P2638
9 owner reports and 1 manufacturer filing across 6 model years from Acura, Honda, Jeep.
Where P2638 shows up
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints| Model year | Filed under | Bulletins | Owner reports | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Honda Pilot | Power Train | 1 | 3 | |
| 2017 Honda Pilot | Engine | — | 2 | |
| 2017 Acura MDX | Engine | — | 1 | |
| 2016 Acura MDX | Power Train | — | 1 | |
| 2018 Honda Odyssey | Engine | — | 1 | |
| 2016 Jeep Wrangler | 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
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.
The problem became worse and stalled a few times, took to local shop and code p2638 torque management feedback signal came back, indicating problem with transmission or TCU
I was towed to a nearby maintenance shop where a p2638 code was listed
Once again they instructed the dealer to perform all the potential fixes above and to ignore a code P2638
1 manufacturer filing name P2638. 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 P2638.
- A15110F Service bulletin2015-11-19 · Power Train — Automatic Transmission — Gear Position Indication (Prndl)
- SERVICE NEWS ARTICLE - DO YOU HAVE A FAIRLY LOW MILEAGE VEHICLE IN YOUR SHOP WITH THE MIL ON, THE GEAR POSITION INDICATOR BLINKING, AND A/T DTC P2638 (TORQUE FEEDBACK SIGNAL A RANGE/PERFORMANCE)? CHANCES ARE THE IDLE LEARN PROCEDURE WASNT DONE RIGHT AT PDI.
What P2638 means
Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-IIP2638 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 P2638
Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standardCan I keep driving with P2638 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.