P2261
2 owner reports and 7 manufacturer filings across 7 model years from Buick, Chevrolet, GMC, Hyundai and others.
Where P2261 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Chevrolet Equinox | Engine | 2 | — | |
| 2023 GMC Terrain | Electrical System | 2 | — | Battery → |
| 2016 Buick Encore | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2024 GMC Terrain | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2022 Hyundai Elantra | Engine | — | 1 | |
| 2022 Kia Seltos | Engine | 1 | — | |
| 2021 Volkswagen Passat | Electrical System | — | 1 | Battery → |
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
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.
Fault code P0236 (turbocharger boost sensor circuit) has been recorded on every visit; P2261 was also recorded
I have had the check engine looked at with the reader and the code that comes on is P2261 Turbo/super charge
7 manufacturer filings name P2261. 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 P2261.
- 23-NA-033 Service bulletin2023-11-07 · Electrical System
- This service bulletin provides a procedure to replace the ECM to correct customer concerns of a rattle noise during cold start, Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) Illuminated - DTC P2261 Set.
- 23-NA-033 Service bulletin2023-03-08 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- This service bulletin provides a procedure to replace the ECM to correct customer concerns of a rattle noise during cold start, Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) Illuminated - DTC P2261 Set.
- SC230_TSB Service bulletin2022-06-08 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: C-RECIRCULATION SOLENOID VALVE HOSE ASSY REPLACEMENT (SC230) - This bulletin provides information to replace the C-Recirculation Solenoid Valve Hose Assembly to the intake manifold on some 2022MY Seltos (SP2) vehicles equipped with 1.6L T-GDI engines, produced from August 9, 2021 through December 8, 2021. The affected vehicles may exhibit the illumination of M
- 16-NA-020 Service bulletin2016-01-26 · Engine And Engine Cooling — Engine — Gasoline — Turbo/Supercharger
- This technical bulletin provides a procedure to replace the turbocharger bypass valve solenoid for concerns regarding a turbocharger noise and or malfunction indicator lamp on with DTC P2261
What P2261 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIP2261 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 P2261
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P2261 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.