Crankcase (pcv) problems of the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas

The oil separator / pcv system on my 2023 Volkswagen Atlas failed prematurely, causing oil leakage and abnormal crankcase pressure. This resulted in oil escaping into the engine bay and related components. Failure of this system can lead to oil contacting hot engine surfaces, potential fire risk, loss of oil pressure, and possible engine damage. The defect occurred well before expected service life. Volkswagen has issued a service action related to premature oil separator/pcv failure, indicating the manufacturer was aware of this issue. However, owners were not proactively notified prior to failure. This appears to be a pattern issue affecting multiple vehicles. I am concerned about the safety implications and the risk of repeat failure even after repair.

Complaint summary: the pcv valve (oil separator, part number 06q103495f) has failed twice within 20,000 miles on my 2023 Volkswagen Atlas 2. 0t. The first failure occurred around 50,000 miles and was repaired under warranty. The second failure happened around 70,000 miles, after warranty expiration. Description of issue: in both cases, the failure was identified when the low engine oil warning light appeared, followed by visible oil leakage across the top of the engine and the catch plate area. Upon inspection, oil was found covering surrounding components, and the dealer confirmed the pcv assembly had failed and was leaking internally and externally. The pcv system is integrated into the valve cover, and when it fails, it causes crankcase pressure loss, oil blow-by, and potential engine damage or fire risk if oil contacts hot components. This is not normal wear; it’s a known recurring failure on ea888 2. 0t engines used across multiple vw models. Safety concern: a leaking pcv valve can cause: •excessive oil consumption •oil spray onto engine components, posing a potential fire hazard •unstable idle or stalling due to vacuum imbalance •risk of engine damage if crankcase pressure rises the part has been revised multiple times by Volkswagen but continues to fail prematurely. The lack of a recall or warranty extension leaves owners paying for repeated replacements of a defective component. Request: I urge NHTSA to investigate widespread premature failures of the pcv/oil separator assembly (06q103495f and superseding parts) on Volkswagen ea888 gen 3 engines used in the Atlas, tiguan, and other vw/Audi vehicles. This appears to be a design flaw rather than a normal maintenance issue and could lead to oil fires or mechanical damage if ignored.