P0521 The oil pressure sensor reading does not track what the engine is doing
4 owner reports and 93 manufacturer filings across 48 model years from Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC and others.
Where P0521 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Buick Encore | Engine | 7 | — | |
| 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer | Electrical System | 6 | 1 | Battery → |
| 2024 Chevrolet Trax | Electrical System | 6 | 1 | Battery → |
| 2021 Buick Encore | Engine | 5 | — | |
| 2019 Chevrolet Express | Engine | 5 | — | |
| 2019 Chevrolet Suburban | Engine | 5 | — | |
| 2024 Buick Envista | Electrical System | 4 | — | Battery → |
| 2024 Buick Encore | Engine | 3 | — | |
| 2023 Buick Encore | Engine | 2 | 1 | |
| 2022 Buick Encore | Engine | 2 | 1 | |
| 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer | Engine | 3 | — | |
| 2016 GMC Savana | Engine | 3 | — | |
| 2016 Buick Envision | Engine | 2 | — | |
| 2016 Cadillac ATS-V | Engine | 2 | — | |
| 2016 Chevrolet Spark | Engine | 2 | — | |
| 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer | Engine | 2 | — | |
| 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer | Engine | 2 | — | |
| 2019 GMC Savana | Engine | 2 | — | |
| 2016 Buick Cascada | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2016 Buick Enclave | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2016 Buick Encore | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2020 Buick Envision | Equipment | 1 | — | |
| 2019 Buick Envision | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2018 Buick Envision | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2020 Buick Regal | Equipment | 1 | — |
Showing the 25 model years where P0521 appears most; it is on file for 48 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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P0521 by make
The same record, one make at a time: the model years, bulletins and owner reports that name P0521 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.
On Star provided me with a diagnostic code of P0521, pointing to an engine oil pressure sensor malfunction
March 15, 2026 – Diagnostic Codes- P0521 – Engine Oil Pressure Sensor/Switch Range or Performance- P06DE – Engine Oil Pressure Control Circuit Stuck On Concerns include oil pressure, lubrication issues, and potential engine damage
– A known issue where the Engine Control Module (ECM) fails to properly clear the permanent status of DTC P0521 (Engine Oil Pressure Sensor Performance)
93 manufacturer filings name P0521. 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 P0521.
- 08-086-25 Service bulletin2025-03-22 · Power Train
- "Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Wiring Harness Contacting PCM Bracket Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination and the vehicle must set the following Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC): ● P0235 - Turbocharger Pressure Sensor Signal Circuit Short To Ground. ● P0521 - Plausibility Monitoring Between Two Engine Oil Pressure Switch Inverted Mounting. ● P0253 - Metering Uni
- PIP5947C Service bulletin2024-12-05 · Engine
- This Preliminary information communicates to the dealers information related to potential failed engine camshaft cover causing excessive engine oil consumption, blue smoke from the exhaust system at low mileage. Can also possibly cause a misfire or idle surge and may or may not set history or current codes P0300 P050D P0521 P06DE P1101. It advises inspections for potential engine camshaft cover re
- PIP5947B Service bulletin2024-08-16 · Engine
- This Preliminary information communicates to the dealers information related to potential failed engine camshaft cover causing excessive engine oil consumption and blue smoke from the exhaust system at low mileage. Can also possibly cause a misfire and may or may not set history or current codes P0300 P050D P0521 P06DE. It advises inspections for potential engine camshaft cover replacement.
- PIP5932D Service bulletin2024-08-13 · Electrical System
- This Preliminary information communicates to dealers engine wiring harness inspections and engine oil pump diagnostic testing related to MIL on with P0521, P06DD or P06DE.
- PIP5932C Service bulletin2024-08-13 · Electrical System
- This Preliminary information communicates to dealers engine wiring harness inspections and engine oil pump diagnostic testing related to MIL on with P0521.
- PIP5932A Service bulletin2024-03-18 · Electrical System
- This Preliminary information communicates to dealers engine wiring harness inspections and engine oil pump diagnostic testing related to MIL on with P0521.
What P0521 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIThe oil pressure sensor reading does not track what the engine is doing.
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 P0521
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P0521 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.