About 6 months after purchasing a new 2024 VW Atlas Cross Sport, I started smelling gasoline inside the vehicle. It was a very strong smell, like someone had poured it on the carpet. After a few days, I noticed the smell when walking up to the car, not just inside. At this time, an error message appeared on the dash saying the start-stop system was malfunctioning, as well as the ABS system. That day, I took a look underneath and spotted a leak; gasoline was dripping from the bottom of the car. So, I scheduled service at the dealership where I purchased the vehicle. After a week, I received a call saying a rodent had entered the engine bay and chewed through the engine harness and a fuel line, and that these damages were not covered under the warranty. I asked for pictures of the ‘chewing’; however, the images they provided were not conclusive, in my opinion. My insurance paid, and the repair was started, but when they went to fix it, they said they found extensive damage to the primary harness, secondary harness, and a bunch of other things. Insurance again approved; however, the dealership has said that these parts need 30-90 days to come in. I believe there to be a defect in manufacturing that allows rodents into the vehicle since I have parked vehicles, including VW and just about every other brand, in the same location for 30 years and have never had this issue. Also, when I pressed the service department at the dealership, they said they had other cars here for the same issue and that it was ‘not uncommon.’