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Diagnostic trouble code

P0496

17 owner reports and 731 manufacturer filings across 71 model years from Buick, Chevrolet, Ford, Land Rover and others.

PowertrainGeneric OBD-II code731 manufacturer filings17 owner reports

Where P0496 shows up

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints
Model yearFiled underBulletinsOwner reports
2019 Volkswagen Golf / GTIEquipment107
2019 Volkswagen JettaEquipment50
2019 Volkswagen TiguanEquipment49
2019 Volkswagen PassatEquipment43
2020 Volkswagen Golf / GTIEngine And Engine Cooling41
2021 Volkswagen AtlasEquipment343
2019 Volkswagen AtlasEquipment35
2020 Volkswagen AtlasEquipment31
2020 Volkswagen JettaEquipment31
2020 Volkswagen PassatEngine And Engine Cooling29
2020 Volkswagen TiguanEngine And Engine Cooling29
2018 Volkswagen AtlasEquipment25
2018 Volkswagen JettaEquipment22
2019 Volkswagen BeetleEquipment21
2018 Volkswagen PassatEquipment20
2017 Volkswagen PassatEquipment20
2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTIEquipment14
2018 Volkswagen TiguanEquipment14
2018 Volkswagen BeetleEquipment10
2021 Volkswagen Golf / GTIEquipment10
2016 Volkswagen PassatEquipment7
2021 Volkswagen JettaEngine And Engine Cooling6
2022 Ford ExplorerElectrical System4
2017 Volkswagen JettaUnknown Or Other4
2016 Volkswagen JettaUnknown Or Other4
2025 Buick EncoreUnknown Or Other3
2024 Buick EncoreUnknown Or Other3
2023 Buick EncoreUnknown Or Other3
2022 Buick EncoreUnknown Or Other3
2021 Buick EncoreUnknown Or Other3
2020 Buick EncoreUnknown Or Other3
2025 Chevrolet TrailblazerUnknown Or Other3
2024 Chevrolet TrailblazerUnknown Or Other3
2023 Chevrolet TrailblazerUnknown Or Other3
2022 Chevrolet TrailblazerUnknown Or Other3
2021 Chevrolet TrailblazerUnknown Or Other3
2018 Chevrolet TraverseFuel/Propulsion System3
2020 Ford EcoSportEngine12
2018 Ford EcoSportEngine And Engine Cooling12
2019 Ford EscapeEngine3
2019 Land Rover Range RoverFuel System, Gasoline3
2018 Land Rover Range RoverFuel System, Gasoline3
2019 Chevrolet TraxEquipment11
2021 Ford Bronco SportEngine And Engine Cooling11
2024 Ford EdgeFuel/Propulsion System2
2019 Ford FusionPower Train2
2018 Ford FusionPower Train2
2019 Buick EncoreEquipment1
2018 Buick EncoreEquipment1
2017 Buick EncoreEquipment1
2016 Buick EncoreEquipment1
2020 Chevrolet ImpalaFuel/Propulsion System1
2018 Chevrolet TraxEquipment1
2017 Chevrolet TraxEquipment1
2016 Chevrolet TraxEquipment1
2022 Ford Bronco SportEngine And Engine Cooling1
2017 Ford C-MAXPower Train1
2016 Ford C-MAXPower Train1
2021 Ford EcoSportEngine And Engine Cooling1
2019 Ford EcoSportEngine And Engine Cooling1

Showing the 60 model years where P0496 appears most; it is on file for 71 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.

What it gets filed under

Equipment 312Engine And Engine Cooling 156Unknown Or Other 72Fuel/Propulsion System 18Electrical System 16Visibility 16
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What owners said

Source: NHTSA complaint database

Owners’ 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 the same dealer where it was diagnosed, and determined that an unknown part needed to be replaced after retrieving DTC: P0496
2021 Ford Bronco Sportat 52,000 milesApr 8, 2026NHTSA owner report
I took it the shop on the 3/27/2026 They put a diagnosis on the computer The code came for P0496 EVAP System High Purge Flow 02 Sensor Signal Biased/Stuck Rich - Bank 1, Sensor 1 ABS Anti-lock Brake System U0155-00 Lost Communication With…
2020 Ford EcoSportApr 1, 2026NHTSA owner report
Drove the car to AutoZone and the diagnostic code was P0496 EVAP System High Purge Flow
2021 Volkswagen AtlasJul 18, 2025NHTSA owner report
When getting gas..afterwards went to start and it would act like it wasn't getting gas..within hours after the check engine light came on..took to dealer to read trouble code..came up as a p0496..evap purge valve sticking open..also have…
2019 Ford EscapeDec 2, 2023NHTSA owner report
My traverse it started shaking like it was cold then the check engine light came on i went to autozone it read a p0496 code forevap system flow during non purge
2018 Chevrolet TraverseSep 11, 2023NHTSA owner report

Manufacturer filings that name it

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Service bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names P0496. Quoting the document number at a service desk is often the fastest route to a diagnosis someone has already written down.

What P0496 means

Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-II

P0496 sits in the generic range of the OBD-II standard, so it means the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States — but WhichTrim does not carry a definition for it and will not invent one. What is on this page is the record: who named it and on what.

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 P0496

Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standard

Can I keep driving with P0496 stored?

Nobody can answer that from the code alone, and a site that does is guessing. A steady light generally means the fault was logged and the vehicle is in a reduced-risk mode; a flashing light means stop soon, because a misfiring engine can destroy a catalytic converter in minutes. 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.