# First Year Atlas Problems ??



## johnshenry (Jul 17, 2003)

I am planning on buying a V6 powered SUV next spring. I need at least 5000lbs towing capacity. May never tow that much, but have a tandem axle 16 ft flatbed that I use occasionally and will be moving furniture between homes over the next couple years. Been looking at 2018 and up Durangos and Highlanders.

But I have been a VW guy my whole life, currently have a '12 CC, have had Jetta, Cabrios, and I even have a '57 Beetle and a '56 VW Pickup.

Didn't consider the Atlas until I looked at what you could get them for, thought they would be too pricey. Hoping to get something for around $25k next spring. I like the Atlas, love the DSG transmission in my CC, and like the tech in the newest VW models.

But with 2018 being the first year for the Atlas, I wonder about first year type problems. Yes, the drive train is a platform drivetrain from VW. But are there things (years, options, etc.) I should be wary of? Does the Atlas have the 8 speed DSG transmission? Thanks for any pointers.


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## Jersey John (Oct 14, 2004)

Our V6 SEL has been pretty worry free; but my wife drives it and we haven’t put as many miles on ours as others may have. 


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## mhjett (Oct 16, 2000)

2018 VR6 here with zero problems, 31k miles.

Trans is an 8-speed torque converter auto (made my Aisin).

The 6/72 warranty on the 2018s is fully transferable and should give significant peace of mind if you're buying used.


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## shadytheatlas (Jul 5, 2018)

I am going to list everything wrong with the 18s (that I know of). You might want to Google recalls too. That said, VW knows about them all and has resolutions for all of them.


crimped ac condensation drain, causing damage to carpet and electronics
leaking sunroofs
bad batteries
bad catalytic converters
improperly torqued head bolts causing coolant loss
airbag sensors
missing labels
missing sticker over headlight adjustment, to prevent adjustment
rear coil issues
squeaking struts
steering rack
tie rod bolts? can’t remember, I had to have that recall done early on.

Most of these I have dealt with. It hasn’t been fun and VW Care only cares about VW. 

All that to say. I realize I was an early adopter and knew there would be issues. I still love the car. It’s the perfect size and it rides and handles better than anything else I have driven of comparable size (except the Q7, different price point). It still amazes me it handles so well given the size. As crazy as it sounds I’d purchase it again.


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## Chris4789 (Nov 29, 2017)

If it was totaled tomorrow I’d buy another.
I needed a vehicle in 2018 so I took a chance on being an early adopter of a 2018 SEL-P as it was absolutely the best available for my needs and wants.
This was my first VW, I probably would not have bought it without the great warranty. I now have 46k miles on it and I’m extremely happy with it.
I occasionally tow a ski boat and the Atlas does great for that limited tough work. The features and functionality of the Atlas are outstanding which makes it a great all-around vehicle for me.
-Loading it with kids & grandkids (in car seats), hauling stuff for home remodeling, towing, safety features, size, road handling, 4WD for snow trips, etc.

I’ve had the battery, CAT and infotainment problems mentioned on this site, which are irritating, but taken care of by the dealer.
Since there is no perfect anything in this world there are always compromises and trade-offs. If you understand what you need, want, and can afford, you should be able to make an informed vehicle selection.


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## speed51133! (Aug 5, 2002)

Noisy clock spring in steering wheel and noisy steering rack. I have experienced both. The replacement rack fixed the noise. The new clock spring worked for a few weeks, not it is making the clickity clack noise again.


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## johnshenry (Jul 17, 2003)

Thanks for the inputs. I'll surely look to see what recall work was (or wasn't) done on anything I look at. So the 2018 was a 6/72 warranty, but the dropped in 2019 to something less, right? That could make a difference. I am seeing '18s for sale with really low miles for good prices. And I won't buy until the spring so they should drop a bit more.


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## Mrprice (Jul 30, 2013)

6/72 was dropped for 2020. Only 18-19 had it. I have the 19 SEL-P. Only issue I have is cruise fails if I set it after starting the car with remote start. Vw knows about the issue and will address it in the next software update. I have 22k miles and that’s the only issue I’ve come across. Stellar vehicle - very capable for anything and really enjoyable to drive. Not as fun as my ‘12 Tiguan SEL 4Mo K04 but that also can’t haul 7 passengers


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## Army11Bravo (Aug 6, 2017)

Our 2019 with 25K miles hasn't had any problems. It's been a great vehicle.


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## Bluemeansgo (May 14, 2017)

Remember that the engine that they're using isn't new. It's a tried and true 3.6L VR6 which, in some shape or form, VW has had for decades. It's not the most fuel efficient vehicle... but it IS reliable... tried and tested... and dare I say almost perfected. 

I personally would have preferred the diesel-electric hybrid that they were considering for the concept, but... #dieselgate.

We've had very few problems with the car. A few complaints, like the digital dash SHOULD be standard on the two higher-end trim lines... and the rear heated seats are near unusable... and the front seat A/C totally isn't worth it... 

I've also had a recurring problem of the head unit wanting to reset itself... but I doubt that would change. I pretty much rely on CarPlay anyhow... and almost NEVER use the VW stuff anyhow.


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## speed51133! (Aug 5, 2002)

the steering rack/ steering system and the ACC system has been a PITA for me.


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## gregk24 (Sep 26, 2015)

Bluemeansgo said:


> Remember that the engine that they're using isn't new. It's a tried and true 3.6L VR6 which, in some shape or form, VW has had for decades. It's not the most fuel efficient vehicle... but it IS reliable... tried and tested... and dare I say almost perfected.
> 
> I personally would have preferred the diesel-electric hybrid that they were considering for the concept, but... #dieselgate.
> 
> ...


Tried and true? I think the last reliable VR6 was on the Passat. The ones they are dropping into the Atlas have been having head gasket problems, some reported as early as 4,000 miles!


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## shadytheatlas (Jul 5, 2018)

gregk24 said:


> Tried and true? I think the last reliable VR6 was on the Passat. The ones they are dropping into the Atlas have been having head gasket problems, some reported as early as 4,000 miles!


I’m not a VW fanboy, but if VW had better quality control the VR6 in the Atlas probably would be reliable. It was in the Touareg forever.


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## gregk24 (Sep 26, 2015)

shadytheatlas said:


> I’m not a VW fanboy, but if VW had better quality control the VR6 in the Atlas probably would be reliable. It was in the Touareg forever.


I agree, it should be a reliable engine. I sure hope they can get the kinks worked out.


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## mhjett (Oct 16, 2000)

gregk24 said:


> Tried and true? I think the last reliable VR6 was on the Passat. The ones they are dropping into the Atlas have been having head gasket problems, some reported as early as 4,000 miles!


I'd argue the 3.6 VR6 is a solid engine. It sounds like the head gasket issues with certain Atlases have been traced back to improperly torqued head bolts. It's definitely an inexcusable problem but if so, that's really an assembly issue, not a flawed engine design.


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