The Best PCV Valves For Top Emissions Control Performance

We know a number of you drive older Toyota models simply because there are so many of them still on the road. These rock-solid vehicles are usually very inexpensive to maintain because the only things that routinely fail are low-cost components like the PCV valve.

The FRAM FV409 is an aftermarket part made by one of the auto industry’s most trusted names. If you drive a Toyota Camry, RAV4 or Highlander, or a Scion tC or xB built between 2000 and 2010 and powered by a 2.0- or 2.4-liter engine, this is the PCV valve that will fit your vehicle. This is likely the replacement part you need if your vehicle’s engine is idling high and exhibiting low oil pressure.

You can easily install this PCV valve yourself, as it threads into your engine’s valve cover, where all you have to do is tighten it with the appropriately sized wrench. The only caution is to take care when removing the rubber hose from the old PCV valve, as it is easy to tear.

From the aftermarket auto parts specialists at Standard Motor Products comes the V413 PCV valve, which is an inexpensive replacement part for a range of Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep models, and even one Volkswagen. This is the PCV valve you need if you drive one of the many Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep vehicles that used the company’s 3.8-liter V6 engine. Those include the Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Pacifica, and Chrysler Town & Country. Even Volkswagen used that engine in its Routan minivan.

The one caution we can offer you is that the OEM PCV valve can apparently be difficult to remove from the engine. You may find that the rubber gasket on the valve has become hard and brittle over the years. You may have an easier time if you warm the engine up before you attempt to remove it, but then you must take care not to burn yourself. Installing the new part is much easier than getting the old one out of your engine.

In any event, this option is an inexpensive replacement that will help keep your workhorse minivan or off-road vehicle running reliably for years to come.

If you drive a Hyundai vehicle with a failing or failed PCV valve, here is an OEM replacement part that is likely to be the one you need. That’s because this PCV valve fits a vast number of Hyundai models built and sold between 1989 and 2020. Specific vehicle applications include late models like the Kona compact SUV and Veloster coupe, along with long-running nameplates such as the Accent, Sonata, and Santa Fe. If you drive a Kia model, many of which are closely related to Hyundai models, this part may fit too, but we recommend verifying that before you buy.

This simple component is designed as an exact fit replacement, so you should have little trouble completing the job. In addition, this part’s straightforward design means you should get many years of reliable service from it, and its affordable price will help you get your vehicle running right for less money than you’d pay if you bought it from your Hyundai dealer's parts department.

This Ensun product looks a lot different from most of the other products on this list, and there’s a good reason for that. This is a more complicated part designed as a replacement for a number of Volkswagen and Audi models with 1.8- and 2.0-liter turbocharged engines built between 2015 and 2018. In those cars, this valve does double duty to prevent your engine’s lubricating oil from being vented into the intake and burned along with gasoline. The oil collected then goes back into the crankcase where it can continue providing much-needed lubrication to your engine’s critical moving parts.

This part’s sophisticated design explains its price, which is much higher than that of most other replacement PCV valves on this list. That is apparently the price you must pay to enjoy the performance that comes from German engineering.

That said, according to at least one buyer, this part is less expensive than what you’ll pay to get an OEM part from your dealership’s service department. Despite being an aftermarket replacement for a rather complicated part, this component is a direct-fit replacement.

Here’s another example of a part that is designed for a wide range of vehicles including both economy cars and upscale models. If you drive a Nissan or Infiniti model with a four-cylinder or V8 engine, this PCV valve will probably be the one you need. Aftermarket parts supplier Beck Arnley makes this part as a replacement for the one used in the 1.8-, 2.0-, and 2.5-liter engines from the Sentra compact sedan, the Altima family car, and Rogue SUV. It’s also a replacement PCV valve for the V8 engine in your Titan pickup truck or Infiniti luxury SUV or sedan.

The part itself is made of black plastic and features a threaded fitting that you spin into the port on the engine. On the other end is the nipple that connects the valve to your engine’s emissions control system. This part’s low price proves that just because you drive a luxury car (in this case, any of the Infiniti models it’s designed for), maintaining and repairing it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

Car manufacturers invest a lot of time into making sure their vehicles perform according to the expectations set by the people, like you, who buy their products, but they don’t always get it right. One example is the plastic OEM PCV valve BMW used in its popular N54 engine, a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder that powered certain versions of the company’s 1 Series, 3 Series, 5 Series, and 7 Series starting in 2006.

According to FTP Motorsport, that valve often does not work well even when it’s new, so the aftermarket parts company designed a replacement that it says addresses the original’s flaws. Part of the issue is that the N54 engine’s turbocharging system increases the possibility of blow-by that can pressurize the crankcase and cause oil leaks and other problems.

This is an interesting design that consists of two parts: one is the PCV valve itself, and the other is a cover that the valve fits into. This copies the OEM part, but FTP Motorsport’s replacement is made of metal for better durability and longer service life.

The aftermarket auto parts pros at FRAM offers the FV184, which is the replacement PCV valve you need to keep your older General Motors vehicle running well. This is one of the least expensive products we found, reflecting large production numbers to accommodate the range of models it is designed for. The company says it makes the FV184 PCV valve to fit GM’s venerable 5.0- and 5.7-liter V8 engines, as well as a handful of other motors derived from those eight-cylinders, including the popular 4.3-liter V6.

If you’re having trouble with poor running and stalling in vehicles like the Cadillac Eldorado built between 1990 and 1993, a Chevrolet Blazer sold from 1987 through 1994, a Pontiac Parisienne (1974-1979), or even a 1996 AM General Hummer, this part could fix those issues for little more than pocket change. At this price, you could include replacing this valve as part of your next tune-up whether your existing PCV valve is faulty or not.

If you drive the popular Honda CR-V and prefer to use OEM parts to keep it running reliably, here’s a PCV valve that will fit your SUV and a range of Honda vehicles with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. This genuine Honda part is a metal PCV valve with a threaded fitting at one end that screws into the engine and a nipple to which you attach the rubber hose that connects to the engine’s intake.

While this part’s metal construction promises more reliable performance than some plastic parts, you will pay for that reliability: this PCV valve is more expensive than most of the others on our list.

While the Honda CR-V made from 2010 through 2014 is this part’s most common application, you can also use this valve on the 2.4-liter engine in a Honda Accord (2008-2012), Civic Si (2006-2011), and Crosstour (2012-2015). This part will also fit some versions of the Acura TSX compact sport sedan.

Because this is an OEM part, it is covered by a 12-month, 12,000-mile Honda factory warranty.

Mercedes-Benz has a reputation for building some of the most robust luxury vehicles in the world. However, if you drive one of the many car and SUV models the company made around 2010, you know that even the most reliable Mercedes needs to be repaired from time to time. If your Benz is showing the telltale signs of a failed crankcase ventilation system, this crankcase breathing housing cover is where you should being your diagnosis. Though this part is not specifically called a PCV valve, it serves the same function of relieving crankcase pressure buildup.

This is an aftermarket part, but it is designed as a direct-fit replacement for the OEM part that came on your vehicle from the factory. It fits 3.0- and 3.5-liter V6 engines and 4.6- and 5.5-liter V8 engines in the C-Class, E-Class, SLK-Class, and S-Class cars, as well as G-Class, GL-Class, GLK-Class, ML-Class, and R-Class SUV and crossover models.

Replacement requires a Torx-style screwdriver, which not every home mechanic owns. However, these tools are easy to find. URO Parts will replace a faulty part within 30 days of shipment, after which it warranties this valve against defects for one year.

Motorcraft is the Ford Motor Company’s in-house parts division, so while this part does not wear the Ford name, it is designed as a direct-fit replacement for the OEM PCV valve in a number of Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles. This bright blue emissions control component is designed to fit the 4.6-liter V8 engine that Ford installed in its popular F-150 pickup truck sold in the early 2000s. You can also buy this replacement part to address driveability and reliability problems in the Ford Expedition SUV, the Crown Victoria full-size sedan, the Lincoln Town Car luxury sedan, and the Mercury Grand Marquis.

If you’re replacing a faulty PCV valve in the 4.6-liter V8, you’ll find it in one of the valve covers, next to the oil filler cap. You can replace this part yourself even if you know little about working on engines. To remove the valve, you first have to pull off the hose that connects the valve to the intake. Then, using an adjustable wrench, turn the valve 90 degrees counter-clockwise. Installing the new part is just as simple.

What does a PCV valve do, and how does it work?

How can you tell when you need to replace your PCV valve?

What can happen if you don’t replace your broken PCV valve?

The early symptoms of a poor-running engine can take the fun out of driving your car, but leaving a PCV valve unfixed will lead to more serious problems. Oil leaks can turn into the complete failure of critical oil seals, which will cause an even bigger leak and damage the engine due to a low oil level. And before you reach that point, you may find yourself stranded with a car that won’t start.

Is it difficult to replace a failed PCV valve yourself?

In many cases, you can replace the PCV valve yourself with simple tools. However, this depends on the car in question. Some upscale models have more complicated emissions control systems that require you to replace a larger, more expensive part than just a simple valve. Do your homework beforehand to see whether you’re comfortable doing the work yourself.

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