P0521
4 owner reports and 94 manufacturer filings across 49 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Buick Encore | Electrical System | 7 | — |
| 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer | Engine | 6 | 1 |
| 2024 Chevrolet Trax | Electrical System | 6 | 1 |
| 2021 Buick Encore | Electrical System | 5 | — |
| 2019 Chevrolet Express | Engine And Engine Cooling | 5 | — |
| 2019 Chevrolet Suburban | Engine And Engine Cooling | 5 | — |
| 2024 Buick Envista | Electrical System | 4 | — |
| 2024 Buick Encore | Engine | 3 | — |
| 2023 Buick Encore | Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 | 1 |
| 2022 Buick Encore | Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 | 1 |
| 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer | Engine | 3 | — |
| 2016 GMC Savana | Engine And Engine Cooling | 3 | — |
| 2016 Buick Envision | Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 | — |
| 2016 Cadillac ATS-V | Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 | — |
| 2016 Chevrolet Spark | Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 | — |
| 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer | Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 | — |
| 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer | Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 | — |
| 2019 GMC Savana | Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | — |
| 2016 Buick Cascada | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2016 Buick Enclave | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2016 Buick Encore | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2020 Buick Envision | Electrical System | 1 | — |
| 2019 Buick Envision | Electrical System | 1 | — |
| 2018 Buick Envision | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2020 Buick Regal | Electrical System | 1 | — |
| 2019 Buick Regal | Electrical System | 1 | — |
| 2017 Buick Regal | Electrical System | 1 | — |
| 2019 Cadillac ATS | Electrical System | 1 | — |
| 2018 Cadillac ATS | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2018 Cadillac ATS-V | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2017 Cadillac ATS-V | Electrical System | 1 | — |
| 2019 Cadillac CTS | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2018 Cadillac CTS-V | Electrical System | 1 | — |
| 2016 Cadillac ELR | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2016 Cadillac SRX | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2016 Cadillac XTS | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2022 Chevrolet Camaro | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2016 Chevrolet City Express Cargo Van | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2020 Chevrolet Express | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2016 Chevrolet SS | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2016 Chevrolet Sonic | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2016 Chevrolet Traverse | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2016 Chevrolet Trax | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2016 GMC Acadia | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2020 GMC Savana | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2016 GMC Sierra 3500HD | Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | — |
| 2025 Jeep Compass | Power Train | 1 | — |
| 2024 Jeep Compass | Power Train | 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.
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)
Manufacturer filings that name it
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsService bulletins and campaigns whose filed summary names P0521. Quoting the document number at a service desk is often the fastest route to a diagnosis someone has already written down.
- 08-086-252025-03-22 · 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): â—� P0235 - Turbocharger Pressure Sensor Signal Circuit Short To Ground. â—� P0521 - Plausibility Monitoring Between Two Engine Oil Pressure Switch Inverted Mounting. â—� P0253 - Meteri
- PIP5947C2024-12-05 · 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 r
- PIP5947B2024-08-16 · 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.Â
- PIP5932D2024-08-13 · 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.
- PIP5932C2024-08-13 · Electrical System
- This Preliminary information communicates to dealers engine wiring harness inspections and engine oil pump diagnostic testing related to MIL on with P0521.
- PIP5932A2024-03-18 · 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 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.