2018 Volkswagen Atlas Vehicle speed control Problems
- Complaints
- 11about this part
- Share
- 2%of 467 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 5,223miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the vehicle speed control of the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, 2% of the 467 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 5,223 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.
“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“I have had this car two months and it has now been in service twice. As of today they have had it for two weeks. The autonomous break system is way too sensitive and the car stops going down steep inclines or going over pot holes while in motion. The car has stopped in the middle of driving at least 7 times. I take it to service, they say there is no record in the cars computer of the incident. The front sensors are always beeping. I pull up to a stop sign, the sensors go off. I do a u-turn and the sensors go off. Some days way too excessively, some days not at all. …”
NHTSA complaint #11127895, filed 2018-09, 1,000 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 miles“The auto braking and warning sensors go off when you are driving from an inclined driveway to a roadway. This has happened to us multiple times, the most recent was on 7-2-2018, and it brings the vehicle to a complete stop. This is supposed to be a safety feature that was an extra cost, but this is going to cause a crash if not rectified. I have taken the vehicle in for this issue, and multiple other issues and all I get back is ' system is performing as designed.' if the system is performing as designed, the system needs to be changed. This is without a doubt a safety issue in itself. …”
NHTSA complaint #11110898, filed 2018-07, 7,000 miles“The car stops on its own while driving, all lights on dash illuminate, and car starts again as if nothing happened. Twice going up the driveway and three times while on back roads. No one was in front of or behind us for two of the times. One of the times, it was during traffic so the speed was slow enough not to have an impact. One other time it stopped about half a car length away from the curb when parking the car. …”
NHTSA complaint #11269439, filed 2019-10, 18,000 milesVehicle speed control: other model years
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