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KLUNK
KLUNK

2025 Volkswagen Atlas

The Verdict

90 Smooth Ride

The 2025 Volkswagen Atlas has 42 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are body (17 complaints) and transmission (9 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 90/100, it earns a "Smooth Ride" rating. If you're shopping for a Volkswagen Atlas, consider the 2020 model year which has 35% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2020 has 35% fewer complaints

View the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas dashboard →

90

Klunk Score: Smooth Ride

This vehicle year has significantly fewer complaints than average. A reliable choice.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

Recalls 1

Active safety recalls from NHTSA for this vehicle year.

25V081000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The transmission may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in a loss o...

Risk

A sudden loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the transmission, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 12, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbe...

Reported Dec 2, 2025

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Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
201897661581209
2019143721497921
2020641241
202199921641018
2022274351552
2023231044483
20244733413213
2025173769

By Category

Body
17
Transmission
9
Electrical
7
Engine
6
Brakes
3

By Severity

1
13
2
28
4
1

Worst Problems

Complaints

Body 2

TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS UP ON DASH RANDOMLY AND THE TRACTION CONTROL STOPS WORKING, HEADS UP DISPLAY BECOMES UNABLE TO OPERATE NORMALLY. LANE DEPATURE STOPS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND SEVERAL OTHER LIGHTS BEGIN TO DISPLAY. EXTREMLY DANGEROUS

22d ago
Engine 1

I have had several malfunctions in the past year with my brand new 2025 atlas. It started 6 months into my lease when it threw 7 different lights while driving down the street. I stopped at a light and put the car in park. After that it would not go back in drive. I had to get pushed out of the road with all my kids in the car. And have it towed to the dealership. They stated it just needed an update. After that everything started failing. The sunroof motor had to be replaced. The inside dome lights had to be replaced. The window motor had to be replaced. The infotainment system has repeatedly failed, been replaced and still fails. It has been a total nightmare

24d ago
Brakes 1

Failure of brake booster and master cylinder. Failure caused breaks to malfunction, not allowing the vehicle to break appropriately. To break, you had to step on the break very hard, break pedal did not have usual pressure. No leakage visible on the ground outside of the car. When starting the car (usually you must press on breaks) it was already obvious something was wrong. After starting the car got a warning light about break malfunction and was alerted to contact my local dealership. The car was taken to a Volkswagen dealership and is currently being repaired. It was inspected by a technician in the service department and we are waiting on replacement parts. I am still waiting on a full invoice report from the dealership. The car is less than a year old and has around 7,000 miles on it.

1mo ago
Transmission 2

While driving my 2025 Volkswagen Atlas the vehicle unexpectedly shifted itself into neutral without any action from the driver. I was driving with my daughter when this occurred. After the vehicle shifted into neutral, it would no longer shift back into drive, and I was unable to continue driving normally. This resulted in an unexpected loss of propulsion while the vehicle was being operated on the road. the vehicle had to be stopped and requires dealership inspection. I am concerned this is a serious transmission or electronic transmission -control safety defect because the vehicle can unexpectedly lose drive power while moving. The Vehicle was towed to VW car dealership in Clarksville Tn, where I reported the incident to the service employee at the desk. I would hope that the NHTSA document the unexpected shift to neutral and loss of ability to select Drive.

1mo ago
Transmission 2

Our 2025 VW Altas had several engine lights come on at the same time after parking and would not shift out of neutral. Towed to the nearest VW for service and they stated it needed a transmission replacement. This vehicle had less than 16k miles.

1mo ago
Body 1

Windshield cracked a singular crack from the top to the bottom of windshield after lifting car with spare tire jack.

1mo ago
Transmission 2

Bought it with 39k miles on it. A year old. within thirty hours I was trying to return from a trip and when I turned the key the car powered on but the engine didn’t turn over and several error messages popped up including a transmission error. The car would not start. I had it towed to the dealer and they said it was a software issue. Within 24 hours of having it back I when to drive it and a check engine light was on again. Dealer is saying it’s a piece of the transmission that needs replaced.

2mo ago
Electrical 1

Sensors keep failing. Constant on and off warnings. Radio is also only working at times. Reboots often on its own. Total distraction and very dangerous. Dealership already updated software twice. They can’t seem to fix it either.

2mo ago
Body 1

The capacitive touch controls located below the infotainment screen on this 2025 Volkswagen Atlas — used to adjust climate and audio volume — are not illuminated in low-light or nighttime driving conditions. The controls are invisible without direct light, requiring the driver to look away from the road for an extended period to locate them by feel or sight. No warning lamps preceded this condition; it appears to be a design characteristic. This constitutes a driver distraction hazard during nighttime operation. It is unknown whether this issue affects other vehicles of the same model year and trim. The component is available for inspection upon request.

2mo ago
Engine 1

The factory-installed remote start system on this 2025 Volkswagen Atlas operates intermittently, failing to activate approximately 50% of the time. The issue has been reported to an authorized VW dealer. The intermittent nature of the failure has made it difficult to reproduce consistently during service visits. When remote start fails in cold or hot weather conditions, occupants may be forced to enter an extreme-temperature vehicle, presenting a risk particularly to children and vulnerable passengers. The component is available for inspection upon request.

2mo ago
Electrical 2

The power window switches on this 2025 Volkswagen Atlas have repeatedly malfunctioned. The switches fail to operate windows consistently and have been brought to an authorized VW dealer for repair on three or more separate occasions without successful resolution. The defect has been confirmed and documented by the dealer on each visit but remains unresolved. Faulty window switches present a safety risk as they impair the driver’s ability to ventilate the vehicle, communicate with others outside the vehicle, and in an emergency, may prevent occupant egress or entry of emergency responders. The component is available for inspection upon request.

2mo ago
Electrical 2

Vehicle: 2025 Volkswagen Atlas, ~14,065 miles Electrical System / Telematics (connected services) The vehicle's connected-services system fails to complete device registration. The infotainment shows my device as paired, but Volkswagen's backend repeatedly declines the pairing, leaving all connected services non-functional. Because this same telematics module is responsible for emergency SOS and automatic crash notification, I am concerned the registration failure may compromise the vehicle's ability to place emergency calls. The dealer applied the latest software update with no effect, and a Volkswagen support ticket remains unresolved. I am filing so this connectivity/telematics defect is on record. No crash or injury. Requesting investigation into whether the registration failure affects emergency-call functionality.

2mo ago
Transmission 2

At 10,000 miles Upon starting the vehicle, it appeared to operate normally with no warning messages displayed. However, immediately after beginning to drive, the transmission began shifting extremely harshly between gears. Within a short distance, the transmission shifted with such force that the drive wheels briefly lost traction and the tires chirped/skidded. At the same time, a warning message appeared on the instrument cluster stating: "Transmission overheating – vehicle is still safe to drive." Prior to this incident, there were no transmission warning lights, messages, or noticeable symptoms. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Volkswagen dealership for inspection. The dealership retained the vehicle for approximately 14 days but was unable to duplicate the condition. The dealership advised that they found no faults, could not identify any transmission issues, and could not locate any record of the transmission overheating warning message in the vehicle's history. The sudden and severe transmission behavior created a safety concern because the unexpected harsh shifting and loss of traction could have caused loss of vehicle control, particularly in traffic or adverse road conditions. To date, the cause of the condition remains unknown.

3mo ago
Body 2

Unknown cause and effect. Driving 25-30 MPH per the stated speed limit when suddenly the car braked, going from the estimated speed to 0 in the middle of the road nearly causing a rear end collision. I had to restart the car, put it back in drive and release the parking brake to avoid impeding traffic any further. There were no dash indicators or indication noises. Just a sudden and abrupt braking.

4mo ago
Transmission 2

On April 20, 2026, my 2025 Volkswagen Atlas (approx. 31,000 miles) experienced a sudden malfunction where the vehicle became stuck in neutral and would not shift into drive or reverse, despite starting normally. This occurred without warning and rendered the vehicle inoperable, requiring it to be towed to a dealership. Prior to this incident, I experienced intermittent issues with the remote start function through the mobile app, as well as repeated warning messages related to the front/parking sensor system. These warnings had been occurring in the days leading up to the failure. At the time of the incident, the vehicle could not be moved or driven, which created a safety concern due to unexpected immobilization. This type of failure could potentially leave a driver stranded in unsafe conditions or locations. A tow technician was eventually able to shift the vehicle upon arrival; however, due to the seriousness and unpredictability of the issue, the vehicle was still transported to the dealership for inspection. As of this report, the issue has not yet been diagnosed. Dealership personnel indicated verbally that the issue may be related to a recall, although no official confirmation has been provided. If this is accurate, this raises additional safety concerns. The vehicle is currently at the dealership and available for inspection.

4mo ago
Body 1

tire size 245/60/R18/105T car was purchased new in 2025, after 4750 miles of driving i reported having 5 flat tires . It appears to me that these tires are soft ( maybe for sales purposes ) but are not correct for vechicle weight and class plus perhaps Flordia heat and temperatures . each time a screw or nail was found . i can understand 1 or 2 but 5 in only driving limited miles as I am retired I asked to get a partial refund so I could purchase a better tires and they are not responding or telling me to contact the tire company. Its not the tires per say but the selection VW has made to sell their cars

4mo ago
Body 1

Front axle bolt on passenger side loosed and the entire wheel can move over one inch from side to side

5mo ago
Electrical 2

The contact owns a 2025 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power. There was a beeping sound coming from the instrument panel, and the alarm system unexpectedly activated. The contact stated that the electrical system occasionally failed to function properly. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the alarm continued to sound and required several attempts to turn off the alarm. The contact became aware that the alarm had activated for the third-row seats even though the seat was not occupied. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times; however, the failure could not be duplicated, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 3,208.

6mo ago
Electrical 4

In December all of the cameras and front assist sensors stopped working. When I called to get into a Volkswagen dealer they first told me to get a car wash and that should solve it. When that didn’t work they weren’t able to get my car in for about 1 month. I’m that time we collided with deer on the highway and none of the collision assists worked. Now my car repaired and it’s still not working. My car was new in July 2025.

6mo ago
Engine 1

The contact owns a 2025 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic, the vehicle stalled. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle failed to restart. The contact was unable to move to the side of the road and called the Police. The Police helped to push the vehicle to the side of the road. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the transmission control module needed to be updated. The transmission control module was updated; however, several weeks later, while the vehicle was at the dealer for a maintenance check, the contact was informed that there was an oil leak. The dealer found engine oil inside the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

6mo ago

42 total

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