P0018
11 owner reports and 788 manufacturer filings across 199 model years from Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge and others.
Where P0018 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Ford Fusion | Power Train | 10 | — | |
| 2018 Ford Fusion | Power Train | 9 | — | |
| 2017 Ford Explorer | Power Train | 8 | — | |
| 2020 Ford Fusion | Engine | 8 | — | |
| 2019 Ford Fusion | Power Train | 8 | — | |
| 2016 Ford Fusion | Power Train | 8 | — | |
| 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 | — | |
| 2017 Cadillac CTS | Engine | 7 | — | |
| 2016 Cadillac CTS | Engine | 7 | — | |
| 2017 Cadillac XT5 | Engine | 7 | — | |
| 2016 Ford Expedition | Engine | 7 | — | |
| 2018 Ford Explorer | Power Train | 7 | — | |
| 2016 Ford Explorer | Electrical System | 7 | — | Battery → |
| 2018 Ford F-150 | Power Train | 6 | 1 | |
| 2016 Ford F-150 | Engine | 7 | — | |
| 2017 GMC Acadia | Engine | 6 | 1 | |
| 2018 Lincoln MKZ | Power Train | 7 | — | |
| 2020 Lincoln Nautilus | Power Train | 7 | — | |
| 2019 Lincoln Nautilus | Power Train | 7 | — |
Showing the 25 model years where P0018 appears most; it is on file for 199 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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P0018 by make
The same record, one make at a time: the model years, bulletins and owner reports that name P0018 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.
Last week, I changed the v v t cylinder because of a p0018 code, and found that the replacement was the old cam phasers prone to break again
Vehicle has a recurring P0018 fault code (Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation Bank 2 Sensor A)
Started throwing p0018 timing code,high pressure fuel pump on front blew off the valve cover,Im assuming due to jumping out of timing,as the high pressure pump sits ontop of one of the Camshaft rollers
But for documentation purposes, it involves servicing the safety restraint system and error codes P0018 and P0021
Prior to the failure, we noticed several warning signs, including an illuminated check engine light, rough idling, and multiple diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs), such as P0018, P0019, P0300, P0304, P0305, and P0306
788 manufacturer filings name P0018. 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 P0018.
- 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.
- 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.
- 09-120-24 Service bulletin2024-07-08 · Engine
- "This bulletin announces availability of new reprograming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) developed to remedy the following DTCs: P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0087."
- 23-NA-091 Service bulletin2023-05-11 · Electrical System
- This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Rough Idle, Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) Illuminated After Engine Repairs with DTCs P0016 and/or P0018 Set.
- SSM 50067 Service bulletin2021-08-27 · Electrical System
- Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. This may be due to small debris causing the VCT solenoid to stick. Before attempting any component diagnosis or replacement of the VCT solenoid, refer to Powertrain Control and Emissions Diagnosis (PC/E
- SSM 49821 Service bulletin2021-05-24 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. This may be due to small debris causing the VCT solenoid to stick. Before attempting any component diagnosis or replacement of the VCT solenoid, refer to Powertrain Control and Emissions Diagnosis (PC/E
What P0018 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIP0018 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 P0018
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P0018 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.