P0402
3 owner reports and 93 manufacturer filings across 18 model years from Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Jeep and others.
Where P0402 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD | Electrical System | 15 | — |
| 2024 GMC Sierra 2500HD | Engine And Engine Cooling | 15 | — |
| 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD | Electrical System | 12 | — |
| 2024 GMC Sierra 3500HD | Electrical System | 12 | — |
| 2017 Ford F-250 Super Duty | Power Train | 5 | — |
| 2017 Ford F-350 Super Duty | Power Train | 5 | — |
| 2017 Ford F-450 Super Duty | Engine And Engine Cooling | 5 | — |
| 2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty | Power Train | 3 | — |
| 2018 Ford F-250 Super Duty | Engine And Engine Cooling | 3 | — |
| 2019 Ford F-350 Super Duty | Power Train | 3 | — |
| 2018 Ford F-350 Super Duty | Power Train | 3 | — |
| 2019 Ford F-450 Super Duty | Engine And Engine Cooling | 3 | — |
| 2018 Ford F-450 Super Duty | Power Train | 3 | — |
| 2022 Ford Maverick | Electrical System | 2 | — |
| 2017 Ram 1500 | Engine | — | 2 |
| 2016 Ram 2500 | Power Train | 2 | — |
| 2016 Ram 3500 | Power Train | 2 | — |
| 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee | Engine | — | 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.
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.
Truck was consuming coolant and you could smell it but can't see a leak then the service electronic throttle control light came on a few weeks later with a code reading P0402
Manufacturer filings that name it
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsService bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names P0402. Quoting the document number at a service desk is often the fastest route to a diagnosis someone has already written down.
- 23-NA-0662023-07-27 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- This technical bulletin provides a procedure to correct the condition of Malfunction Indicator Lamp Illuminated with DTC P0402 Set.
- 23-NA-0662023-06-09 · Electrical System
- This technical bulletin provides a procedure to correct the condition of Malfunction Indicator Lamp Illuminated with DTC P0402 Set.
- PIP5916B2023-05-31 · Engine And Engine Cooling — Engine — Engine Control Module (Ecu/Ecm) — Software
- This Preliminary information communicates that there is a software issue in the ecm for the following dtc's P062D P163A P163B, P0402 P144E. P2635 which could cause a crank, no start issue, and how to correct.
- PIP5916A2023-05-30 · Engine And Engine Cooling — Engine — Engine Control Module (Ecu/Ecm) — Software
- This Preliminary information communicates that there is a software issue in the ecm for the following dtc's P062D P163A P163B, P0402 P144E. P2635 which could cause a crank, no start issue, and how to correct.
- 23-NA-0662023-04-11 · Electrical System
- This technical bulletin provides a procedure to correct the condition of Malfunction Indicator Lamp Illuminated with DTC P0402 Set.
- TSB 23-20592023-02-23 · Electrical System
- Some 2022 Maverick vehicles equipped with a 2.5L full hybrid electric vehicle (FHEV) powertrain may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0402 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). This may be due to fault detection ratio threshold of the differential pressure feedback exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) sensor. To correct the condition, f
What P0402 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIToo much exhaust gas is being recirculated.
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 P0402
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P0402 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.