P0601 The engine control module has failed its own internal memory check
1 owner report and 8 manufacturer filings across 4 model years from Chevrolet, GMC, Kia, Ram.
Where P0601 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Ram ProMaster | Electrical System | 6 | — | Battery → |
| 2025 Chevrolet Equinox | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2025 GMC Terrain | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2021 Kia Seltos | 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.
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What it gets filed under
8 manufacturer filings name P0601. 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 P0601.
- 25-NA-002 Service bulletin2025-01-10 · Engine
- This technical bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of DTC P0601 Missing from Vehicle, Setting DTC P2101 Instead.
- 1802522REVB Service bulletin2022-08-03 · Power Train — Automatic Transmission — Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm)
- Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates This bulletin involves reprogramming the PCM with the latest available software. Customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation, a technician may find that one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) have been set: P0325 - Knock Sensor 1 Circuit. P0601 - Internal Memory Checksum
- 1802522REVB Service bulletin2022-08-03 · Power Train — Automatic Transmission — Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm)
- Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates This bulletin involves reprogramming the PCM with the latest available software. Customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation, a technician may find that one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) have been set: P0325 - Knock Sensor 1 Circuit. P0601 - Internal Memory Checksum
- 1802522REVA Service bulletin2022-07-09 · Electrical System
- Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates This bulletin involves reprogramming the PCM with the latest available software. Customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation, a technician may find that one or moreof the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) have been set: P0601 - Internal Memory Checksum Invalid. B1040-64 - Operational
What P0601 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIThe engine control module has failed its own internal memory check.
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 P0601
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P0601 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.