2019 Volkswagen Atlas: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
468 NHTSA owner complaints · 11 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
468 NHTSA owner complaints · 11 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 66.86
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The airbag error light in the vehicle came on. I took it to the dealership where the vehicle was purchased. They are charging $300.+ per hour to repair the issue. The vehicle has never been in an accident. The airbag has never been deployed.
I was stopped at a drive thru window and as I reached out to get my food, the window rose up by itself. As I drove home over the next ten minutes, the locks locked and unlocked by themselves and the windows rolled down and up by themselves. Warning lights came on and then went off, including "Fault: Electronic parking brake," and "Error:Airbag." The dash screen went off for a few seconds and then came back on.
XXX as my husband, child and myself drove from [XXX] to [XXX] our SUNROOF exploded. We heard a loud boom noise sounded like a balloon exploded. My little one started crying looked around and the sunroof shattered into tiny pieces. I called VW Customer Care according to them the agent she said she didn't see a recall but had heard somewhere that it's common. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATIO…
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 23V671000 | Air Bags:Side/Window:Curtain | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Atlas vehicles. The driver's side impact air bag may be missing a … |
| 21V142000 | Tires:Sidewall | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Atlas vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affect… |
| 22V086000 | Equipment:Other:Labels | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles equipped with a… |
| 18V904000 | Suspension:Rear:Springs:Coil Springs | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas, 2015 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen, and 2019 Vo… |
| 19V218000 | Air Bags:Side/Window | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Atlas and 2020 Passat vehicles. An incorrect driver and/or front p… |
| 19V614000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assem | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Atlas vehicles. The suction jet in the fuel tank may have been wel… |
| 19V389000 | Exterior Lighting:Headlights | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2020 Volkswagen Passat and 2018-2019 Atlas vehicles. The blocking … |
| 18V824000 | Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Pa | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan and 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles… |
EPA combined 19 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,250
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Air Bags (139 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 5/100, computed from 468 NHTSA complaints and 11 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 11 recall campaign(s) for the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas, 6 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 04/10/2023. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-08-20.