P0016 The crankshaft and camshaft are not where they should be relative to each other — timing, chain or phaser
75 owner reports and 1,042 manufacturer filings across 277 model years from Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler and others.
Where P0016 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Chevrolet Silverado | Engine | 5 | 10 | |
| 2023 GMC Yukon | Not specified | 12 | — | |
| 2021 GMC Sierra | Engine | 5 | 6 | |
| 2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI | Equipment | 11 | — | |
| 2017 Ford Fusion | Power Train | 10 | — | |
| 2023 Chevrolet Suburban | Not specified | 8 | 1 | |
| 2018 Ford Fusion | Power Train | 9 | — | |
| 2024 GMC Sierra | Not specified | 4 | 5 | |
| 2016 Cadillac CTS | Engine | 8 | — | |
| 2023 Cadillac Escalade | Not specified | 8 | — | |
| 2022 Cadillac Escalade | Not specified | 6 | 2 | |
| 2016 Chevrolet Equinox | Engine | 6 | 2 | |
| 2017 Ford Explorer | Power Train | 8 | — | |
| 2020 Ford Fusion | Engine | 8 | — | |
| 2019 Ford Fusion | Power Train | 8 | — | |
| 2016 Ford Fusion | Power Train | 8 | — | |
| 2023 GMC Sierra | Not specified | 5 | 3 | |
| 2022 GMC Sierra | Not specified | 5 | 3 | |
| 2017 Lincoln MKZ | Power Train | 8 | — | |
| 2018 Cadillac ATS | Engine | 7 | — | |
| 2017 Cadillac ATS | Engine | 7 | — | |
| 2016 Cadillac ATS | Engine | 7 | — | |
| 2017 Cadillac CT6 | Engine | 7 | — | |
| 2016 Cadillac CT6 | Engine | 7 | — | |
| 2018 Cadillac CTS | Engine | 7 | — |
Showing the 25 model years where P0016 appears most; it is on file for 277 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.
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P0016 by make
The same record, one make at a time: the model years, bulletins and owner reports that name P0016 on that maker’s vehicles.
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.
The dashboard displayed "LOW OIL PRESSURE STOP ENGINE," code P0016, and a transmission warning
The vehicle registered diagnostic trouble code P0016 (Crankshaft Position–Camshaft Position Correlation, Bank 1 Sensor A)
I also subsequently received an email notification from OnStar identifying diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0016
Error code p0016 came up and I started investigating and found coolant intrusion which was a known defect during manufacturing by ford
My Tahoe only has 35,047 miles, and threw the Diagnostic Trouble Code P0016 through my ONSTAR app as well as with the tech at the dealership
1,042 manufacturer filings name P0016. 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 P0016.
- 09-98-22R Service bulletin2026-08-31 · Electrical System
- This bulletin announces the availability of new reprograming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) developed to remedy the following DTCs: P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0014, P0024, P0128, P2109. If any of the DTCs listed above are found to be stored in the ECM, follow the procedures outlined in the bulletin. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- 09-011-26 Service bulletin2026-06-06 · Engine
- Not applicable to vehicles built for US market. ENGINE – 1.5 GSE T4 MHEV - Malfunction Indication Light (MIL) P0016 Customers must experience a MIL illumination and the vehicle must exhibit/set the following Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC): ● P0016 - Crankshaft/camshaft Timing Misalignment - Bank 1 Sensor 1. Check the trouble codes in the Engine Control Unit (ECU). Apply this document if the trouble
- PIP5921B Service bulletin2026-01-30 · 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 54366 Service bulletin2025-11-12 · 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.
- N252510320 Service campaign2025-09-08 · Unknown Or Other
- Certain vehicles will receive a software update to add to the existing Check Engine Light a Driver Information Center (DIC) warning message if DTC P0016 sets. Dealers will reprogram the Engine Control Module (ECM). Owners who have accepted applicable terms and conditions will have the opportunity to accept these software changes using wireless over-the-air (OTA) technology without having to bring
- N252510321-02 Service campaign2025-09-05 · Unknown Or Other
- Certain vehicles will receive a software update to add to the existing Check Engine Light a Driver Information Center (DIC) warning message if DTC P0016 sets. Dealers will reprogram the Engine Control Module (ECM). Owners who have accepted applicable terms and conditions will have the opportunity to accept these software changes using wireless over-the-air (OTA) technology without having to bring
What P0016 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIThe crankshaft and camshaft are not where they should be relative to each other — timing, chain or phaser.
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 P0016
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P0016 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.