2018 Volkswagen Atlas Brakes
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
I received a brake booster fault caution which was followed by the BRAKE warning light being illuminated. When I applied pressure to the brakes, it almost felt as if the ABS was kicking in, on a flat, dry road. The brake pedal would "jump" and depress farther on its own like there wasn't a good vacuum for the brakes. I've taken it to my local VW service center and was informed they had to call VW Corporate for assistance in a fix and was given a list of components to possibly replace that "may" fix the issue but even after replacement, some customers still experience the same issue. I am currently awaiting an estimate but have significant concerns that any repair work may not actually address the root cause of this issue and when it's related to a major safety feature like the brakes, that presents a significant concern.
Automatic parking brake comes on every time I start my car or park. It won’t come out of parking brake. The auto parking brake will not turn off. I can get it to drive eventually but the parking brake light stays on.
I have owned this car since 2018. I’ve had the “Brake Booster Faulty” error come on at least once a year. It’s very scary as the car just locks up. Luckily it has only happened driving locally, without anyone behind me, but this could lead to a SERIOUS accident. I have brought this to the VW dealer at least 3 times over the years and every time they say they cannot replicate or find any issues. It happened again last week, and again today. I have read that many people have experienced this issue but there is not much info out there on whether there is a fix. I really wish this would be addressed.
Brake booster Faulty/Brake Booster Failure light displays on the dash along with the red Brake light and a loud beeping sound. The brakes feel shaky and the vehicle doesn’t brake well for about 30 second after. It feels as if the brakes are palpating or skipping instead of a solid grip. After about 30-45 second those lights go back off and brakes resume normal breaking but the ABS light comes on. This issue has happened twice so far and random times when not braking. It appears to be other reports of this issues in the 2018 models but not recall. Other year models have had brake issues recalled l. This is a major safety issue and should be addressed with Volkswagen to resolve it. This will and probably has cause accidents.
Car starts beeping loudly and a “brake booster faulty” alarm pops up on the screen. Brakes become spongy during alarm and a little after. Issue has happened multiple times and has gone to the dealer multiple times for parts replacement/work. Other VW owners have complained of the same issue happening to them.
While driving, the car suddenly slowed to nearly stopping and a "Brake Boost Faulty" red warning light displayed on the dashboard. I was not breaking at the time. The brake pedal felt soft and the car would not regain acceleration. I had to stop the car, turn off ignition, restart for the car to drive normally. This occurred twice once while driving over 40 miles per hour and again at approximately 25 mph. IN both cases I was not braking when the incident happened.
I would be driving under 30mph and would get a warning on my dashboard that would say "Brake Booster Faulty", in addition the "Brake" light would illuminate and my brakes would become spongy and harder to engage.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The front brakes unevenly wore to the point where the driver side brake is like new and the passenger side brake is a safety issue. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk Because of the extreme wear on the passenger side braking system the whole front braking system needed to be replaced prematurely to ensure safety. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? A simple Google search shows that this is a common issue with the 2018 VW Atlas. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? It was inspected by the manufacturer, but VW insists there is nothing wrong with the components despite not being able to explain why the passenger side front brake was so significantly more worn than the driver side front brake. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No. This was identified during an oil change. I was told that it was a safety issue for me to be driving on a front brake that was so worn. When I brought it in for the brake work, I suggested there was a defect in the design and the brake replacement should be covered by the warranty. I was then informed that I really didn't need to have my brakes replaced at this time.
Brake Booster faulty sensor, brakes spongy driving under 30mph happened twice now.
Alarm brake booster fault goes off and the brakes are harder to use and the brake effect is reduced. Have happend daily the last week.
My car recently started feeling like my tires or rubbing on something when I make sharp turns. Now when I brake my car feels and sounds like it is grinding on something. It started happening while on way home from a trip a couple of days ago. While I wait for service appt the car is unsafe to drive as I need to really push on brake to ensure complete stop, it feels like the car is rubbing on metal and is very bumpy when coming to stop. Have only driven in slow speeds since returning home bc we are afraid the brakes will fail.
We are RANDOMLY having our brake light come on, followed by an alarm and a “BRAKE BOOST FAULTY “ warning on out dash. While this is going on…the brakes will start “pumping” a few times with just a light touch of the brakes. This is starting to happen every day or two. The warning lasts about 30-45 seconds typically.
On several occasions when braking to come to a stop at a relatively low speed, the car began lurching as pressure was applied to the brake pedal. The brake pedal was jumping up and down and making a hydraulic-type noise. At the same time, a message indicating "Brake Booster Failure" appeared on the panel, and the parking brake light illuminated. The problem resolved after sitting still for approximately 30 seconds. The car is currently being serviced at a Volkswagen dealership, and they have not been able to diagnose any issues.
THE BRAKE BOOSTER FAILURE LIGHT CAME. THE BRAKE BOOSTER LIGHT APPEARED, THEN THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME SPONGY, PULSED AND THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN. ADDITIONALLY, THIS HAPPENED ON HIGHWAYS WITH LIGHT TRAFFIC WITH 4-5 CAR LENGTHS WITHIN THE SAME LANES MOVING 60 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE SERVICE SHOP FOR NEARLY A MONTH. THE MANUFACTURER SENT TECHNICIANS/ENGINEERS TO TROUBLESHOOT AND HELP RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT GOING ON A ROAD THAT HAD AN INCLINE OR DECLINE. THE WEATHER WAS DRY, SUNNY, WITH NO PRECIPITATION OF ANY KIND.
THE BRAKE BOOSTER LIGHT APPEARED, THEN THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME SPONGY, PULSED AND THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN. ADDITIONALLY, THIS HAPPENED ON HIGHWAYS WITH LIGHT TRAFFIC WITH 4-5 CAR LENGTHS WITHIN THE SAME LANES MOVING 40 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE SERVICE SHOP FOR NEARLY A MONTH. THE MANUFACTURER SENT TECHNICIANS/ENGINEERS TO TROUBLESHOOT AND HELP RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT GOING ON A ROAD THAT HAD AN INCLINE OR DECLINE. THE WEATHER WAS DRY, CLOUDY, WITH NO PRECIPITATION OF ANY KIND.
THE BRAKE BOOSTER LIGHT APPEARED, THEN THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME SPONGY, PULSED AND THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN. THIS HAPPENED ON HIGHWAYS WITH LIGHT TRAFFIC WITH 4-5 CAR LENGTHS WITHIN THE SAME LANES MOVING 60 MPH AND DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT. THE MANUFACTURER SENT TECHNICIANS/ENGINEERS TO TROUBLESHOOT AND HELP RESULT. THESE OCCURRENCES THE WAS NOT VEHICLE GOING ON A ROAD THAT HAD AN INCLINE OR DECLINE. 1) THE WEATHER WAS DRY, SUNNY, WITH NO PRECIPITATION OF ANY KIND. 2) THE WEATHER WAS DRY, NIGHT, WITH NO PRECIPITATION OF ANY KIND.
I HAVE A 2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS SEL.. THE BREAKS KEEP GOING OUT RANDOMLY AND AN ALARM GOES OFF THAT THE BREAK BOOSTER IS FAULTY... IT MAKES A HORRIBLE CLICKING NOISE LIKE THE BREAKS ARE TRYING TO WORK BUT THERE IS NOTHING FOR LIKE 10-35 SECONDS. IT HAS HAPPENED MORE TIMES THAN I CAN COUNT... I HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP (HALLMARK VOLKSWAGEN- COOLS SPRINGS, TN) AND THEY TOLD ME TO DRIVE SAFE VW WAS WORKING ON A RECALL!? WELL I HAVE ALMOST HIT A CAR AND BLOWN THROUGH A STOP SIGN BECAUSE MY CAR WON'T STOP' LOOKING FOR MORE HELP BC THE LOCAL DEALER IS USELESS. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN MY CAR, NOR DO I FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY CHILDREN IN IT.
THE PARKING BRAKE WILL NOT TURN OFF ONCE PRESSED. THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR THREE WEEKS.
AFTER 2 YEARS OF OWNING THE CAR, AND ABOUT 34K MILES, I HAD TO REPLACE BOTH THE ROTOR AND PADS OF THE FRONT BRAKES. THE PART OF THE ROTOR FACING THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE WERE GAUGED ABOUT 2MM DEEP BY THE PADS. THOSE PADS STILL HAD ABOUT 2MM LEFT OF LIFE ACCORDING TO THE TECH. THE EXTERIOR SIDE OF THE ROTOR WAS IN GOOD CONDITION WITH THE PADS STILL HAVING ABOUT 4MM. HAVING TO REPLACE PADS AND ROTORS AFTER SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF LIFE SHOWS INAPPROPRIATE DESIGN. ADDITIONALLY THE FACT THAT THE ROTOR WAS MORE THAN WORN OUT ( THE PAD CREATED A GROVE ON THE ROTOR) SHOWS: 1/ A HUGE DIFFERENCE OF FORCE APPLIED BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER PAD 2/ POSSIBLE MATERIAL ISSUE ON EITHER THE PADS OR THE ROTOR
ROTARS ARE WARPED AFTER REPORTING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES TO THE DEALER ON OCT 6,2017 CURRENT MILEAGE IS 27,000
PULLING OUT OF PARKING LOTS WHERE THERE IS SLIGHT DIP CRASH AVOIDANCE SYSTEM WILL KICK IN WHILE TURN INTO TRAFFIC AND WILL STOP THE VEHICLE ALMOST MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, ALMOST GOT T BONE FEW TIME, I HAVE BROUGHT UP TO VW ATTENTION, DEALER KEEPS SAYING NOTHING WRONG WITH VEHICLE . TO ME IT IS SAFETY CONCERN, DEFINITELY FOR VW, THANK YOU
I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 95 AND THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME SUDDENLY BRAKED HARD. I ALSO APPLIED THE BRAKE AND FELT CONFIDENT THAT IT WOULD HAVE STOPPED ON TIME. THE ATLAS AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM TOOK OVER AND PUT MY CAR TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE HIGHWAY AND I WAS UNABLE TO APPLY THE GAS TO KEEP GOING UNTIL I PUT CAR IN PARK, SHUT OFF CAR AND RESTART, PUT BACK IN DRIVE AND GOT OUT OF THERE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE HOPING THAT NO CARS BEHIND ME WOULD CRASH INTO ME WITH 3 CHILDREN IN THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE.THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I HAVE SINCE TURNED OFF THE FRONT ASSIST MECHANISM. HOWEVER, EVERY TIME I START THE CAR I MUST REMEMBER TO DO THIS BECAUSE IT DEFAULTS BACK TO FRONT ASSIST.
WHILE DRIVING YESTERDAY I WAS EXITING A SHOPPING PLAZA ON A CITY STREET AND TURNED RIGHT AND MY CAR COMPLETELY STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. MANY CARS WERE COMING AND HAD TO SLAM ON THEIR BREAKS THANKFULLY AVOIDING A COLLISION. THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE MANEUVER BREAKING SENSORS. I DRIVE AND CONSTANTLY HEAR BEEP BEEP BEEP FROM THEM SENSING SOMETHING, WHEN IN FACT NOTHING IS EVEN NEAR MY CAR. THIS IS A SERIOUS FLAW. PLEASE DO A RECALL ASAP TO FIX THIS.
WHILE APPLYING BRAKES TO COME TO A STOP AT A STOP LIGHT, THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK AND THEN MADE A METAL GRINDING SOUND. AN ALERT WENT OFF AND THE BRAKE LIGHT BEGAN BLINKING. THE AUTOMATIC BRAKES ENGAGED AND SLAMMED ON. THE BRAKE LIGHT WENT SOLID AND THEN OFF, AND WAS REPLACED BY A "BRAKE BOOSTER FAULTY" WARNING. AFTER THIS INCIDENT, THE VEHICLE RETURNED TO NORMAL FUNCTIONING.
WHEN EXITING A DRIVEWAY INTO TRAFFIC, IF THERE IS A DECLINE OR HILL, THE AUTOMATIC BREAKING CAUSES THE CAR TO STALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES NOW IN 2 DIFFERENT PLACES. THE SENSORS START BEEPING AND THE CAR WILL SHUT DOWN WHERE YOU HAVE NO CONTROL. YOU HAVE TO PUT THE CAR BACK IN GEAR AND RESTART THE ENGINE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. I LET THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT VW IN DEVON KNOW AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT AFTER RUNNING DIAGNOSTICS.
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Quick Summary
The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas has 40 Brakes complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.