B1038
0 owner reports and 66 manufacturer filings across 17 model years from Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC and others.
Where B1038 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Cadillac Escalade | Electrical System | 9 | — |
| 2022 Cadillac Escalade | Electrical System | 6 | — |
| 2022 Chevrolet Suburban | Electrical System | 6 | — |
| 2021 Chevrolet Suburban | Electrical System | 6 | — |
| 2022 GMC Yukon | Electrical System | 6 | — |
| 2021 GMC Yukon | Electrical System | 6 | — |
| 2022 Buick Envision | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2021 Buick Envision | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2022 Cadillac CT5 | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2021 Cadillac CT5 | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2022 Chevrolet Corvette | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2021 Chevrolet Corvette | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2026 Lincoln Nautilus | Seats | 1 | — |
| 2025 Lincoln Nautilus | Seats | 1 | — |
| 2024 Lincoln Nautilus | Unknown Or Other | 1 | — |
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
Manufacturer filings that name it
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsService bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names B1038. Quoting the document number at a service desk is often the fastest route to a diagnosis someone has already written down.
- SSM 544002025-11-25 · Seats
- Some 2025-2026 Nautilus vehicles with heated-only front seats (minor feature code BY1AC) (not heated and cooled) may set diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) B103A:15, B1034:13, B1036:13, and B1038:15 in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) module when a diagnostic self-test is performed. These DTCs have no effect on functionality and should be ignored if no other DTCs are present in t
- SSM 529192024-09-19 · Unknown Or Other
- Some 2025 Nautilus vehicles with heated-only front seats (minor feature code BY1AC) may set diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) B103A:15, B1034:13, B1036:13, and B1038:15 in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) module when a diagnostic self-test is performed
- 22-NA-0522022-11-21 · Electrical System
- This service bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of DTC B1038 SYM64 set in the BCM and Door Ajar Message on Driver Information Center (DIC).
- 22-NA-0522022-04-08 · Equipment
- This service bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of DTC B1038 SYM64 set in the BCM and Door Ajar Message on Driver Information Center (DIC).
- 22-NA-0522022-03-03 · Electrical System
- This service bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of DTC B1038.64 set in the BCM and Door Ajar Message on Driver Information Center (DIC).
What B1038 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIB1038 is a manufacturer-specific code: the second character is a 1, which under the OBD-II standard hands the definition to whoever built the vehicle. The same code can mean one thing on a Ford and something unrelated on a Hyundai. Any site that prints a single definition for it is guessing.
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 B1038
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardWhy does this page not define B1038?
Because it cannot be defined honestly. The second character of a trouble code says who owns its meaning, and a 1 or a 3 hands that to the manufacturer. Sites that print one definition for a manufacturer-specific code are showing you one automaker's meaning and hoping it is yours.
Can I keep driving with B1038 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.