P0197
1 owner report and 56 manufacturer filings across 12 model years from Dodge, Jeep, Volkswagen.
Where P0197 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Volkswagen Beetle | Equipment | 12 | — | |
| 2019 Volkswagen Atlas | Equipment | 9 | — | |
| 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan | Equipment | 8 | — | |
| 2018 Volkswagen Passat | Equipment | 7 | — | |
| 2017 Volkswagen Passat | Equipment | 7 | — | |
| 2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI | Equipment | 5 | — | |
| 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee | Engine | 2 | — | |
| 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee | Engine | 2 | — | |
| 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee | Engine | 2 | — | |
| 2017 Dodge Journey | Electrical System | — | 1 | Battery → |
| 2018 Volkswagen Beetle | Equipment | 1 | — | |
| 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan | Equipment | 1 | — |
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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P0197 by make
The same record, one make at a time: the model years, bulletins and owner reports that name P0197 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.
Upon running a diagnostic, the following error codes displayed; P0420, P0340, P0197, P0117, P1D83, P2181(several codes showing up more than once showing permanent, pending)
56 manufacturer filings name P0197. 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 P0197.
- S2108000084 Service bulletin2021-03-30 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- CEL (Check Engine Lamp) On, DTC P0197 Engine Oil Temperature Low
- S2108000084 Service bulletin2021-03-30 · Engine
- CEL (Check Engine Lamp) On, DTC P0197 Engine Oil Temperature Low
- VIN4APIN20190805 Service bulletin2019-08-05 · Equipment
- Customer states MIL-on with P1429 and/or P0556 Customer states MIL-on with P0197 Customer states MIL-on with P0133 Customer states MIL-on with P0116 Customer states MIL-on with P2097 Customer states the sunshade is binding/tearing/separating Customer states "door warning light" on dash and/or locks, mirrors or window functions inoperative Customer states airbag light on B200000
- VIN4APIN20190614 Service bulletin2019-06-14 · Equipment
- Customer states noise from heat shield Customer states MIL-on with P0496 Customer states MIL-on with P1429 and/or P0556 Customer states MIL-on with P0197 Customer states MIL-on with P0133 Customer states MIL-on with P0116 Customer states MIL-on Must have one or all of P11AD, P11AE, P11AF Customer states the sunshade is binding/tearing/separating The front window regulator(s) exhibiting noi
- VIN4APIN20190611 Service bulletin2019-06-11 · Equipment
- Customer states noise from heat shield Customer states MIL-on with P0496 Customer states MIL-on with P1429 and/or P0556 Customer states MIL-on with P0197 Customer states MIL-on with P0116 MIL-on P0456 Customer states the sunshade is binding/tearing/separating The front window regulator(s) exhibiting noise, shutter, binding, or is inoperative. Customer states front windshield is distorted/w
- VIN4APIN20190610 Service bulletin2019-06-10 · Equipment Adaptive/Mobility
- Customer states noise from heat shield Customer states MIL-on with P0496 Customer states MIL-on with P1429 and/or P1556 Customer states MIL-on with P0197 Customer states MIL-on with P0116 MIL-on P0456 Customer states the sunshade is binding/tearing/separating The front window regulator(s) exhibiting noise, shutter, binding, or is inoperative. Customer states front windshield is distorted/w
What P0197 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIP0197 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 P0197
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P0197 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.