front passenger headlight daytime running light went out right around 70k miles. paid $1200 to have it repaired, left one went out shortly after. can't afford to replace it. saw there's a lawsuit with these. makes it hard to drive at night with less light.
Volkswagen Atlas headlights problems
77 of the 2,039 owner complaints about the Volkswagen Atlas describe headlights failing or too dim, most of them for the 2021 model year.
- owner complaints
- 77
- worst model year
- 2021
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,000
- typical mileage
- 50,000
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Won't start 2Grinding brakes 2Overheating 1Misfire 1Collision warning 1Battery drain 1Adaptive cruise 1
What owners say
Head light assembly. ðrl light burnt out risking my safety daytime driving
Right headlight assembly must be replaced because daytime running light failed and cannot be repaired separately.
I noticed today that my daytime running light strip is out on my driver side headlight I notice it’s a common issue on this year model Atlas. I know the daytime running lot helps people see you when your going down the road.
Passenger side LED Daytime Running Light in the headlight assembly failed. Warning light illuminated with message “Please check right daytime running light/parking light.” The failure was confirmed upon visual inspection. The headlight assembly is a critical safety component that illuminates the road ahead and makes your vehicle visible to others. On the Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport, it's a complex unit that houses the low beams, high beams, turn signals, and Daytime Running Lights (DRLs). The LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL) on 2021-2023 Atlas models are known to fail prematurely, requiring a very expensive replacement of the entire headlight assembly.
2022 Volkswagen Atlas – Hood Release Cable Failure The hood release cable on my 2022 Volkswagen Atlas failed when I attempted to open the hood. I pulled the interior hood release handle normally, but the cable mechanism failed and the handle lost tension. After that, the hood could not be opened from inside the vehicle. This became a safety concern because I needed access to the engine compartment due to a battery problem, but there was no normal way to open the hood. To gain access, I had to remove the left front wheel-well/fender liner and locate the hood release cable junction behind the driver-side headlight area. I then had to manually operate the cable mechanism from inside the wheel well to release the hood. After opening the hood and inspecting the system, I found that the cable/end-terminal connection had failed. The cable itself did not appear to have simply broken in the middle; the failure occurred at the cable termination/connection. I have since found reports from other Volkswagen Atlas owners describing similar hood release cable failures and having to access the release mechanism through the wheel well. I am reporting this because failure of the hood release system can prevent an owner from accessing the engine compartment during a battery failure, overheating condition, electrical problem, smoke, or other emergency. I believe Volkswagen and the federal safety agency should investigate whether this hood release cable/terminal design is defective and whether other Volkswagen Atlas vehicles may be affected. The vehicle has approximately 64,848 miles
My 2021 Volkswagen Atlas at 58,000 miles the passenger side daytime running light stopped working. This is a replacement that can only be completed with an entire headlight assembly replaced the cost of a headlight assembly is between $1800- $2500 which is an astronomical amount to replace just the LED daytime running light.
Passenger side DRL has failed - requires replacement of entire headlamp assembly
LED DRL headlight on the passenger side failed at 35k miles. That little, single LED light cannot be replaced without replacing the entire headlight system, which costs almost $2k and requires removing the bumper! Negligent design that conveniently happens once the warranty expired, and despite the low miles of my vehicle. (these are supposed to last to 50k-70k)
Headlight LED DRLs went out on passenger side at only 60k miles. To fix, the whole headlight would need to be replaced which is >$1k. LED bulbs should last much longer and there are many other instances of the same problem from other owners across various forums. Seems like this is a VW issue and should warrant a recall.
Related recalls
Exterior lighting: headlights
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020 Atlas Cross Sports and 2021 Atlas vehicles. The driver's side headlight may have been aimed too low during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- Risk
- A headlight aimed incorrectly aimed reduces the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will adjust the driver's side headlight, free of charge. The recall began September 9, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1‑800‑893‑5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94N7.
Recall number 20V504000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: headlights
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2020 Volkswagen Passat and 2018-2019 Atlas vehicles. The blocking cap disabling the adjustment of the headlight's horizontal aim may not have been installed. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- Risk
- Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, block the headlight horizontal adjustment, free of charge. The recall began July 16, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94L9.
Recall number 19V389000 · Recall details
Questions about the Volkswagen Atlas headlights
Which Volkswagen Atlas years have headlights failing or too dim problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2021 (42 complaints), 2018 (14 complaints) and 2022 (10 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix headlights failing or too dim on the Volkswagen Atlas?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,000 (median of 32 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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