Drivers Say Their Popular SUVs Burn Oil Like It’s Free But VW Calls It Normal

A lawsuit challenges what one automaker considers ‘normal’ oil use, revealing details buried deep in the owner’s manual

                                        https://www.carscoops.com/author/bradcarscoops-com/                                    

It’s no secret that some Volkswagen engines have a bit of a thirst problem. For years, certain VW models have earned a reputation for burning through oil faster than seems reasonable, and now that habit has landed the automaker in the middle of a class-action lawsuit in the United States.

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At the center of it all is VW’s EA888 engine, which, according to the complaint, can stall or even fail if drivers don’t top off oil between scheduled changes. The lawsuit specifically targets 2022 and 2023 Tiguan models.

Multiple Lawsuits, One Common Complaint

Originally filed as three separate legal cases, the lawsuit has since been consolidated into a single class action involving seven plaintiffs. The core of the issue, according to the complaint, lies in defective piston rings that reportedly lack the necessary tension, leading to excessive oil consumption. There’s also an allegation that the PCV system might not be doing its job properly when it comes to managing crankcase pressure.

Interestingly, the lawsuit refers to a technical service bulletin that VW reissued in 2024. This bulletin outlines an oil consumption test that dealerships can perform when a customer reports oil use beyond what VW considers normal at up to 0.5 quarts every 600 miles, or 0.5 liters per 1,000 kilometers. That’s the threshold where the automaker starts to take notice.

The plaintiffs are urging a federal judge to order a recall covering all affected Tiguan models. Volkswagen, however, is pushing back, asking the court to dismiss the case entirely. The company argues that the class action has fundamental flaws.

For starters, VW points out that none of the seven plaintiffs claim to have experienced engine stalling, failure, or damage due to excess oil consumption. While one plaintiff has complained about the engine “sputtering” and “hesitation,” a dealer told her the vehicle was functioning as it should.

The German carmaker claims the plaintiffs “parrot the same generalized allegation that they were prompted by the vehicles’ oil warning light to add oil to the vehicle in between scheduled oil changes.”

The company also notes that the owner’s manual of the Tiguan says the engine can consume as much as 1 liter (1 quart) per 1,200 miles (2,000 km). That’s a heck of a lot of oil to go through in such a limited distance, but VW maintains that none of the plaintiffs have claimed their vehicles burned oil at a rate beyond this published threshold.