# New Volkswagen Atlas issues?



## Mkennedy95 (Mar 9, 2021)

Hey everyone. I wanted to get some insight on some issues that I’ve been having with my brand new 2021 Volkswagen Atlas 4wd v6. I bought it back in September 2020.
Issues: 
-I already knew the Atlas had sluggish acceleration and I bought that vehicle accepting that. But I have found the Atlas has inconsistent acceleration issues where sometimes the car takes off successfully and other times it struggles to take off. It is quite frustrating and it does not feel like a smooth ride when pressing on the gas.
-The heat feature in the AC unit has been showing it’s true character lately. I have to turn the heat to 80+ for it to even get remotely warm in my car. I cannot turn it any less than 80 degrees or else it blows out cool air that some would argue is actually cold air. I have tested this even after driving my car for 30 min or more so it’s not as if I just turned on my car and tried to blast the heat. I get that. So I am concerned why the heat temperature is not reflecting properly what it should feel like. I did not have this issue with my previous vehicle (I had a BMW 3 series, I know we are not comparing apples to apples here but I want to know if this should be concerning).
-When sitting in idle (either parked or in drive with my foot in the brake) I have witnessed the Atlas has a tendency to shake or rumble from below the foot boards. It does not happen all of the time but it has happened a few times I can count on my hand. This is also witnessed after my car has already warmed up. Any explanation for this?
-Lastly, the Atlas is accompanied by the auto start feature which I absolutely hate that I have to manually turn it off every time I turn on my vehicle. It is extremely frustrating and it has proven its true frustration to me lately. I had the auto start feature turned on and I reached a red light. I stopped with my foot in the brake. My car then temporarily turned off as it does with this feature. But I then I turned off the auto start feature and usually the Atlas will turn back on after that. But it did not turn back on. The light turned green and I let go of the break and pressed on the gas. The car did not go. It was still In drive but it’s as if the computer didn’t recognize to turn the car back on. What the heck?! How dangerous could this be on the highway or any busy street in stop and go traffic. And not to mention a huge inconvenience. So even when I want to use this feature, I can’t just turn it off whenever I want because i had to shut off my car completely and then turn it back on for it to move! Has anyone experienced this?

I contacted my service provider at the dealership and they said there’s nothing wrong with the car and basically told me they are unable to help me because they couldn’t “duplicate” my concerns... they told me to call volskwagen customer service... I feel ignored and so here I am to see what thoughts you all might have. I appreciate it if you got this far in my post so thank you. If you need any clarification please let me know.


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## Tim K (Jan 31, 2001)

The transmission programming stinks. Drive is "S" (sport mode) by pulling back on the shifter. This gives the vehicle a more expected shift pattern.
The heat in my 2019 Atlas is great and comes on quickly. This is an issue that the dealer should be able to duplicate or that you should be able to pull in with the heat on and show them it isn't blowing hot.
I've had no rumbling under the floorboards. I wonder if something is loose like an exhaust hanger or a bad motor mount? Again, this is something you may have to duplicate FOR THEM.
The auto shutoff and stay off has happened to a few owners that I've seen. It shouldn't happen but is impossible to duplicate. You can permanently disable the feature if you want. Just search and you'll find the directions (there's a separate cable that measures battery voltage that when disconnected prevents auto shutdown from ever working).


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## nmanley (Nov 26, 2020)

That cable for the auto start does not work on the 2021 models. Already tried it. I hate auto start too and pretty much forget to deactivate it every time I get in the car since it's my wife's ride.
Cannot comment on the other issues


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## GjR32 (Dec 22, 2010)

Mkennedy95 said:


> Hey everyone. I wanted to get some insight on some issues that I’ve been having with my brand new 2021 Volkswagen Atlas 4wd v6. I bought it back in September 2020.
> Issues:
> -I already knew the Atlas had sluggish acceleration and I bought that vehicle accepting that. But I have found the Atlas has inconsistent acceleration issues where sometimes the car takes off successfully and other times it struggles to take off. It is quite frustrating and it does not feel like a smooth ride when pressing on the gas.
> -The heat feature in the AC unit has been showing it’s true character lately. I have to turn the heat to 80+ for it to even get remotely warm in my car. I cannot turn it any less than 80 degrees or else it blows out cool air that some would argue is actually cold air. I have tested this even after driving my car for 30 min or more so it’s not as if I just turned on my car and tried to blast the heat. I get that. So I am concerned why the heat temperature is not reflecting properly what it should feel like. I did not have this issue with my previous vehicle (I had a BMW 3 series, I know we are not comparing apples to apples here but I want to know if this should be concerning).
> ...


I hate it when the dealer says they can’t replicate the issue. Is there another dealer nearby you can go to? Can you video any of the issues when they happen so you have some proof? Does the heating or lack of happen every time because surely you can replicate that for them when you take it into service. If you want to heat the car up as quickly as possible make sure the AC button/light is off too.


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## Hfqkhal (Oct 14, 2018)

For the heat please check the coolant levels. Low coolant usually causes lower temperature 


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## mtbsteve (Dec 6, 2011)

No major problems on mine so far but still only a few weeks old and under 800 miles - wife's car which doesn't / won't get a ton of miles. Have a leaking rear washer fluid line, possibly tied to work the dealer did when installing a pulsing third brake light, leaks about a foot past the connection with the light.
As for the autostart, I believe I am able to disable it whenever I want, including at a stop, when the engine has shut off. I probably wouldn't try to disable as I come to a stop or as I am taking off, just figure I would trip the system somehow. I have heard of VW/Audi issues with this function, most recently with a neighbor's new A6, has been in the shop twice to resolve the issue after it left her in a similar situation as you. I like the feature but if I know I am going to be making a lot of quick stops I just disable it, even if for just a few minutes. They can save fuel at long lights and I am sensitive to that since I came out of a plug in hybrid for the last 5 years that would always be off at lights and my new car (Sonata N Line) doesn't have the feature and it was painful watching my mpgs after 10 miles of driving drop from 28.0 to 26.8 while waiting for a long light cycle a few times. Luckily, those types of lights are not the norm for my drives or my area in general.


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## todd.brock (May 16, 2006)

I’ve smelled a slight coolant smell since almost new. Could never find a leak. Topped off about 2 weeks ago when the low level light came on. Decided to puke a bunch on the driveway the other day. It’s currently at the dealership. 

Im also having them fix the burned out fog light and the passenger side mirror that goes left/right but not/ down. 

My Kumho Crugen OE tires are down to 4/32 with 27 k miles and being rotated. Kumho said I have to talk to the dealer to file a warranty claim when they are installed On a new car. I’ll see where that goes. 



















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## GoTIme10 (Dec 6, 2014)

I have had the same issue. The drivers side temp knob stopped changing the temp and they had to replace the hvac unit. Now my AC will not come on and the rear air controls do not work at all. VW is coming to pick the car up today. I will be making a complaint to VW since this seems like a constant issue


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## mtbsteve (Dec 6, 2011)

todd.brock said:


> I’ve smelled a slight coolant smell since almost new. Could never find a leak. Topped off about 2 weeks ago when the low level light came on. Decided to puke a bunch on the driveway the other day. It’s currently at the dealership.
> 
> Im also having them fix the burned out fog light and the passenger side mirror that goes left/right but not/ down.
> 
> ...


Good luck with the repairs. I always figure if you get 30k +/- miles out of OEM tires, you did pretty good. They typically put tires on that have a lower treadwear rating which usually equals a slightly stickier and quieter ride and that usually means they wear out a little faster. For replacements, I usually look to the ones rated for 50k-75k miles and hope to get within 10k miles of those numbers. I don't like to go down to the legal limit, 5/32 is usually where I ditch the tires do to decreased performance in wet weather.


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## todd.brock (May 16, 2006)

You’re right- the dealer said tires are fine. They replaced the water pump , mirror motor and the fog light bulb. 

Fast forward to today and I get a low coolant light , coolant is almost at bottom of reservoir, and the valve cover appears to be leaking. Back to Dealership we go! Can’t wait to hear what the issue is now!











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## Senior Member (Jul 2, 2016)

todd.brock said:


> You’re right- the dealer said tires are fine. They replaced the water pump , mirror motor and the fog light bulb.
> 
> Fast forward to today and I get a low coolant light , coolant is almost at bottom of reservoir, and the valve cover appears to be leaking. Back to Dealership we go! Can’t wait to hear what the issue is now!
> 
> ...


Good luck


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