Used 2018 Volkswagen Atlas Consumer Reviews
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Lots of problems
Deanna, 05/14/2018
updated 11/15/2019
2018 Volkswagen Atlas V6 Launch Edition 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 8A)
44 of 46 people found this review helpful
We bought our atlas almost a year ago we used to love it.. from the beginning our only complaint was a throttle delay and all of a sudden it would jolt forward. In the last month and half we took it in for oil change ended up staying for 5 days for recal work and the parts were back ordered. We then had it back a week before the start stop error occurred and check engine light on.. there again back order on parts it was in the shop a week. Had it back another week before the car shut off right after I started it said immobilizer was active would not turn back on.. it finally did but the EPC light and check engine light was on I took my son to therapy and went home the lights went off but the next day same thing happened shut off and would not start when it did same thing EPC and check engine light I drive it straight to the dealer this time I could not open windows and start stop control error again and other things.. it's been in the shop now for 2 weeks back ordered parts with no ETA and not even sure what there replacing will fix it. We have had catalytic converter replaced 31 days at the dealership for that balancing bar and transmission leak 30 days for that and than we had the transmission in emergency mode and car safety warning less than 2 months later ended up replacing it. Since then the transmission is slow to respond and than jerks forward lots of noises like things are loose which doesn't surprise me after having the front end and transmission area disassembled 3 times
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Nice SUV, BUT..........
N. Kaplan, 12/16/2017
updated 12/18/2018
2018 Volkswagen Atlas V6 SEL 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 8A)
127 of 136 people found this review helpful
December 18, 2018 Update: No longer have the Atlas--too unsafe to drive. Enjoying my new Japanese manufactured SUV! June 17, 2018 Update: No improvement at all in the vehicle's safety and driver assist systems. The Atlas has stopped itself in body-jarring fashion for no reason whatsoever on three separate occasions. Driving this vehicle is an accident and/or injury waiting to happen. These serious flaws totally negate any of the positive features of the vehicle. Despite local Volkswagen engineers acknowledging that these problems in the Atlas exist, Volkswagen of America continues to deny that it is a known issue. Safety and injury concerns have forced me to order a new SUV--one with Japanese engineering this time. I am quite concerned about the effectiveness and consistency of the vehicle’s safety & driver assist systems. The Autonomous Emergency Braking system failed in two different ways: did not stop or even try to stop the vehicle when it was quite close to crashing into a stationary vehicle; and abruptly stopped the vehicle when I was safely pulling out of a driveway with no vehicles approaching from either direction and no obstacles in front of me. In fact, my Atlas almost always sounds a warning alert each time I exit any driveway. Also, I would never rely on the vehicle’s Lane Assist system. Sometimes the car will counter-steer, and sometimes it won’t, independent of the speed I am driving or how clear are the lane markings. The service advisor at my VW dealership told me that other new Atlas owners came in and reported having these same problems. So far, no solutions.
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2018 Volkswagen Atlas for sale near you
3 of 42 listings
- V6 SEL Premium 4dr SUVMSRP: $18,837In-stock online
- V6 SE w/Technology 4dr SUVMSRP: $17,998In-stock online
- V6 SE w/Technology 4dr SUVMSRP: $18,998In-stock online
See all 42 listings
Fixing to go back to service for check engine ligh
Chad P, 10/22/2017
2018 Volkswagen Atlas V6 S 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 8A)
78 of 83 people found this review helpful
We have a 2018 Atlas like the size for the money and has lots of interior and a like the vehicle overall but we drove it home Monday labor day and had to take it back the next day because the check engine light came on and was at dealership for 5 days , now today 10/21/2017 the check engine light is back on . We like the Atlas overall but don't like paying for a vehicle that's this new that were having to take back to the shop . Hindsight we should have brought a Honda pilot .
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Still Unhappy Atlas SE owner
Todd P, 11/27/2017
updated 05/31/2018
2018 Volkswagen Atlas V6 SE 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 8A)
98 of 105 people found this review helpful
We got our Atlas SE in June, and we’re happy weather in the beginning. Then noticed issues with assembly fuel mileage and engine noises. VW claims the atlas it’s 18/25 Mpg. We have yet to get more than 11 MPG. I have taken it on short trips on the freeway and have not gotten better than 18 mpg. Dealer claims that it’s normal because I only drive on the city streets. That doesn’t make sense. Tell lights aren’t lined up, one headlight is off line, or die lined up, liftgate is not in line, hood is not in line, and we had a door panel armrest that had to be replaced because it came undone. On acceleration we getting noise that sounds like sucking air, dealership says all the vehicles do that. When we turn off the motor it sounds like a fan hitting a metal shroud, dealer again says that’s normal and all the vehicles are the same. We are paying a lot of money for this vehicle and we expected to be assembled properly. Manufacturer has been involved and has no solution to fix things they replace the taillight but it’s in the same spot one taillight has a spacer and is up the other taillight doesn’t and is flush. I pointed out this fact and suggested that they left gate was not installed correctly. The body lines don’t lineup and there is a large space between the bumper guard in the liftgate. Nothing was done. First time took it for these issues they put us in a Jetta And how do our Atlas for one week. They had to order tail light and door panel. When they came in they put us in another Jetta for two days. The tail light still is not correct. Call the dealership and manufacture again regarding these issues, and was told to set an appointment at the dealer and they would bring in the technician again. I told them to make the appointment and I would be there to meet with the technician this time. Have not heard back yet. Update: Contacted Volkswagen corporate, addressed issues regarding flaws and bad craftsmanship of the atlas. Was told that the issues I am having are within normal levels and they do not plan to do anything about it. I requested a change of vehicles because I noticed that the ones that are coming out now are near Flawless and craftsmanship. Bodylines lineup, lights are straight and lineup, but they say that because the flaws on my particular vehicle are at an acceptable level they will not exchange vehicles. They are blaming the fuel mileage problem on me saying it's my driving habits. But I have a dash cam installed now that is recording every time I start the vehicle and it shows proof that it's not my driving habits. I'm not hard on the accelerator I'm not hard on the stops, but I am still only getting 13 miles to the gallon, and that is mixing between freeway and streets. So due to this I will not be returning for another Volkswagen. I will finish out the term of my lease and give this back to them. Still a very unhappy customer, even though this is my 4th Volkswagen since 2013. They won't stand behind their work so I won't give them any more of my money.
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It's a good SUV except....
David L., 10/02/2017
2018 Volkswagen Atlas V6 SEL 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 8A)
74 of 79 people found this review helpful
I was driving a 2011 Chevy Suburban which I loved but I didn't need such a large vehicle anymore and I wanted to get more than 12 mpg. I loved how the new Atlas looked but I've always heard that you "shouldn't buy the first year's edition for a new car model because they need to get the bugs out". I ignored this advice and jumped into a 3-year lease of the SEL with 4Motion. Before I even drove it off the lot, I noticed that there was a gap between the bumper and the grill on the driver's side that didn't exist on the passenger's side. The VW staff took some photos that they were going to send to VW Corporate as they thought it was a manufacturing issue that needed to be addressed. I brought the car into the dealership a week later so the issue could be resolved...not a big deal to me. I have now driven the car 2000 miles and here are my thoughts on it. Overall I like the vehicle but I HATE, HATE, HATE the automatic engine turnoff feature that activates whenever the car comes to a stop. The car has an on/off button for this feature on the dash but it turns itself back on every time the car in started. I am hoping that at some point VW will offer an update so the feature can be permanently disabled in the settings. I am guessing that this feature is to help save gas but it is very annoying at times and I tend to feel that it may be a safety issue in certain driving situation...such as when trying to make a left turn across lanes of moving traffic. The on/off feature causes a slight hesitation before the vehicle begins moving again which could be the difference between being involved in an accident or not. If the feature can't be permanently turned off, it would be good if it was deactivated whenever the turn signals were turned on. Another feature I didn't like is the lane departure correction. Depending on the when the painted lines on the road start, stop or swerve, the lane correction feature can quite quickly steer the car to one side unexpectedly. It can be very startling at times and again I feel that it can cause an accident in some situations. Luckily, this feature can be permanently deactivated in the car safety settings...which I did.
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