first: emergency break engaged for no reason while in driveway at a low speed. It jolted the car back and I had to put car in Park and then drive again. If this happened while anywhere else, it could cause an accident by being rear ended or a tail spin. Second incident: driving on interstate the forward collision warning symbol came on in red in addition to a red exclamation point. We were driving around 65mph with cars around us. The warning came on seemingly out of nowhere and then was gone several minutes later. There was no reason for this to occur. These issues are a major safety concern and we do not feel safe driving our brand new Atlas at this time.”

Another VW Atlas owner says on NHTSA “My emergency brake engaged while I was slowly entering an intersection. Almost caused an accident – cars behind me had to slam on their brakes. I believe this issue is part of recall 97GF which only lists air bags as a result of faulty wiring in door harness. The e brakes engaging while driving needs to be added as another safety risk – it was a frightening experience for me and my kids.”

The Detroit News reports that Volkswagen Atlas and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport drivers are experiencing random brake applications related to a possible malfunction of the automatic emergency braking system.

As reported, “Since late 2020, 47 VW Atlas owners have complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the same glitches in their…VW Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs. Some drivers reported that they narrowly escaped collisions, though a review of the complaints found no reports of crashes.”

VW Atlas Brake Recall Notice

Earlier this month, Volkswagen recalled 246,000 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs in the U.S. and Canada due to a wiring issue that could lead to problems with the brakes.

Damage to the wiring of the Atlas cars could result in problems causing the VW Atlas electronic parking brake to inadvertently engage at low speeds, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Volkswagen does not yet have a fix for the problem, according to the report. However, Volkswagen will offer a reimbursement program for recalled vehicles.

A recall has been issued for the Volkswagen Atlas and the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport from 2019 to 2023.

Lemon Law Rights for Brake and Electrical Problems with the VW Atlas.