[Chris Pe]

Does anyone else experience an strong vibrations when braking? I have 17k miles and a terrible vibrations when braking from 85 mph to 60 mph. The dealer said that this is a general brake problem in the VW and sometimes even after 5000 miles you have to replace the brake rotors and pads - the material quality is poor, and it’s not only Atlas problem.

I’ve also experience gentle vibrations while driving between 65-80.

They said it’s not a drive shaft.

 

[KarstGeo]

You need new brake rotors. I have 25K on mine/2.5 years old and did my rotors (and pads b/c why not) this year to get rid vibration when stopping from higher speeds such as slowing down to exit the highway. DIY was $208 in parts from rockauto.com - Powerstop drilled/slotted rotors (not too many options in a nicer than stock rotor for the front as it's an odd size not shared with other VW vehicles - 335mm) and Centric Posi-Quiet ceramic pads . I had too many miles for any hope of a warranty job - brake parts are hard to get covered as the conditions are so variable but they do say that some portions of the brake system are covered for the first 12 mos/10K miles I believe - look in your manual. The vibrations come from deposits creating an uneven surface of the rotor...sometimes folks say their rotors are "warped". Used to be your could surface them on a lathe but TBH, just replace them. Also, the ceramic pads are nearly zero dust which is a bonus.

The slight vibration at highway speeds off the brakes is likely the tires - it's been reported by many and there is a thread here about it I believe. I have this issue over ~75. I'm going to just get new tires I think.

 

[Chris Pe]

Thank you, did you get rid of the vibration when braking after replacement?

 

[KarstGeo]

Thank you, did you get rid of the vibration when braking after replacement?

The braking vibrations are 100% gone - "warped" rotors are not uncommon in large heavy vehicles driven around town with lots of stop/go. The brakes get hot, you stop at a light with the pads against the rotors for a few minutes and they leave deposits over time that cause the uneven surface/vibrations. Our old Odyssey needed the rotors turned every few years for the same thing. I've read a lot of VW have this issue but TBH, how does it compare statistically to other brands? No idea. Don't care. It was $200 and it's gone and I'm happy.

 

[Chris Pe]

Will do same thing and let you know does it work

 

[Barry T]

You can even get a bad set of new rotors, it happened to me and I scratched my head and tried to figure out why I was getting vibration with new brakes. Rotors are really cheap for most cars. In my experience, it really doesn't matter if you get OEM rotors or ones made in China for everyday driving, it's just a chunk of metal that your brake pads grab to stop the vehicle. However, the cause of warpage, all things being equal. is usually heat build up. Drilled or slotted brake rotors are theoretically supposed to dissipate heat better and channel brake dust away from the rotor and are usually put on high performance cars. However, other than looking better, I have had both on some cars and didn't see any difference for everyday driving.