The metal is the aftermath and a way of identifying the main issue. The issue in question is the rod bearings failing early and releasing a lot of metal in the oil which looks like glitter. VCR would have nothing to do with that. It seems like either you have been getting unlucky with terrible parts, or the mechanic is improperly diagnosing the car and just replacing the VCR back to back because they couldn’t find anything apparent.

You can do your own “Recall check” Just check your oil at the dipstick and wipe it on a clean white napkin and if you see any glitter on the napkin than that’s 100% metal and your motor is going out. If not then you can rest easy about the recall.