P0481
5 owner reports and 9 manufacturer filings across 7 model years from Fiat, Ford, Jeep, Ram.
Where P0481 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Ford Escape | Electrical System | 4 | — |
| 2017 Ford Escape | Electrical System | 4 | — |
| 2017 Jeep Renegade | Engine | — | 2 |
| 2016 Fiat 500 X | Engine | — | 1 |
| 2019 Ford Escape | Engine | 1 | — |
| 2016 Jeep Renegade | Engine | — | 1 |
| 2016 Ram Promaster City | 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.
Turned the vehicle off and found the engine code P0481 Fan 2 Control Circuit, I allowed the car to cool before checking fuses for the Cooling Fan
My cars service engine light came on aug 10, 2020 and drive mode unavailable alert, throwing code P0481, intense heat was coming from engine though temp gauge at normal levels
Manufacturer filings that name it
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsService bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names P0481. Quoting the document number at a service desk is often the fastest route to a diagnosis someone has already written down.
- SSM 488952020-06-15 · Engine
- Some 2017-2019 Escape vehicles equipped with a 1.5L or 2.0L engine may exhibit fuse F34 open with an illuminated MIL and diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0034, P023A, P0245, P0480, P0481, P0645, P06A0, P06DB, P188D, P02602, and/or P2681 in the powertrain control module (PCM). The vehicle may also exhibit an all-wheel drive (AWD) fault warning and/or illuminated traction control (TC) lamp. Inspect
- SSM 475752018-10-10 · Equipment
- Some 2017-2018 Escape vehicles equipped with a 1.5L or 2.0L engine may exhibit fuse F34 open, an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0034, P023A, P0245, P0480, P0481, P0645, P06A0, P06DB, P188D, P02602, and/or P2681 in the powertrain control module (PCM). The vehicle may also exhibit an all-wheel drive (AWD) fault warning and/or traction control (TC) light on. Inspect the 12A690
- SSM 474672018-08-15 · Electrical System
- Some 2017-2018 Escape vehicles equipped with a 1.5L or 2.0L engine may exhibit fuse F34 open, an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0034, P023A, P0245, P0480, P0481, P0645, P06A0, P06DB, P188D, P02602, and/or P2681 in the powertrain control module (PCM). May also exhibit an all-wheel drive (AWD) fault warning and/or traction control (TC) light on. Inspect the 14290 wiring harnes
- SSM 470862018-02-16 · Electrical System — Wiring
- Some 2017-2018 Escape vehicles equipped with a 1.5L or 2.0L engine and built on or before 24-Jan-2018 may exhibit fuse F34 open, an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0034, P023A, P0245, P0480, P0481, P0645, P06A0, P06DB, P188D, P02602, and/or P2681 in the powertrain control module (PCM). May also exhibit an all-wheel drive (AWD) fault warning and/or traction control (TC) light
What P0481 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIP0481 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 P0481
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P0481 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.