2018 Volkswagen Atlas Electronic stability control Problems
- Complaints
- 11about this part
- Share
- 2%of 467 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 20,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the electronic stability control of the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, 2% of the 467 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 20,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I own a vw Atlas which is 2 months old. Battery died all of a sudden 2 months back. Had to jump start the vehicle. Couple of days back battery was complete down again. I used the car everyday before battery went cold in my garage.”
NHTSA complaint #11306549, filed 2020-02, 20,000 miles“March 5, 2020. 2018 vw Atlas, 2017 mid-year delivery. There have been multiple occasions of emergency braking being performed by the car without driving condition needing the safety intervention. There have been five occurrences to date with the vehicle: 1. Driving I-75 in to atlanta --while driving next to an 18 wheeler (18-w) [tanker] , the car slammed on the brakes while at a speed around 75 until the car was behind the rear of the trailer. There was no condition for need this reaction (the 18-w and I maintained lane control.) 2. …”
NHTSA complaint #11316386, filed 2020-03, 30,500 miles“I was driving my 2018 vw Atlas with 8,800 miles on it on 11/5/18. I was stopped at a traffic light and when the light turned green the car's engine did not turn back on from idling and all the lights on the dashboard started going off telling me various things. I do not think having an ecofriendly car is worth it turning off to not turn back on when it's supposed to. I had to have it towed to the dealership, who fixed the car telling me that there were software updates and that the battery was drained. …”
NHTSA complaint #11149926, filed 2018-11, 8,800 miles“Automatic braking system is faulty. When I pull out of driveways or parking lots the sensors are activating and the maneuver braking is applied and the car comes to an abrubt stop in the middle of the road. Everytime this has occured there has not been an object or car present. This system is faulty and dangerous. I have 3 children in the back seat and this makes me very concerned for their safety when I drive this vehicle. Vw service is looking into the issue and has given me a loaner Atlas that is doing the exact same thing. I have a video of the issue occuring.”
NHTSA complaint #11110813, filed 2018-07, 4,446 miles“On monday 6/10/2019 at 18:10, I was driving west on california highway 91 in riverside california. I was on the phone with my wife, the car was on cruise control, going 65 MPH. There were no cars in front of me, I was driving in the second lane from the right. My car approached an 18 wheeler truck and it was passing the truck. The truck was on the right lane, my car approached on the next lane to the left. The car was still on cruise control and I was still on the phone with my wife. As the car was passing the truck, the vw Atlas executes an emergency brake as if something was in my way. …”
NHTSA complaint #11219409, filed 2019-06, 33,000 milesElectronic stability control: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 4 | 1% |
| 2018 | 11 | 2% |
Other parts of the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas
111 complaintsAir bags
100 complaintsEngine
100 complaintsBrakes
75 complaintsOther or unknown
73 complaintsFuel system
35 complaintsForward collision avoidance
31 complaintsSteering
27 complaintsSeats
17 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
16 complaintsExterior lighting
14 complaintsSeat belts
13 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology