C0800
4 owner reports and 6 manufacturer filings across 8 model years from Chevrolet, GMC.
Where C0800 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Chevrolet Equinox | Equipment | 2 | — | |
| 2016 GMC Terrain | Equipment | 2 | — | |
| 2017 Chevrolet Equinox | Electronic Stability Control | 1 | — | |
| 2020 Chevrolet Spark | Electrical System | — | 1 | Battery → |
| 2023 Chevrolet Traverse | Service Brakes | — | 1 | Brake pads → |
| 2022 GMC Canyon | Electrical System | — | 1 | Battery → |
| 2022 GMC Terrain | Steering | — | 1 | |
| 2017 GMC Terrain | Power Train | 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.
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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.
During that incident we ran OBD scanner, C0800 code was showing for Power Steering Control Module, recommended repair was the replace battery, even though the battery was good
I connected a code reader and received the following codes: U0422, U0151, and C0800
6 manufacturer filings name C0800. 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 C0800.
- PIT5427B Service bulletin2018-11-19 · Electronic Stability Control — Automatic (Asc)
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have a Service Engine Soon Malfunction Indicator Lamp, service Antilock Braking System, Service Stabilitrak, Service All Wheel Drive, Service Suspension Control, or Hard Steering. Technician may find the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes stored C0196, C0186, C0287, C0710, C0045, C0050, C0800, U00
- PIT5427A Service bulletin2015-09-21 · Equipment — Other — Owners/Service/Other Manual
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have a Service Engine Soon Malfunction Indicator Lamp, service Antilock Braking System, Service Stabilitrak, Service All Wheel Drive, Service Suspension Control, or Hard Steering. Technician may find the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes stored C0196, C0186, C0287, C0710, C0045, C0050, C0800, U00
What C0800 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIC0800 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 C0800
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with C0800 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.