Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, backup camera).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2019 Volkswagen Atlas owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the windows would engage independently and roll down. The contact was unable to roll the windows up. The contact stated that the failure occurred increasingly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V152000 (Air Bags) and the VIN was included. The dealer replaced the doors control module and the front door wiring harness; however, the failure reoccurred. Additionally, the contact stated while driving with or without cruise control activated, the automatic emergency braking (AEB) system would engage inadvertently. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH with the Adaptive Cruise Control activated, the vehicle stopped independently. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and resumed normal driving. …
The contact owned a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that when driving at various speeds, when veering towards the left or right with the vehicle, the vehicle would turn in the opposite direction the steering wheel was being directed. The contact would have to turn the steering wheel in the desired direction to straighten the vehicle and turn it towards the intended direction. The lane assist would cause the vehicle to misread the direction of the road and turn the vehicle in the opposite direction. The failure had become progressively worse and more persistent. The contact stated that while driving past a driveway, the Lane Assist determined there was a curb near the vehicle, aggressively turning the vehicle towards the curb, causing the vehicle to crash into the mailbox near the driveway. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed and totaled. The mailbox was damaged. …
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 contact stated that the vehicle restarted on its own and she was able to drive to her destination. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. On another occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle decelerated independently and the message "There Is Someone in Front of You" appeared on the instrument panel. The contact also stated that the air bag warning light illuminated once, and the rear-view camera screen would inadvertently go black. …
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving approximately 60-70 MPH, the vehicle abruptly slowed and jolted the driver forward. The Forward Collision Avoidance assist sensor light illuminated and there was an abnormal beeping sound detected. The contact was able to pull over safely. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who stated the vehicle was not safe to be driven. The dealer experienced the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure and referred her to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving 17 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently made a sudden stop. The contact stated that the Forward Collision Avoidance brake assist, the cruise control symbol, and stability control system waring lights illuminated. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to properly accelerate while driving. The dealer was contacted and stated that the contact would receive a callback. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 59,600.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the Forward Collision Avoidance Emergency Automatic Braking engaged and the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the mechanic mentioned an unknown wiring harness that might be the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the automatic braking system independently activated. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the instrument cluster displayed two vehicles crashing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact stated that the failure had previously occurred twice. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,192.
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. After attempting to uncheck and deactivate the option from the settings, it still does not save this option and the icon remains on as well as checked in the option selection. I am concerned this sensor malfunction will cause a sudden unnecessary brake while driving and put me and my family at risk for an accident. The alert was reported to the VW dealership on October 7, 2021 where I purchased the vehicle. Their assessment, findings and recommendations are to perform a wheel alignment and ACC recalibration since this sensor failure is not under "warranty " and is at cost to the owner which is over $350. Copy of service department description available to share. …
Vehicle applies emergency braking without warning when no objects are in front of it. This has happened on the highway and at lower speeds. Car will stop in the middle of the road and i have had a number of close calls with people nearly hitting me. I have taken it to my dealer that i leased it from and a dealer in South Carolina while on vacation and spoken to VW customer service directly but they tell me there is no issue. To stop the warnings going off i have to put the car in custom off-road which disables the front sensors and turns off the front assist manually. But i worked this out myself and VW insist there is no problem. I should not be searching for a work around to ensure the safety of my family in my car. …
Purchased car from VW on 04/24/21. Noticed an issue the car breaking on its own at low speeds less then 5mph and then completely shutting off, about a month into owning it. 08/19/21 car was taken in for service to fix the automatic breaking issue/shutting off. Car was returned to me about a week later stating the "problem" was fixed. In December 2021, I started noticing the problem again, as this point I assume since the "problem" was fixed maybe this was just how the car was. Finally in March of 2022 while driving at a speed of about 30MPH the car started breaking on its own and completed shut off in the middle of driving! At that point it called my local VW and told them they need to take the Car in ASAP to have it looked at the fix this problem once and for all, as of now this is a MAJOR safety issue. Myself and my children could have been seriously injured from this incident!! …
NHTSA investigations
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
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…
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
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.
Collision Avoidance complaints in other Atlas years
Frequently asked questions
How common are collision avoidance problems on the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas?
NHTSA has 79 complaints about the driver assistance of the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas, 16% of the model year's 482 complaints. The component named most often is automatic emergency braking (54 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2019 Volkswagen Atlas collision avoidance problems?
No. NHTSA lists no driver assistance recall for the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas, though it has 12 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2019 Volkswagen Atlas collision avoidance problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 13,000 miles, and 73% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to driver assistance problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.