2018 Volkswagen Atlas Electrical System

BATTERY WENT DEAD WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER HAS CAR DOES NOT KNOW HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE TO GET NEW BATTERY. DEALER SAYS BATTERY PROBLEM

I WAS SITTING WITH MY CAR PARKED IN A SCHOOL PICK-UP LINE, NO-IDLE ZONE, SO I HAD MY VW ATLAS RUNNING ON IT'S BATTERY. THE BATTERY DIED OUT OF THE BLUE AFTER A FEW MINUTES. THERE SEEMS TO BE AN ONGOING BATTERY ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE AS IT HAS HAD A HARD TIME TURNING OVER THIS PAST WEEK. THIS CAR IS ONLY 1 YEAR OLD AND SHOULDN'T BE FACING THIS ISSUE. I'M GLAD I WASN'T IN AN INTERSECTION WHEN IT HAPPENED, AS I'VE READ HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS. I'M TAKING IT IN TO VW FOR INSPECTION, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE I'M ONE OF MANY WHO IS RUNNING INTO THE VW BATTERY ISSUE AND I WANTED TO MAKE IT KNOWN.

BATTERY RAMDOMLY LOSES CHARGE TO START THE VEHICLE. WE DORVE FROM SALT LAKE CITY TO VEGAS. WE FILLED UP ON GAS WITH SOME OF THE ELECTRONICS RUNNING AND THE CAR WOULDN'T START. DASH SAYS BATTERY WAS DRAINED. HAPPENED AGAIN WHEN VACUUMING THE CAR AFTER A WASH. DOORS WERE OPEN AND ELECTRONICS WERE OFF, BUT IT THEN WOULDNT START AGAIN.

THE BATTERY KEEPS DYING. I BELIEVE IT'S BECAUSE THE START/STOP SYSTEM IS TOO MUCH FOR THE BATTERY. THE BATTERY DIES IF WE STOP THE CAR AND IDLE FOR MORE THAN 2-3 MINUTES, WITH THE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM RUNNING.

ENGINE WARNING LIGHT AND RED EXCLAMATION CAUTION WARNING LIGHTS ON VEHICLE COME ON FROM TIME TO TIME WITHOUT WARNING. THESE WARNING LIGHTS COME ON DURING NORMAL CITY DRIVING CONDITIONS. THESE LIGHTS USUALLY GO OFF ON THEIR OWN OR AFTER TURNING VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON.

THE VEHICLES BATTERY IS DYING.

THE BATTERY DIED WHEN THE CAR WAS SIX MONTHS OLD WHILE IN A STORE PARKING LOT. THEY SAID IT WAS A BAD FUEL CELL AND REPLACED IT WITH THE SAME BATTERY. 8 MONTHS LATER THE BATTERY DIED AGAIN IN THE SNOW WITH TWO YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE CAR. WE WERE UNABLE TO JUMP IT. THE BATTERY DYING IS NOW A KNOW ISSUE AND THEY WILL REPLACE IT WITH A DIFFERENT BATTERY. BUT THEY ARE NOT RECALLING IT YET EVEN THOUGH IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. MY FRIENDS ATLAS DIED AT A STOP LIGHT DUE TO THE AUTO SHUT OFF FEATURE. IT IS INCREDIBLY UNSAFE.

THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START IF IT IS REALLY COLD OR IT HAS BEEN SITTING FOR DAYS WITHOUT BEING STARTED. I AM TAKING IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP TODAY.

HAD THE CAR FOR 18MONTHS AND HAVE STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH THE BATTERY FAILING FOR NO REASON - CAR GIVES A MESSAGE THAT THE VOLTAGE IS LOW AND WILL NOT START. HAPPENED AFTER VERY SHORT TIME OF THE ENGINE BEING TURNED OFF A COUPLE OF TIMES, NO VALID EXPLANATION FROM THE DEALER AS TO WHY SUDDENLY STARTED HAPPENING. HAPPENED ONCE ON A HIGHWAY, ONCE AT HOME. NOW WORRIED THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN.

EPC LIGHT PLUS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CAR WOULD NOT START. DEALER REPLACING BATTERY, BUT CONCERNED IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN BASED ON CASES I'VE READ IN VW FORUMS: HTTPS://WWW.CARGURUS.COM/CARS/DISCUSSION-T73111_DS837472. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, PARKED IN A SCHOOL PARKING LOT.

DROVE TO HUSBANDS OFFICE AND PARKED IN LOT. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES RECEIVED A WARNING THAT I NEEDED TO DRIVE TO CHARGE BATTERY. TRIED TO GO BUT CAR WOULDN'T START. HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. SERVICE CENTER SAID THAT BATTERY WAS DEAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN JULY 2018. READ ONLINE THAT THIS APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH 2018 ATLAS.

I HAD 2 INCIDENTS WHEN USING THE START-STOP SYSTEM. THE FIRST TIME WAS A COUPLE OF MONTHS BACK. I WAS DRIVING TO MY WORK. WHEN I STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT (VERY BUSY AVENUE AT MATHILDA AVE, SUNNYVALE WITH 4 LANES TRAFFIC IN ONE WAY), WHEN I TRIED TO START, THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I HAD TO RESTART THE ENGINE AGAIN TO START THE CAR. THE SECOND TIME, 12/2/2018 5:50PM. I WAS DRIVING WITH MY WIFE AND TWO OF OUR KIDS (ONE INFANT UNDER 1). WE STOPPED FOR THE RED LIGHT AT THE CROSS ROAD OF JACKSON ST AND MEEK AVE, HAYWARD (VERY BUSY INTERSECTION WITH 3 LANES TRAFFIC IN ONE WAY). WHEN I TRIED TO START, THE CAR COMPLETELY STOPPED THERE AND WOULD NOT IGNITE AT ALL. WE HAD TO CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE THE SPEED LIMIT IS VERY HIGH AND IT PUT MY FAMILY INTO A RISK OF BEING HIT. THE BATTERY COMPLETELY FAILED AND I CAN NOT EVEN PUT IT TO A N GEAR TO PUSH THE CAR MANUALLY. WE HAD TO WAIT FOR THE OFFICERS TO COME AND HELPED TO STOP THE TRAFFIC. THE OFFICER HELPED US TO JUMP START THE CAR AND WE WERE RESCUED. I CAN NOT IMAGINE THAT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THERE WERE A HIT ACCIDENT. WE WERE STUCKED THERE FOR MORE THAN 1 HOUR. NOW THAT I AM FEELING VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE THIS CAR AGAIN LET ALONE THAT IT PUT MY WHOLE FAMILY INTO A RISK OF BEING HIT BY RUNNING HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE STATED THAT THE BATTERY HAD LOW VOLTAGE READING AT 62%, AND BATTERY DEFECTIVE WAS FOUND. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED 2 DAYS AFTER. I GOT THE REPLY FROM VW CUSTOM CARE THAT THE 2018 ATLAS SHOULD BE GOOD TO DRIVE WITHOUT BEING RETURNED OR REPLACED. I FEEL THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. FROM THE MANUAL OF 2018 ATLAS, THE START-STOP SYSTEM WON'T SWITCH OFF THE VEHICLE IN CASE O THE BATTERY VOLTAGE IS LOW. WHY DID THE START-STOP SYSTEM SHUT DOWN THE CAR IN CASE OF A KNOWN LOW BATTERY VOLTAGE AT 62% ? *DT*JB

THE RANDOM PROBLEMS WE ARE EXPERIENCING ARE ELECTRICAL RELATED ISSUES. WHEN UNLOCKING THE CAR WITH THE FOB THE CAR SOMETIMES DOES NOT ADJUST THE SEAT BASED ON THE FOB, NOR DOES IT RECOGNIZE THE SATELLITE RADIO, THE RADIO GETS STUCK ON THE AM SETTING, ETC. OTHER TIMES THE CAR ENGINE SHUTS OFF BUT EVERYTHIING ELSE IS ON JUST LIKE THE AUTO ENGINE SHUT OFF FEATURE. SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THIS CAR. IT DRIVES FINE AND THE ISSUE IS RANDOM BUT FREQUENT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY.I AM AN IT PROFESSIONAL AND THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF IS THAT MY ATLAS HAS SOME TYPE OF SOFTWARE/ELECTRICAL BUG. ON SUNDAY MORNING THE RADIO WAS NOT WORKING AFTER I STARTED THE CAR. I HAD TO SHUT OFF THE CAR AND RADIO SEVERAL TIMES IN ORDER FOR IT TO WORK. THIS HAPPENS REGULARLY, VERY RANDOM. ALWAYS WHEN TURNING ON THE CAR.

ON OCT 28 THE CAR STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT ON A BUSY INTERSECTION AND THE START-STOP ENGINE SHUT OFF, THEN WHEN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TURNED GREEN THE BATTERY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH POWER TO CRANK THE ENGINE STARTED AGAIN. I TOOK CAR TO THE VW DEALER WHERE 7 RECALLS WERE SERVICED AND I WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM SHOULD BE CORRECTED. 2 WEEKS LATER THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. THERE SEEMS TO BE A DRAIN ON THE BATTERY AND THE COMPUTER DOESN'T KNOW TO AVOID START-STOP BRAKING WHEN POWER IS TOO LOW TO START THE CAR. I CALLED THE DEALER AGAIN AND THEY SAID THEY COULD LOOK AT IT BUT THEY DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER PROBLEM AND COULDN'T RECREATE THE ISSUE WHEN THEY HAD THE CAR FOR 2 DAYS. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND THIS THREAD: HTTPS://WWW.CARGURUS.COM/CARS/DISCUSSION-T73111_DS837472 WHERE THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND PUTTING MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WITHOUT POWER.

BRAND NEW 2018 ATLAS BATTERY PROBLEM - BATTERY DRAINS COMPLETELY IN LESS THAN 3 DAYS WHEN CAR IS SWITCHED OFF AND PARKED IN ATTACHED GARAGE. HAPPENED TWICE IN TWO MONTHS. SERVICE RESPONDED BY SAYING THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPUTERS THAT DRAIN BATTERY EVEN WHEN CAR IS SHUTDOWN. SUGGESTED TO DRIVE FOR 30 MINS EVERY 2 DAYS. THE BATTERY DRAINED THE SECOND TIME INSPITE OF FOLLOWING THESE INSTRUCTIONS. COMPLETE BATTERY DRAIN IN LESS THAN 3 DAYS EVEN WITH CAR COMPLETELY SWITCHED OFF IN GARAGE IS UNACCEPTABLE.

THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN NOVEMBER OF 2017 AND THE BATTERY CANNOT MAINTAIN IT'S CHARGE. WE HAVE EXPERIENCED A DRAINED BATTERY FIVE TIMES IN THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE HAPPENED ON 12/2/2018.

THE IGNITION SWITCH, IF PRESSED, WILL TURN OFF THE ENGINE WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION. THE IGNITION SWITCH IS NEXT TO THE SHIFT GEAR AND MAY BE ACCIDENTALLY PRESSED, CAUSING THE CAR TO STOP WHILE IN MOTION. THIS IS A SAFETY RISK WHICH MAY CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH.