P0171
34 owner reports and 784 manufacturer filings across 304 model years from Acura, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and others.
Where P0171 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Acura MDX | Fuel System, Gasoline | 16 | — |
| 2019 Acura MDX | Fuel System, Gasoline | 16 | — |
| 2018 Acura MDX | Fuel System, Gasoline | 16 | — |
| 2017 Acura MDX | Fuel System, Gasoline | 16 | — |
| 2016 Acura MDX | Fuel System, Gasoline | 16 | — |
| 2020 Acura TLX | Fuel System, Gasoline | 16 | — |
| 2019 Acura TLX | Fuel System, Gasoline | 16 | — |
| 2018 Acura TLX | Fuel System, Gasoline | 16 | — |
| 2017 Acura TLX | Fuel System, Gasoline | 16 | — |
| 2016 Acura TLX | Fuel System, Gasoline | 16 | — |
| 2020 Acura RDX | Fuel System, Gasoline | 15 | — |
| 2019 Acura RDX | Fuel System, Gasoline | 15 | — |
| 2018 Acura RDX | Fuel System, Gasoline | 15 | — |
| 2017 Acura RDX | Fuel System, Gasoline | 15 | — |
| 2016 Acura RDX | Fuel System, Gasoline | 15 | — |
| 2018 Jeep Wrangler | Power Train | 12 | — |
| 2017 GMC Acadia | Electrical System | 10 | — |
| 2018 Buick Encore | Equipment | 5 | 2 |
| 2017 Chevrolet Camaro | Electrical System | 7 | — |
| 2016 Buick Encore | Equipment | 6 | — |
| 2016 Chevrolet Camaro | Electrical System | 5 | 1 |
| 2017 Chevrolet Colorado | Electrical System | 6 | — |
| 2017 Chevrolet Trax | Engine | 5 | 1 |
| 2016 Chevrolet Trax | Equipment Adaptive/Mobility | 6 | — |
| 2017 Chrysler Pacifica | Power Train | 5 | 1 |
| 2021 Ford F-150 | Electrical System | 6 | — |
| 2017 GMC Canyon | Electrical System | 6 | — |
| 2020 Jeep Wrangler | Engine And Engine Cooling | 6 | — |
| 2019 Jeep Wrangler | Engine And Engine Cooling | 6 | — |
| 2018 Buick Enclave | Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | — |
| 2017 Buick Enclave | Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | — |
| 2016 Buick Enclave | Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | — |
| 2017 Buick Encore | Equipment | 5 | — |
| 2017 Cadillac CTS | Electrical System | 5 | — |
| 2016 Cadillac CTS | Electrical System | 5 | — |
| 2017 Chevrolet Equinox | Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | — |
| 2016 Chevrolet Equinox | Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | — |
| 2018 Chevrolet Traverse | Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | — |
| 2017 Chevrolet Traverse | Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | — |
| 2016 Chevrolet Traverse | Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | — |
| 2018 Chevrolet Trax | Electrical System | 5 | — |
| 2018 GMC Acadia | Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | — |
| 2016 GMC Acadia | Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | — |
| 2018 GMC Terrain | Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 1 |
| 2017 GMC Terrain | Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | — |
| 2016 GMC Terrain | Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | — |
| 2021 Ram 1500 | Electrical System | 5 | — |
| 2016 Chevrolet Cruze | Electrical System | 3 | 1 |
| 2019 Chevrolet Trax | Electrical System | 3 | 1 |
| 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee | Power Train | 4 | — |
| 2021 Jeep Wrangler | Back Over Prevention | 4 | — |
| 2016 Mazda CX-5 | Fuel/Propulsion System | 2 | 2 |
| 2019 Buick Encore | Engine | 3 | — |
| 2017 Buick Envision | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2016 Buick Envision | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2017 Buick Regal | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2016 Buick Regal | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2017 Cadillac ATS | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2016 Cadillac ATS | Electrical System | 3 | — |
| 2017 Cadillac CT6 | Electrical System | 3 | — |
Showing the 60 model years where P0171 appears most; it is on file for 304 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.
These are a few of the codes it reads, although some codes come and go, but these remain on: P12E7, P12EC, P12F4, P12F9, P0121, P0171, P0161, P0131, P069E, B097B, B1395, B1516, B1517, B260E, B260E, B2615, B2745, U0800, U1808, U0109, U007C
My vehicle had a check engine light code of P0171 and the odor of burning oil
The vehicle was then taken to an AutoZone, where a handheld diagnostic machine retrieved diagnostic trouble codes: P0017 (crankshaft) and P0171 (system too lean), and it was observed that the oil reservoir was empty
The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who retrieved diagnostic trouble codes: P00C6, P0137, P0171, P0299, P089, and P2097
Diagnostic codes P1064 (cylinder 4 oil supply solenoid stuck), P0171 (fuel system lean), and P0304 (cylinder misfire) were found
Manufacturer filings that name it
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsService bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names P0171. Quoting the document number at a service desk is often the fastest route to a diagnosis someone has already written down.
- 09-005-262026-03-12 · Fuel/Propulsion System
- Not applicable to vehicles built for US market. Methanol In Fuel - Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P0171 Customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination and the vehicle may SYMPTOM: exhibit/set the following Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC): â—� P0171-00 - System Too Lean (Bank 1). Customers can also experience one or more of the following: â—� Engine misfire. â—� Rough engine
- 18-025-252025-05-18 · Power Train
- "Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination and the vehicle must exhibit/set one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs): � P0629 - Fuel Pump Control Circuit High. � P0171 - Fuel system Lean. � P0087 - Fuel Rail Pressure Too Low – Bank 1. � P16F0-00 - SPI Comm Hardware Fault. Customers may also
- 08-088-252025-03-28 · Power Train
- "Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation the technician must find one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC)s have been set: â—� P0629 - Fuel Pump Control Circuit High. â—� P0171 - Fuel system Lean. â—� P0087 - Fuel Rail Pressure Too Low - Bank 1. Customers may also experie
- 18-070-242024-09-14 · Unknown Or Other
- "Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation the technician must find one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC)s have been set: â—� P0629 - Fuel Pump Control Circuit High. â—� P0171 - Fuel system Lean. â—� P0087 - Fuel Rail Pressure Too Low - Bank 1. Customers may also experie
- 18-001-24 REV. C2024-09-07 · Fuel/Propulsion System
- "Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation the technician must find one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) have been set: â—� **P0629 - Fuel Pump Control Circuit High. â—� P0171 - Fuel system Lean. â—� P0087 - Fuel Rail Pressure Too Low - Bank 1.** â—� P16F0-00 - SPI Com
- 18-013-24 REV. C2024-06-20 · Power Train
- "Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination and the vehicle must exhibit/set one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs): â—� P0032 - O2 Sensor 1/1 Heater Circuit High. â—� P2097 - Downstream Fuel Trim System 1 Rich. â—� P0171 - Fuel System 1/1 Lean. â—� P0300 - Multiple Cylinder Misfire. â—� P06E4 - Con
What P0171 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIThe engine is running lean on bank 1: too much air, or not enough fuel, for the mixture the computer wants.
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 P0171
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P0171 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.