P0021 Camshaft timing on bank 2 is more advanced than commanded
8 owner reports and 578 manufacturer filings across 122 model years from Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford and others.
Where P0021 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Chevrolet Traverse | Electrical System | 9 | 2 | Battery → |
| 2018 Buick Enclave | Electrical System | 9 | 1 | Battery → |
| 2017 Ford Fusion | Power Train | 10 | — | |
| 2018 Ford Fusion | Power Train | 9 | — | |
| 2018 Buick LaCrosse | Electrical System | 8 | — | Battery → |
| 2018 Cadillac XT5 | Engine | 8 | — | |
| 2017 Ford Explorer | Power Train | 8 | — | |
| 2019 Ford F-150 | Power Train | 7 | 1 | |
| 2020 Ford Fusion | Engine | 8 | — | |
| 2019 Ford Fusion | Power Train | 8 | — | |
| 2016 Ford Fusion | Power Train | 8 | — | |
| 2017 Lincoln MKZ | Power Train | 8 | — | |
| 2016 Ford Expedition | Engine | 7 | — | |
| 2018 Ford Explorer | Power Train | 7 | — | |
| 2016 Ford Explorer | Electrical System | 7 | — | Battery → |
| 2020 Ford F-150 | Power Train | 7 | — | |
| 2016 Ford F-150 | Engine | 7 | — | |
| 2018 Lincoln MKZ | Power Train | 7 | — | |
| 2020 Lincoln Nautilus | Power Train | 7 | — | |
| 2019 Lincoln Nautilus | Power Train | 7 | — | |
| 2016 Lincoln Navigator | Power Train | 7 | — | |
| 2017 Ford C-MAX | Power Train | 6 | — | |
| 2017 Ford Edge | Power Train | 6 | — | |
| 2017 Ford Escape | Power Train | 6 | — | |
| 2017 Ford Expedition | Power Train | 6 | — |
Showing the 25 model years where P0021 appears most; it is on file for 122 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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P0021 by make
The same record, one make at a time: the model years, bulletins and owner reports that name P0021 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.
But for documentation purposes, it involves servicing the safety restraint system and error codes P0018 and P0021
Codes P0346, P0021 and P0087, power is fine but tapping sounds bad and worried of failure while driving
Dealer had vehicle for 1 week, and when assessment complete, reported dtc P0011, P0014, P0021 and P0024 cam codes
578 manufacturer filings name P0021. 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 P0021.
- 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.
- 09-104-23R Service bulletin2023-12-15 · Electrical System
- This bulletin announces availability of reprogramming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) to address rare cases of DTCs P0011 (“A” Camshaft Position – Timing Over-Advanced or System Performance Bank 1) and P0021 (“A” Camshaft Position – Timing Over-Advanced or System Performance Bank 2) detected by the ECM.
- 09-105-23R Service bulletin2023-10-12 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- This bulletin announces availability of reprogramming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) to address rare cases of DTCs P0011 (“A” Camshaft Position – Timing Over-Advanced or SystemPerformance Bank 1) and P0021 (“A” Camshaft Position – Timing Over-Advanced or System Performance Bank 2) detected by the ECM.
- 09-104-23R Service bulletin2023-10-12 · Electrical System
- This bulletin announces availability of reprogramming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) to address rare cases of DTCs P0011 (“A” Camshaft Position – Timing Over-Advanced or System Performance Bank 1) and P0021 (“A” Camshaft Position – Timing Over-Advanced or System Performance Bank 2) detected by the ECM. The new files contain enhanced logic to optimize the detection parameters of DTCs P00
- 09-105-23 Service bulletin2023-05-09 · Engine And Engine Cooling — Engine — Engine Control Module (Ecu/Ecm)
- This bulletin announces availability of reprogramming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) to address rare cases of DTCs P0011 (“A” Camshaft Position – Timing Over-Advanced or System Performance Bank 1) and P0021 (“A” Camshaft Position – Timing Over-Advanced or System Performance Bank 2) detected by the ECM.
- 09-105-23 Service bulletin2023-05-09 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- This bulletin announces availability of reprogramming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) to address rare cases of DTCs P0011 (“A” Camshaft Position – Timing Over-Advanced or System Performance Bank 1) and P0021 (“A” Camshaft Position – Timing Over-Advanced or System Performance Bank 2) detected by the ECM.
What P0021 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IICamshaft timing on bank 2 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 P0021
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P0021 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.