P0446 A fault in the evaporative vent control circuit
2 owner reports and 210 manufacturer filings across 59 model years from BMW, Buick, Chevrolet, GMC and others.
Where P0446 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaintsShowing the 25 model years where P0446 appears most; it is on file for 59 in total.
A model year appears here because the code is named in its record, not because every one of these vehicles sets it. Counts are mentions in the federal files, not failure rates — nobody publishes the denominator.
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P0446 by make
The same record, one make at a time: the model years, bulletins and owner reports that name P0446 on that maker’s vehicles.
What it gets filed under
What owners said
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners’ own words, one per nameplate, scrubbed of anything identifying. These are unverified reports filed with NHTSA — they are what was said, not a finding that it was true.
The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone, where DTC: P0172 and P0446 were retrieved
They verified the problem and provided diagnostic codes indicating internal transmission failure (P0776, P0868, P0446)
210 manufacturer filings name P0446. Start with what the maker wrote down.
A code names the test that failed, not the part. A bulletin that names it is often a diagnosis someone has already written down — quote its number at the service desk.
Manufacturer filings that name it
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsService bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names P0446.
- PIT6510 Service bulletin2026-04-25 · Unknown Or Other
- This PI describes the repairs to perform if P0446 set and water and/or ice is found on the fuel pump module.
- 23-NA-073 Service bulletin2025-03-13 · Engine
- This technical bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of Evaporative DTCs P0442, P0446, P0455 or P0449, Caused by Dust Intrusion into the Evaporative Canister.
- 23-NA-073 Service bulletin2024-10-07 · Engine
- This technical bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of Evaporative DTCs P0442, P0446, P0455 or P0449, Caused by Dust Intrusion into the Evaporative Canister.
- 23-NA-073 Service bulletin2024-02-26 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- This technical bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of Evaporative DTCs P0442, P0446, P0455 or P0449, Caused by Dust Intrusion into the Evaporative Canister.
- 23-NA-073 Service bulletin2023-09-20 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- This technical bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of Evaporative DTCs P0442, P0446, P0455 or P0449, Caused by Dust Intrusion into the Evaporative Canister.
- 23-NA-073 Service bulletin2023-06-19 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- This technical bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of Evaporative DTCs P0442, P0446, P0455 or P0449, Caused by Dust Intrusion into the Evaporative Canister.
What P0446 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIA fault in the evaporative vent control circuit.
A stored code names the test that failed, never the part that caused it. It is the starting point of a diagnosis, not its conclusion — the same code has several possible causes and the cheap one is not always right.
Common questions about P0446
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P0446 stored?
Nobody can answer that from the code alone, and a site that does is guessing. A steady light means a fault was logged and the car should be checked soon; a flashing light means a severe misfire — slow down and get it seen as soon as possible, because severe misfire can quickly damage the catalytic converter. The safe read of this page is the mileage and the components, not permission.
Does a code mean the car is recalled?
No. Recalls are filed by campaign and matched by VIN, and none of them are triggered by a scan tool. If you want to know whether an open recall applies to one specific vehicle, check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — that is the only source that settles it.
Why do the counts here differ from other sites?
Because these are not estimates. Every number on this page is a count of documents in NHTSA's own files: manufacturer communications that name the code in their filed summary, and owner complaints that name it in the narrative. We do not model, weight or extrapolate them.
Will clearing the code fix it?
Clearing turns the light off and erases the freeze-frame data a technician would have used to work out what happened. If the condition is still there the code returns, usually within a few drive cycles, and the diagnosis now starts from less information than before.