2022 Volkswagen Atlas Transmission Problems

I am reporting a recurring coolant system issue that raises safety concerns. My 2022 VW Atlas has triggered the coolant warning light several times since new. A dealership eventually replaced the head gasket under warranty, yet the warning returned again months later. At the most recent service visit, a pressure test showed no leak, and I was told the problem was likely "air bubbles" — the same explanation I received before the head gasket was replaced. VW has issued TSB 19-22-01, advising dealers to blame repeated warnings on trapped air and to avoid replacing parts unless a leak is confirmed. This contradicts VW’s own official dashboard warning guidance, which instructs drivers to “Stop! Engine coolant level too low, engine coolant temperature too high, or engine coolant system malfunction” and “Do not drive.” This creates a conflict: VW tells customers a coolant warning is urgent and dangerous, while internally telling dealers to do nothing unless symptoms worsen. Meanwhile, owners are left driving vehicles that could overheat, stall, or fail without proper diagnosis. I request NHTSA investigate whether this approach allows VW to underreport or delay addressing a possible defect. I am concerned about the safety and reliability of this vehicle and the potential for this issue to affect other Atlas owners.

The first issue at 26k miles when the coolant light turned on. It was a broken head gasket which required the replacement of the full motor on the vehicle. After the motor was replaced, the vehicle had to be taken back to the dealership that completed the work on 3 different occasions for installation concerns including a loose bolt and low coolant levels. The second issue at 33k miles was the failure of the charcoal canister which ruined the fuel tank lining, resulting a replacement of the fuel tank. This issue caused the car to stall anytime it was idle (if I was in traffic and not able to accellerate or in a parking lot going slowly, it would stall requiring it to be put into park and restarted. This issue was a huge safety concern since my car would shut down in traffic. No indicator lights came on during this issue. Next, at 37k miles, I smelled terrible gas fumes each time the car idled. At one point, when blowing my nose, I had black soot residue, so I can't imagine what I was breathing or the risk of the vehicle catching fire with such strong fumes. I had to take the car in twice before they took me seriously. The car had broken O rings from the engine replacement. No indicator lights came on for this issue either. Last week, we received the car back after 33 days in the shop for ANOTHER broken head gasket. Within a day of getting the car back, it misfired and the check engine light was on again. The car does not accellerate correctly which poses a safety risk when trying to pull out into moving traffic or cross oncoming traffic. Volkswagen corporate office is well aware of all the issues but declined the buy-back process because we don't fall under our state's lemon laws.

Since I've had this car in 2022, it continues to misfire and decelerate randomly. Car starts shaking violently and slows down while in traffic causing me to have to figure out a way to get to the side of the road and turn the car off for a while. Vehicle has been taken in various times about this issue since purchase with no resolution. I usually get an Error: Start/Stop message, EPC light and sometimes the check engine light will come on. The dealer states that they couldn't reproduce the problem but when I had an oil change and they had the car running it happened, I called a tech to look at it and he just cut the car off. He says if you cut it off and it starts again, you're good. Except I am not good, the car isn't reliable. Every time they fix something, something else breaks but nothing can be done about this issue. Happens randomly but sometimes more often. Multiple times a day.