P0234 The turbocharger or supercharger is making more boost than the computer asked for
4 owner reports and 359 manufacturer filings across 61 model years from Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford and others.
Where P0234 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Chevrolet Cruze | Engine | 25 | — | |
| 2018 Buick Encore | Engine | 16 | — | |
| 2017 Buick Encore | Engine | 16 | — | |
| 2016 Buick Encore | Engine | 16 | — | |
| 2020 Buick Encore | Engine | 13 | — | |
| 2018 Chevrolet Sonic | Engine | 13 | — | |
| 2017 Chevrolet Sonic | Engine | 13 | — | |
| 2016 Chevrolet Sonic | Engine | 13 | — | |
| 2018 Chevrolet Trax | Engine | 13 | — | |
| 2017 Chevrolet Trax | Engine | 13 | — | |
| 2016 Chevrolet Trax | Engine | 13 | — | |
| 2019 Chevrolet Cruze | Engine | 12 | — | |
| 2018 Chevrolet Cruze | Engine | 12 | — | |
| 2017 Chevrolet Cruze | Engine | 12 | — | |
| 2019 Buick Encore | Engine | 11 | — | |
| 2022 Buick Encore | Engine | 9 | — | |
| 2021 Buick Encore | Engine | 9 | — | |
| 2019 Chevrolet Trax | Engine | 8 | — | |
| 2019 Chevrolet Sonic | Engine | 7 | — | |
| 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer | Engine | 6 | — | |
| 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer | Engine | 6 | — | |
| 2023 Buick Encore | Engine | 4 | — | |
| 2021 Chevrolet Equinox | Engine | 3 | 1 | |
| 2022 Chevrolet Malibu | Engine | 3 | 1 | |
| 2020 Chevrolet Sonic | Engine | 4 | — |
Showing the 25 model years where P0234 appears most; it is on file for 61 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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P0234 by make
The same record, one make at a time: the model years, bulletins and owner reports that name P0234 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.
This severe drivability defect has occurred on four separate occasions under Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P00AF00 (Turbocharger/Supercharger Boost Control "A" Module Performance) and related boost/MAP faults (P0234)
The diagnostic test retrieved DTC: P0234 (Turbocharger/Supercharger "A" Over Boost Condition (Engine and Engine Cooling)
Accelerating the vehicle to get to highway speeds, vehicle pulls hard and bogs down into limp mode, resulting in a P0234 MIL
359 manufacturer filings name P0234. 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 P0234.
- PIP6058A Service bulletin2025-04-30 · Unknown Or Other
- .This Preliminary information communicates to the dealers the possibility of DTC p0299 p0234 setting due to wastegate binding
- PIP6058 Service bulletin2025-04-28 · Unknown Or Other
- .This Preliminary information communicates to the dealers the possibility of DTC p0299 p0234 setting due to wastegate binding
- SSM 53328 Service bulletin2025-01-24 · Unknown Or Other
- Some 2020-2022 F-Super Duty vehicles equipped with a 6.7L engine may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL), lack of power, and/or excessive turbo noise during operation, with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P003A, P0045, P0046, P0047, P0048, P0234, P0237, P0238, P0299, P132A, P226C, P2263, P2564, P2565, P2598, P259E, and/or P259F stored in the powertrain control module.
- 21-NA-293 Service bulletin2023-07-28 · Electrical System
- This technical bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of Poor Engine Performance in Extremely Cold Weather Conditions, Charge Air Cooler Icing - Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) Illuminated, DTC P0299, P0234, P0236, P00C7 Set.
- PIP5892B Service bulletin2023-02-23 · Engine And Engine Cooling — Engine — Gasoline — Turbo/Supercharger
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the dealer technician related to a Malfunction Indicator Lamp coming on post turbocharger replacement with P0234 (Engine Overboost) set current or in history. It advises the technician to clear the DTC, Use GDS2 to perform the Intake System Learned Values Reset. To advise the technician the GM is aware of this concern and will pr
- PIP5812C Service bulletin2023-01-05 · Engine And Engine Cooling — Engine — Gasoline — Turbo/Supercharger
- This Preliminary information communicates the possibility of dtc p0299 p0234 setting due to oil/moisture cndensate freezing in Turbocharger Wastegate Regulator Solenoid Valve (TCV) during cold weather driving
What P0234 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIThe turbocharger or supercharger is making more boost than the computer asked for.
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 P0234
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P0234 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.