P0440 A general fault in the evaporative emissions system — the sealed circuit that stops fuel vapour escaping
3 owner reports and 27 manufacturer filings across 11 model years from Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep.
Where P0440 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Dodge Challenger | Power Train | 9 | — | Gas cap → |
| 2022 Dodge Challenger | Power Train | 4 | — | Gas cap → |
| 2019 Dodge Charger | Engine | 4 | — | Gas cap → |
| 2020 Jeep Wrangler | Engine | 3 | — | Gas cap → |
| 2019 Jeep Wrangler | Engine | 3 | — | Gas cap → |
| 2022 Dodge Charger | Electrical System | 2 | — | Gas cap → |
| 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia | Engine | 1 | — | Gas cap → |
| 2022 Chrysler 300 | Electrical System | 1 | — | Gas cap → |
| 2018 Dodge Durango | Fuel/Propulsion System | — | 1 | Gas cap → |
| 2016 Dodge Durango | Fuel/Propulsion System | — | 1 | Gas cap → |
| 2016 Jeep Renegade | Electronic Stability Control | — | 1 | Gas cap → |
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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P0440 by make
The same record, one make at a time: the model years, bulletins and owner reports that name P0440 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.
Jeep safety concern 2016 Jeep Renegade trail hawk 4WD mileage: 35.000 our vehicle displayed check engine code (P0440)

27 manufacturer filings name P0440. 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 P0440.
- 1809423 Service bulletin2023-08-29 · Electrical System
- Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates Customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation the technician may find that one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) have been set: ? P0455 - EVAP System Large Leak. ? P0456 - EVAP System Small Leak. ? P0440 - General Evap System Failure. ? P0441 - EVAP Purge System Performance
- 1809523 Service bulletin2023-08-29 · Power Train — Automatic Transmission — Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm)
- Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates Customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation the technician may find that one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) have been set: ? P0455 - EVAP System Large Leak. ? P0456 - EVAP System Small Leak. ? P0440 - General Evap System Failure. ? P0441 - EVAP Purge System Performance
- 1809223 Service bulletin2023-08-16 · Electrical System
- Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates Customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation the technician may find that one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) have been set: ? P0455 - EVAP System Large Leak. ? P0456 - EVAP System Small Leak. ? P0440 - General Evap System Failure. ? P0441 - EVAP Purge System Performance
- 1809323 Service bulletin2023-08-16 · Electrical System
- Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates Customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation the technician may find that one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) have been set: ? P0455 - EVAP System Large Leak. ? P0456 - EVAP System Small Leak. ? P0440 - General Evap System Failure. ? P0441 - EVAP Purge System Performance
- 1809123 Service bulletin2023-08-16 · Electrical System
- Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates Customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation the technician may find that one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) have been set: ? P0455 - EVAP System Large Leak. ? P0456 - EVAP System Small Leak. ? P0440 - General EVAP System Failure. ? P0441 - EVAP Purge System Performance
- 1809023 Service bulletin2023-08-16 · Power Train — Automatic Transmission — Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm)
- Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates Customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation the technician may find that one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) have been set: ? P0455 - EVAP System Large Leak. ? P0456 - EVAP System Small Leak. ? P0440 - General EVAP System Failure. ? P0441 - EVAP Purge System Performance
What P0440 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIA general fault in the evaporative emissions system — the sealed circuit that stops fuel vapour escaping.
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 P0440
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P0440 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.