2025 Volkswagen Atlas Brakes Problems
- Complaints
- 5about this part
- Share
- 10%of 51 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 3,000miles
- Trend
- Too newThis model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.
NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the brakes of the 2025 Volkswagen Atlas, 10% of the 51 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 3,000 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.
“The autonomous braking activates out of no where while driving. Violently hard and nothing around. A message appears on the dash board saying it can not sense hands on steering wheel. Also while backing up it will activate and no one is near the car or it even activates in an empty parking lot. The car jolted so hard when this happens and everyone went flying forward. No ..the dealer has had the car for 8 days and says they can not replicate the problem. He asked me for permission to drive it to Land O Lakes and I said no the car is very dangerous and that is a huge liability . …”
NHTSA complaint #11684583, filed 2025-09“Grinding plus vibration when you turn the wheels slightly and brake hard. Could be a stuck or dragging caliper, uneven pad wear, or a bent dust shield rubbing the rotor. Might be bolts that weren’t tightened right on the brake and suspension parts.”
NHTSA complaint #11764205, filed 2026-09“The contact owns a 2025 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the brakes independently engaged. The contact was unable to disengage the brakes. The vehicle was stopped in the middle of the road with several warning unknown lights illuminated, and undisclosed messages were displayed. The contact turned off the vehicle, and after several restarting attempts, the contact was unable to disengage the brakes. The contact was unable to move the shift lever. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that an undisclosed update was needed. …”
NHTSA complaint #11688942, filed 2025-09, 3,000 miles“Vehicle: 2025 Volkswagen Atlas R-Line Incident Description: While driving on the freeway in rainy conditions through a construction zone, I applied the brakes to slow down. The brake pedal suddenly went soft, lost hydraulic pressure, and sank toward the floorboard. The vehicle failed to stop or slow down properly, creating an extreme safety hazard and a feeling of sliding without braking power. Approximately three hours later, the vehicle was stopped on a downward-inclined driveway to let out a passenger. …”
NHTSA complaint #11766580, filed 2026-09“Failure of brake booster and master cylinder. Failure caused breaks to malfunction, not allowing the vehicle to break appropriately. To break, you had to step on the break very hard, break pedal did not have usual pressure. No leakage visible on the ground outside of the car. When starting the car (usually you must press on breaks) it was already obvious something was wrong. After starting the car got a warning light about break malfunction and was alerted to contact my local dealership. The car was taken to a Volkswagen dealership and is currently being repaired. …”
NHTSA complaint #11756552, filed 2026-08Related service bulletins
- 11036878Aug 27, 2026Repair or Replace Information
- 11036877Aug 27, 2026Brake rotor resurfacing
- 11026177Nov 6, 2025Warranty Instruction and guidance
- 11026175Nov 5, 2025How to handle brake noise or pulsation during Perfect Delivery Inspection (PDI)
- 11026176Nov 4, 2025Identify and resurfacing brake rotors.
- 11026174Nov 3, 2025Alignment sheet submission.
- 11018937May 22, 2025Disc Cleaning
- 11018936May 1, 2025Steps to perform when a customer states and unwarranted Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB).
- 11017580Apr 22, 2025Warranty brake rotor machining is allowed between 6 and 12 months or 6,000 and 12,000 miles
- 11016584Mar 12, 2025Brake Repair or Replacement Information
Brakes: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 7% |
| 2025 | 5 | 10% |
| 2024 | 37 | 21% |
| 2023 | 15 | 11% |
| 2022 | 50 | 27% |
| 2021 | 98 | 20% |
| 2020 | 4 | 15% |
| 2019 | 79 | 16% |
| 2018 | 75 | 16% |
Other parts of the 2025 Volkswagen Atlas
18 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
13 complaintsOther or unknown
12 complaintsEngine
7 complaintsForward collision avoidance
7 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
4 complaintsLane departure
4 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaintsExterior lighting
2 complaintsSteering
2 complaintsSuspension
2 complaintsVehicle speed control
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2025 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