Does the 2018-2020 Atlas Have Leaky Fuel Injectors?
- The 1st generation Atlas might have a problem with fuel leaks in the fuel injector system.
- Anytime fuel leaks onto hot engine components there is the threat of fire.
- A federal investigation into the problem was opened in April of 2021.
There's growing concern that the Atlas SUV has a problem with leaking fuel injectors. Owners say they can smell gas when driving their vehicles, see gas leaking from the engine compartment, and often have check engine warning lights pop up indicating a problem.
Federal Investigation ∞
In April 2021, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced they'd investigate reports of leaky fuel injectors in the 2018-2020 Atlas with 3.6L engines.
Authorities aim to track down the source of the leak which is believed to be coming from the injectors, but could also be coming from the general area around the injectors.
Anytime highly flammable fuel is leaking onto hot engine parts, there's a threat of fire. Although no fires have been reported by Atlas owners (yet).
2018 models have higher warranty claim rates for fuel system problems, but it could only be a matter of time before the other model years catch up.
What is a Fuel Injector? ∞
Fuel injectors are electronically controlled devices that spray a fine mist of highly-pressurized fuel directly into the combustion chamber. Think of them like the spray nozzle on the end of a hose. The sprayed fuel is mixed with air passing through the inlet manifold to maintain the proper air-to-fuel ratio in the combustion chamber.
Symptoms of a leaking fuel injector ∞
Because the systems are highly pressurized, it doesn't take much to cause fuel to leak out of the injector system. Leaking fuel injectors are a fire hazard and should not be ignored.
Here are a few signs that your vehicle's injectors might be leaking:
- Fuel odors inside and around the car
- Increased fuel consumption
- Rough idling
- Rough or difficult to start when the engine is hot
Generations Where This Problem Has Been Reported
This problem has popped up in the following Volkswagen generations.
Most years within a generation share the same parts and manufacturing process. You can also expect them to share the same problems. So while it may not be a problem in every year yet, it's worth looking out for.
1st Generation Atlas
- Years
- 2018–2021
- Reliability
- 33rd out of 46
- PainRank™
- 6.43
- Complaints
- 57
Further Reading
A timeline of stories related to this problem. We try to boil these stories down to the most important bits so you can quickly see where things stand. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts for your vehicle over at CarComplaints.com.
NHTSA wants to take a look at the fuel injector system in the 2018-2020 Atlas after reports that it might be leaking.
Anytime there's a threat of engine fire it sparks (sorry) the agency's interest. The investigation will look at the 3.6L engine in the 2018-2020 model years, covering roughly 190,000 vehicles.
keep reading article "Investigation Opened Into Leaking Atlas Fuel Injector Concerns"
What Owners Say About This Problem
We got our Atlas 12 months ago in December 2018. The check engine light came on a few weeks ago, so we took the car in. The dealer claims that we got a batch of bad gas that ruined the fuel injectors which they now recommend replacing for $2500. I'm very skeptical of the bad gas claim, since the dealer doesn't offer any evidence to support the claim and Shell denies it. Seems like an obvious ploy by VW to get us to pay for an expensive repair on a 1 year old vehicle.
Fuel injector cracked at 21k miles while on the highway. Fuel was spewing all over the engine and ground. There was a burning smell and loud winding noise as well. Also loss of power and acceleration. Had just enough power to get off of the highway. Was very worried. Possible fire risk
Started the car to come home from the park 2 miles away from home and halfway home the car started cutting out, had very limited power, epc light came on followed shortly by the engine light and a fuel smell. Shut the vehicle off and restarted it while someone was looking in the engine compartment. It was immediately seen that a massive amount of fuel was dumping from the fuel rail/injector area at the front of the engine.