My 2018 Volkswagen Atlas SEL has experienced repeated unexpected engine stalling, hesitation, surging, and fluctuating RPMs despite numerous warranty repairs. Since XXX, the vehicle has undergone at least six EVAP charcoal canister replacements, multiple N80 purge valve replacements, and a fuel tank replacement. These repairs have repeatedly failed to permanently correct the problem. On XXX, while departing the [XXX] with my family, the vehicle stalled while pulling into traffic from a stop sign. An approaching vehicle was forced to swerve around us to avoid a collision while I attempted to restart the engine. This incident created an immediate risk of a serious collision and is consistent with the recurring stalling condition I have reported to Prestige Volkswagen of Melbourne for years. The vehicle has approximately 126,000 miles. Despite repeated dealership repairs, the condition continues to recur, and I am concerned that the vehicle may stall again without warning. I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate this recurring engine-stalling condition and the repeated failures of the EVAP system components. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2018 Volkswagen Atlas fuel system problems
36 complaints (8% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 50,676.
- owner complaints
- 36
- of this car's complaints
- 8%
- typical mileage
- 50,676
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 2
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Volkswagen Atlas fuel system problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas fuel system
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. The fuel tank on these vehicles may leak fuel due to a manufacturing error. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."
- Risk
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began June 22, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1‑800‑893‑5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AW. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 17V‑766.
Recall number 18V284000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Atlas vehicles. The fuel tank may have been manufactured with insufficient wall thickness, potentially resulting in the tank leaking fuel. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."
- Risk
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began December 10, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1‑800‑893‑5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AQ.
Recall number 17V766000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Fuel Injector Leak
On March 29, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE21-008 to investigate instances of fuel injectors leaking in the engine compartment in model year (MY) 2018 through 2020 Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs. These vehicles are equipped with either a 3.6 or 2.0 liter engine. The subject investigation concerns vehicles equipped with 3.6L engines. Prior to opening the investigation, ODI also observed that warranty data for the fuel system from TREAD reporting was an outlier for the MY 2018 Atlas.The allegation involved fuel injectors leaking fuel near engine compartment components that operate at high temperatures. Consumers allege a fuel leak, fuel odor, and/or an illuminated check engine malfunction indicator light (MIL) on that alerts them to the condition. Fuel leaking in the engine compartment has a higher potential risk of fire as nearby components are operating at higher temperatures compared to other areas of the vehicle. No fires have been connected to this issue to date.The 3.6L engine is a VR6 type engine. Due to its specific design, the VR6 has two types of injectors with different designs installed. Cylinders 1, 3, and 5 use long injectors and cylinders 2, 4, and 6 use short injectors. Unlike the short injectors, the long injectors require an extension pipe necessary to reach cylinders 1, 3, and 5. Volkswagen stated that the potential root cause for a leaking injector is typically either a damaged, misaligned, or missing supporting ring or a damaged O-ring. These rings assist in connecting the injector to the extension pipe. If one of these conditions is present in a vehicle, the O-ring has difficulty withstanding fuel pressure over time.Volkswagen stated that an analysis of warranty data related to leaking injectors in vehicles equipped with 3.6L engines showed that the vast majority of leaking allegations were related to internal leaks. Fuel can leak into the cylinder causing misfiring in the affected cylinders. This condition would not cause fuel to enter into the engine compartment. Volkswagen states that these internal leaks pose no unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.Analysis of all relevant data indicates that the subject condition is an early-life failure with a relatively low failure rate. The average failure mileage calculated from all data sources was determined to be approximately 14,000 miles. Only two failures were reported outside of the vehicles' warranty coverage period. The average time to failure for the subject vehicle population is approximately 12 months in service (MIS). The majority of failures were below the average of 14,000 miles or 12 MIS. Analysis of reported failures showed that the failure rate is approximately 0.08% or 0.8 incidents per thousand vehicles (IPTV).To date, there have been no reported fires, crashes, injuries, or fatalities related to this issue. In view of the low rate of failure, the nature of early-life failure, and low potential hazard to drivers, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.Review the ODI reports cited above at under the following identification numbers:11446833, 11438403, 11382958, 11298402, 11291955, 11218819, 11218780
PE21008
What 2018 Volkswagen Atlas owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Fuel line leak due to the angle the manufacturer line is coming out of the fuel tank. Rubbing on the line caused a wear on the line, gas leak and has to be repaired and rerouted by mechanic to keep this from happening again. Very unsafe condition due to fumes and risk of fire. No warning lights just a very strong fuel smell and fuel leaking from under the vehicle.
Fuel gauge suddenly changes its reading, sometimes dropping to a zero level indication while driving! The readings frequently change up and down, so if the previous reading before a drop to completely empty is incorrect, this could be a serious safety risk to suddenly find out the tank is very near empty. Volkswagen has a TSB about this, but are requiring expensive diagnostic and repair fees, over $1200. The TSB indicates the car model gas had frequent issues with a faulty fuel level sending unit.
Several times before I got the car stalled in the car wash which I thought that could no be important however yesterday Sunday 12, driving on I4 by Tampa bay in Florida when traffic was stocked and slow suddenly the car went off, so I geared neutral and started again. Then happened twice in total three times.
Gas tank melted on top of the tank next to drive shaft and a hole was leaking gas- we are keeping the tank that was removed for investigation. Extreme safety issue that put my daughter and granddaughters at risk of fire/explosion when it was unknown that there was a gas leak while driving. The part was inspected by a repair shop in Lake Havasu AZ as well as the Capistrano Volkswagen, CA dealership and no explanation of the cause. Since the vehicle is out of warranty the VW.com and the dealership refused to replace without full charge. Insurance claim has been filed. There were no warning lamps messages or other symptoms of the failure. About 45 miles prior to gas leak detection, while fueling, the reverse pressure shutoff did not work, and a significant amount of gas was released at the station. No indication of a leak from the gas tank until the car stopped, then significant release onto the ground was observed.
While driving, the vehicle suddenly loses engine power and shuts off without warning. This has happened multiple times and creates a serious safety hazard because it happen in traffic multiple times . The problem appears to be related to the fuel pump control module and/or electrical wiring failure. Additionally, the power windows stopped functioning due to a failure in the driver door wiring harness, which is a known issue on this vehicle model year. The electrical malfunction and engine stall appear to be connected. This issue has been repaired because the dealership stated the warranty is expired, but this is a safety defect that can lead to a crash. There is also an open unrepaired recall on this vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection.
This is a common issue with this car that is dangerous. The Evap Purge High Flow Control goes out and makes the vehicle stall randomly.
I have had this vehicle since 2020. Two months after I bought it, the vehicle would turn off at random. I took it to VW and they change the carbon air canister. It stopped for a while but now it back. When stopping the car randomly shits off. Not auto energy saving off. Restart your engine in 5:30PM traffic type of restart your engine. Slowing down, shut off. Backing up, shut off. I have a 2019 Atlas as well and the same thing happens. This is extremely dangerous and unsafe. VW claims either they dont know what the issue is because there is no service engine light and no code produced.
while operating the vehicle felt a jerk and then the check engine, oil, and EPC warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle decelerated and lost power on the highway, we were able to coast to the nearest parking lot. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed and determined that the high pressure fuel pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired But was said the 2018 atlas had a known fuel tank issue which caused all the gas to rush to one side allowing air and pressure changes in the system could this is be what led to the fault of the high pressure fuel pump. The vehicle code was reproduced at the dealership. No prior warning signs.
ECP light came on and vehicle entered limp mode
Questions about the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas fuel system
Does the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas have fuel system problems?
Owners have filed 36 complaints about the fuel system of the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, 8% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2018 Volkswagen Atlas fuel system problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 50,676 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas fuel system?
Yes, 2 recalls: 18V284000, 17V766000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Volkswagen Atlas have the most fuel system problems?
The Volkswagen Atlas model years with the most fuel system complaints are 2021 (42 complaints), 2018 (36 complaints) and 2019 (36 complaints).
Other 2018 Volkswagen Atlas problems
Electrical 111Engine 103Airbags 100Brakes 75Driver assistance 45Steering 27Seats 17Transmission 16Lights 14Seat belts 13Acceleration 11Suspension 10Body 8Visibility 4Tires 2Wheels 2Locks 1
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