P0011
33 owner reports and 821 manufacturer filings across 219 model years from Acura, Audi, Buick, Cadillac and others.
Where P0011 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaintsShowing the 60 model years where P0011 appears most; it is on file for 219 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
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.
Audi's current diagnostic scan also identified multiple camshaft/timing-related engine fault codes, including P0011 (camshaft timing over-advanced/system performance), P0341 (camshaft position sensor range/performance), and P000A (camshaft…
The vehicle is exhibiting symptoms of imminent engine failure (audible knocking, P0011 code, and oil dilution)
I finally threw cod P0011 so I bought the oil control valve before it arrived ny car died
Upon investigation the dealership found codes P0011, P0014, P0016, P0017, and quoted "Cylinder 4 intake rocker had fallen off and laying on head, found excessive debris and metal material around rocker 4, Found cylinder 2 intake rocker to…
At my most recent visit to Bloomington Subaru, the ECM was not loaded with the current software, ECM C1424 and C1422 and Diag Trouble Code P0011 code
Manufacturer filings that name it
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsService bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names P0011. Quoting the document number at a service desk is often the fastest route to a diagnosis someone has already written down.
- PIP5921B2026-01-30 · Unknown Or Other
- This Preliminary information communicates the possibility of DTC p0011 p0016 and potential for a rattle or ticking noise to occur from the Intake Cam Actuator, or cover plate screws backing out and making contact with Cam carrier
- SSM 543662025-11-12 · Power Train
- Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in the Powertrain Control and Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) or in Section 303-14 of the Workshop Manual (WSM) has been updated to address this concern.
- PIP60822025-08-22 · Unknown Or Other
- This Preliminary information communicates the possibility of an engine surge or misfire with one or more of the following dtc's P0300/P0011/P0014/P0016/P0017 due to potential debris in the cam actuators
- SA-033-252025-06-20 · Engine
- Some vehicles may experience a CHECK ENGINE light ON with DTC P0012, P0011, and possibly P0010. This may be caused by a malfunction in the intake EVVT motor that prevents it from accurately regulating the intake camshaft timing.
- PIP6047A2025-03-14 · Unknown Or Other
- This Preliminary information communicates the possibility of DTC p0011 p0014 P05CE p05CC being set as current or in history due to engine oil metal/debris contamination.
- A24-0702024-04-29 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- Service Bulletin - During the engine warm-up, the Variable Valve Timing Control system may not be able to control within the VTC target. As a result, the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) is illuminated and sets DTC P0011 (Variable Valve Timing Control (VTC) A System Malfunction).
What P0011 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IICamshaft timing on bank 1 is more advanced than commanded.
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 P0011
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P0011 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.