NHTSA Complaint #11046156 — 2010 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WAGON

PCV VALVE FAILED, AT SOME POINT PRIOR TO JAN 11, 2016 AND 77,748 MILES. NO WARNING LIGHTS OR OTHER INDICATION OF THE FAILURE EVER OCCURRED UNTIL THE PCV VALVE FAILURE CASCADED INTO FAILURE OF THE ENGINE REAR MAIN SEAL (BETWEEN THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION), RESULTING IN A MASSIVE OIL LEAK. BASED ON A WEB SEARCH, THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON SITUATION, NOT ONLY FOR THE VALVE FAILURE, BUT THE METHOD IN WHICH IT FIRST BECOMES APPARENT TO THE VEHICLE OWNER (REAR MAIN SEAL FAILURE). COST TO REPAIR WAS OVER $1900. PCV VALVE FAILED AGAIN AT SOME POINT PRIOR TO OCT 24, 2017 AND 116,102 MILES. SIMILAR TO THE FIRST EVENT, NO INDICATION OF THE FAILURE OCCURRED UNTIL THIS CASCADED INTO AN UPPER TIMING COVER SEAL FAILURE. COST TO REPAIR WAS OVER $600. MY RESEARCH CLEARLY INDICATES VW PCV VALVES ARE KNOWN TO BE TROUBLE-PRONE. VW EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON PCV VALVES TO 10 YEARS/120,000 MILES ON CERTAIN VW MODELS (INCLUDING PASSATS) UP THROUGH 2008 MODEL YEAR. MY EXPERIENCE, AND THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHER OWNERS, CERTAINLY SUGGESTS 2009 AND 2010 VW PASSATS STILL HAVE THIS PROBLEM, AND ONE HAS TO WONDER WHY THESE MODEL YEARS ARE EXCLUDED FROM THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE OUTRAGEOUS COSTS THAT OWNERS ARE LEFT TO DEAL WITH.