Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2024 Volkswagen Atlas owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that when starting the vehicle there would be a knocking sound coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The failure occurred approximately three times. The accelerator pedal would fail to move the vehicle without flooring the accelerator pedal intermittently. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The contact received notice of NHTSA Campaign Number23V593000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 11,000.
The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine, exhaust system malfunction, and master warning lights were illuminated. The messages "Engine Control Malfunction" and "Transmission Overheated" were displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,227.
Car exploded. I was driving fine with ac running when all of a sudden gray smoke came out the hood of the car. I stoped in a side street. I turned off the car and the gray smoke became black. I took my phone and ran out. As I ran the car exploded like a bomb on the street and started throwing flames. Car is completely loss. Car has been to it's maintainer and everything and nothing found.
On [redacted], I was driving that vehicle on [redacted] in the vicinity of Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda, Florida, with three persons inside when the vehicle experienced substantial vibration, a loud knocking noise and major loss of power while in the high speed lane. This occurred somewhere around 8:45 AM. Traffic was heavy thereby increasing the risk of an accident resulting from the loss of power and vibration. I was able to keep the vehicle running and slowly make my way to a suitable place to safely park the car. When this occurred there were several warning lights that appeared. The vehicle has been serviced by a VW dealer in Port Charlotte, FL. VW subsequently replaced the "Longblock and Turbocharger", reassembled the Engine and Transmission assembly and reinstalled that into the vehicle. …
when stopped at light or parked engine has rough idling, car is at dealership as of today 10/8/2024. It has been at dealership off and on for same issue for a total of 56 days. Vehicle only has 3000 miles. In regards to safety, we do not know if vehicle will shut off when at a stop light due to rough idling. The problem has been reproduced 3 separate times (have a video of the tachometer showing rough idle), the dealership has also reproduced problem. The vehicle has been inspected and check by Carolina Volkswagen dealership. They are in contact with the manufacturer. There were no warning lights, but we could see the rough idling on the tachometer. It happened intermittently upon purchased, but go progressively worse. We took it in on 7/25/2024 for 4 days. Took it again for same issue on 8/15/2024 they had it for 42 days. …
Vehicle was first sohwn to have low coolant and improper temps in the engine compartment, found to have multiple issues by independent car care facility regarding the coolant system and engine temperature. This also caused issues with rpms at idle and while parked. Car was taken to dealership for repair. Replacements under warranty made including thermostat, coolant pump, vacuum pump, toothed belt cover, and pressure pipe, etc. 1,000 miles later, issues continued, with the dealership having to perform a second fix including fixing the intake runner control valve. The car still behaved irregularly though assured that dealership performed full inspection. Now, third set of problems have arisen with the vehicle, with significantly low coolant after only 5 months post-repair and multiple spraying stains from oxidized coolant inside engine compartment. …
It's been about one month since engine light has lit up on the dashboard and stays on now. The first incident occurred about a week ago, as I was driving, I was slowing down to go into a roundabout, the vehicle begin to jerk and pull back, a red triangle exclamation mark light started going off warning me to safely park my vehicle as it had overheated. I assumed it was low on coolant so I topped it off to see if that would fix the issue. Then two days later after the first incident it occurred again. I came to a stop at a set of stoplights and when it was time to go, as I was accelerating I felt it starting to jerk again and again, I started getting a bunch of red warning lights to safely park my vehicle as it had overheated again and a message popped up on the dashboard about the speed. I can't quite remember the wording. …
The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas suddenly lost all power and acceleration while driving at approximately 45 mph with a child passenger. There were no warning lights, messages, or abnormal symptoms prior to the failure. Pressing the accelerator pedal, including flooring it, produced no response, and the vehicle continued to decelerate. I was able to coast into a nearby neighborhood and pull off the road safely. Had this occurred on a highway, it could have resulted in a serious accident. After stopping, the engine would not restart and only made a clicking sound. The check engine light illuminated at that point. The vehicle has been undrivable since. The dealership initially attributed the issue to the tires. After further diagnosis, they determined a complete engine replacement is required. The vehicle is still under warranty with roughly 44,000 miles. …
Repeated concerns involving the reliable response to pressing the gas pedal. Directly after purchase notified dealership the vehicle felt unsafe to drive. That pressing the gas pedal did not guarantee the vehicle would predictably move forward. Response ranges from high rpm with no forward propulsion, delayed response with eventual slow or regular movement, high rpm with no forward movement when taking tight turn, feeling of incorrect gear. Most important when passing and accelerating or moving into traffic from stop you do not know how the vehicle will respond. Two Volkswagen dealers have inspected and state there is nothing wrong. Vehicle has recently had vacuum seals replaced which gave a temporary improvement of response feel but has degraded and left vehicle with a rough idle at stopping. …
I was driving approximately 72 - 74 mph on an expressway and approaching traffic ahead of me. To move around this traffic, I switched lanes and attempted to accelerate. Immediately upon pressing the accelerator, the vehicle began to sputter, jerk, and decelerate, and the engine revved at what sounded like a very high rate of RPMs. The vehicle continued to sputter and jerk as it decelerated to a speed of approximately 55 - 58 mph. Once the vehicle reached that speed range, I was able to maintain my velocity; however, the vehicle continued to sputter and jerk until I brought it to a full stop. Additionally, if I attempted to accelerate, the RPMs turned at a very high rate and no acceleration occurred. I reported the issue to the dealership immediately and brought it to the service department when they opened the following morning. …
Related recalls
Engine
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The engine cover may have been improperly installed after vehicle service, allowing it to come loose and contact hot engine surfaces.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the engine cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 7, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 10X5.
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Hard parts internal/mechanical
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2024 Atlas PA2 and Atlas Cross Sport PA vehicles. The engine connecting rod bearings may become damaged, which can result in engine failure.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 28, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
Engine complaints in other Atlas years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas, 18% of the model year's 174 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2024 Volkswagen Atlas engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 25V-100 (engine, Feb 17, 2025); NHTSA recall 23V-593 (hard parts internal/mechanical, Aug 23, 2023). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2024 Volkswagen Atlas engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 18,000 miles, and 100% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to engine & cooling 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.