# VW Atlas in shop within 24 hours



## BostonianAtlas (May 30, 2017)

really really disappointed customer here. I took the delivery of VW Atlas yesterday night and this morning the Brake light is on and there is problem with the Brake Booster. Also due to that issue I guess the automatic start stop light went off too.

I am really concerned with the quality of vehicle VW is putting out. I am an old loyal customer and had VW Passat 2003 for 15 years. I waited for them to deliver a great car and am one of the first customers to procure the Atlas, but i am really disappointed at my choice.


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## BostonianAtlas (May 30, 2017)

*ABS module is busted*

alright ABS module is busted.....not happy at all



BostonianAtlas said:


> really really disappointed customer here. I took the delivery of VW Atlas yesterday night and this morning the Brake light is on and there is problem with the Brake Booster. Also due to that issue I guess the automatic start stop light went off too.
> 
> I am really concerned with the quality of vehicle VW is putting out. I am an old loyal customer and had VW Passat 2003 for 15 years. I waited for them to deliver a great car and am one of the first customers to procure the Atlas, but i am really disappointed at my choice.


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## VR6OOM (Nov 8, 2002)

Your new car has a warranty. All brands have defects. Quitcherbitchin. :laugh:


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## jkueter (Feb 12, 2008)

First year of an all new model will always have a few things to shake out. Part of being an early adopter, and why they put a nice warranty on it.


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## der_apoteker (Mar 27, 2017)

*less than 1 day though?*

as a future buyer, this is quite discouraging... i understand there will be some teething issues but a major failure (abs) in less than 24 hours? maybe time to look at the highlander again


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## utsava (Jun 5, 2002)

der_apoteker said:


> as a future buyer, this is quite discouraging... i understand there will be some teething issues but a major failure (abs) in less than 24 hours? maybe time to look at the highlander again


We should get some quantitative data before basing a decision on a single anecdotal report. I've had mine for a week and a half with no problems to report. Now we can report the failure rate just cut in half.


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## Morio (Feb 16, 1999)

utsava said:


> We should get some quantitative data before basing a decision on a single anecdotal report. I've had mine for a week and a half with no problems to report. Now we can report the failure rate just cut in half.


exactly, I've owned mine for 5 days now and no issues at all.:beer:


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## der_apoteker (Mar 27, 2017)

Morio said:


> exactly, I've owned mine for 5 days now and no issues at all.:beer:


aren't all good stories based on anecdotal reports?


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## edyvw (May 1, 2009)

LOL, buying first year models and then complaining. cccccc
I am not sure what did you expect? All companies have issues with first year models. Best is to buy when they go thru mid-life update.


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## sheaffer (Jun 25, 2003)

Bosch is probably the supplier of the VW ABS modules. Same company that designed the TDI cheat. Call Bosch and complain :banghead: You're covered by your 6 yr and 72k miles warranty. No need to worry or be negative.


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## edyvw (May 1, 2009)

sheaffer said:


> Bosch is probably the supplier of the VW ABS modules. Same company that designed the TDI cheat. Call Bosch and complain :banghead: You're covered by your 6 yr and 72k miles warranty. No need to worry or be negative.


LOL, BOSCH designed TDI cheat? No, VW designed TDI cheat. 
BOSCH did what VW wants them to do.


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## cerksies (Jan 26, 2001)

I'd rather have a failure in the first 24 hours instead of at 2400 miles....


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## truckasaurus1 (Jun 23, 2015)

Remember, a failure of a single component in a car is not a failure in VW's quality control or a failure of someone on the assembly line. It's a failure of a component, most assuredly made by a supplier. These things happen. What you should observe and reflect on is how well VW handles the problem and replacement. Now, if several of us were up here saying that the components are failing, it might be evidence of a different problem that you could justify complaining to VW about. It's like saying Dell makes a crappy product because your Seagate hard drive croaked. Yeah, Dell may make a crappy product, but it's not because the HDD failed.


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## Travis Grundke (May 26, 1999)

It's not AT&T's fault that a muni worker cut the fiber line that causes your internet and TV to go out.

It's not they mayor's fault that crimes are perpetrated by bad people.

It's not the doctor's fault that the stent he put into your heart failed after six months.

It's not grocery store's fault that the factory where the beef came from had an e.coli outbreak.

At the end of the day, if your name is on the product, you end up being responsible. Sure, every car has issues, but it just does not matter. Perception is reality.


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## Drive by (Mar 13, 2017)

So how did the service dept deal with it? I'be had bad experience with VW service and frankly it's my biggest worry about buying another VW.


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## VolkswagenFanatic (Feb 26, 2017)

*BostonianAtlas, the OP, has only 3 posts. for all you know he is Trolling Volkswagen. he probably has a Honda Pilot or Toyota Highlander and wants to Troll that VW makes cars that dont work or break down on day 1.

he is Trolling you. you do realize there are people who spread Disinformation Fake News to spread Lies about their rivals and make people hesitate on buying the VW Atlas. 

dont fall for their propaganda. for all you know the OP has never ever even been near a Volkswagen in his life let alone driven one.*


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## trbochrg (Dec 1, 2004)

VolkswagenFanatic said:


> *BostonianAtlas, the OP, has only 3 posts. for all you know he is Trolling Volkswagen. he probably has a Honda Pilot or Toyota Highlander and wants to Troll that VW makes cars that dont work or break down on day 1.
> 
> he is Trolling you. you do realize there are people who spread Disinformation Fake News to spread Lies about their rivals and make people hesitate on buying the VW Atlas.
> 
> dont fall for their propaganda. for all you know the OP has never ever even been near a Volkswagen in his life let alone driven one.*


A good point, I'm sure it happens. But I tend to think this guy isn't trolling. OP, it's a brand new model, things are going to happen. Some things are going to occur that the techs haven't dealt with and your vehicle may end up being a guinea pig.


I just picked up a new Golf R last Tuesday and already I'm going to the dealership this week because the auto headlights randomly don't work and the wipers also have a fault where they won't work at times . It svcks, but that is what the warranty is for. If you had a Passat for 15 years you certainly must be aware of the randomness of VW's failures.


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## BostonianAtlas (May 30, 2017)

*closing the loop*

just to close the loop, went straight to VW exec team and got the matter some serious eyes. Yes it was ABS module failure and yes I pay I bitch. would love to hear your preaching when your car goes down within first 10 miles.


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## craig8868 (Jul 6, 2017)

Stuff happens. It happens with technology as well and you were just unlucky. They are taking care of you - There is no car out there or device or appliance that is 100% perfect. Every product can have problems and when you buy a brand new model or are an early adopter of technology, there will be issues. You had to know that before buying the car.


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## Travis Grundke (May 26, 1999)

craig8868 said:


> Stuff happens. It happens with technology as well and you were just unlucky. They are taking care of you - There is no car out there or device or appliance that is 100% perfect. Every product can have problems and when you buy a brand new model or are an early adopter of technology, there will be issues. You had to know that before buying the car.


Good God, Craig, this is a run of the mill SUV, not the newly announced autonomous driving new A8. 

I'm a big VW fan, but I refuse to give the company a pass on issues that should be considered table stakes.


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## chipster (May 30, 2017)

*My Atlas went back to dealership in 2 months*

... For something not so serious as an ABS... 
I happen to be involved in the manufacturing technology of automotive modules such as the ABS module. There are rigorous tests involved before the module leaves the factory and ultimately before it gets installed. Once it's installed, there's a final test for functionality. Suppliers try their best for 100% yield. It would be interesting if the failure was due to a design issue or a component failure inside the module.

Nevertheless, these things do happen... And sometimes more frequently with new design and material. 
I'm happy with my SE w/ tech. My dealership took care of the minor things I took it back for: 

- dropped module from a bracket below front passenger seat (bracket replaced), 
- trip odometer reset and time started changing hour by itself on MFI (thanks to some posts on another thread, the dealer and VW engineer troubleshooted down to the front instrument bezel where the trip odometer reset button was slightly jamming. They replaced the front bezel)
- slight engine vibration for first 7 seconds of cold engine start (this is normal. Wife is super sensitive and complained about it  ) I know there's a cold start sequence on most engines nowadays. The VR6 just exhibits a bit of emotion when the extra air and fuel mix profile gets applied at that time.


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## Papaner88 (Jul 14, 2017)

We understood the early adoption issues, but we have had our car at the dealership multiple times in less than two months of ownership. First it was the lift gate motor shorting out, which I get. Now it is the AC not working and the proximity sensors blaring incessantly, despite nothing in proximity. It's more a frustration when you are paying to drive a brand new car but are in a crummy fleet rental. It's been a week today. I'm sort of glad we aren't the only ones on here with challenges


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## craig8868 (Jul 6, 2017)

Travis Grundke said:


> Good God, Craig, this is a run of the mill SUV, not the newly announced autonomous driving new A8.
> 
> I'm a big VW fan, but I refuse to give the company a pass on issues that should be considered table stakes.



Doesn't matter what it is. Every year cell phone companies come out with new devices...sometimes there are bugs and sometimes the phone you buy is a dud and you need to replace it. For early adopters, you HAVE to expect that there might be issues. It was one part that could have gone bad on ANY car. I am just saying that it does stink the car had an issue right away but VW is taking care of him. Basically, roll with it. Have a good day Travis!


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## Paroxetine (Jan 14, 2015)

der_apoteker said:


> as a future buyer, this is quite discouraging... i understand there will be some teething issues but a major failure (abs) in less than 24 hours? maybe time to look at the highlander again


The Highlander is smaller. The Explorer is the better comparison in terms of size


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## IHC (Aug 15, 2011)

Get over it. My first new VW left me stranded on the side of the road on the 3rd day. Dealer repaired it and for the last 47 years we have continued to by VW's.


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## LOcho823 (Sep 4, 2019)

Consider this the second time you’re hearing about this issue. BostonianAtlas - would you mind providing an update? Same exact situation occurred for us, not 36 hours after owning a new 2019 Atlas SEL. It is still in the shop for repairs nearly a week later. They’re telling me this ABS module replacement needs to come from Germany.


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## ice4life (Nov 6, 2017)

edyvw said:


> LOL, buying first year models and then complaining. cccccc
> I am not sure what did you expect? All companies have issues with first year models. Best is to buy when they go thru mid-life update.


It is the second model year going on the third model year. Not sure where you got first year model.


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## LOcho823 (Sep 4, 2019)

ice4life said:


> edyvw said:
> 
> 
> > LOL, buying first year models and then complaining. cccccc
> ...


Precisely! 2nd year that this vehicle has been out, with them prepping to roll out the 2020 in less than a month. You’re not sure what I expected? Really!? I certainly didn’t expect to have a major issue within the first 36 hours of owning a brand-new vehicle. Also, why the arrogance? How about a little grace and compassion? It goes a long way.


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## ice4life (Nov 6, 2017)

LOcho823 said:


> Precisely! 2nd year that this vehicle has been out, with them prepping to roll out the 2020 in less than a month. You’re not sure what I expected? Really!? I certainly didn’t expect to have a major issue within the first 36 hours of owning a brand-new vehicle. Also, why the arrogance? How about a little grace and compassion? It goes a long way.


I agree with you- At first I thought you were saying I was arrogant and lacking compassion, but I see you were referring to the other comment. I agree with you 100%. The car is only going to be in this design for three years (2018, 2019, 2020). We are about to go into the final year of the pre-refresh atlas and they are still pumping out cars with countless problems. It is crazy to me in this ever competitive market that they just can't get it right! I get it, my car was an early build with a strange problem. But years later, people are on here complaining of problem after problem. On a car with a proven drive train, it amazes me how many new problems keep materializing.

Yes- plenty of people are head over heals for them. But it is the slowest vehicle in the segment, and the dealer network and corporate are just in way over their heads.


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## RCDheliracer (Jan 7, 2012)

ice4life said:


> It is the second model year going on the third model year. Not sure where you got first year model.





LOcho823 said:


> Precisely! 2nd year that this vehicle has been out, with them prepping to roll out the 2020 in less than a month. You’re not sure what I expected? Really!? I certainly didn’t expect to have a major issue within the first 36 hours of owning a brand-new vehicle. Also, why the arrogance? How about a little grace and compassion? It goes a long way.


That comment was made 5-31-2017 when the Atlas was in it's first model year.


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## SPAAtlas (Jun 25, 2019)

ice4life said:


> I agree with you- At first I thought you were saying I was arrogant and lacking compassion, but I see you were referring to the other comment. I agree with you 100%. The car is only going to be in this design for three years (2018, 2019, 2020). We are about to go into the final year of the pre-refresh atlas and they are still pumping out cars with countless problems. It is crazy to me in this ever competitive market that they just can't get it right! I get it, my car was an early build with a strange problem. But years later, people are on here complaining of problem after problem. On a car with a proven drive train, it amazes me how many new problems keep materializing.
> 
> Yes- plenty of people are head over heals for them. But it is the slowest vehicle in the segment, and the dealer network and corporate are just in way over their heads.


I'm guessing most of y'all have never owned a BMW. LOL, High Pressure Fuel Pumps that die randomly and leave you stranded! They have had those problems for years, and still sell the hell our of their lineup. It's a German car. If you want rock solid "change the oil and replace the brakes" reliability, Toyota will sell you a slow/outdated appliance to drive around.


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## ice4life (Nov 6, 2017)

SPAAtlas said:


> I'm guessing most of y'all have never owned a BMW. LOL, High Pressure Fuel Pumps that die randomly and leave you stranded! They have had those problems for years, and still sell the hell our of their lineup. It's a German car. If you want rock solid "change the oil and replace the brakes" reliability, Toyota will sell you a slow/outdated appliance to drive around.


I don't know, plenty of my VWs were more reliable than our Atlas was. For example, our 2012 Passat and 2013 CC were problem free through the entire warranty. And the Passat was a first year car! It's the newer vehicles which are having more issues for some reason.

And I owned a 2010 535ixdrive wagon and the HPFP went out on a side road killing the engine. Guess what, even with 95,000 miles BMW replaced it for free within a day and had me in a loaner. When the car was out of warranty. Fat chance of that ever happening with VW service.


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## SPAAtlas (Jun 25, 2019)

ice4life said:


> I don't know, plenty of my VWs were more reliable than our Atlas was. For example, our 2012 Passat and 2013 CC were problem free through the entire warranty. And the Passat was a first year car! It's the newer vehicles which are having more issues for some reason.
> 
> And I owned a 2010 535ixdrive wagon and the HPFP went out on a side road killing the engine. Guess what, even with 95,000 miles BMW replaced it for free within a day and had me in a loaner. When the car was out of warranty. Fat chance of that ever happening with VW service.


My last VW before the Atlas was a 2003 GTI. The only issue I had with it was a couple of coil packs burning up. I was out of warranty when it happened and had to pay to replace them. When VW finally admitted they were a problem and extended the warranty on them, they reimbursed me for what I had paid.

VW produced nearly 60K Atlas's last year. Granted car enthusiasts are more apt to raise their hand on issues than average owners, but I think the number of issues is probably well within industry standards. Does it suck when it happens to you? Absolutely. Does that mean every Atlas on the road is a ticking time bomb? Hardly.


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## ice4life (Nov 6, 2017)

SPAAtlas said:


> My last VW before the Atlas was a 2003 GTI. The only issue I had with it was a couple of coil packs burning up. I was out of warranty when it happened and had to pay to replace them. When VW finally admitted they were a problem and extended the warranty on them, they reimbursed me for what I had paid.
> 
> VW produced nearly 60K Atlas's last year. Granted car enthusiasts are more apt to raise their hand on issues than average owners, but I think the number of issues is probably well within industry standards. Does it suck when it happens to you? Absolutely. Does that mean every Atlas on the road is a ticking time bomb? Hardly.


Don't confuse ticking time bomb with annoyance. And the fact their warranty just dropped from 6yr/72k miles to 4yr/50k miles says a lot about how much they stand behind it.


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## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

ice4life said:


> .....the fact their warranty just dropped from 6yr/72k miles to 4yr/50k miles says a lot about how much they stand behind it.


What a stupid remark! So, every maker with a 4 year or less warranty don't stand behind their product?


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